Concave ultrasound transducers and 3D arrays
Inventors
Smith, David M. • Specht, Donald F. • Cabrera, Linda V. • Brewer, Kenneth D. • Specht, David J.
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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-12350101-B2
Publication Date
2025-07-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging (MAUI) probe or transducer is uniquely capable of simultaneous imaging of a region of interest from separate apertures of ultrasound arrays. Some embodiments provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound probes having continuous arrays of ultrasound transducers which may have a substantially continuous concave curved shape in two or three dimensions (i.e., concave relative to an object to be imaged). Other embodiments herein provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound imaging probes having other unique configurations, such as adjustable probes and probes with variable configurations.
Core Innovation
The invention is directed to Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging (MAUI) using a continuous concave curved transducer array, including 3D array configurations curved about two axes and options such as CMUT. It uses transmit and receive apertures formed from transmit and receive transducer elements on the ultrasound transducer array, with calibration of transmit/receive aperture element position and orientation.
A single unfocused ultrasound ping is transmitted to insonify an entirety of a tissue region of interest. Echoes are received with multiple receive transducer elements, and the system forms a plurality of complete ultrasound images corresponding to each receive transducer element; the plurality of complete ultrasound images are combined incoherently.
The imaging framework further includes dynamic control of aperture view angle and aperture width/total aperture size, switching between different transmit/receive apertures including reciprocal transmit/receive configurations, and adjustment of apertures to address obstructions. It also supports coherent versus incoherent addition and optional speed-of-sound correction.
Probe and calibration hardware concepts are disclosed, including calibration chips, synchronization modules, probe position displacement sensors, concave probe housings, and adjustable or conformable probes with hinge mechanisms calibrated after conforming to patient physiology. Calibration data can be accessed from remote databases, Internet-accessible databases, and a chip within a probe housing along with the array.
Claims Coverage
The partial content identifies two independent claims: a method claim and an ultrasound imaging system claim. Together, they define at least three core inventive elements: transmitting a single unfocused ping with a transmit aperture, forming complete ultrasound images for each receive element from echoes of that single ping, and incoherently combining those complete images; additional inventive features specify calibration data access for transmit/receive element position and orientation, and concave curvature about at least two axes.
Single unfocused ping insonifying entirety with transmit aperture
A method that transmits a single unfocused ultrasound ping toward a tissue region of interest using a transmit aperture comprising at least one transmit transducer element on an ultrasound transducer array, configured to insonify an entirety of the tissue region of interest.
Complete image formation for each receive transducer element from single ping echoes
Receiving ultrasound echoes of the single unfocused ultrasound ping with a plurality of receive transducer elements, and forming a plurality of complete ultrasound images of the tissue region of interest corresponding to each of the plurality of receive transducer elements with the received ultrasound echoes of the single unfocused ultrasound ping.
Incoherent combination of complete images
Incoherently combining the plurality of complete ultrasound images.
Calibration data for transmit and receive element position and orientation
Accessing calibration data that provides the position and orientation of each element of the transmit aperture and each element of the receive aperture.
Calibration data stored in a remote database separate from the control system
Accessing calibration data by using a remote database that is separate from the control system of the ultrasound transducer array.
Internet-accessible calibration data source
Accessing calibration data by using an Internet-accessible database.
Calibration data stored in a chip within a probe housing
Retrieving calibration data stored in a chip housed within a probe housing together with the array.
Concave curvature of the ultrasound transducer array about two axes
Configuring the ultrasound transducer array to have concave curvature about at least two axes.
Across the independent method and system claims, the inventive concept centers on insonifying an entirety of a tissue region of interest with a single unfocused ultrasound ping, generating complete ultrasound images for each receive transducer element from echoes of that single ping, and incoherently combining those complete images. Dependent features further add calibration data specifying transmit/receive element position and orientation, multiple calibration-data storage or access locations, and a geometric constraint of concave curvature about at least two axes.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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