Method and system for selectively smoothing color flow images in an
ultrasound system

    公开(公告)号:US5860928A

    公开(公告)日:1999-01-19

    申请号:US908647

    申请日:1997-08-07

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

    摘要: A method (280) and system (128) for selectively smoothing color flow images in a Doppler ultrasound system (100). A set of original digitized ultrasound signals is received for points (m, m-1, m-2) on a beamline (l-1), each point having associated with it a velocity signal (.phi..sub.j), a magnitude of autocorrelation signal (R.sub.i), and a power signal (P.sub.i). A point (X(1,1)) along a beamline is selected for processing. The set of digitized ultrasound signals is applied to a digital filter (152), and the digital filter computes a set of smoothed digitized ultrasound signals by computing an average velocity signal (.phi..sub.av), an average magnitude of autocorrelation signal (R.sub.av), and an average power signal (P.sub.av) of each point in the selected beamline and points in adjacent beamlines. For the selected point along the selected beamline, a selected velocity signal (.phi.(1,1)) is compared to a velocity threshold (V.sub.th), a selected magnitude of autocorrelation signal (R(1,1)) is compared to a magnitude of autocorrelation threshold (R.sub.th), and a selected power signal (P(1,1)) is compared to a power threshold (P.sub.th). Color flow information is computed from the smoothed digitized ultrasound signals when each of the selected velocity signal, the selected magnitude of autocorrelation signal, and the selected power signal is less than the velocity threshold, the magnitude of autocorrelation threshold, and the power threshold, respectively. The color flow information is computed from the set of original digitized ultrasound signals when any one of the selected velocity signal, the selected magnitude of autocorrelation signal, or the selected power signal is greater than or equal to the velocity threshold, the magnitude of autocorrelation threshold, or the power threshold, respectively. The color flow information is overlaid onto an ultrasound image.

    Method and apparatus for adaptive spatial image filtering
    2.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for adaptive spatial image filtering 失效
    自适应空间图像滤波的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US5653234A

    公开(公告)日:1997-08-05

    申请号:US536417

    申请日:1995-09-29

    IPC分类号: G01S7/52 A61B8/00

    CPC分类号: G01S7/52077

    摘要: An apparatus and method for removing noise from a signal S(x). The noise is removed by filtering S(x) through a low pass filter having an adjustable pass band. A control processor analyzes S(x) prior to S(x) being input to the low pass filter and adjusts the pass band in response to an estimate of the SNR or rate of change of S(x) such that the pass band is reduced when the estimated SNR decreases and the pass band is increased when the SNR increases. In embodiments in which the control processor utilizes the rate of change of S(x) to control the pass band, the pass band is reduced when the rate of change of S(x) increases and increased when the rate of change of S(x) decreases. In embodiments used in ultrasound applications, the estimate of the SNR can be obtained from x, the power in S(x), or the variance in the measured velocity. The estimate of the rate of change of S(x) may be computed from an estimate of the correlation distance in S(x).

    摘要翻译: 一种用于从信号S(x)中去除噪声的装置和方法。 通过具有可调节通带的低通滤波器对S(x)进行滤波来去除噪声。 控制处理器在将S(x)输入到低通滤波器之前分析S(x),并响应于SNR的估计或S(x)的变化率来调整通带,使得通带减少 当SNR增加时估计的SNR降低并且通带增加。 在控制处理器利用S(x)的变化率来控制通带的实施例中,当S(x)的变化率随S(x)的变化率增加而增加时,通带被减小 )减少。 在超声应用中使用的实施例中,可以从x(S(x)中的功率)或测量的速度的方差来获得SNR的估计。 可以从S(x)中的相关距离的估计来计算S(x)的变化率的估计。

    Persistence for ultrasonic flow imaging
    4.
    发明授权
    Persistence for ultrasonic flow imaging 失效
    超声波流动成像的持久性

    公开(公告)号:US5897502A

    公开(公告)日:1999-04-27

    申请号:US757041

    申请日:1996-11-26

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

    摘要: An improved technique for providing persistence to velocity signals obtained by an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. The velocity signals with appropriate persistence are then used to form an image on a display device so as to accurately depict fluid flow. The persistence technique intelligently decides whether or not to provide persistence to the velocity signals. In making these persistence determinations, the persistence technique not only avoids distorting the velocity values with corrupt signals, but also preserves directional flow information. The persistence technique can also make use of various thresholds to reduce errors (e.g., flash artifacts or random noise) as well as persistence of such errors.

