US 12,251,258 B2
Method for characterising an object by means of ultrasonic waves having different modes, using a composite image
Guillaume Renaud, Fontenay Aux Roses (FR)
Assigned to SORBONNE UNIVERSITE, Paris (FR); CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS), Paris (FR); and INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE, Paris (FR)
Appl. No. 17/997,153
Filed by SORBONNE UNIVERSITE, Paris (FR); CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS), Paris (FR); and INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), Paris (FR)
PCT Filed Apr. 26, 2021, PCT No. PCT/FR2021/050717
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 26, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/219951, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2004180 (FR), filed on Apr. 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0087997 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 8/12 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/0875 (2013.01) [A61B 8/485 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
transmitting, by transmitters, ultrasonic waves toward an object comprising an external interface, an internal interface and an internal medium located between the external interface and the internal interface, so that the ultrasonic waves propagate in an external medium located between the transmitters and the object, then enter into the object by crossing the external interface, then reflect on the internal surface, then exit the object by crossing the external interface again, the ultrasonic waves comprising first waves having a mode which evolves according to a first evolution during their propagation in the object and second waves having a mode which evolves according to a second evolution during their propagation in the object, the second evolution being different from the first evolution,
receiving, by receivers, echo signals having exited the object, the echo signals comprising first signals representing echoes of the first waves and second signals representing echoes of the second waves,
determining two characteristics of the object indicative of a propagation of ultrasonic waves in the object, wherein determining the two characteristics of the object comprises:
a) constructing a plurality of images showing the internal interface and the internal medium, the plurality of images being constructed from the echo signals, location data of the external interface, a speed of sound in the external medium and under the assumption that the two characteristics of the object are respectively equal to two candidate values, the plurality of images comprising a first image associated with the first waves and constructed from the first signals, and a second image associated with the second waves and constructed from the second signals,
b) constructing a composite image from the plurality of images,
c) computing a metric indicative of a focus quality of at least one of the internal interface and of the internal medium in the composite image,
d) depending on the metric, selecting or not the two candidate values as respective values of the two characteristics of the object.