公开(公告)号：US6045507A

公开(公告)日：2000-04-04

申请号：US169785

申请日：1998-10-09

申请人： David John Muzilla ,  Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh

发明人： David John Muzilla ,  Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh

IPC分类号： A61B8/06 ,  G01S7/52 ,  A61B8/00

CPC分类号： G01S7/5205 ,  A61B8/06

摘要： An ultrasound color flow imaging system is programmed to operate in an adaptive manner. The operational adjustments are made based on the system gain setting or the transmit packet size or both. Based on these operator inputs, the transmit burst length is adjusted for optimum operation. In addition, the transmit peak amplitude and the bandwidth of the receive filter are adjusted as a function of the burst length adjustment.

摘要翻译： 超声波彩色成像系统被编程为以自适应方式操作。 基于系统增益设置或发送分组大小或两者进行操作调整。 基于这些操作员输入，调整发送突发长度以实现最佳操作。 此外，接收滤波器的发送峰值幅度和带宽作为突发长度调整的函数被调整。

公开(公告)号：US5908391A

公开(公告)日：1999-06-01

申请号：US852700

申请日：1997-05-07

申请人： David John Muzilla ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  Michael J. Washburn ,  David D. Becker ,  Doralie Martinez ,  Xiao-Liang Xu

发明人： David John Muzilla ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  Michael J. Washburn ,  David D. Becker ,  Doralie Martinez ,  Xiao-Liang Xu

IPC分类号： A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G01N29/06 ,  G01N29/34 ,  A61B8/00

CPC分类号： G01N29/348 ,  A61B8/488 ,  G01N29/0609 ,  G01N29/341 ,  G01S7/52085 ,  G01N2291/02483 ,  G01N2291/02836

摘要： A method and an apparatus for increasing the spatial resolution and sensitivity of a color flow image while maintaining a desired acoustic frame rate. The ultrasound energy is concentrated at a more narrowly defined focal region, which allows for increased flow sensitivity and vessel filling. Better flow uniformity across the color region of interest is also achieved. The method uses multiple transmit focal zones, and transmit and receive apertures having low f-numbers. Using multiple focal zones with low f-numbers allows for tight focusing over a larger depth-of-field. Unique waveforms and unique gain curves are used for each focal zone. Each focal zone is fired on a separate acoustic frame. An adaptive frame averaging algorithm is used to blend together the in-focus data from each of these acoustic frames before the data is displayed.

摘要翻译： 一种用于在保持所需声学帧速率的同时增加彩色图像的空间分辨率和灵敏度的方法和装置。 超声能量集中在更狭窄的聚焦区域，这允许增加流动灵敏度和血管填充。 还实现了在感兴趣的颜色区域上更好的流动均匀性。 该方法使用多个发射聚焦区，并且发射和接收具有低f数的孔。 使用具有低f数的多焦点区域可以在较大的景深范围内进行紧密聚焦。 每个聚焦区域都使用独特的波形和独特的增益曲线。 每个焦点区域在单独的声学框架上被点燃。 在显示数据之前，使用自适应帧平均算法将来自这些声音帧中的每一个的对焦数据混合在一起。

公开(公告)号：US6135962A

公开(公告)日：2000-10-24

申请号：US201974

申请日：1998-12-01

申请人： Gregory R. Bashford ,  Edward D. Nonnweiler ,  David D. Becker ,  David John Muzilla

发明人： Gregory R. Bashford ,  Edward D. Nonnweiler ,  David D. Becker ,  David John Muzilla

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  G01S7/52 ,  G06T1/00 ,  G06T5/20

CPC分类号： G06T5/20 ,  G01S7/52025

摘要： An ultrasound imaging system having an adaptive spatial filter the filter coefficients of which, for particular image parameter sample, are determined by counting the number of neighboring image parameter samples having zero or near-zero values. If the number of zero or near-zero values in a data window is greater than a predetermined threshold, the data in the window is passed, not filtered. This filter has two advantages over other spatial filters. First, image parameter data samples having only zero or near-zero neighboring values (i.e., isolated "point noise") are not smeared. Second, boundaries such as the edge of color in a vessel (where the surrounding area is black, i.e., the color image parameter values are zero or near zero) are not smoothed as much as in conventional filters, preserving the sharpness of the edge.

