US 11,744,553 B2
Ultrasound system, method and computer program product
Thomas Heiko Stehle, Hamburg (DE); Frank Michael Weber, Hamburg (DE); Christian Buerger, Hamburg (DE); Irina Waechter-Stehle, Hamburg (DE); Jörg Sabczynski, Norderstedt (DE); and Michael Grass, Hamburg (DE)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 16/336,496
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Sep. 29, 2017, PCT No. PCT/EP2017/074835
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 26, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/060456, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 5, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 16191398 (EP), filed on Sep. 29, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0282748 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4494 (2013.01) [A61B 8/0825 (2013.01); A61B 8/4209 (2013.01); A61B 8/4254 (2013.01); G01S 15/8934 (2013.01); G01S 15/8952 (2013.01); G01S 7/52079 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound system comprising:
an ultrasound transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and a flexible mounting region defining a plurality of receiving portions, wherein the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells are mounted to a plurality of support members, wherein the plurality of support members onto which the ultrasound transducer cells are mounted are insertable into the plurality of receiving portions, respectively, enabling each ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells to have an independently adjustable position and/or orientation such as to conform an ultrasound transmitting surface of the respective ultrasound transducer cell to a region of a body, wherein each support member comprises a mounting portion, to which one of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells is mounted, and a pillar integrated with and extending from the mounting portion for insertion into one of the plurality of receiving portions; and
a controller configured to:
select a first ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and generate a first ultrasound signal with the first ultrasound transducer cell;
select a second ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and generate a second ultrasound signal with the second ultrasound transducer cell simultaneously with generating the first ultrasound signal, the second ultrasound signal being distinguishable from the first ultrasound signal;
operate remaining ultrasound transducer cells of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells in a reception mode;
receive respective first indications of reception of the first ultrasound signal from first receiving ultrasound transducer cells of the remaining ultrasound transducer cells, and receive respective second indications of reception of the second ultrasound signal from second receiving ultrasound transducer cells of the remaining ultrasound transducer cells;
derive, for each of the first receiving ultrasound transducer cells, time-of-flight information of the first ultrasound signal from the first ultrasound transducer cell to each of the first receiving ultrasound transducer cells from the respective first indications;
derive, for each of the second receiving ultrasound transducer cells, time-of-flight information of the second ultrasound signal from the second ultrasound transducer cell to each of the second receiving ultrasound transducer cells from the respective second indications; and
determine relative positions and/or relative orientations of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells based at least in part on the time-of-flight information of the first ultrasound signal and the time-of-flight information of the second ultrasound signal.