US-12622677-B2 - Multi-mode rolling-encoded ultrasound

US12622677B2US 12622677 B2US12622677 B2US 12622677B2US-12622677-B2

Abstract

Systems and methods for a multi-mode rolling-encoded ultrasound are described. These systems and methods include an ultrasound device that provides an encoded ultrasound signal, which includes one or more multi-mode waveforms that contain multiple mode types, multiple variants from a single mode type, or a mixture of such. The encoded ultrasound signals are used to image or otherwise gather information from a target during an ultrasound scan, such as a portion of a patient anatomy. The reflected encoded signals are received and decoded, resulting in an increased resolution and frame rate. This allows for more-efficient operation and resource utilization.

Inventors

Yong Zhou
Jean Tsou

Assignees

FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240301

Claims (20)

1 . An ultrasound device comprising: an ultrasound scanner configured to generate an ultrasound signal, the ultrasound signal: comprising a plurality of ultrasound signal modes; and configured for transmission by the ultrasound scanner at a subject; one or more processors; and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to encode the ultrasound signal as a mixed waveform based on the plurality of ultrasound signal modes, the mixed waveform comprising a superposition of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes.
2 . The ultrasound device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signal modes include two or more of an amplitude mode (“A-mode”), a brightness mode (“B-mode”), a motion mode (“M-mode”), a Doppler-based mode, and different variants of these modes.
3 . The ultrasound device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes is a non-image-based signal mode.
4 . The ultrasound device of claim 1 , wherein the mixed waveform comprises an addition of two or more of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes.
5 . The ultrasound device of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound scanner is configured to transmit the encoded ultrasound signal at the subject.
6 . The ultrasound device of claim 5 , wherein the transmission of the encoded ultrasound signal is a single ping.
7 . The ultrasound device of claim 1 , wherein the encoding of the ultrasound signal comprises combining the plurality of ultrasound signal modes based on at least one of a polarity, a time of transmission, or a location of transmission.
8 . The ultrasound device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of ultrasound signal modes are combined using an orthogonal matrix operator.
9 . An ultrasound device comprising: an ultrasound scanner, the ultrasound scanner configured to receive an encoded ultrasound signal, the encoded ultrasound signal comprising: reflections of a plurality of ultrasound signal modes from a subject; one or more processors; and a mixed waveform, the mixed waveform comprising a superposition of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to decode the received encoded ultrasound signal into ultrasound data comprising the plurality of ultrasound signal modes.
10 . The ultrasound device of claim 9 , wherein plurality of ultrasound signal modes include two or more of an amplitude mode (“A-mode”), a brightness mode (“B-mode”), a motion mode (“M-mode”), a Doppler-based mode, and different variants of these modes.
11 . The ultrasound device of claim 9 , wherein the decoding of the received encoded ultrasound signal into the ultrasound data is based on one or more of a polarity, a time of transmission, or a location of transmission for the encoded ultrasound signal.
12 . The ultrasound device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to generate filtered ultrasound data based on the ultrasound data.
13 . The ultrasound device of claim 9 , wherein the decoding of the received encoded ultrasound signal into the ultrasound data comprises processing the received encoded ultrasound signal using an orthogonal matrix operator.
14 . The ultrasound device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to produce an output based on the ultrasound data.
15 . The ultrasound device of claim 14 , wherein the output is one or more of an image of an anatomy of the subject, a determination of a speed of sound, a determination of a background noise, and a detection of one or more artifacts.
16 . An ultrasound device comprising: an ultrasound scanner, the ultrasound scanner configured to: generate a first ultrasound signal, the first ultrasound signal: comprising a plurality of ultrasound signal modes; and configured for transmission by the ultrasound scanner at a subject; and receive an encoded ultrasound signal, the encoded ultrasound signal comprising reflections of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes from the subject; one or more processors; and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: encode the first ultrasound signal as a mixed waveform based on the plurality of ultrasound signal modes, the mixed waveform comprising a superposition of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes; and decode the received encoded ultrasound signal into ultrasound data comprising the plurality of ultrasound signal modes.
17 . The ultrasound device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of ultrasound signal modes are two or more of an amplitude mode (“A-mode”), a brightness mode (“B-mode”), a motion mode (“M-mode”), a Doppler-based mode, and different variants of these modes.
18 . The ultrasound device of claim 16 , wherein the encoding of the first ultrasound signal and the decoding of the received encoded ultrasound signal comprise processing the plurality of ultrasound signal modes and the received encoded ultrasound signal, respectively, using an orthogonal matrix operator.
19 . The ultrasound device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: produce, based on the ultrasound signal, filtered ultrasound data; and produce, based on the filtered ultrasound data, an output.
20 . The ultrasound device of claim 19 , wherein the output is one or more of an image of an anatomy of the subject, a determination of a speed of sound, a determination of a background noise, and a detection of one or more artifacts.