摘要翻译： 具有自适应空间滤波器的超声成像系统，对于特定图像参数采样，其滤波器系数通过对具有零或接近零值的相邻图像参数样本的数量进行计数来确定。 如果数据窗口中的零或近零值的数量大于预定阈值，则窗口中的数据被传递，而不被过滤。 该滤波器具有优于其他空间滤波器的两个优点。 首先，仅具有零或接近零相邻值（即，隔离的“点噪声”）的图像参数数据样本不被涂抹。 第二，像传统的滤光片那样，容器（其中周围区域是黑色，即彩色图像参数值为零或接近零）的颜色边缘的边界不会被平滑，从而保持边缘的清晰度。

公开(公告)号：US5865752A

公开(公告)日：1999-02-02

申请号：US858205

申请日：1997-05-07

申请人： Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  David John Muzilla ,  David D. Becker ,  Doralie Martinez ,  Xiao-Liang Xu

发明人： Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  David John Muzilla ,  David D. Becker ,  Doralie Martinez ,  Xiao-Liang Xu

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  G01S7/52 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： G01S7/52077 ,  G01S7/5206 ,  G06F9/30014 ,  G01S15/8977

摘要： A method and an apparatus for frame averaging ultrasound imaging data. A one-tap IIR filter is used to average the corresponding pixel data of two frames. The frame averaging is a function of a normalized difference between the pixel data of the two frames. This is achieved by taking the absolute difference between the signal levels of the current frame and the previous frame and dividing the result by the arithmetic (or geometric) mean of the two data. A multitude of look-up tables of output values are generated off-line. Each look-up table is designed to be used under a specific set of operating parameters. In response to the user's selection of these operating parameters, the system downloads a selected frame-averaging look-up table from system memory. During subsequent system operation, the downloaded look-up table outputs values which are a function of the normalized difference between the previous and current frame data used to address the look-up table.

摘要翻译： 一种用于平均超声成像数据的方法和装置。 单抽头IIR滤波器用于对两帧的相应像素数据进行平均。 帧平均是两帧的像素数据之间的归一化差异的函数。 这是通过取当前帧和前一帧的信号电平之间的绝对差并将结果除以两个数据的算术（或几何）平均值来实现的。 输出值的大量查询表离线生成。 每个查找表都被设计为在一组特定的操作参数下使用。 响应于用户对这些操作参数的选择，系统从系统存储器下载所选择的帧平均查找表。 在随后的系统操作期间，下载的查找表输出作为用于寻址查找表的前一帧和当前帧数据之间的归一化差的函数的值。

公开(公告)号：US06315728B1

公开(公告)日：2001-11-13

申请号：US09468181

申请日：1999-12-21

申请人： David John Muzilla ,  Theodore Lauer Rhyne

发明人： David John Muzilla ,  Theodore Lauer Rhyne

IPC分类号： A61B812

CPC分类号： G01S15/8979 ,  G01S7/52023

摘要： An ultrasound survey frame (SF) is processed in order to determine the portions representing fluid flow. An assembly (20) again rescans only the portions of a subject represented by the portions of the survey frame in which fluid flow was found. Target frames (TF) then are created from the rescanning and are processed in order to provide a color flow image restricted to the portions of the survey frame in which fluid flow is indicated.

摘要翻译： 处理超声波检测框架（SF）以确定表示流体流动的部分。 组件（20）再次仅重新搜索由发现流体流的调查框架的部分所表示的对象的部分。 目标帧（TF）然后从重新扫描创建并被处理，以便提供限制在其中指示流体流的测量框架的部分的彩色图像。

公开(公告)号：US6095977A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-01

申请号：US48487

申请日：1998-03-26

申请人： Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Richard Y. Chiao ,  David John Muzilla

发明人： Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Richard Y. Chiao ,  David John Muzilla

IPC分类号： H04N7/18 ,  A61B8/06 ,  G01N29/06 ,  G01P5/24 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： G01S15/8979 ,  G01N29/0609 ,  G01P5/244 ,  G01S15/8959 ,  G01S15/8961 ,  A61B8/06 ,  G01N2291/02836

摘要： A method and an apparatus for improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or resolution in color flow ultrasound imaging by using complementary-coded excitation of the transducer array. The SNR is improved by transmitting a pair of Golay-coded pulse sequences in alternating sequence at the same transmit focal position over multiple firings and then partly decoding the beamsummed data. The partly decoded data is then vector summed and high pass filtered. The summed and high-pass-filtered data is optionally decimated by a factor of two. The decimated or undecimated data is then input to the parameter estimator, which provides imaging signals representing the flow in a scan plane. Those imaging signals are then displayed as color information on a display monitor.

