Analog store digital read ultrasound beamforming system

Abstract

An analog store-digital read (ASDR) ultrasound beamformer architecture performs the task of signal beamforming using a matrix of sample/hold cells to capture, store and process instantaneous samples of analog signals from ultrasound array elements and this architecture provides significant reduction in power consumption and the size of the diagnostic ultrasound imaging system such that the hardware build upon ASDR ultrasound beamformer architecture can be placed in one or few application specific integrated chips (ASIC) positioned next to the ultrasound array and the whole diagnostic ultrasound imaging system could fit in the handle of the ultrasonic probe while preserving most of the functionality of a cart-based system. The ASDR architecture provides improved signal-to-noise ratio and is scalable.

1 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for a portable ultrasound imaging system comprising:
 An ultrasonic array formed of individual ultrasonic array elements configured for transmission and receiving, wherein the individual array elements are grouped into individual channels;   A receiving input signal control circuitry for creating receiving input signals for each channel from inputs received from each array element of the channel;   A plurality of banks of sample-hold cells associated with the channels, wherein the beamformer is configured for sampling each receiving input signal for each channel at a sampling rate and storing the sampled data in one bank of sample-hold cells, wherein the bank of sample-hold cells form an analog random access memory for the associated sampled receiving input signal;   A beamforming processor configured for selecting at least one sample-hold cell data from at least one channel for each beamforming instance in accordance with a beamforming algorithm;   An analog summation element for summing all of the selected sample-hold cell data from each channel for each beamforming instance and forming an analog beamformed received signal sample for the beamforming instance; and   An Analog-to-Digital converter for digitizing the analog beamformed received signal, wherein the system is configured for placement in the handle of an ultrasonic probe.   
     
     
         11 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 10  wherein each channel comprises only one array element, and wherein each channel uses less than 40 milliwatts in operation. 
     
     
         12 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 10  wherein each sample-hold cell is formed as a capacitor based element and wherein at least part of the beamforming processor is formed as an integrated circuit. 
     
     
         13 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 10  wherein the number of sample-hold cells in each bank is equal to or greater than the sample rate times the maximum desired delay for the signal path. 
     
     
         14 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 10  further including a transmission beamformer for storing at least portions of one transmission output pulse signal in a bank of transmission sample-hold cells which are associated with that channel. 
     
     
         15 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 14  wherein a single bank of transmission sample-hold cells are associated with multiple channels. 
     
     
         16 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 14  wherein the same bank of sample-hold cells forms the receiving bank of sample-hold cells and the bank of transmission sample-hold cells for at least one channel. 
     
     
         17 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 14  wherein each channel is associated with one receiving bank of sample-hold cells and one distinct bank of transmission sample-hold cells. 
     
     
         18 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 10  wherein multiple beamforming instances associated with multiple beamforming algorithms are utilized, and further including a bank of beamform sample-hold cells configured for storing each of the analog beamformed received signal sample for each given beamform prior to digitizing the analog beamformed received signals. 
     
     
         19 . An Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system for an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasonic array formed of individual ultrasonic array elements configured for transmission and receiving, wherein the individual array elements are formed into individual channels, wherein each channel comprises at least one array element, wherein the Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system is formed on at least one integrated circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system according to  claim 19  further including i) A receiving input signal processor in the enclosure for creating receiving input signals for each channel from inputs received from each array element of the channel; ii) A plurality of banks of sample-hold cells in the probe with each bank of sample-hold cells associated with one channel, wherein the beamformer is configured for sampling each receiving input signal for each channel at a sampling rate and storing the sampled data in one bank of sample-hold cells which are associated with that channel, wherein the bank of sample-hold cells form an analog random access memory for the associated sampled receiving input signal; iii) A beamforming processor in the probe configured for selecting at least one sample-hold cell data from at least one channel for each beamforming instance in accordance with a beamforming algorithm; iv) an analog summation element in the probe for summing all of the selected sample-hold cell data from each channel for each beamforming instance forming an analog beamformed received signal for the beamforming instance; v) An analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the analog beamformed received signal; and vi) a transmission beamformer for storing at least portions of one output pulse signal for each channel in a bank of transmission sample-hold cells in the probe which are associated with that channel. 
     
     
         21 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 19  wherein each channel uses less than 25 milliwatts in operation. 
     
     
         22 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 19  wherein each channel uses less than 15 milliwatts in operation. 
     
     
         23 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system according to  claim 19  wherein the system is configured for placement in the handle of an ultrasonic probe. 
     
     
         24 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system according to claim  1  wherein each array element is a piezo-element configured to convert electric energy into mechanical vibrations during the transmit stage and mechanical vibration energy into electric signals during the receive stage. 
     
     
         25 . An Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system for an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasonic array formed of individual ultrasonic array elements configured for transmission and receiving, wherein the individual array elements are formed into individual channels, wherein each channel comprises at least one array element, wherein each array element is configured to convert electric energy into mechanical vibrations during the transmit stage and mechanical vibration energy into electric signals during the receive stage. 
     
     
         26 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system according to  claim 25  wherein the system is configured for placement in the handle of an ultrasonic probe. 
     
     
         27 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamformer for an ultrasound imaging system according to  claim 19  wherein each channel uses less than 15 milliwatts in operation. 
     
     
         28 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system according to  claim 25  wherein a beamforming processor for the Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system is formed on at least one integrated circuit. 
     
     
         29 . The Analog Store Digital Read ultrasound beamforming system according to  claim 25  wherein the system is configured for multiple beamforming instances associated with multiple algorithms, wherein the step of storing each of the analog beamformed received signal for each beamforming instances in a bank of beamform sample-hold cells prior to digitizing the analog beamformed received signals.