IP Library › Granted Patent US 12708272
Granted Patent B2
US 12708272 · App. 18/323,021 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Receiver arrays for photoacoustic devices

Inventors: Camilo Perez Saaibi (Dublin, CA); Hrishikesh Vijaykumar Panchawagh (Cupertino, CA); Sumit Agrawal (Sunnyvale, CA); Kostadin Dimitrov Djordjev (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
A61B5/0095A61B5/02007A61B5/021A61B2562/043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12708272
App. No.
18/323,021
Filed
May 24, 2023
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3797
USPC
600/437
Abstract

Some disclosed examples involve controlling, by a control system, a light source system to provide light to a target object on an outer surface of a platen and receiving, by the control system, ultrasonic receiver signals from each of a plurality of ultrasonic receiver elements in an array of ultrasonic receiver elements. The ultrasonic receiver signals may correspond to ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system. Some disclosed examples involve applying, by the control system, a receiver-side beamforming process to the ultrasonic receiver signals, to produce a beamformed ultrasonic receiver image and detecting, by the control system, a blood vessel within the targe object based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

Claims (53)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a platen;

a light source system configured for providing light to a target object on an outer surface of the platen;

an ultrasonic receiver system configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system, the ultrasonic receiver system including an array of ultrasonic receiver elements, wherein the array of ultrasonic receiver elements includes a linear array of ultrasonic receiver elements having a pitch between adjacent ultrasonic receiver elements that is equal to a wavelength corresponding to a peak frequency of ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system; and

a control system configured to:

receive ultrasonic receiver signals from each of a plurality of ultrasonic receiver elements in the array;

apply a receiver-side beamforming process to the ultrasonic receiver signals, to produce a beamformed ultrasonic receiver image; and

detect a blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to detect the blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the ultrasonic receiver signals.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to estimate one or more blood vessel features based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more blood vessel features include blood vessel diameter, blood vessel area, blood vessel profile, blood vessel distention, volumetric flow, pulse wave velocity, blood vessel wall thickness, or combinations thereof.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control system is further configured to estimate blood pressure based, at least in part, on the one or more blood vessel features.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source system comprises an array of light sources.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be worn by, or attached to, a person.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the array of ultrasonic receiver elements includes a linear array of ultrasonic receiver elements arranged along an array axis that is configured to extend along the blood vessel and wherein the array axis is within plus or minus 45 degrees of a blood vessel axis.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the array of ultrasonic receiver elements includes a linear array of ultrasonic receiver elements arranged along an array axis that is configured to extend across the blood vessel.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of ultrasonic receiver elements comprises a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic receiver elements.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of ultrasonic receiver elements comprises an array of electrodes arranged on a piezoelectric layer.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or a piezoelectric composite.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiver-side beamforming process comprises a delay-and-sum beamforming process.

14 . A wearable apparatus, comprising:

a platen;

a light source system configured for providing light to a target object on an outer surface of the platen;

an ultrasonic receiver system configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system, the ultrasonic receiver system including an array of ultrasonic receiver elements, wherein the array of ultrasonic receiver elements includes a linear array of ultrasonic receiver elements having a pitch between adjacent ultrasonic receiver elements that is equal to a wavelength corresponding to a peak frequency of ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system;

control means for:

receiving ultrasonic receiver signals from each of a plurality of ultrasonic receiver elements in the array;

applying a receiver-side beamforming process to the ultrasonic receiver signals, to produce a beamformed ultrasonic receiver image; and

detecting a blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image; and

a wearable housing, wherein the platen, the light source system, the ultrasonic receiver system and the control means are included within, or attached to, the wearable housing.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the control means includes means for detecting the blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the ultrasonic receiver signals.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the control means includes means for estimating one or more blood vessel features based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the one or more blood vessel features include blood vessel diameter, blood vessel distention, volumetric flow, pulse wave velocity, blood vessel wall thickness, or combinations thereof.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the control means includes means for estimating blood pressure based, at least in part, on the one or more blood vessel features.

19 . A method, comprising:

controlling, by a control system, a light source system to provide light to a target object on an outer surface of a platen;

receiving, by the control system, ultrasonic receiver signals from each of a plurality of ultrasonic receiver elements in an array of ultrasonic receiver elements, the array of ultrasonic receiver elements including a linear array of ultrasonic receiver elements having a pitch between adjacent ultrasonic receiver elements that is equal to a wavelength corresponding to a peak frequency of ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system, the ultrasonic receiver signals corresponding to ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system;

applying, by the control system, a receiver-side beamforming process to the ultrasonic receiver signals, to produce a beamformed ultrasonic receiver image; and

detecting, by the control system, a blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising detecting the blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the ultrasonic receiver signals.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising estimating one or more blood vessel features based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the one or more blood vessel features include blood vessel diameter, blood vessel area, blood vessel profile, blood vessel distention, volumetric flow, pulse wave velocity, blood vessel wall thickness, or combinations thereof.

23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising estimating blood pressure based, at least in part, on the one or more blood vessel features.

24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the receiver-side beamforming process comprises a delay-and-sum beamforming process.

25 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions for performing a method stored thereon, the method comprising:

controlling a light source system to provide light to a target object on an outer surface of a platen;

receiving, by a control system, ultrasonic receiver signals from each of a plurality of ultrasonic receiver elements in an array of ultrasonic receiver elements, the array of ultrasonic receiver elements including a linear array of ultrasonic receiver elements having a pitch between adjacent ultrasonic receiver elements that is equal to a wavelength corresponding to a peak frequency of ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system, the ultrasonic receiver signals corresponding to ultrasonic waves generated by the target object responsive to the light from the light source system;

applying a receiver-side beamforming process to the ultrasonic receiver signals, to produce a beamformed ultrasonic receiver image; and

detecting a blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

26 . The one or more non-transitory media of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises detecting the blood vessel within the target object based, at least in part, on the ultrasonic receiver signals.

27 . The one or more non-transitory media of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises estimating one or more blood vessel features based, at least in part, on the beamformed ultrasonic receiver image.

28 . The one or more non-transitory media of claim 27 , wherein the one or more blood vessel features include blood vessel diameter, blood vessel area, blood vessel profile, blood vessel distention, volumetric flow, pulse wave velocity, blood vessel wall thickness, or combinations thereof.

29 . The one or more non-transitory media of claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises estimating blood pressure based, at least in part, on the one or more blood vessel features.

30 . The one or more non-transitory media of claim 25 , wherein the receiver-side beamforming process comprises a delay-and-sum beamforming process.