    摘要翻译: 公开了一种用于为由超声成像系统获得的速度信号提供持久性的改进技术。 然后使用具有适当持久性的速度信号在显示装置上形成图像,以便精确地描绘流体流动。 持续性技术智能地决定是否向速度信号提供持久性。 在进行这些持久性测定时,持久性技术不仅避免了具有损坏信号的速度值失真,而且还保留了定向流信息。 持续性技术还可以利用各种阈值来减少错误(例如,闪光伪影或随机噪声)以及这种错误的持续性。

    System and method for transducer array cooling through forced convection
    5.
    发明申请
    System and method for transducer array cooling through forced convection 审中-公开
    通过强制对流传感器阵列冷却的系统和方法

    公开(公告)号:US20050215892A1

    公开(公告)日:2005-09-29

    申请号:US10805783

    申请日:2004-03-22

    IPC分类号: A61B8/00 A61B8/06 G10K11/00

    摘要: A system and method for cooling an entirely or partially immersed mechanical or other type of transducer array is disclosed. Motion/flow of the immersion fluid is induced either by motion of the mechanical transducer itself, where the transducer is of the mechanically movable type, or by a separate motion-inducing mechanism located in or coupled with the fluid-filled, or partially filled, array housing. The resultant fluid flow/motion increases, i.e. more efficiently utilizes, the thermal carrying capacity of the immersion fluid by more uniformly distributing the thermal energy convected from the transducer array throughout the fluid volume. This results in an improved ability to cool the transducer array. The disclosed cooling system and method may be used in such a way so as to not substantially inhibit operation of the transducer array.

    摘要翻译: 公开了一种用于冷却全部或部分浸没的机械或其他类型的换能器阵列的系统和方法。 浸没流体的运动/流动是通过机械传感器本身的运动引起的,其中换能器是可机械移动的,或者通过位于流体填充或部分填充的或与部分填充的流体相连接的单独的运动诱导机构, 阵列外壳。 通过更均匀地将从换能器阵列对流的热能更均匀地分布在整个流体体积中,所产生的流体流动/运动增加,即更有效地利用浸入流体的热载运能力。 这样可以提高冷却换能器阵列的能力。 所公开的冷却系统和方法可以以这样的方式使用,以便基本上不能抑制换能器阵列的操作。

    Coded excitation imaging for use with bipolar, unipolar and other waveforms
    6.
    发明授权
    Coded excitation imaging for use with bipolar, unipolar and other waveforms 有权
    用于双极,单极和其他波形的编码激励成像

    公开(公告)号:US07094204B2

    公开(公告)日:2006-08-22

    申请号:US10226954

    申请日:2002-08-23

    IPC分类号: A61B8/00

    摘要: Sidelobe levels of bipolar and unipolar waveforms are suppressed. Bipolar and unipolar transmit waveforms are generated with a coded excitation, such as a chirp coding, and pulse width modulation. For harmonic, such as second harmonic, imaging, the fundamental transmit frequency of the transmit waveform is centered at a lower end of the bandwidth of the transducer. The transducer filters higher frequency components of the transmit waveform differently than lower frequency components. To generate the desired acoustic waveform, the transmit waveform generated for application to the transducer is adjusted to account for the frequency response of the transducer. For example, higher frequency parts of a chirp waveform has more pulse width modulation or narrower pulse widths to account for lesser magnitude reductions. Multiple transmit waveforms may be combined to reduce sidelobes for fundamental or second harmonic imaging. Two coded excitation waveforms are generated. One waveform is delayed relative to the other waveform, such as applying a 90° phase difference or π 2 delay of one waveform relative to the other waveform. The coded excitation waveforms are then combined. For example, the two waveforms are summed for application to a transducer element. As an alternative example, the waveforms are transmitted from different elements of the transducer array and sum in the acoustic domain.

