US 12,213,831 B2
Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus with row-column addressing
Takeshi Sato, Nasushiobara (JP)
Assigned to CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Tochigi (JP)
Filed by CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Tochigi (JP)
Filed on May 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/740,853.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-080439 (JP), filed on May 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0361843 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 8/14 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01); G10K 11/34 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/14 (2013.01) [G01S 7/5208 (2013.01); G01S 15/8927 (2013.01); G10K 11/346 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:
an ultrasound probe including a plurality of transducer elements arranged two-dimensionally and including a plurality of transducer element groups of a Row-Column Addressing type in which, when ultrasound transmission is to be performed, a plurality of first transducer elements arranged in a direction of one of two axes intersecting each other are connected in common to one another and in which, when ultrasound reception is to be performed, a plurality of second transducer elements arranged in a direction of the other of the two axes are connected in common to one another; and
processing circuitry configured to perform a beam forming process on a plurality of reception signals output from the plurality of transducer element groups, to generate ultrasound image data on a basis of a signal obtained from the beam forming processes, and to cause a display device to display an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound image data, wherein
each of the plurality of transducer element groups outputs, as each of the plurality of reception signals, a reception signal obtained by adding up signals output from the plurality of second transducer elements connected in common to one another,
a plurality of sets that are each made up of the two axes and correspond to the plurality of transducer element groups of the Row-Column Addressing type are mutually different,
with respect to the plurality of the transducer element groups, a direction in which a plurality of first transducer elements in one of the plurality of the transducer element groups connected in common to one another is arranged and a direction in which a plurality of first transducer elements in another of the plurality of the transducer element groups connected in common to one another is arranged are mutually different, and
a direction in which a plurality of second transducer elements in one of the plurality of the transducer element groups connected in common to one another arranged and a direction in which a plurality of second transducer elements in other of the plurality of the transducer element groups connected in common to one another arranged are mutually different.