IP Library Granted Patent US 12690844
Granted Patent B2
US 12690844 · App. 18/165,433 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and ultrasound signal generating method

Inventors: Ryosuke Iwasaki (Otawara, JP); Hiroki Takahashi (Nasushiobara, JP); Tomohisa Imamura (Otawara, JP); Ting Xia (Vernon Hills, IL); Liang Cai (Vernon Hills, IL); Jian Zhou (Vernon Hills, IL); Zhou Yu (Vernon Hills, IL)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
A61B8/5207A61B8/488G01S7/5206
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12690844
App. No.
18/165,433
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. This processing circuitry collects a first ultrasound signal including one or more harmonic components. By executing weighed addition processing where a coefficient distribution is applied to the first ultrasound signal for different directions of two or more dimensions, the processing circuitry generates a second ultrasound signal including components of each order at a ratio different, at a specific frequency, from a ratio among the frequency components included in the first ultrasound signal.

Claims (27)

1 . An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasound probe, and

processing circuitry that

collects a first ultrasound signal including one or more harmonic components based on received signals based on reflected waves from a subject, the received signals being received by the ultrasound probe; and

by executing weighed addition processing where a coefficient distribution is applied to the first ultrasound signal for different directions of two or more dimensions, generates a second ultrasound signal including components of each order at a ratio different, at a specific frequency, from a ratio among frequency components included in the first ultrasound signal,

wherein the processing circuitry further

collects, as the first ultrasound signal, an ultrasound signal in which a harmonic component of either an odd order or even order is enhanced relative to a harmonic component of an other order, and

generates, as the second ultrasound signal, by executing the weighted addition processing on the first ultrasonic signal, a harmonic signal in which a harmonic component of a predetermined multiple order in the first ultrasound signal is enhanced more than a harmonic component of other orders in the first ultrasound signal.

2 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry further

causes the ultrasound probe to transmit a plurality of ultrasound signals having a first phase difference to the subject,

by subtracting the received signals based on the reflected waves from the subject, collects, as the first ultrasound signal, ultrasound signal in which a harmonic component of the odd order is enhanced relative to a harmonic component of the even order, and

by executing the weighed addition processing on the first ultrasound signal, generates, as the second ultrasound signal, a harmonic signal in which a harmonic component of an order that is a multiple of three is enhanced more than a harmonic component of order other than the order that is the multiple of three,

the plurality of the ultrasound signals having the first phase difference is two ultrasound signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees, and

the second ultrasound signal is a signal equivalent to an ultrasound signal in which a harmonic component of an order that is the multiple of three is enhanced, the signal being obtained by causing the ultrasound probe to transmit three ultrasound signals having a phase difference of 120 degrees to the subject and by adding the received signals based on the reflected waves from the subject.

3 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry further

causes the ultrasound probe to transmit a plurality of ultrasound signals having a first phase difference to the subject,

by adding the received signals based on the reflected waves from the subject, collects, as the first ultrasound signal, ultrasound signal in which a harmonic component of the even order is enhanced relative to a harmonic component of the odd order, and

by executing the weighed addition processing on the first ultrasound signal, generates, as the second ultrasound signal, a harmonic signal in which a harmonic component of an order that is a multiple of four is enhanced more than a harmonic component of order other than the order that is the multiple of four,

the plurality of the ultrasound signals having the first phase difference is two ultrasound signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees, and

the second ultrasound signal is a signal equivalent to an ultrasound signal in which a harmonic component of an order that is the multiple of four is enhanced, the signal being obtained by causing the ultrasound probe to transmit four ultrasound signals having a phase difference of 90 degrees to the subject and by adding the received signals based on the reflected waves from the subject.

4 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry further generates the second ultrasound signal by using a trained model that is trained to output a harmonic signal in which a harmonic component of an order that is a multiple of three is enhanced more than a harmonic component of order other than the order that is the multiple of three, in response to input of an ultrasonic signal in which a harmonic component of the odd order is enhanced relative to a harmonic component of the even order.

5 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry further generates the second ultrasound signal by using a trained model that is trained to output a harmonic signal in which a harmonic component of an order that is a multiple of four is enhanced more than a harmonic component of order other than the order that is the multiple of four, in response to input of an ultrasonic signal in which a harmonic component of the even order is enhanced relative to a harmonic component of the odd order.

6 . A harmonic signal obtaining method, comprising:

collecting a first ultrasound signal including one or more harmonic components based on received signals based on reflected waves from a subject, the received signals being received by an ultrasound probe; and

by executing weighed addition processing where a coefficient distribution is applied to the first ultrasound signal for different directions of two or more dimensions, generating a second ultrasound signal including components of each order at a ratio different, at a specific frequency, from a ratio among frequency components included in the first ultrasound signal, wherein

the collecting further comprises collecting, as the first ultrasound signal, ultrasound signal in which a harmonic component of either an odd order or even order is enhanced relative to a harmonic component of the other order, and

the generating further comprises generating, as the second ultrasound signal, by executing the weighted addition processing on the first ultrasonic signal, a harmonic signal in which a harmonic component of a predetermined multiple order in the first ultrasound signal is enhanced more than harmonic component of other orders in the first ultrasound signal.