摘要翻译： 一种用于通过使用换能器阵列的互补编码激励来改善彩色流超声成像中的信噪比（SNR）和/或分辨率的方法和装置。 通过在多个发射处以相同的发射焦点位置以交替的顺序传输一对Golay编码的脉冲序列，然后部分解码分束数据来改善SNR。 然后部分解码的数据被矢量相加和高通滤波。 相加和高通滤波数据可任选地被抽取二倍。 然后，抽取或未解压缩的数据被输入到参数估计器，该估计器提供表示扫描平面中的流的成像信号。 然后将这些成像信号作为显示监​​视器上的颜色信息显示。

公开(公告)号：US5938611A

公开(公告)日：1999-08-17

申请号：US48760

申请日：1998-03-26

申请人： David John Muzilla ,  Richard Y. Chiao ,  Anne Lindsay Hall

发明人： David John Muzilla ,  Richard Y. Chiao ,  Anne Lindsay Hall

IPC分类号： A61B8/06 ,  G01S7/52 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： G01S15/8961 ,  G01S15/8979 ,  G01S15/8988 ,  G01S7/52047 ,  A61B8/06

摘要： A color flow imaging technique uses coded excitation on transmit and pulse compression on receive. Coded excitation allows a long transmit pulse to be compressed on receive such that most energy is concentrated in a short interval. Multiple transmit firings of the same coded pulse sequence are focused at the same transmit focal position with the same transmit characteristics. The receive signals are compressed utilizing matched or mismatched filtering. These techniques can be used to maximize color flow sensitivity in deep-lying regions. Alternatively, for a given transmit acoustic burst length and dosage, the spatial resolution can be improved without compromising sensitivity.

摘要翻译： 彩色流成像技术在接收时对发送和脉冲压缩使用编码激励。 编码激励允许在接收时压缩长的发射脉冲，使得大部分能量集中在短的间隔内。 相同编码脉冲序列的多个发射发射被聚焦在具有相同发射特性的相同发射焦点位置处。 使用匹配或不匹配的滤波来对接收信号进行压缩。 这些技术可用于最大限度地提高深层区域的色彩流动灵敏度。 或者，对于给定的发射声学突发长度和剂量，可以在不影响灵敏度的情况下改善空间分辨率。

公开(公告)号：US06210332B1

公开(公告)日：2001-04-03

申请号：US09437605

申请日：1999-11-10

申请人： Richard Yung Chiao ,  David John Muzilla ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Cynthia Andrews Owen

发明人： Richard Yung Chiao ,  David John Muzilla ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Cynthia Andrews Owen

IPC分类号： A61B800

CPC分类号： G01S7/52046 ,  G01S7/52023 ,  G01S7/52038 ,  G01S7/52039 ,  G01S7/5206 ,  G01S15/8918 ,  G01S15/8954 ,  G01S15/8959 ,  G01S15/8961 ,  G01S15/8979 ,  G01S15/8981 ,  G01S15/8988 ,  G01S15/8993 ,  Y10S128/916

摘要： In performing flow imaging using coded excitation and wall filtering, a coded sequence of broadband pulses (centered at a fundamental frequency) is transmitted multiple times to a particular transmit focal position, each coded sequence constituting one firing. On receive, the receive signals acquired for each firing are supplied to a finite impulse response filter which both compresses and bandpass filters the receive pulses, e.g., to isolate a compressed pulse centered at the fundamental frequency. The compressed and isolated signals are then high pass filtered across firings using a wall filter. The wall-filtered signals are used to image blood flow and contrast agents.

