METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING USING TRANSDUCER ARRAY HAVING UNIFORM ELEVATION BEAMWIDTH

摘要

A system for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound scattering matter in an object volume, comprising: an ultrasound transducer array for transmitting ultrasound beams and detecting ultrasound echoes reflected from the object volume, said transducer array comprising a first multiplicity of transducer elements (102a) arranged in a central row, a second multiplicity of transducer elements (102b, c) arranged in a first outer row, and a third multiplicity (102 d, e) of transducer elements arranged in a second outer row, said central row being between said first and second outer rows, a first multiplicity of signal leads (108) respectively connected to said first multiplicity of transducer elements, and a second multiplicity of signal leads respectively connected to said second and third multiplicities of transducer elements; first means (not shown) for changing the azimuthal focusing of said transducer elements within each row to achieve change in focal depth; second means (not shown) for changing the elevational focusing of said rows of transducer elemnts as a function of said focal depth; means (not shown) for coordinating said first and second changing means to acquire a source volume of pixel data derived from sample volumes in said object volume; memory means for storing said source volume of pixel data; means for retrieving a set of pixel data from said memory means corresponding to a volume of interest in the object volume; means for projecting said pixel data set onto a first image plane, thereby forming a projected data set representing a first projected image; a display monitor; and means for displaying said first projected image on said display monitor. 1662 ב' באב התשס" ג - July 31, 2003