ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER PROBE UNIT

• Main Authors: PARKER, JOHN, BARTLETT, STEWART, EL-AKLOUK, ESSA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 22.06.2016
• Subjects: ACOUSTICS; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING,NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; SURGERY; TESTING

An ultrasound transducer probe unit (201; 300) having a body portion (301; 903) and an array of transducers (404; 701; 906) in which the array of transducers is movable, relative to the body portion, in a reciprocating motion along a linear path, by an ultrasonic motor (610; 800; 908). Ultrasonic signals are transmitted and received by the array of transducers relative to a two dimensional section of a target which is to be imaged. The ultrasonic motor (610; 800; 908) is controlled to periodically stop the transducer movement at at least one stationary position along the linear path. Scanlines are acquired from the ultrasound signals which are transmitted and received by the array of transducers (404; 701; 906). The acquired scanlines include: plural B-mode scanlines acquired continuously during the reciprocating motion; and plural sets of Doppler scanlines acquired when the array of transducers is stopped at the at least one stop position along the linear path. The linear path may be either straight or curvilinear. The ultrasonic motor may be either a rotary motor or linear motor.