Delay controller for ultrasound receive beamformer

1. In an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasound transducer having an array of elements and a beam origin, each element for converting received energy into an echo signal, a process comprising the steps of:

calculating an integer-valued depth (n), said depth (n) measured from said beam origin to a point on a beam axis of an ultrasound beam;

estimating a distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) representative of the exact distance (d n ) measured from a center of an element to said point on said beam axis;

adding said estimated distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) to said integer-valued depth (n) to generate an arrival time control signal or subtracting said estimated distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) from said integer-valued depth (n) to generate a delay control signal; and

processing an echo signal associated with said element based on the arrival time control signal or the delay control signal.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the calculation step comprises comparing a square of an exact value of said distance (d n ) to a square of an estimated value of said distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) according to an equation:

d n+1 2 −{circumflex over (d)} n+1 2 =( d n 2 −{circumflex over (d)} n 2 )+(2( n−{circumflex over (d)} n )+ K )+ s{circumflex over (d)} n /4− S 2

wherein (n) is said depth from said beam origin to a point along said beam axis, wherein K=1−2x sin θ, wherein θ is a steering angle of said beam axis relative to a vertical axis of said array, wherein S is a slope of said distance with respect to said depth (n), and wherein s is a sign bit of a difference shown in the equation, evaluated at said depth (n).

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the comparison step comprises:

determining that said exact value of said distance (d n ) is greater than or equal to said estimated value of said distance ({circumflex over (d)} n );

based on the determination, setting said s equal to a value of zero; and

based on the determination, setting said slope S equal to a value of one.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the comparison step comprises:

determining whether said exact value of said distance is greater than or equal to said estimated value of said distance;

determining that said exact value of said distance (d n ) less than said estimated value of said distance ({circumflex over (d)} n );

based on the determination, setting said s equal to a value of one; and

based on the determination, setting said slope S equal to a value of ⅞.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the calculation step comprises comparing a square of an exact value of said distance (d n ) to a square of an estimated value of said distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) according to an equation:

d n+1 2 −{circumflex over (d)} n+1 2 =( d n 2 −{circumflex over (d)} n 2 )+(2( n−{circumflex over (d)} n )+ K )+ s{circumflex over (d)} n /2 i−1 −S 2

wherein (n) is said depth from said beam origin to a point along said beam axis, wherein K=1−2x sin θ, wherein θ is a steering angle of said beam axis relative to a vertical axis of said array, wherein S is a slope having a value according to an equation 1−½ i , and wherein s is equal to a value of one.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the comparison step comprises:

determining that said exact value of said distance (d n ) is less than said estimated value of said distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ); and

based on the determination, setting said s to said value of one and said slope S to said value according to said equation 1−½ i .

7. The process of either claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein said transducer is a curvilinear array and the calculation step further comprises comparing a square of an exact value of said distance (d n ) to a square of an estimated value of said distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) according to an equation:

d n+1 2 −{circumflex over (d)} n+1 2 =( d n 2 −{circumflex over (d)} n 2 )+(2( n−{circumflex over (d)} n )+ K )+ s{circumflex over (d)} n /4−S 2

wherein (n) is said depth from said beam origin to a point along said beam axis, wherein S is said slope, wherein s is a sign bit, wherein K=1+2R(1−cos φ), wherein R is a radius of a convex array, φ is an angular position of said center of said element relative to said beam axis and a steering angle θ=0.

8. An ultrasound system, comprising:

an ultrasound transducer comprising an array of elements and a beam origin, each of said elements for converting received energy into an echo signal; and

a beamformer comprising:

an initialization controller including initialization controller circuitry for calculating initialization parameters;

at least one channel including a delay circuit and a delay controller for:

calculating an integer-valued depth (n), said depth (n) measured from said beam origin to a point on a beam axis of an ultrasound beam;

estimating a distance ({circumflex over (d)} n )representative of the exact distance (d n ) measured from a center of an element to said point on said beam axis;

adding said estimated distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) to said integer-valued depth (n) to generate an arrival time control signal or subtracting said estimated distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) from said integer-valued depth (n) to generate a delay control signal; and

processing an echo signal associated with said element based on the arrival time control signal or the delay control signal; and

a summer for summing processed echo signals to form a beamformed signal.

