초록 ▼

An object surrounded by media of differing acoustical impedances (e.g., an anatomical organ surrounded by other kinds of tissue within the human body) is acoustically imaged by an array of ultrasonic transducers affixed to the outer surface of an ultrasonic lens. In a preferred embodiment, the lens

An object surrounded by media of differing acoustical impedances (e.g., an anatomical organ surrounded by other kinds of tissue within the human body) is acoustically imaged by an array of ultrasonic transducers affixed to the outer surface of an ultrasonic lens. In a preferred embodiment, the lens is homocentric, with the common center of curvature of the inner and outer surfaces of the lens being located at a relatively small acoustic aperture in the body so that object points distributed over a relatively large solid angle from the aperture can be imaged with minimum lens aberations. Where the object to be imaged is a human heart, the acoustic aperture is most conveniently located at an intercostal space between adjacent ribs.

대표청구항 ▼

An ultrasonic imaging system providing signals representative of an interior structure of an interrogated body to enable visual display thereof, said system comprising: means for directing a plurality of ultrasonic beams in turn to respective different portions of said interior structure through an

An ultrasonic imaging system providing signals representative of an interior structure of an interrogated body to enable visual display thereof, said system comprising: means for directing a plurality of ultrasonic beams in turn to respective different portions of said interior structure through an acoustic aperture of said body which is small relative to said interior structure, as well as returning the reflected ultrasonic energy resulting from each beam along a path similar to that of said beam, said means including a side-by-side array of transducers for providing said beams and for translating said reflected energy into said electrical signals, and a homocentric acoustic lens positioned between said array and said interrogated body, said lens conveying said beam and ultrasonic energy, said lens having a center of curvature positioned near said aperture; and means for actuating transducers of said array to generate said plurality of ultrasonic beams sequentially for conveyance through said lens and into said body, said transducers then translating ultrasonic energy reflected by said body into electrical signals representative thereof, whereby the interior of said body may be imaged with minimal aberration effects and with a wide sector angle despite a narrow imaging aperture.