Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-23
2001-04-03
Jaworski, Francis J. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S472000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210331
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to ultrasonic imaging systems, particularly systems for three-dimensional imaging of soft tissue such as breast, muscle and joint tissue.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Existing ultrasonic imaging systems have limitations upon resolution that restrict their usefulness in identifying fine detail. These limitations arise both from limited axial resolution on the Z(depth) axis due to focusing limitations, and lateral resolution on the X and Y axes due to limitations upon the number of elements it is feasible to include in an array of imaging transducers, or the rate at which such transducers can be scanned. Axial resolution limitations can to some extent be bypassed by temporal filtering based on transit time, but lateral resolution restrictions have proved more intractable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic imaging system which addresses these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention in its broadest aspect an ultrasonic imaging device comprises at least one acoustic transducer associated with a confocal acoustic focusing system and means to move the point of focus of each such focusing system progressively to different coordinates within an acoustically transmissive volume to be imaged to gather data as to the acoustic reflectivity of matter within said volume at said different coordinates, and means to construct an image or images of the volume from said data. Preferably multiple transducers and associated contocal focusing systems are disposed in an array.
By a confocal acoustic scanning focusing system is meant a device analogous to the optical system of an optical confocal microscope but utilizing acoustic rather than optical energy.
Preferably multiple transducers and their focusing systems are arranged in a two dimensional array, and are movable in two dimensions in the plane of that array so as to scan their points of focus in a plane within said volume parallel to the array, and their points of focus are also movable orthogonally to the array, to scan parallel planes within said volume. In a first embodiment, the transducers act sequentially both to transmit and receive acoustic energy through their associated focusing systems, but in a presently preferred embodiment, alternative means are used to detect reflected acoustic energy, preferably a laser interferometer monitoring vibration of a diaphragm located at a pin-hole of the confocal focusing system.
Further features of the invention will become apparent from the appended claims and following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3594717 (1971-07-01), Macovski
patent: 3711823 (1973-01-01), Green
patent: 3716826 (1973-02-01), Green
patent: 3792422 (1974-02-01), Ernvein-Pecquenard
patent: 3990296 (1976-11-01), Erikson
patent: 4507966 (1985-04-01), Crostack
patent: 5732046 (1998-03-01), O'Donnell et al.
Jaworski Francis J.
Morphometrix Technologies Inc.
Ridout & Maybee
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