9. The ultrasound system of claim 8 , wherein said delay controller includes delay controller circuitry for estimating the distance ({circumflex over (d)} n ) at a sampling clock speed, said delay controller circuitry comprising:

a first gate and at least one first multiplexer for receiving and passing at least one initialization value to at least one first adder;

at least one first register for receiving and passing said at least one initialization value to a second adder;

at least one second register for receiving and passing said at least one initialization value through a second gate to an adder/subtractor;

at least one second multiplexer for passing a squared slope value to said adder/subtractor;

at least one third adder for receiving said at least one initialization value from said second adder and said adder/subtractor; and

at least one third register for receiving said at least one initialization value.

10. The ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one first multiplexer comprises a multiplexer for passing an A nf initialization value, a multiplexer for passing an estimated depth {circumflex over (d)} n , and a multiplexer for passing a slope S initialization value.

11. The ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one first register comprises a register to pass an A n initialization value and a register to pass a {circumflex over (d)} n initialization value.

12. The ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein said delay computation circuitry comprises means for updating a previous delay computed for a previous depth by at least one update value.

13. The ultrasound system of claim 8 , wherein said delay is an estimated delay with respect to a reference delay of an echo signal from an array center element.

14. The ultrasound system of claim 8 , wherein said ultrasound transducer comprises an array selected from the group consisting of a phased array, a linear array, a two-dimensional array, and a curvilinear array.

15. In an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasound transducer having an array of elements and a beam origin located between two adjacent elements, each element for converting received energy into an echo signal, a process for calculating initialization parameters from a reduced parameter table, the process comprising the steps of:

setting at least one increment value for at least one initialization parameter for a first left element located to the left of said beam origin and a first right element located to the right of said beam origin;

storing in a memory storage device said at least one increment for said first left element and said first right element;

calculating said at least one initialization parameter for at least one beam steering angle for said first left element and for said first right element;

storing in said memory storage device said at least one initialization parameter for said first left element and said first right element; and

calculating at least one additional initialization parameter for said at least one beam steering angle for at least one next left element located to the left of said first left element and for at least one next right element located to the right of said first right element based upon the stored said at least one initialization parameter for said first left element and said first right element.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein said at least one initialization parameter comprises the following: an initial depth (n fi ), an initial distance (d nfi ) measured from a center of an element to a point at said initial depth, and an initial quantity calculated according to an equation A nfi =2(n fi−d nfi )+K i , wherein K i =1−2x i sin θ, θ is a beam steering angle, and x is a distance measured from a center of said element to said beam origin.

17. The process of claim 15 , wherein said at least one increment comprises the following: an initial distance increment (Δd nfL ) for said first left element, an initial distance increment (Δd nfR ) for said first right element, an initial depth increment (Δn f ) for both said first left element and said first right element, and a K increment (ΔK) for both said first left element and said first right element, wherein said initial depth (n f0L ) for said first left element and said initial depth (n f0R ) for said first right element are proportional to a distance (x) measured from a center of said first left element or said first right element to said beam origin.

18. The process of claim 15 , wherein the storing step further comprises:

storing an initial distance increment (Δd nfL ) for said first left element;

storing an initial distance increment (Δd nfR ) for said first right element;

storing an initial depth increment (Δn f ) for both said first left element and said first right element; and

storing a K increment (ΔK) for both said first left element and said first right element.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the calculation of said at least one initialization parameter step further comprises:

calculating an initial depth (n f0L ) for said first left element according to an equation n f0L =Δn f /2;

calculating an initial distance (d nf0L ) for said first left element according to an equation d nf0L =Δd nf0L /2;

calculating a quantity K 0L for said first left element according to an equation K 0L =1−ΔK/2;

calculating an initial depth (n f0R ) for said first right element according to an equation n f0R =Δn f /2;

calculating an initial distance (d nf0R ) for said first right element according to an equation d nf0R =Δd nf0R /2; and

calculating a quantity K 0R for said first right element according to an equation K 0R 1+ΔK/2,

wherein said initial depth (n f0L ) for said first left element and said initial depth (n f0R ) for said first right element are proportional to a distance (x) measured from a center of said first left element or said first right element to said beam origin,

wherein a distance (x) measured from a center of said first left element to said beam origin is equivalent to said distance (x) measured from a center of said first right element to said beam origin.

