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EP-4740036-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ROTATIONAL ULTRASOUND FOCUSING

EP4740036A1EP 4740036 A1EP4740036 A1EP 4740036A1EP-4740036-A1

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for use in ultrasound imaging for selective optimization of imaging parameters for anatomical regions of interest. Systems and methods of the invention provide for selectively adjusting the imaging parameters to achieve a higher resolution and/or deeper penetration into tissue to thereby improve image quality and/or the field of view in a selected region of interest.

Inventors

  • WEISS, JAKOB
  • HENNERSPERGER, Christoph

Assignees

  • Luma Vision Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240703

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A system for providing selective image focusing, the system comprising: a console configured to be operably associated with an ultrasound imaging device and exchange data therewith, wherein the console comprises a hardware processor coupled to non- transitory, computer-readable memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the console to: define a set of parameters associated with operation of an ultrasound transducer unit of an ultrasound imaging device to achieve an imaging characteristic of one or more images captured via the ultrasound imaging device for a first selected region of interest; and adjust the set of parameters, wherein adjusting the set of parameters provides directional focusing and/or imaging quality control at a second selected region of interest such that the imaging characteristic and/or an image quality is optimized for one or more directions at the second selected region of interest as compared to the first selected region of interest.
  2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise planewave or diverging wave front characteristics.
  3. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the planewave or diverging wave characteristics comprise at least one of a virtual source focus, a distance, an opening angle, a steering angle, a number of individual firings, a transmit/receive pattern, a transmit firing rate, an imaging depth, a rotational velocity, a rotational position, and a 3 -dimensional (3D) wave direction steering.
  4. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging characteristic is associated with at least one of an angular resolution, a field of view, an imaging depth, a transmit/receive pattern, a transmit firing rate, and a planewave opening angle.
  5. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the console is configured to dynamically define and/or adjust the set of parameters.
  6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the imaging characteristic is selected and adjusted by dynamically adapting the transmit/receive pattern in the first and/or second selected region of interest.
  7. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and/or second selected region of interest is defined based on one or more anatomical features.
  8. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of parameters is dynamically adjusted by optimizing imaging depth and imaging resolution to provide a focused view of the first and/or second selected region of interest.
  9. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging resolution comprises one or more of depth, lateral resolution, and angular resolution.
  10. 10. The system of claim 2, further comprising an ultrasound imaging device operably coupled to the console, the ultrasound imaging device comprising an ultrasound transducer unit capable of full circumferential three-dimensional (3D) imaging.
  11. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the console further comprises a controller to enable capture of planewave or diverging wave acquisition data over a circumferential 360-degree imaging region, wherein the first and/or second selected region of interest is within a circumference encompassing the 360-degree imaging region.
  12. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is capable of controlling a bias voltage selectively applied to one or more of a plurality of first and/or second electrodes of a transducer comprising an array of individual imaging elements, wherein the bias voltage defines a voltage for a row or a column connected to the electrode to activate or deactivate imaging by the individual imaging elements in the row or column to define an angular imaging aperture.
  13. 13. The system of claim 1 1, wherein the controller is capable of controlling a rotary motor operably coupled to the ultrasound transducer unit to enable a continuous rotation or a positioning of the ultrasound transducer unit.
  14. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the console is configured to dynamically define and adjust the set of parameters during the course of one rotation such that the imaging characteristic and/or the image quality is optimized in a selected direction of the second selected region of interest as compared to the imaging characteristic and/or image quality within and/or outside the first selected region of interest.
  15. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the console is configured to dynamically define and adjust the set of parameters such that the imaging characteristic and/or the image quality is optimized over a continuous range of regions from the first selected region of interest to the second selected region of interest.
  16. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the imaging characteristic and/or the image quality is optimized via linear interpolation of the set of parameters over the range of regions from the first selected region of interest to the second selected region of interest.
