Calibration of multiple aperture ultrasound probes
Inventors
Belevich, Artem • Call, Josef R. • RITZI, Bruce R. • Osborn, Nathan W.
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Assignees
Member
MAUI ImagingMAUI Imaging develops ultrasound-based medical imaging solutions designed to overcome the limitations of traditional ultrasound, particularly in visualizing anatomy beyond bone, air, and metal barriers. Founded in 2006, the company has pioneered Computed Echo Tomography (CET) to enable diagnostic imaging in settings where conventional CT or MRI are impractical. With over 160 patents granted and FDA clearance for its K3900 system, MAUI Imaging targets applications in trauma medicine, critical care, neurosurgery, and interventional radiology, aiming to enhance timely diagnostics and interventions in both civilian and military environments.
MAUI Imaging develops ultrasound-based medical imaging solutions designed to overcome the limitations of traditional ultrasound, particularly in visualizing anatomy beyond bone, air, and metal barriers. Founded in 2006, the company has pioneered Computed Echo Tomography (CET) to enable diagnostic imaging in settings where conventional CT or MRI are impractical. With over 160 patents granted and FDA clearance for its K3900 system, MAUI Imaging targets applications in trauma medicine, critical care, neurosurgery, and interventional radiology, aiming to enhance timely diagnostics and interventions in both civilian and military environments.
Publication Number
US-11253233-B2
Publication Date
2022-02-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
The quality of ping-based ultrasound imaging is dependent on the accuracy of information describing the precise acoustic position of transmitting and receiving transducer elements. Improving the quality of transducer element position data can substantially improve the quality of ping-based ultrasound images, particularly those obtained using a multiple aperture ultrasound imaging probe, i.e., a probe with a total aperture greater than any anticipated maximum coherent aperture width. Various systems and methods for calibrating element position data for a probe are described.
Core Innovation
The invention calibrates ultrasound imaging data by using stored raw echo data comprising a plurality of echo strings, where each echo string comprises echo records corresponding to a single ultrasound ping transmitted from a single transmit aperture and received by a single receive element. The method retrieves first calibration data describing a position of each receive transducer element corresponding to each echo string and retrieves second calibration data describing a position of at least one transducer element corresponding to the transmitted ping associated with each echo string.
A reference image is formed by beamforming a first collection of echo strings corresponding to a first group of receive transducer elements, where beamforming triangulates a position of reflectors based on the first and second calibration data. A test image is formed by beamforming a second collection of echo strings corresponding to a second group of transducer elements that is not identical to the first group.
The method quantifies a first error between the reference image and the test image, adjusts the first calibration data to describe adjusted positions for the transducer elements of the second group, and re-beamforms the test image with the adjusted positions to obtain a second test image. The method quantifies a second error between the second test image and the reference image and evaluates the new error to determine whether the second error is less than the first error, thereby refining the calibration using an error comparison between reference and test images.
Claims Coverage
One independent claim is explicitly described, with one dependent claim. The claim coverage includes a multi-group calibration refinement workflow with stored raw echo strings, two calibration datasets, triangulation-based beamforming into reference and test images, and comparative error evaluation across iterations.
Stored raw echo string retrieval with per-echo calibration positions
Retrieving raw echo data from a memory device, the raw echo data comprising a plurality of echo strings, each echo string comprising echo records corresponding to a single ultrasound ping transmitted from a single transmit aperture and received by a single receive element; retrieving first calibration data describing a position of each receive transducer element corresponding to each echo string; and retrieving second calibration data describing a position of at least one transducer element corresponding to a transmitted ping associated with each echo string.
Triangulating beamformed reference and test images from different element groups
Forming a reference image by beamforming a first collection of echo strings corresponding to a first group of receive transducer elements, where beamforming triangulates a position of reflectors based on the first and second calibration data; forming a test image by beamforming a second collection of echo strings corresponding to a second group of transducer elements that is not identical to the first group.
Error quantification and calibration adjustment using comparative evaluation
Quantifying a first error between the reference image and the test image; adjusting the first calibration data to describe adjusted positions for the transducer elements of the second group; re-beamforming the test image with the adjusted positions to obtain a second test image; quantifying a second error between the second test image and the reference image; and evaluating the new error to determine whether the second error is less than the first error.
No physical or electronic connection to the original probe
The dependent refinement specifies performing the method of claim 1 without any physical or electronic connection to a probe used to create the raw echo data.
The claims center on triangulating reflector positions via beamforming from stored echo strings while using two sets of transducer position calibration data, generating a reference image from one receive-element group and a test image from a non-identical receive-element group, then adjusting calibration based on quantified image errors and evaluating whether the new error is reduced.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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