Ultrasound transmission method and system for simulating a transmit apodization

摘要

A system for controlling the point spread function of an ultrasound signal transmitted into a patient. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, only a selected number of the transducer elements transmit a transmit pulse. The elements which do not transmit the pulse are selected in accordance with an apodization probability density function. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, each transducer element transmits a variable portion of a transmit pulse in order to control the acoustic power of the signal transmitted from each element.