  17. 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the console is further configured to synchronize a firing rate and a firing direction of the ultrasound transducer unit, and wherein the image characteristic in the second selected region of interest is adjusted by dynamically adjusting a phase between at least a motor speed and a firing rate of the ultrasound transducer unit.
  18. 18. The system of claim 10, wherein the console is configured to adjust an imaging depth of the ultrasound transducer unit to thereby create an asymmetric imaging volume around the circumference to selectively perform imaging in a certain direction.
  19. 19. The system of claim 10, wherein the console is configured to adjust a firing rate of the ultrasound transducer unit to thereby achieve a higher angular resolution in the selected region of interest.
  20. 20. The system of claim 10, wherein the console is configured to adjust a planewave or diverging wave front characteristics and a steering angle of the ultrasound transducer unit to thereby achieve a complex shape of an imaging volume in the selected region of interest.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ROTATIONAL ULTRASOUND FOCUSING Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/525,259, filed July 6, 2023, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Field of the Invention The invention generally relates to ultrasound imaging, and, more particularly, to systems and devices providing rotational focusing for selective optimization of imaging parameters for anatomical regions of interest. Background Ultrasound imaging is a medical imaging technique for imaging organs and soft tissues in a human body. An ultrasound image is produced based on the reflection of high-frequency sound waves off of body structures. The strength (amplitude) of the sound signal in conjunction with the time it takes for the wave to travel through the body provides the information necessary to produce the image. Ultrasound imaging can help a physician evaluate, diagnose and treat various medical conditions. When making a diagnosis based on an ultrasound examination, physicians must rely on adequate image quality, acquisition of proper views, and sufficient quantification of all relevant structures and flows. For example, catheter-based endovascular ultrasound imaging technology employed within the vasculature (e.g. intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)) is commonly performed with two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound imaging. In IVUS/ICE imaging systems, an ultrasonic transducer assembly is attached to a distal end of a catheter. The catheter is carefully maneuvered through a patient's body to an area of interest, such as within a coronary artery (for the case of IVUS), or within the right atrium (for the case of ICE). The transducer assembly transmits ultrasound waves and receives echoes from those waves. The received echoes are then converted to electrical signals and transmitted to processing equipment, in which a resulting ultrasound image of the area of interest may be displayed. Conventional 2D ultrasound imaging has been widely used because it can dynamically display 2D images of the region of interest in real-time. While 2D endovascular ultrasound is the standard of care, it requires the operator to know the anatomy at hand for navigation. This requires a high amount of dexterity in maneuvering the catheter image plane to visualize the target structure for a specific interventional use-case. Thus, both the catheter and the imaging plane must be concurrently maneuvered. 2D imaging is also limited to displaying a slice of the anatomy only. Furthermore, in typical ultrasound systems configured to visualize inner body regions, dynamic forces are often employed, resulting in a dynamic movement of the body regions over time. These dynamic forces and movements make it difficult to stabilize internal imaging devices and to generate consistent and accurate images if imaging of the structure cannot be enabled in real-time (e.g., >20 Hz). As a result, the captured images often lack the necessary quality required to prescribe appropriate treatment or therapy. Because of the dynamic forces and movements in play, internal real-time imaging is limited to small two-dimensional areas or, as noted below, three-dimensional volumetric regions respectively. 2D array transducers have enabled three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging. 3D ultrasound imaging was developed to address the drawbacks of 2D ultrasound imaging and to help diagnosticians and interventionalists acquire a full understanding of the spatial anatomic relationship. In particular, physicians can view an arbitrary plane of the reconstructed 3D volume, as well as panoramic view of the region of interest. Thus, 3D imaging can yield a superior depiction of target structures as well as evaluation, e.g. volumetric assessment. However, 3D imaging systems have drawbacks and limitations. For example, 3D imaging systems provide a view of the region of interest that is limited to a pyramidical volume (e.g., a trapezoid fan angle that is either side- or forward-looking from the catheter), which is further limited to a 90-degree by 60-degree sector opening for advanced imaging catheters. As such, while 2D array transducers have enabled 3D ultrasound imaging, difficult engineering tradeoffs still exist between system complexity and achievable image quality. Thus, while 3D ultrasound imaging offers significant promise for a wide range of clinical applications, clinical impact is currently limited, in part because image quality is often inferior to 2D imaging using linear- or phased-array transducers. Imaging fully around a catheter in a 360-degree field of view with selective focusing can overcome the limitations of the 2D and 3D image quality as described above, and thus enable clinical users delivering better therapy. Summary The present invention recognizes the drawbacks of current ultrasound imaging systems, particularly tho