US-12618955-B1 - Adaptive retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB) for a lowpower handheld ultrasound scanner

Abstract

Systems and methods of adaptive retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB) on handheld ultrasound imaging device. A system can include an ultrasound imaging array having a plurality of transducers configured to transmit and receive ultrasound waves, and an adaptive retrospective transmit beamforming controller for controlling the processing of received ultrasound waves based on at least one input. A method of generating an ultrasound image with a handheld ultrasound imaging device can include transmitting a plurality of ultrasound waves into a medium, receiving ultrasound waves propagating through the medium that are generated by the plurality of ultrasound waves transmitted into the medium, receiving at least one input, and processing of the received ultrasound waves by adaptively performing retrospective transmit beamforming in the handheld ultrasound imaging device based on the at least one input.

Inventors

• Larry Y. L. Mo
• ANSHUMALI ROY
• Clark D. Brooks

Assignees

• yoR Labs, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20211103

Claims (19)

1. 1 . A handheld ultrasound imaging device, comprising: an ultrasound imaging array having a plurality of transducers configured to transmit and receive ultrasound waves; a motion sensor configured to sense movement of the handheld ultrasound imaging device; and an adaptive retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB) controller for controlling processing of received ultrasound waves based on at least one input, the RTB controller configured to adjust a target frame rate and at least one image format parameter to a desired value of a range of values based on the at least one input, wherein the at least one input includes a signal from the motion sensor indicative of motion of the handheld ultrasound imaging device, wherein the RTB controller is configured to adaptively select a RTB profile among a plurality of RTB profiles in order to optimize a balance between image quality, frame rate, and power usage based on the motion of the handheld ultrasound imaging device, and wherein each RTB profile comprises a set of RTB processing parameters including the target frame rate and the at least one image format parameter.
2. 2 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input further comprises input from a user control.
3. 3 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 2 , wherein the user control is received wirelessly by the handheld ultrasound imaging device.
4. 4 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal indicating to generate a two-dimensional image.
5. 5 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal indicating to generate a three-dimensional image.
6. 6 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal indicating to focus the received ultrasound waves based on a procedure being performed.
7. 7 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal indicating to focus the received ultrasound waves based on an identified object in an ultrasound image generated by the handheld ultrasound imaging device.
8. 8 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal sensor, wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal from the thermal sensor.
9. 9 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 8 , further comprising a housing, and wherein the thermal sensor senses a temperature of the handheld ultrasound imaging device within the housing.
10. 10 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a battery and an electrical sensor configured to sense a power level of the battery, wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal from the electrical sensor indicative of the power level of the battery.
11. 11 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.
12. 12 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor comprises two or more accelerometers.
13. 13 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense movement in three dimensions.
14. 14 . The handheld ultrasound imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense at least one of the pitch, the roll, and the yaw of the handheld ultrasound imaging device.
15. 15 . A method of generating an ultrasound image with a handheld ultrasound imaging device using adaptive retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB), comprising: transmitting a plurality of ultrasound waves into a medium; receiving ultrasound waves propagating through the medium that are generated by the plurality of ultrasound waves transmitted into the medium; receiving at least one input; processing of the received ultrasound waves by adaptively performing retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB) in the handheld ultrasound imaging device based on the at least one input; and adjusting, using an adaptive RTB controller, a target frame rate and at least one image format parameter to a desired value of a range of values based on the at least one input to adaptively select a RTB profile among a plurality of RTB profiles in order to optimize a balance between image quality, frame rate, and power usage based on the at least one input, wherein the at least one input includes a signal from a motion sensor indicative of a motion of the handheld ultrasound imaging device, and wherein each RTB profile comprises a set of RTB processing parameters including the target frame rate and the at least one image format parameter.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one input further comprises input from a user control.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the user control is received wirelessly by the handheld ultrasound imaging device.
18. 18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal indicating to generate a two-dimensional image.
19. 19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one input further comprises a signal indicating to generate a three-dimensional image.

Description

REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATIONS Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to ultrasound imaging using a handheld ultrasound scanner. In particular, this disclosure relates to changing retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB) in the handheld ultrasound scanner based on inputs or sensed characteristics. BACKGROUND Software-driven ultrasound imaging has given rise to an advanced beamforming method known as retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB). RTB is a transmit focusing technology that achieves dynamic focusing by performing the transmit focusing operation retrospectively, and thus may achieve acceptable image quality at real-time volume rates. Two issues make two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound acquisition challenging for supporting real-time volumetric imaging. First, the 2D methodology is serial, and line-by-line acquisition is too slow for use with volumetric imaging. Traditionally a 2D ultrasound image is composed of a set of lines. The imaging device acquires image data along each of the lines, one after another, until a full frame has been scanned. A corresponding volumetric image may be composed of 10,000 lines, so the time to scan a full volume would be 100 times greater than the time necessary to scan a single 2D frame having 100 lines. Second, 2D image acquisition models relate to the type of focusing that is used during a transmit cycle. There are two very different forms of focusing that are used in ultrasound imaging: static and dynamic. Static focusing is used during a transmit cycle. Dynamic focusing is used during a receive cycle. The problem lies in the use of static focusing during the transmit cycle. Where static transmit focusing yields sufficient image quality in the low acquisition rate, line-by-line 2D paradigm, it does not yield adequate image quality in the high acquisition rate, subvolume-by-subvolume volumetric paradigm. In order to rectify this image quality issue, transmit focusing can be made dynamic. The RTB imaging methodology is focusing technology that enables dynamic transmit focusing at the very high acquisition rates necessary for real-time, or near real-time, volumetric imaging. To provide additional advantages to RTB imaging methodology, it would be advantageous to control the RTB process based on one or more factors. SUMMARY Systems and methods of ultrasound imaging can use retrospective transmit beamforming that is dynamically controlled by an input from a user or a sensor/device. For example, an RTB controller may be configured to include RTB control functionality that is based on one or more of the system state, probe motion, the user control, anatomy of (e.g., of what is being imaged, and/or an amount of three-dimensional (3D) rendering that is being used. In an embodiment, the system state may include a temperature of the body of the imaging device or another portion of the imaging device. In an embodiment, the system state may include the remaining battery life left, e.g., in a wireless ultrasound device. In an embodiment, the probe motion may include information received from a motion sensor on probe or sensing the movement of a probe. In some embodiments, the information may be determined from images generated that depict position and/or the motion of a probe. In an embodiment, the user control may include a freeze button to stop RTB 3D volumetric functionality, for example, when the imaging is being performed of an area where 3D volumetric imaging is not required. In an embodiment, the user control input may include information on the depth of the ultrasound imaging being performed. In an embodiment, the user control input may include information on the image size of the ultrasound imaging being performed. In an embodiment, the user control may correspond to a desired display or replay functionality, for example, in order to enable the desired slow motion replay of the ultrasound imaging being performed. In an embodiment, the input is indicative of a type of examination being performed. In an embodiment, the input relates to a clutter or noise level in the images. In an embodiment, the input is related to structures or objects in the ultrasound images. In an embodiment, the input relates to surface rendering of objects in the ultrasound imaging (e.g., to affect the imaging to collect higher or lower resolution data to portray surfaces of objects in the ultrasound images. In an embodiment, the input relates to the intensity projection of the ultrasound transmission beams. In one innovation, a handheld ultrasound imaging device, comprises an ultrasound imaging array having a plurality of transducers configured to transmit and receive ultrasound waves; and an adaptive retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB) controller for controlling the processing of rece