摘要翻译： 在使用编码激励和壁滤波执行流动成像的过程中，宽带脉冲编码序列（以基频为中心）被多次发送到特定发射焦点位置，每个编码序列构成一个发射。 在接收时，为每个发射获取的接收信号被提供给有限脉冲响应滤波器，它们对接收脉冲进行压缩和带通滤波，例如隔离以基频为中心的压缩脉冲。 压缩和隔离的信号然后使用墙壁过滤器通过发射进行高通滤波。 壁过滤的信号用于对血流和造影剂进行成像。

公开(公告)号：US6045504A

公开(公告)日：2000-04-04

申请号：US094338

申请日：1998-06-09

申请人： David John Muzilla ,  Christopher J. Gilling ,  Xiao-Liang Xu

发明人： David John Muzilla ,  Christopher J. Gilling ,  Xiao-Liang Xu

IPC分类号： G01S7/52 ,  A61B8/00

CPC分类号： G01S7/52034 ,  G01S7/52026

摘要： Methods and apparatus for reducing the amount of computation required by nonlinear operations in medical ultrasound imaging by using lower-order polynomials to approximate the nonlinear functions. The method can be applied to envelope detection, phase detection, logarithmic compression and other nonlinear functions. Various pre-processing techniques (e.g., pre-reducing the data range and pre-dividing an entire range of the input into a number of subranges) can optionally be used prior to the polynomial approximation to achieve better accuracy, further reduce the polynomial order, and/or simplify the implementation.

摘要翻译： 通过使用低阶多项式来近似非线性函数来减少医学超声成像中的非线性操作所需的计算量的方法和装置。 该方法可应用于包络检测，相位检测，对数压缩等非线性函数。 可以在多项式逼近之前可以使用各种预处理技术（例如，预先减少数据范围并将输入的整个范围预分为多个子范围），以实现更好的精度，进一步降低多项式阶数， 和/或简化实现。

公开(公告)号：US5865750A

公开(公告)日：1999-02-02

申请号：US852699

申请日：1997-05-07

申请人： William Thomas Hatfield ,  Todd Michael Tillman ,  Michael John Harsh ,  David John Muzilla ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  Michael J. Washburn ,  David D. Becker

发明人： William Thomas Hatfield ,  Todd Michael Tillman ,  Michael John Harsh ,  David John Muzilla ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  Michael J. Washburn ,  David D. Becker

IPC分类号： A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G03B42/06 ,  G06T15/08 ,  A61B8/00

CPC分类号： G03B42/06 ,  A61B8/065 ,  G06T15/08 ,  A61B8/08 ,  A61B8/488 ,  Y10S128/916

摘要： A method and an apparatus for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound data by constructing projections of data from a volume of interest. An ultrasound scanner collects B-mode or color flow images in a cine memory, i.e., for a multiplicity of slices. A multi-row transducer array having a uniform elevation beamwidth is used to provide reduced slice thickness. The data from a respective region of interest for each of a multiplicity of stored slices is sent to a master controller, such data forming a volume of interest. The master controller performs an algorithm that projects the data in the volume of interest onto a plurality of rotated image planes using a ray-casting technique. The data for each projection is stored in a separate frame in the cine memory. These reconstructed frames are then displayed selectively by the system operator. Segmentation of three-dimensional projection images is enhanced by decreasing the thickness and increasing the resolution (i.e., decreasing the point spread function) of the two-dimensional slices from which the projections are derived. The slice thickness is decreased by increasing the elevational focus of the beam. The two-dimensional resolution is increased by opening the aperture, i.e., decreasing the f-number, and by increasing the band-width.

摘要翻译： 一种用于通过构建来自感兴趣体积的数据的投影的超声数据的三维成像的方法和装置。 超声波扫描仪在电影存储器中收集B模式或彩色流图像，即多个切片。 使用具有均匀的仰角波束宽度的多行换能器阵列来提供减小的切片厚度。 将多个存储的片中的每一个的相关感兴趣区域的数据发送到主控制器，这样的数据形成感兴趣的体积。 主控制器执行使用光线投射技术将感兴趣体积中的数据投影到多个旋转图像平面上的算法。 每个投影的数据存储在电影存储器中的单独帧中。 这些重建的帧然后由系统操作员选择性地显示。 三维投影图像的分割通过减小厚度并增加从其导出投影的二维切片的分辨率（即减小点扩散函数）来增强。 通过增加光束的高程聚焦来减小切片厚度。 通过打开孔径即减小f值并通过增加带宽来增加二维分辨率。