US 12,376,831 B2
Ultrasound system with high frequency detail
Kai Wen Liu, Richmond Hill (CA); and Nicholas Christopher Chaggares, Whitby (CA)
Assigned to FUJIFILM Sonosite, Inc., Bothell, WA (US)
Filed by FUJIFILM Sonosite, Inc., Bothell, WA (US)
Filed on Nov. 8, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/183,835.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/583,416, filed on Nov. 8, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0133550 A1, May 9, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/14 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/5246 (2013.01) [A61B 8/14 (2013.01); A61B 8/145 (2013.01); A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 8/523 (2013.01); A61B 8/54 (2013.01); G01S 7/52074 (2013.01); G01S 7/52085 (2013.01); G01S 15/8952 (2013.01); A61B 8/4483 (2013.01); A61B 8/4494 (2013.01); A61B 8/465 (2013.01); A61B 8/469 (2013.01); G01S 15/8979 (2013.01)] 36 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
a dual frequency transducer comprising a low frequency transducer and a high frequency transducer, the high frequency transducer having a field of view that is smaller than and located within a field of view of the low frequency transducer;
processing circuitry for receiving echo signals produced by the low frequency transducer and the high frequency transducer and for producing a low frequency ultrasound image with echo signals received by the low frequency transducer and a high frequency ultrasound image with echo signals received by the high frequency transducer, the low frequency ultrasound image representing an area of tissue corresponding to the field of view of the low frequency transducer, the high frequency ultrasound image representing a subset of the area of tissue, the low frequency ultrasound image including a graphic that indicates a location corresponding to the subset of the area of tissue represented in the high frequency ultrasound image;
a display on which the low frequency ultrasound image and the high frequency ultrasound image are simultaneously displayed in a side-by-side manner with the low frequency ultrasound image positioned on a first side of the display and the high frequency ultrasound image positioned on a second side, opposite of the first side, of the display; and
a control with which a user can adjust a position of the graphic in the low frequency ultrasound image to change the area that is represented in the high frequency ultrasound image, the field of view of the high frequency transducer being greater than an area encompassed by the graphic, the position of the graphic being adjustable within the field of view of the high frequency transducer, the control usable by the user to increase a number of first transducer elements used in the high frequency transducer with a corresponding decrease in a number of second transducer elements to be used to produce the low frequency ultrasound image or increase the number of the second transducer elements used in the low frequency transducer with a corresponding decrease in the number of the first transducer elements to be used to produce the high frequency ultrasound image.