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。

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：US5902241A

公开(公告)日：1999-05-11

申请号：US977082

申请日：1997-11-24

申请人： Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Satchidananda Panda

发明人： Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Satchidananda Panda

IPC分类号： G01N29/24 ,  A61B8/00 ,  G01S7/52 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G10K11/34 ,  H04N7/18

CPC分类号： G01S7/52046 ,  G01S15/8909 ,  G10K11/341 ,  G01N2291/02491 ,  G01S7/52071

摘要： An adaptive transducer array in which the element pitch is controlled by the imaging system depending on the mode of operation. A multiplicity of transducer elements are connected to a multiplicity of beamformer channels by a multiplexing arrangement having multiple states. In one multiplexer state, successive transducer elements are respectively connected to successive beamformer channels to produce an aperture having a small element pitch equal to the distance separating the centerlines of two adjacent transducer elements. In another multiplexer state, selected transducer elements are respectively connected to successive beamformer channels to produce an aperture having an increased element pitch equal to the small pitch multiplied by a factor of two or more. The aperture is increased by connecting together pairs of adjacent elements to a respective beamformer channel or by connecting every other element to a respective beamformer channel to form a sparse array.

摘要翻译： 一种自适应换能器阵列，其中元件间距由成像系统根据操作模式来控制。 多个换能器元件通过具有多个状态的复用装置连接到多个波束形成器通道。 在一个复用器状态中，连续的换能器元件分别连接到相继的波束形成器通道以产生具有等于两个相邻的换能器元件的中心线分开的距离的小元件间距的孔。 在另一个多路复用器状态下，选择的换能器元件分别连接到相继的波束成形器通道，以产生具有等于小间距乘以因子2或更大的元件间距增加的孔。 通过将相邻元件的对连接到相应的波束形成器通道或通过将每个其它元件连接到相应的波束形成器通道以形成稀疏阵列来增加孔径。

公开(公告)号：US6102864A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-15

申请号：US197787

申请日：1998-11-23

申请人： William Thomas Hatfield ,  Kai Erik Thomenius ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Todd Michael Tillman ,  Patricia Ann Schubert

发明人： William Thomas Hatfield ,  Kai Erik Thomenius ,  Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Todd Michael Tillman ,  Patricia Ann Schubert

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G01S7/52 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G03B42/06 ,  G06T5/00

CPC分类号： A61B8/483 ,  A61B8/06 ,  G01S15/8993 ,  G01S7/52026 ,  G01S7/52034 ,  G01S7/52068 ,  G03B42/06 ,  G06T7/0012 ,  G06T7/0081 ,  A61B8/08 ,  A61B8/13 ,  A61B8/488 ,  A61B8/543 ,  G06T2207/10132 ,  G06T2207/30048 ,  G06T2207/30104

摘要： A three-dimensional image of flowing fluid or moving tissue using velocity or power Doppler data is displayed by using an ultrasound scanner that collects velocity or power data in a cine memory to form a volume of pixel data. Average or median pixel values are projected on an image plane by casting rays through the data volume. As the ray passes through each scan plane, a data value is assigned to the ray at that point. At each scan plane, the assigned pixel data value is tested to see if it exceeds a noise threshold. For a given ray, pixel data values above the detection threshold are accumulated until a pixel data value falls below the detection threshold. A minimum number of pixel data values exceeding the threshold are required for each ray before the average of the accumulated values is processed and/or the median value is selected. When all pixels along a given ray have been tested, the projection is complete and the average or median projection is then displayed. Uniformity within the projected image and the sharpness of edges are enhanced by projecting average or median pixel values instead of maximum pixel values.

摘要翻译： 使用在电影存储器中收集速度或功率数据的超声波扫描器来显示使用速度或功率多普勒数据的流动流体或移动组织的三维图像，以形成像素数据量。 平均或中值像素值通过投射光线通过数据量投影在图像平面上。 当光线通过每个扫描平面时，在该点将数据值分配给光线。 在每个扫描平面处，测试分配的像素数据值，以查看其是否超过噪声阈值。 对于给定的射线，累积高于检测阈值的像素数据值，直到像素数据值低于检测阈值。 在处理累积值的平均值和/或选择中值之前，每个射线需要超过阈值的最小数量的像素数据值。 当已经测试了给定射线的所有像素时，投影完成，然后显示平均或中值投影。 通过投影平均值或中值像素值而不是最大像素值来增强投影图像内的均匀性和边缘的锐度。

