IP Library › Granted Patent US 12697101

Granted Patent B2

US 12697101 · App. 18/829,982 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Adaptive ultrasound imaging acquisition

Inventors: Svetoslav Ivanov Nikolov (Søborg, DK); Per Haugaard (Skovlunde, DK); Fredrik Gran (Limhamn, SE); Mikkel Schou (Roskilde, DK)

Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC

A61B8/54 A61B8/4483 A61B8/461 A61B8/5269 A61B8/467

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12697101
App. No.: 18/829,982
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array configured to transmit in a first transmission mode or a split transmission mode in which an original transmission of the first transmission mode is split into multiple transmissions for each scanline. The system further includes a beamformer configured to beamform an echo signal corresponding to the original transmission or a combination of echo signals corresponding to the multiple transmissions. The system further includes a scanline processor configured to adaptively apply digital time gain compensation to each scanline, wherein a first gain is applied to a scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing tissue and a second gain is applied to a scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing a water standoff. The system further includes a controller configured to switch from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode in response to detecting water standoff enhancement artifact.

Claims (53)

1 . An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

a transducer array configured to transmit, alternatively, a single transmission for a scanline with a set of transducer elements in a first transmission mode and a split transmission for the scanline with the set of transducer elements in a split transmission mode,

wherein the split transmission includes at least a first transmission with a first subset of the set of transducer elements and a second transmission with a second subset of the set of transducer elements, and

wherein the set of transducer elements for the single transmission is split into the first subset of the set of transducer elements and the second subset of the set of transducer elements for the split transmission;

a beamformer configured to beamform an echo signal corresponding to the single transmission in the first transmission mode and a combination of echo signals corresponding to the first transmission and the second transmission in the split transmission mode;

a controller configured to detect a presence of water standoff enhancement artifact based on the echo signal in the first transmission mode and switch the transducer array, the beamformer and a scanline processor from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode for a subsequent transmission in response to detecting the presence of the water standoff enhancement artifact;

the scanline processor configured to adaptively apply digital time gain compensation to the scanline, wherein a first gain is applied to the scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing tissue in the first transmission mode and a second gain is applied to the scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing a water standoff-tissue boundary, to correct for the water standoff enhancement artifact, wherein the transmission traversing the water standoff-tissue boundary causes the water standoff enhancement artifact in the split transmission mode;

an image processor configured to generate an image based on the scanline, and

a display configured to display the image.

2 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first transmission and the second transmissions has a transmit energy less than a transmit energy of the single transmission for the scanline.

3 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 2 , wherein an aggregate of the transmit energy of each of the first transmission and second transmissions equals the transmit energy of the single transmission for the scanline.

4 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the water standoff enhancement artifact based on an analysis of the image.

5 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the analysis of the image includes edge detection to detect a boundary of the water standoff in the image.

6 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the water standoff enhancement artifact based on an analysis of the echo signal.

7 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 6 , wherein the analysis of the echo signal identifies signal saturation.

8 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to switch from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode based on a user input.

9 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein one of:

the first transmission includes only even numbered elements and the second transmission includes only odd numbered elements.

10 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein an energy level of each of the first transmission and the second transmission has half of an energy level of the single transmission.

11 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

transmitting, alternatively, a single transmission for a scanline with a set of transducer elements in a first transmission mode and a split transmission for the scanline with the set of transducer elements in a split transmission mode,

beamforming an echo signal corresponding to the single transmission in the first transmission mode and a combination of echo signals corresponding to the first transmission and the second transmission in the split transmission mode;

detecting a presence of water standoff enhancement artifact based on the echo signal in the first transmission mode;

switching the transducer array, the beamformer and the scanline processor from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode for a subsequent transmission in response to detecting the presence of the water standoff enhancement artifact;

adaptively applying digital time gain compensation to the scanline, wherein a first gain is applied to the scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing tissue in the first transmission mode and a second gain is applied to the scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing a water standoff-tissue boundary, to correct for the water standoff enhancement artifact, wherein the transmission traversing the water standoff-tissue boundary causes the water standoff enhancement artifact, in the split transmission mode;

generating an image based on the scanline, and

displaying the image.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein each of the first transmission and the second transmission has a transmit energy less than a transmit energy of the single transmission for the scanline.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

analyzing the image to detect the water standoff enhancement artifact.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

analyzing the echo signal to detect the water standoff enhancement artifact by detecting signal saturation.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

switching from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode based on a user input.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

transmit, alternatively, a single transmission for a scanline with a set of transducer elements in a first transmission mode and a split transmission for the scanline with the set of transducer elements in a split transmission mode,

beamform an echo signal corresponding to the single transmission in the first transmission mode and a combination of echo signals corresponding to the first transmission and the second transmission in the split transmission mode;

detect a presence of water standoff enhancement artifact based on the echo signal in the first transmission mode;

switch the transducer array, the beamformer and the scanline processor from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode for a subsequent transmission in response to detecting the presence of the water standoff enhancement artifact;

adaptively apply digital time gain compensation to the scanline, wherein a first gain is applied to the scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing tissue in the first transmission mode and a second gain is applied to the scanline corresponding to a transmission traversing a water standoff-tissue boundary, to correct for the water standoff enhancement artifact, wherein the transmission traversing the water standoff-tissue boundary causes the water standoff enhancement artifact, in the split transmission mode;

generate an image based on the scanline, and

display the image.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein each of the first transmission and the second transmission has a transmit energy less than a transmit energy of the single transmission for the scanline.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

analyze the image to detect the water standoff enhancement artifact.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

analyze the echo signal to detect the water standoff enhancement artifact by detecting signal saturation.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

switch from the first transmission mode to the split transmission mode based on a user input.