US5465722A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1994-09-20
•
Granted: 1995-11-14
•
Expires: 2014-09-20
Abstract
Abstract An acoustical imaging system for producing high resolution medical images provides a method and apparatus for obtaining accurate velocity characterizations of samples within the human body, and for obtaining high resolution images of the samples by utilizing the velocity characterizations of the samples within the human body. The acoustical imaging system also provides a method and apparatus for efficient use of switching channels whereby for a transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements, a set of receiver channels which number less than the number of transducer elements in the array are assigned to a selected portion of the plurality of transducers in the array, wherein for any predetermined set of transducers symmetrically located about a selected transducer, the predetermined set equal in number to the number of receiver channels in the system, each receiver channel in the set of receiver channels is only assigned to one transducer in said predetermined sampling set.
Inventors
- 👤 J. Robert Fort
- 👤 Norman S. Neidell
- 👤 Douglas J. Morgan
- 👤 Phillip C. Landmeier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 20:29
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/89; G01S15/8906; G01S15/8909; G01S15/8915; G01S15/8927; G01H; G01H5/00; G01S15/8993; G01S15/8997; G01S15/895; G01S15/8954
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of mapping inhomogeneities in tissue comprising the steps of: transmitting acoustic energy into said tissue from a first plurality of locations; receiving reflections of said acoustic energy at a second plurality of locations; and reconstructing a wavefield representation with a common depth point velocity analysis of the reflections of said acoustic energy to generate a mapping of said inhomogeneities in tissue.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of mapping inhomogeneities in tissue comprising the steps of: transmitting acoustic energy into said tissue from a first plurality of locations; receiving reflections of said acoustic energy at a second plurality of locations; and reconstructing a wavefield representation with a common depth point velocity analysis of the reflections of said acoustic energy to generate a mapping of said inhomogeneities in tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying said mapping.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an image from said mapping.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherien said first plurality of locations differs from said second plurality of locations.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of diagnosing anomalies in human tissue comprising the steps of: transmitting acoustic energy into human tissue from a plurality of locations; receiving reflections of said acoustic energy at a plurality of locations; and reconstructing a mapping of the velocity of the acoustic energy in said tissue with a common depth point velocity analysis of the reflections of said acoustic energy; and comparing the velocity in said tissue with the velocity of known anomalies in human tissue.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of diagnosing anomalies in human tissue comprising the steps of: transmitting acoustic energy into human tissue from a plurality of locations; receiving reflections of said acoustic energy at a plurality of locations; and reconstructing a mapping of the velocity of the acoustic energy in said tissue with a common depth point velocity analysis of the reflections of said acoustic energy; and comparing the velocity in said tissue with the velocity of known anomalies in human tissue.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of imaging an organism comprising the steps of: transmitting acoustic energy into a selected portion of the organism from a first plurality of locations; receiving reflections of said acoustic energy at a second plurality of locations; and reconstructing a mapping of the velocity of the acoustic energy in said selected portion with a common depth point velocity analysis of the reflections of said acoustic energy.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of imaging an organism comprising the steps of: transmitting acoustic energy into a selected portion of the organism from a first plurality of locations; receiving reflections of said acoustic energy at a second plurality of locations; and reconstructing a mapping of the velocity of the acoustic energy in said selected portion with a common depth point velocity analysis of the reflections of said acoustic energy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of displaying said mapping.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of: generating an image from said mapping; and displaying said image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said image is two-dimensional.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-11-13 | 1999-05-15 | 1999-11-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-11-13 | 2003-05-15 | 2003-11-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-11-13 | 2007-05-15 | 2007-11-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |