Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and method of operating the same

1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged two dimensionally, the plurality of transducers transmitting ultrasound signals to a target object along one scan line, and receiving ultrasound echo signals reflected from the target object;

a first analog beamformer configured to perform analog beamforming in a first direction on the ultrasound echo signals to generate a plurality of first analog signals, based on first focus points;

a second analog beamformer configured to perform analog beamforming in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the ultrasound echo signals to generate a plurality of second analog signals, based on second focus points;

a digital beamformer configured to perform digital beamforming on the plurality of first analog signals to generate a plurality of first digital signals corresponding to a plurality of first scan lines based on the first analog signals beamformed in the first direction, for a first ultrasound image, and perform digital beamforming on the plurality of second analog signals to generate a plurality of second digital signals corresponding to a plurality of second scan lines based on the second analog signals beamformed in the second direction, for a second ultrasound image; and

an image processor configured to generate the first ultrasound image based on the plurality of first digital signals that are analog-beamformed in the first direction, and generate the second ultrasound image based on the plurality of second digital signals that are analog-beamformed in the second direction; and

a display configured to display the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first analog beamformer performs the analog beamforming in the first direction by applying a same time delay value to transducers located at same locations in the second direction; and

wherein the second analog beamformer performs the analog beamforming in the second direction by applying a same time delay value to transducers located at same locations in the first direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 2D transducer array comprises an M×N 2D transducer array in which M 1D transducers are arranged in an elevation direction, and N 1D transducers are arranged in a lateral direction,

wherein the first analog beamformer performs the analog beamforming in the lateral direction on each of the M 1D transducers arranged in the elevation direction, and

wherein the second analog beamformer performs the analog beamforming in the elevation direction on each of the N 1D transducers arranged in the lateral direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a number of channels input to the digital beamformer is M+N.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first ultrasound image comprises an image corresponding to a first cross-section of the target object, the second ultrasound image comprises an image corresponding to a second cross-section of the target object, and the first cross-section is perpendicular to the second cross-section.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the display further comprises a 2D region, and

wherein the 2D region displays a first movement bar representing a location of the first cross-section in a 1D line.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first movement bar moves up and down by receiving a track ball input, a touch input, and an up/down key input.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a vertical length of the 2D region and a coordinate value of a vertical axis of the first movement bar is displayed in a first region in which the first ultrasound image is displayed.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the display further comprises a 2D region, and

wherein the 2D region displays a second movement bar representing a location of the second cross-section in a 1D line.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second movement bar moves left and right by receiving a track ball input, a touch input, and a left/right key input.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a horizontal length of the 2D region and a coordinate value of a horizontal axis of the second movement bar is displayed in a second region in which the second ultrasound image is displayed.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image comprises one of a brightness (B) mode image, a color flow image, and an elastic image.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display is further configured to display an adjustment bar that adjusts resolutions of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display further comprises a 2D region, and

wherein the 2D region comprises:

a first central reference line displayed in the first direction; and

a second central reference line displayed in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is an elevation direction, and the second direction is a lateral direction.

16. A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged two dimensionally, the method comprising:

transmitting ultrasound signals to a target object along one scan line, and receiving ultrasound echo signals reflected from the target object;

performing analog beamforming in a first direction on the ultrasound echo signals to generate a plurality of first analog signals, based on first focus points, and performing analog beamforming in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the ultrasound echo signals to generate a plurality of second analog signals, based on second focus points;

performing digital beamforming on the plurality of first analog signals to generate a plurality of first digital signals corresponding to a plurality of first scan lines based on the first analog signals beamformed in first direction, for a first ultrasound image, and performing digital beamforming on the plurality of second analog signals to generate a plurality of second digital signals corresponding to a plurality of second scan lines based on the second analog signals beamformed in the second direction, for a second ultrasound image;

generating the first ultrasound image based on the plurality of first digital signals that are analog-beamformed in the first direction, and generating the second ultrasound image based on the plurality of second digital signals that are analog-beamformed in the second direction; and

displaying the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the performing of the analog beamforming in the first direction, and the performing of the analog beamforming in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction comprises:

performing the analog beamforming in the first direction by applying a same time delay value to transducers located at a same location in the second direction; and

performing the analog beamforming in the second direction by applying a same time delay value to transducers located at a same location in the first direction.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the 2D transducer array comprises an M×N 2D transducer array in which M 1D transducers are arranged in an elevation direction, and N 1D transducers are arranged in a lateral direction,

the performing of the analog beamforming in the first direction, and the performing of the analog beamforming in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction comprise:

performing the analog beamforming in the lateral direction on each of the M 1D transducers arranged in the elevation direction, and performing the analog beamforming in the elevation direction on each of the N 1D transducers arranged in the lateral direction.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first ultrasound image comprises an image corresponding to a first cross-section of the target object, the second ultrasound image comprises an image corresponding to a second cross-section of the target object, and the first cross-section is perpendicular to the second cross-section.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising displaying a 2D region,

wherein the 2D region displays a first movement bar representing a location of the first cross-section in a 1D line.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first movement bar moves up and down by receiving a track ball input, a touch input, and an up/down key input.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein a vertical length of the 2D region and a coordinate value of a vertical axis of the first movement bar is displayed in a first region in which the first ultrasound image is displayed.

23. The method of claim 19 , further comprising displaying a 2D region,

wherein the 2D region displays a second movement bar representing a location of the second cross-section in a 1D line.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the second movement bar moves left and right by receiving a track ball input, a touch input, and a left/right key input.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein a horizontal length of the 2D region and a coordinate value of a horizontal axis of the second movement bar is displayed in a second region in which the second ultrasound image is displayed.

26. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image comprises one of a B mode image, a color flow image, and an elastic image.

27. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

displaying an adjustment bar that adjusts resolutions of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

28. The method of claim 16 , further comprising displaying a 2D region,

wherein the 2D region comprises:

a first central reference line displayed in the first direction; and

a second central reference line displayed in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

29. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first direction is an elevation direction, and the second direction is a lateral direction.

30. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged two dimensionally, the plurality of transducers transmitting ultrasound signals to a target object along one scan line, and receiving ultrasound echo signals reflected from the target object;

a first analog beamformer configured to perform analog beamforming in a first direction on the ultrasound echo signals to generate a plurality of first analog signals, based on first focus points;

a second analog beamformer configured to perform analog beamforming in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the ultrasound echo signals to generate a plurality of second analog signals, based on second focus points;

a digital beamformer configured to perform digital beamforming on the plurality of first analog signals to generate a plurality of first digital signals corresponding to a plurality of first scan lines based on the first analog signals beamformed in the first direction, for a first ultrasound image, and perform digital beamforming on the plurality of second analog signals to generate a plurality of second digital signals corresponding to a plurality of second scan lines based on the second analog signals beamformed in the second direction, for a second ultrasound image; and

an image processor configured to generate the first ultrasound image based on the plurality of first digital signals that are analog-beamformed in the first direction, and generate the second ultrasound image based on the plurality of second digital signals that are analog-beamformed in the second direction; and

a display configured to display the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image,

wherein the first ultrasound image is fixed, and a plane of the second ultrasound image is movable along the first ultrasound image.