20. The process of claim 15 , wherein the storing step further comprises:

storing an initial depth (n f0L ), an initial distance (d nf0L ), a quantity K 0L , an initial distance increment (Δd nfL ) for said first left element;

storing an initial depth (n f0R ), an initial distance (d nf0R ), a quantity K 0R , an initial distance increment (Δd nfR ),

storing an initial depth increment (Δn f ) for both said first left element and said first right element; and

storing a K increment (ΔK) for both said first left element and said first right elements,

wherein said initial depth (n f0L ) for said first left element and said initial depth (n f0R ) for said first right element are proportional to a distance (x) measured from a center of said first left element or said first right element to said beam origin.

21. The process of claim 15 wherein the calculation of said at least one additional initialization parameter step further comprises:

calculating a next initial depth (n f0L ) for said at least one next left element according to an equation n fi =n f0L +i×Δn f ;

calculating a next initial distance (d nf0L ) for said at least one next left element according to an equation d nfi =d nf0L +i×Δd nfL ;

calculating a next quantity K 0L for said at least one next left element according to an equation K i =K 0L −i×ΔK;

calculating a next initial depth (n f0R ) for said at least one next right element according to an equation n fi =n f0R +i×Δn f ;

calculating a next initial distance (d nf0R ) for said at least one next right element according to an equation d nfi =d nf0R +i×Δd nfR ; and

calculating a next quantity K 0R for said at least one next right element according to an equation K i =K 0R +i×ΔK,

wherein said next initial depth (n f0L ) for said at least one next left element and said next initial depth (n f0R ) for said at least one next right element are proportional to a distance (x) measured from a center of said first left element or said first right element to said beam origin.

22. The process of claim 15 , wherein the calculation of said at least one additional initialization parameter step further comprises:

calculating a next initial depth (n f0L ) for said at least one next left element according to an equation n fi =n f(i−1)L +Δnf;

calculating a next initial distance (d nf0L ) for said at least one next left element according to an equation d nfi =d nf(i−1)L +Δd nfL ;

calculating a next quantity K 0L for said at least one next left element according to an equation K i =K (i−1)L −ΔK;

calculating a next initial depth (n f0R ) for said at least one next right element according to an equation n fi =n f(i−1)R +Δn f ;

calculating a next initial distance (d nf0R ) for said at least one next right element according to an equation d nfi =d nf(i−1)R +Δd nfR ; and

calculating a next quantity K 0R for said at least one next right element according to an equation K i =K (i−1)R +ΔK,

wherein said next initial depth (n f0L ) for said at least one next left element and said next initial depth (n f0R ) for said at least one next right element are proportional to a distance (x) measured from a center of said first left element or said first right element to said beam origin.

23. The process of claim 15 , wherein said at least one beam steering angle comprise at least one pair of beams that are symmetrical.

24. An ultrasound system, comprising:

an ultrasound transducer comprising an array of elements and a beam origin located between two adjacent elements, each of said elements for converting received energy into an echo signal; and

a beamformer comprising:

an initialization controller including initialization controller circuitry for:

setting at least one increment value for at least one initialization parameter for a first left element located to the left of said beam origin and a first right element located to the right of said beam origin;

storing in a memory storage device said at least one increment for said first left element and said first right element;

calculating said at least one initialization parameter for at least one beam steering angle for said first left element and for said first right element;

storing in said memory storage device said at least one initialization parameter for said first left element and said first right element; and

calculating at least one additional initialization parameter for said at least one beam steering angle for at least one next left element located to the left of said first left element and for at least one next right element located to the right of said first right element based upon the stored said at least one initialization parameter for said first left element and said first right element;

at least one channel to receive the at least one initialization parameter and the at least one additional initialization parameter, each of the at least one channels including a delay circuit and a delay controller; and

a summer for receiving a signal from each of the at least one channels and for summing the signals to form a beamformed signal.

25. The ultrasound system of claim 24 , wherein said initialization controller circuitry comprises:

said memory storage device having a plurality of increments from at least one element of said array;

at least one shift register for receiving said plurality of increments from said memory storage device and for downshifting and dividing each of said increments to generate a plurality of shift register output;

at least one accumulator register for receiving said shift register output and calculating a plurality of initial parameter values; and

at least one subtractor and at least one adder for receiving said plurality of initial parameter values and for performing iterative calculations to generate at least one initialization parameter for each of said at least one elements.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said at least one shift register for downshifting each of said increments downshifts by 1 and divides by 2 each of said increments.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said increments comprise the following: Δn f , Δd nf , and ΔK.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said at least one subtractor and said at least one adder for performing iterative calculations uses arithmetic shifts.