    摘要翻译: 双极和单极波形的旁瓣电平被抑制。 双极和单极发射波形通过编码激励产生,例如啁啾编码和脉冲宽度调制。 对于诸如二次谐波成像的谐波,发射波形的基波发射频率位于换能器带宽的下端。 传感器的频率分量与低频分量相比较,滤波器的频率分量较高。 为了产生期望的声波形,调整产生用于施加到换能器的发射波形以考虑换能器的频率响应。 例如,啁啾波形的较高频率部分具有更多的脉冲宽度调制或较窄的脉冲宽度以便减小较小的幅度。 可以组合多个发射波形以减少基波或二次谐波成像的旁瓣。 产生两个编码激励波形。 一个波形相对于另一个波形延迟,例如施加90°的相位差,或 相对于另一个波形的一个波形的延迟,pi 2 。 然后组合编码的激励波形。 例如,将两个波形相加以应用于换能器元件。 作为替代示例,波形从换能器阵列的不同元件发送并且在声域中相加。

      Digital beamformer having multi-phase parallel processing
      7.
      发明授权
      Digital beamformer having multi-phase parallel processing 失效
      具有多相并联处理的数字波束形成器

      公开(公告)号:US5369624A

      公开(公告)日:1994-11-29

      申请号:US37765

      申请日:1993-03-26

      CPC分类号: G10K11/34

      摘要: In accordance with the principles of the present invention, advantage is taken by the inventors of the fact that the speed of operation of the digital hardware in a digital beamformer having a plurality of parallel receiving channels can be reduced by providing multiple phases for the data signals supplied by each receiving channel and then processing the multi-phase data in N parallel summing paths. An interpolation-decimation filter receives the multi-phase data from the N parallel summing paths and provides at its output a signal having a reduced data rate (1/N). In accordance with this technique, the speed of operation of the individual digital circuits for forming the required beamforming delays are not increased as compared to conventional post-beamforming interpolation schemes, so that hereby the effective data rate is increased by a factor N and the delay quantization error is reduced by a factor N.

      摘要翻译: 根据本发明的原理,本发明人的优点是可以通过为数据信号提供多个相位来减少具有多个并行接收信道的数字波束形成器中的数字硬件的操作速度 由每个接收信道提供,然后在N个并行求和路径中处理多相数据。 插值抽取滤波器从N个并行求和路径接收多相数据,并在其输出端提供具有降低的数据速率(1 / N)的信号。 根据该技术,与传统的后波束形成插值方案相比,用于形成所需波束形成延迟的各个数字电路的操作速度没有增加,因此有效数据速率增加了因子N和延迟 量化误差降低了因子N.

      Transmit based axial whitening
      8.
      发明授权
      Transmit based axial whitening 有权
      基于透射的轴向美白

      公开(公告)号:US07074186B2

      公开(公告)日:2006-07-11

      申请号:US10668915

      申请日:2003-09-23

      IPC分类号: A61B8/00 A61B8/12 A61B8/14

      摘要: Transmit based axial whitening is provided. Ultrasonic waveforms to be transmitted are designed to provide for wideband imaging characteristics prior to detection. Rather than transmitting a waveform having a spectral magnitude as white or flat as possible, waveforms with adjusted spectral content, such as spectrally bi-modal waveforms are generated in order to compensate for subsequent effects. Prior to detection, a more wideband or whiter signal response is provided in response to the transmitted waveform. Any of various alterations of the transmit waveform, such as asymmetric, spectrally bi-modal or other characteristics in anticipation of a system transfer function or physical phenomena through which the signal passes electronically or acoustically to result in a wideband or white spectral magnitude and generally linear spectral phase is used. The transmit waveform is altered to improve the imaging characteristics of the downstream processing.

