Motion detection using ping-based and multiple aperture doppler ultrasound
Inventors
Specht, Donald F. • Brewer, Kenneth D. • Smith, David M. • Call, Josef R. • Le, Viet Nam • RITZI, Bruce R.
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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-12471887-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method of full-field or “ping-based” Doppler ultrasound imaging allows for detection of Doppler signals indicating moving reflectors at any point in an imaging field without the need to predefine range gates. In various embodiments, such whole-field Doppler imaging methods may include transmitting a Doppler ping from a transmit aperture, receiving echoes of the Doppler ping with one or more separate receive apertures, detecting Doppler signals and determining the speed of moving reflectors. In some embodiments, the system also provides the ability to determine the direction of motion by solving a set of simultaneous equations based on echo data received by multiple receive apertures.
Core Innovation
The disclosed method conducts Doppler ultrasound by transmitting a first single unfocused ultrasound signal into a target object with a transmit aperture of an ultrasound probe. Echoes of the first single unfocused ultrasound signal are received with first and second receive apertures of the ultrasound probe, and motion is detected of a plurality of reflectors in at least two separate regions of the target object from the echoes.
Adjustment factors for a first acoustic path to the first receive aperture and a second acoustic path to the second receive aperture are computed. Based on these adjustment factors, speeds of the plurality of reflectors are calculated from the echoes of the first single unfocused ultrasound signal.
The disclosure further includes computing display positions of multiple reflectors in a region of interest using beamforming. It also describes detecting motion via Doppler frequency shifts in broad insonified fields without predefined range/Doppler gates, storing in-phase and quadrature echo data, performing ping-based beamforming ordering and test-segment selection, and storing raw un-beamformed echo data for later re-processing with different parameters.
Claims Coverage
The document includes one independent claim that sets out the core Doppler ultrasound method. The claim text focuses on transmitting a single unfocused signal, receiving with two receive apertures, computing path adjustment factors, detecting motion in multiple regions, and calculating reflector speeds using the adjustment factors.
Unfocused single-signal Doppler transmission with dual receive apertures
transmitting a first single unfocused ultrasound signal into a target object with a transmit aperture of an ultrasound probe; receiving echoes of the first single unfocused ultrasound signal with first and second receive apertures of the ultrasound probe
Acoustic-path adjustment factors for receive-aperture-specific Doppler speed calculation
computing adjustment factors for a first acoustic path to the first receive aperture and a second acoustic path to the second receive aperture; and calculating speeds of the plurality of reflectors based on the adjustment factors
Motion detection in at least two separate regions from the dual-receive echoes
detecting motion of a plurality of reflectors in at least two separate regions of the target object from the echoes of the first single unfocused ultrasound signal
Region-of-interest beamforming to determine reflector display positions
beamforming received echoes to determine a display position for each of multiple reflectors within a region of interest
Doppler-frequency-shift motion detection at pixel level
detecting a Doppler frequency shift of at least one pixel within received echoes of the first single unfocused ultrasound signal
Without predefined range gate acquisition
selecting, transmitting, and receiving the first single unfocused ultrasound signal occurs without using a pre-defined range gate
Beamforming before detecting
performing the beamforming step before the detecting step
Overall, the claims cover a Doppler ultrasound approach that transmits a single unfocused ultrasound signal, receives echoes with distinct first and second receive apertures, computes acoustic-path adjustment factors, detects motion of multiple reflectors in at least two regions from the echoes, and calculates reflector speeds based on the adjustment factors. Additional dependent claim features specify region-of-interest beamforming for reflector display positions, Doppler-frequency-shift detection at least at one pixel, operation without a pre-defined range gate, and ordering beamforming before detecting.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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