Description

BACKGROUND Ultrasound systems can generate ultrasound images by transmitting sound waves at frequencies above the audible spectrum into a body, receiving echo signals caused by the sound waves reflecting from internal body parts, and converting the echo signals into electrical signals for image generation. Because they are non-invasive and can provide immediate imaging results, ultrasound systems are used ubiquitously. In ultrasound imaging, less artifacts, better resolution and penetration, and faster frame rate are always desired. However, in real applications, because of the limitations due to physics, safety, etc., often there is a compromise scenario involving unwanted artifacts, unideal resolution, inadequate penetration, or a low frame rate, to name a few. In certain ultrasound modes (e.g., triplex), there are obvious band artifacts in the pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler spectrum due to data discontinuity. In some applications, the resolution, penetration, frame rate, or any number of other factors may not be sufficient due to the patient type. Even with parameters at their current technological limit, it is always preferable to have these properties (e.g., frame rate, resolution, etc.) enhanced for more accurate information and better diagnosis results. Current methods are aimed at solving the artifact issue and/or improving the image properties (e.g., resolution, penetration, frame rate, etc.), but they all have drawbacks and trade-offs. For example, to address the artifact issue in PW spectrum, extrapolation is used to estimate the missing data. However, it is still an approximation, and cannot remove the artifacts completely. In another example, signal frequency can be lowered to provide better penetration, but this results in a loss of resolution. A robust solution is needed to realize higher resolution and frame rate without the sacrifices and trade-offs endemic to current methodologies. SUMMARY Devices and methods for a multi-mode rolling-encoded ultrasound are described. These systems and methods include an ultrasound device that provides an encoded ultrasound signal, which includes one or more multi-mode waveforms that contain multiple mode types, multiple variants from a single mode type, or a mixture of such. The encoded ultrasound signals are used to image or otherwise gather information from a target during an ultrasound scan, such as a portion of a patient anatomy. The reflected encoded signals are received and decoded, resulting in an increased resolution and frame rate. This allows for more-efficient operation and resource utilization compared to conventional ultrasound systems. In some implementations, an ultrasound device is disclosed. The ultrasound device includes an ultrasound scanner configured to generate an ultrasound signal, where the ultrasound signal includes a plurality of ultrasound signal modes and is configured for transmission by the ultrasound scanner at a subject. The ultrasound device further includes, in aspects, one or more processors and a memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to encode the ultrasound signal as a mixed waveform. The encoding is based on the plurality of ultrasound signal modes. According to some examples, the plurality of ultrasound signal modes includes two or more of an amplitude mode (“A-mode”), a brightness mode (“B-mode”), a motion mode (“M-mode”), a Doppler-based mode, etc., or different variants of these modes. In aspects, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to transmit the encoded ultrasound signal at the subject. The transmission, in aspects, is performed by the ultrasound scanner. In some examples, encoding the ultrasound signal includes combining the plurality of ultrasound signal modes based on one or more of a polarity, a time of transmission, or a location of transmission. In aspects, the plurality of ultrasound signal modes is combined using an orthogonal matrix operator. In some examples, at least one of the plurality of ultrasound signal modes is a non-image-based signal mode. In some implementations, an ultrasound device is disclosed. The ultrasound device includes an ultrasound scanner, and the ultrasound scanner is configured to receive an encoded ultrasound signal. The encoded ultrasound signal includes reflections of a plurality of ultrasound signal modes from a subject. The ultrasound device also includes one or more processors and a memory, where the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to decode the received encoded ultrasound signal into ultrasound data. The ultrasound data includes the plurality of ultrasound signal modes. According to some examples, the plurality of ultrasound signal modes includes two or more of an A-mode, a B-mode, an M-mode, a Doppler-based mode, etc., or different variants of these modes. In aspects, the decoding of the receive