Ultrasonic Signal Processor for a Hand Held Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument

Abstract

A hand held ultrasonic instrument is provided in a portable unit which performs both B mode and Doppler imaging. The instrument includes a transducer array mounted in a hand-held enclosure, with an integrated circuit transceiver connected to the elements of the array for the reception of echo signals. A digital signal processing circuit performs both B mode and Doppler signal processing such as filtering, detection and Doppler estimation, as well as advanced functions such as assembly of multiple zone focused scanlines, synthetic aperture formation, depth dependent filtering, speckle reduction, flash suppression, and frame averaging.

1 . A system comprising:
 a transducer enclosure comprising:
 an array transducer; 
 a sampled data beamformer configured to delay and combine samples of echo signals received by elements of said array transducer; 
   a cable configured to connect said hand-held transducer enclosure to a second unit, said cable configured to propagate beam-formed signals between said hand-held transducer enclosure and said second unit, said second unit configured to accept and process beam-formed signals and to output an ultrasound image.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said cable is further configured to convey power to said hand-held transducer. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said beam-formed signals propagated on said cable are digital beam-formed signals. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said second unit comprises a back end ASIC. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said back end ASIC implements scan conversion and outputs a video signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  further comprising a display device configured to accept and display said video signal. 
     
     
         7 . An ultrasound transducer apparatus comprising:
 an array transducer;   a sampled data beamformer configured to delay and combine samples of echo signals received by elements of said array transducer; and   a connection means configured to connect said hand-held transducer enclosure to a second unit via a connection link, said connections means configured to propagate beam-formed signals between said transducer apparatus and said second unit.   
     
     
         8 . The ultrasound transducer apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said connection link is a cable. 
     
     
         9 . The ultrasound transducer apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said connection means is configured to receive power which is conveyed by said cable. 
     
     
         10 . The ultrasound transducer apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said connection link is a modem. 
     
     
         11 . The ultrasound transducer apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said beam-formed signals are digital beam-formed signals. 
     
     
         12 . An ultrasound system comprising:
 a transducer unit comprising a sampled data beamformer configured to delay and combine samples of echo signals received by elements of said array transducer; and   a separate control unit configured to receive beam-formed signals from said transducer unit via a connection link.   
     
     
         13 . The ultrasound system of  claim 12  wherein said separate hand-held control unit further comprises a display device. 
     
     
         14 . The ultrasound system of  claim 12  wherein said connection link is a cable. 
     
     
         15 . The ultrasound system of  claim 14  wherein said beam-formed signals are digital beam-formed signals. 
     
     
         16 . The ultrasound system of  claim 14  wherein said separate hand-held control unit further comprises a power source configured to provide power to said transducer unit via said cable. 
     
     
         17 . The ultrasound system of  claim 12  wherein said separate hand-held control unit comprises a back end ASIC. 
     
     
         18 . The ultrasound system of  claim 17  wherein said back end ASIC implements scan conversion and outputs a video signal. 
     
     
         19 . The ultrasound system of  claim 12  wherein said separate hand-held control unit further comprises user controls configured to control ultrasound imaging.