      摘要翻译: 提供基于发射的轴向增白。 要发射的超声波形被设计成在检测之前提供宽带成像特性。 不会发送具有尽可能白色或平坦的光谱幅度的波形,而是产生具有调整的光谱含量(诸如光谱双模态波形)的波形,以便补偿随后的效果。 在检测之前,响应于传输的波形提供更宽带或更白的信号响应。 发射波形的各种改变中的任何一种,例如在预期系统传递函数或物理现象的情况下的不对称,光谱双模式或其他特性,信号通过该物理现象通过电子或声学通过以产生宽带或白色光谱幅度并且通常为线性 使用光谱相位。 改变发射波形以改善下游处理的成像特性。

      Transmit based axial whitening
      9.
      发明申请
      Transmit based axial whitening 有权
      基于透射的轴向美白

      公开(公告)号:US20050107699A1

      公开(公告)日:2005-05-19

      申请号:US10668915

      申请日:2003-09-23

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

      摘要: Transmit based axial whitening is provided. Ultrasonic waveforms to be transmitted are designed to provide for wideband imaging characteristics prior to detection. Rather than transmitting a waveform having a spectral magnitude as white or flat as possible, waveforms with adjusted spectral content, such as spectrally bi-modal waveforms are generated in order to compensate for subsequent effects. Prior to detection, a more wideband or whiter signal response is provided in response to the transmitted waveform. Any of various alterations of the transmit waveform, such as asymmetric, spectrally bi-modal or other characteristics in anticipation of a system transfer function or physical phenomena through which the signal passes electronically or acoustically to result in a wideband or white spectral magnitude and generally linear spectral phase is used. The transmit waveform is altered to improve the imaging characteristics of the downstream processing.

      摘要翻译: 提供基于发射的轴向增白。 要发射的超声波形被设计成在检测之前提供宽带成像特性。 不会发送具有尽可能白色或平坦的光谱幅度的波形,而是产生具有调整的光谱含量(诸如光谱双模态波形)的波形,以便补偿随后的效果。 在检测之前,响应于传输的波形提供更宽带或更白的信号响应。 发射波形的各种改变中的任何一种,例如在预期系统传递函数或物理现象的情况下的不对称,光谱双模式或其他特性,信号通过该物理现象通过电子或声学通过以产生宽带或白色光谱幅度并且通常为线性 使用光谱相位。 改变发射波形以改善下游处理的成像特性。

      Method and apparatus for automatic vessel tracking in ultrasound systems
      10.
      发明授权
      Method and apparatus for automatic vessel tracking in ultrasound systems 有权
      超声系统中自动血管跟踪的方法和装置

      公开(公告)号:US06423006B1

      公开(公告)日:2002-07-23

      申请号:US09489575

      申请日:2000-01-21

      申请人: Zoran Banjanin

      发明人: Zoran Banjanin

      IPC分类号: A61B800

      摘要: A method for automatically placing a range gate over a moving blood vessel during ultrasound imaging. Doppler data received from a number of depths in the tissue is analyzed in order to calculate the average velocity of the tissue at each depth. A search is performed in the average velocities to select a maximum velocity. The maximum velocity is associated with a blood vessel and a range gate is placed at a depth corresponding to the maximum velocity. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the average velocity is calculated by performing a first lag autocorrelation of the echo data received from each depth in response to a series of Doppler pulses.

      摘要翻译: 一种用于在超声成像期间自动地将移动血管放置在范围门上的方法。 分析从组织中的多个深度接收的多普勒数据,以便计算每个深度处的组织的平均速度。 以平均速度进行搜索以选择最大速度。 最大速度与血管相关联,并且范围门放置在与最大速度相对应的深度处。 在本发明的当前优选实施例中,通过响应于一系列多普勒脉冲执行从每个深度接收的回波数据的第一滞后自相关来计算平均速度。