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：US6102858A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-15

申请号：US065213

申请日：1998-04-23

申请人： William Thomas Hatfield ,  Kai Erik Thomenius ,  Anne Lindsay Hall

发明人： William Thomas Hatfield ,  Kai Erik Thomenius ,  Anne Lindsay Hall

IPC分类号： A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G01S7/52 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G06T1/00 ,  A61B8/00

CPC分类号： G01S15/8993 ,  G01S7/52038 ,  G01S15/8979 ,  Y10S128/916

摘要： A method and an apparatus for displaying three-dimensional images of ultrasound data having improved segmentation. This is accomplished by harmonic imaging. There are two types of harmonic imaging: (1) imaging of harmonics returned from contrast agents injected into the fluid; and (2) naturally occurring harmonics, generally referred to as "tissue harmonics". An ultrasound transducer array is controlled to transmit a beam formed by ultrasound pulses having a transmit center frequency and focused at a desired sample volume containing contrast agents. In the receive mode, the receiver forms the echoes returned at a multiple or sub-multiple of the transmit center frequency into a beam-summed receive signal. This process is repeated for each sample volume in each one of a multiplicity of scan planes. After filtering out the undesired frequencies in the receive signal, i.e., passing substantially all of the desired (sub)harmonic signals, the ultrasound scanner processes the (sub)harmonic signals to acquire B-mode, velocity or flow power data and then collects that data in a cine memory to form a volume of pixel display data which is used to generate a three-dimensional image.

摘要翻译： 一种用于显示具有改进的分割的超声数据的三维图像的方法和装置。 这是通过谐波成像完成的。 有两种类型的谐波成像：（1）从注入流体的造影剂返回的谐波成像; 和（2）天然存在的谐波，通常称为“组织谐波”。 控制超声换能器阵列以透射由具有发射中心频率的超声波脉冲形成的波束，并聚焦在包含造影剂的所需样品体积上。 在接收模式中，接收机将在发射中心频率的多个或多个子载波上返回的回波形成波束相加的接收信号。 对于多个扫描平面中的每一个中的每个样本体积重复该过程。 在滤除接收信号中的不期望的频率，即基本上通过所有期望（次）谐波信号之后，超声波扫描器处理（次）谐波信号以获取B模式，速度或流量功率数据，然后收集该 电影存储器中的数据以形成用于生成三维图像的像素显示数据的量。

公开(公告)号：US09380992B2

公开(公告)日：2016-07-05

申请号：US11731283

申请日：2007-03-30

申请人： Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Todor Sheljaskow

发明人： Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Todor Sheljaskow

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/13 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/13 ,  A61B8/4472 ,  G01S15/8915 ,  G01S15/8984

摘要： A method and system are provided for estimating velocity of flow within an ultrasound dataset. A sample volume gate is defined on a two-dimensional (2D) image. The 2D image is based on an ultrasonic dataset. Spectral Doppler velocity estimates of flow are detected within the sample volume gate in first and second dimensions that are orthogonal with respect to each other. A true velocity estimate of the flow within the sample volume gate is determined based on the Doppler velocity estimates.

摘要翻译： 提供了用于估计超声数据集内的流速的方法和系统。 样本体积门被定义在二维（2D）图像上。 2D图像基于超声数据集。 在彼此正交的第一维和第二维中的样本体积门内检测流的光谱多普勒速度估计。 基于多普勒速度估计确定样本体积门内的流量的真实速度估计。

公开(公告)号：US08219181B2

公开(公告)日：2012-07-10

申请号：US12336293

申请日：2008-12-16

申请人： Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Vincent Stanley Polkus ,  Lucas Delaney ,  Stephen Metz

发明人： Anne Lindsay Hall ,  Vincent Stanley Polkus ,  Lucas Delaney ,  Stephen Metz

IPC分类号： A61B5/05 ,  A61B8/00

CPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/4427 ,  A61B8/4433 ,  A61B8/461 ,  A61B8/467

摘要： An ultrasound medical imaging system and non-ultrasound medical imaging system are combined and communicate via a suitable docking port, which is supported by the non-ultrasound medical imaging system and configured to receive the ultrasound medical imaging system. The systems can communicate directly, indirectly, and/or wirelessly. Each can also be configured for cross-imaging in the other modality, displaying medical imagery from the other modality on respective and/or combined displays, and/or control by a user interface of the other and/or a common user interface. Registry between patient imagery is possible, and improved workflow is provided.