Systems and methods for suppressing off-axis sidelobes and/or clutter, near-field reverberation clutter, and/or grating lobe contributions are disclosed. A dual apodization with median (DAM) filtering technique is disclosed. The dual apodization technique may include summing aligned channel data with apodization functions (406, 412, 414) with complementary apertures applied. Median values for a zero function (RF3) and the resulting signals (RF1, RF2) from the complementary apertures are determined to generate a median value signal (416, MVS). The median value signal is used to generate an ultrasound image with enhanced image contrast. A method of image smoothing of the ultrasound image with enhanced image contrast is also disclosed. The smoothed image may include low frequency components of the ultrasound image with enhanced image contrast and high frequency components of an original image.

Estimating the field strength from an ultrasonic phased array can be done by summing the contribution of each transducer to the point of interest. Since this contribution is already calculated when creating a converging spherical wave, it can be reused to add a virtual microphone to the system. By monitoring this microphone and moving it along with new focus points, a robust system of field estimates and regulation may be established.

Methods and systems for ultrasound imaging and beamforming with a matrix array of transducer elements are provided. Receive signals of each transducer array element are amplified. The amplified receive signal of each transducer array element is digitized. A delay and weight are applied on the amplified and digitized receive signals. The amplified, digitized, delayed, and weighted receive signals are summed across all transducer elements of the matrix array to form a dynamically focused receive beam. An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is integrated with the matrix array of transducer elements performs such steps.

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment is configured to implement an ultrasound beamforming method by which, among a plurality of reception signals output from a plurality of elements, reception signals from mutually-different elements are multiplied by each other, so that signals obtained as results of the multiplications are added together. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to the embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to calculate a weight coefficient on the basis of a correlation between the multiplied reception signals. The processing circuitry is configured to apply the weight coefficient to the signals obtained as the results of the multiplications.

A system and method from improving the image quality achievable with an ultrasound transducer by using a composite aperture for receiving ultrasound echoes. By using two receive cycles per vector, twice as many transducers may be used for receiving ultrasound imaging data than there are physical channels available in the ultrasound probe. An ultrasound probe utilizing a composite aperture can achieve high image quality from a system have reduced power, size, cost and complexity.

An ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of transducers that perform electro-acoustic conversion on transmission pulses applied thereto to generate a transmission beam of ultrasonic waves; and transmission/reception circuits that are provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of transducers. The transmission/reception circuits set transmission/reception switching timings at which the ultrasonic waves are switched from transmission to reception independently for each of the plurality of transducers.

An ultrasonic phased array transducer device with a two-dimensional hinge array structure belongs to equipment in the technical field of ultrasonic detection. A connecting rod is fixedly connected to a fixed support and a two-dimensional hinge array respectively. Voice coil motors are symmetrically arranged in a shape of the British “Union Jack” with the connecting rod as a center, and are fixedly connected to the fixed support. Force output rods are respectively connected to voice coil motor coils and the upper surfaces of array units. Piezoelectric array elements are fixedly connected to the lower surfaces of all the array units. The numbers of the voice coil motors and the force output rods are 2N (N=4, 8, 12, 16, 20), the number of the piezoelectric array elements is 2N+1, and different N values are selected according to the sizes of workpieces to be detected. In the disclosure, by adjusting the current of each voice coil motor coil, the corresponding force output rod generates displacement to drive the two-dimensional hinge array unit to generate displacement, so as to push out and retract the hinge array unit and the piezoelectric array element fixedly connected below and drive the two-dimensional hinge array to generate deformation, so that the piezoelectric array elements fully fit with the surface of the workpiece to be detected. The disclosure can be applied to detection of the workpieces to be detected with flat surfaces, curved surfaces or spherical surfaces.

A system for controlling sonar beam shapes is provided. The system comprises at least one sonar transducer element having an emitting face. The at least one sonar transducer element is configured to generate a sonar beam having a path. The system also comprises a horn that is configured to rest within the path of the sonar beam. The horn is configured to reform a beam shape of the sonar beam.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes an ultrasound probe, and processing circuitry. The ultrasound probe performs transmission of ultrasonic pulses of different polarities to different transmission positions of a subject for multiple times. The processing circuitry performs, for each of the different polarities, reception beam-forming processing with respect to plural reception signals acquired by transmission of plural ultrasonic pulses of an identical polarity. The processing circuitry extracts a non-linear signal by adding up reception signals of the different polarities at an identical reception position, the signals subjected to reception beam forming.

A method and downhole tool is provided that uses beamforming to localize acoustic energy at a desired zone-of-interest within a wellbore traversing a subterranean formation. The tool has an array of transmitter elements configured to emit guided mode acoustic signals at variable amplitude and variable time delay, which are individually controlled by an amplitude factor and time delay assigned to respective transmitter elements. A set of amplitude factors and time delays can be assigned to the transmitter elements of the transmitter array such that the transmitter elements produce a focused acoustic beam at the desired zone-of-interest by combination of guided mode acoustic signals transmitted by the transmitter elements.