Ecton Inc.

Acuson Corporation

Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Christopher B Knell

Joseph A Urbano

Kevin S Randall

Andrew J Wood

Anthony P Lannutti

Michael G Cannon

A medical diagnostic ultrasound system comprises several subsystems, such as a transmit beamformer, a receive beamformer, a B-mode processor, a Doppler processor and a scan converter. These subsystems are within the ultrasound data processing path for processing ultrasound data. One or more of these subsystems are implemented with one or more re-programmable logic devices. For example, one or two field programmable gate arrays are used is each subsystem to perform most or almost all of the subsystems essential functionality.

Medical diagnostic ultrasound system and method

Methods and systems for providing consistent power and reducing power consumption for an ultrasound system are provided. The ultrasound system is provided with an uninterruptable power supply. Power is provided from an outlet through the uninterruptable power supply to the ultrasound scanner. If the power from the outlet falls below a threshold is of an insufficient quality or is otherwise unavailable, the uninterruptable power supply provides power. For mobility, the uninterruptable power supply provides power, avoiding the need to plug the ultrasound system into an outlet. To reduce the drain on the uninterruptable power supply or other source of power, the ultrasound system includes power reduction systems and methods. One or more electrical components, subsystems or the entire ultrasound system is operated in a reduced power state while not in use. For example, some digital electrical components draw more power in response to clock signal triggers. The clock signal provided to one or more digital electrical components is decreased in frequency or set to steady state, decreasing the amount of power used.

Medical diagnostic ultrasound system and method for power control

The preferred embodiments described herein provide a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system and method in which a non-real-time operating system is used to transfer image data. In one preferred embodiment, a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system includes a central processing unit (&ldquo;CPU&rdquo;) located outside of the received signal path to transfer image data. The non-real-time operating system can be used, for example, to transfer image data from a hard disk to system memory for display, to transfer image data from system memory to the hard disk for storage, or to scroll image data to view a loop of image data.

The preferred embodiments described herein relate to a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system with at least one reprogrammable logic device, such as, for example, a field programmable gate array (&ldquo;FPGA&rdquo;). In one presently preferred embodiment, at least one reprogrammable logic device in the ultrasound system is reconfigured for probe changes (e.g., phased-array, curved array), for operator control changes (such as system mode changes, e.g., B-Mode, color Doppler), and/or dynamically as part of system operation (such as between ultrasonic pulse firings and/or between frames). By utilizing at least one reprogrammable logic device, the preferred embodiments reduce the size and cost of the ultrasound system without compromising the performance characteristics of the system. Further, unlike ultrasound systems that accommodate different sets of requirements by designing hardware modules to the most demanding requirements or by using separate hardware circuits for each alternative, the presently preferred embodiments provide a much less complex and costly solution.

A medical diagnostic ultrasound receive beamformer includes an upsampler upstream of a time delay device and a summer, and a smoothing filter downstream of the time delay device and the summer. The receive beamformer is automatically programmed into a gate array as a single-beam, dynamic-focus receive beamformer when the user selects B-mode and as a dual-beam, fixed-focus receive beamformer when the user selects color flow mode.

A scan converter using a re-programmable logic device provides flexibility for converting data from an acoustic grid to a display format. A set of instruction codes is provided for implementing the flexibility. By changing the instruction codes, the scan conversion process changes. A single memory stores the incoming data where read and write operations are performed sequentially. The same memory may be used for storing the scan converted data. A field programmable gate array is preferably used to scan convert the data and is programmed differently for different modes of operation.

A diagnostic ultrasound system and method for providing temporally accurate EKG data with imaging is provided. The EKG data is linked to imaging data. The frame of data of imaging data contains EKG data in a line of information. Additional EKG data may be provided separately from the imaging data. A scan converter processes both the EKG data and imaging data at substantially the same time, maintaining temporal accuracy. The EKG data provided comprises an entire trace so that the trace on the display appears to be smoothly updated.

A scheme is provided for locating the time of occurrence of a predetermined event in a physiologic cycle associated with an anatomical object of a subject's body. Echoes produced from transmission of ultrasound energy into the anatomical object are processed by an image frame acquisition device to produce a series of image frames. Each image frame includes data representing an image of at least a portion of the anatomical object at a given time. Then, the difference is determined between the current image frame and at least one preceding image frame. A frame correlation coefficient is output based upon the difference. The time of occurrence is located at the instance of time when the frame correlation coefficient falls below a predetermined value, or when the rate of change of the frame correlation coefficient exceeds a predetermined value. The physiologic cycle may be the heart cycle and the predetermined event may be the QRS trigger of an electrocardiogram.

Method of using ultrasound energy to locate the occurrence of predetermined event in the heart cycle or other physiologic cycle of the body

Speckle is reduced in full motion ultrasound image data representing anatomic structures which have periodic physiological motion. Echoes produced from transmission of ultrasound energy into a subject's body are processed by an image frame acquisition device to produce a series of image frames for each physiologic cycle. Each image frame comprises data representing an image of a portion of the subject's body at a given time within the cycle. Successive image frames obtained at the same point in time within each physiologic cycle are filtered. The filtering is applied to each image frame within the entire current physiologic cycle, thereby deriving full motion speckle-reduced image data.

System for reducing speckle in full motion ultrasound image data by

Ultrasound imaging data is collected at an adjustable collection image frame rate. Echoes produced from transmission of ultrasound energy into a subject's body are processed by an image frame acquisition device to produce a series of image frames. Each image frame comprises data representing an image of a portion of the subject's body at a given time. The image frames include collection image frames and interrogation image frames. The interrogation image frames are for sampling the subject's body between collection of at least some collection image frames. The difference between the current image frame and at least one preceding image frame is determined and a frame correlation coefficient is output based upon the difference. The collection image frame rate of the image frame acquisition device is adjusted in inverse proportion to the most recent frame correlation coefficient.

System for collecting ultrasound imaging data at an adjustable

A difference image processing scheme and contrast-only difference image processing scheme is provided for imaging anatomic structures or vessels which have periodic physiological motion that define physiologic cycles. Image data is acquired using ultrasound imaging equipment. In the scheme, a template image is captured at a first time period. The template image comprises image data of a portion of the subject's body acquired at a selected time period during the physiologic cycle. The captured template image is stored. Next, a real-time image is taken at a second time period subsequent to the first time period. The real-time image includes image data of the portion of the subject's body acquired at the same selected time period during the physiologic cycle as the template image. The stored template image and the real-time image are simultaneously displayed on an image display. The simultaneously displayed images have a visually perceptible effect when the real-time image becomes closely aligned with the template image at the same selected time period during the physiologic cycle. After alignment is achieved, a difference image is calculated, stored and displayed. The difference image may be a contrast-only image if a contrast agent has been injected into the imaged region during the second time period. The template image improves the alignment process of pre-contrast and post-contrast images, or pre-event/post-event difference images.

Ultrasound system for contrast agent imaging and quantification in

Ultrasound imaging data obtained from anatomic structures which have periodic physiologic motion that define successive physiologic cycles is packaged into image loops. Each image loop includes frame data representing a plurality of image frames acquired at spaced time intervals within a physiologic cycle. The image loops may be transmitted to a remote location for playback in real-time or pseudo real-time. Also provided is a scheme for increasing the effective acquisition frame rate in a medical ultrasound imaging system which acquires imaging data of an anatomic structure having periodic physiologic motion that defines successive physiologic cycles.

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Moorestown, NJ, United States of America

Christopher B Knell