IP Library Granted Patent US 9,949,718
Granted Patent B2
US 9,949,718 · App. 12/834,623 · Granted Apr 24, 2018

Method and system for controlling communication of data via digital demodulation in a diagnostic ultrasound system

Inventors: Alexander Sokulin (Kiryat Tivon, IL); Kjell Kristoffersen (Oslo, NO); Arcady Kempinski (Haifa, IL); Shabtay Eliad (Zichron Yaakov, IL)
Assignee: General Electric Company
A61B8/4405A61B8/461A61B8/467A61B8/469A61B8/486A61B8/52A61B8/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,949,718
App. No.
12/834,623
Filed
Jul 12, 2010
Granted
Apr 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Examiner
AKAR, SERKAN
Art Unit
3786
USPC
600/437
Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling communication of data in an ultrasound system are provided. One method includes receiving ultrasound data from a plurality of channels of an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound system and digitally demodulating the received ultrasound data such that a data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data is lower than a data transfer rate of the received ultrasound data before digital demodulation. The method further includes processing the digitally demodulated ultrasound data, wherein the processing is performed using a processor of the ultrasound system.

Claims (24)

1. A method for demodulating ultrasound data, the method comprising:

receiving ultrasound data from a plurality of channels of an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound system;

reducing a sample rate of the received ultrasound data for the plurality of channels using digital demodulation, wherein a demodulation frequency for at least one of the plurality of channels is different than a demodulation frequency for at least one other of the plurality of channels;

communicating the reduced sample rate ultrasound data to a processor of the ultrasound system; and

performing processing of the reduced sample rate ultrasound data using the processor, wherein the processing includes beamforming.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising one of filtering and decimating to reduce the data sample rate of the ultrasound data before beamforming.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising using one of bandwidth information and relevant data information to reduce the sample rate.

4. A method for processing ultrasound data, the method comprising:

receiving ultrasound data from a plurality of channels of an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound system;

identifying a relevant signal bandwidth for the received ultrasound data and using the identified relevant signal bandwidth to demodulate the received ultrasound data;

digitally demodulating the received ultrasound data such that a data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data is lower than a data transfer rate of the received ultrasound data before digital demodulation, the data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data determined using signal bandwidth information and relevant data information; and

processing the digitally demodulated ultrasound data to form an ultrasound image, wherein the processing is performed using a processor of the ultrasound system.

5. A method for processing ultrasound data, the method comprising:

receiving ultrasound data from a plurality of channels of an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound system;

identifying relevant ultrasound data and using the relevant ultrasound data to demodulate the received ultrasound data;

digitally demodulating the received ultrasound data such that a data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data is lower than a data transfer rate of the received ultrasound data before digital demodulation, the data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data determined using signal bandwidth information and relevant data information; and

processing the digitally demodulated ultrasound data to form an ultrasound image, wherein the processing is performed using a processor of the ultrasound system.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising determining scanning parameters for the ultrasound scan and wherein the relevant ultrasound data is defined by a region of interest (ROI) based on the determined scanning parameters.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising communicating only ultrasound data within the ROI for processing.

8. A method for processing ultrasound data, the method comprising:

receiving ultrasound data from a plurality of channels of an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound system;

digitally demodulating the received ultrasound data such that a data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data is lower than a data transfer rate of the received ultrasound data before digital demodulation, the data transfer rate of the digitally demodulated ultrasound data determined using signal bandwidth information and relevant data information, wherein the digital demodulating comprises dividing the received ultrasound data into a plurality of data packets;

varying a bit-depth for each of the plurality of data packets based on a maximum depth value; and

processing the digitally demodulated ultrasound data to form an ultrasound image, wherein the processing is performed using a processor of the ultrasound system.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded May 8, 2025
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
Reel/Frame 071225/0218 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2010
From: SOKULIN, ALEXANDER; KRISTOFFERSEN, KJELL; KEMPINSKI, ARCADY; ELIAD, SHABTAY
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 024667/0852 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120010508A1 · Jan 12, 2012