General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

General Electric Corporation Gmbh

E.u., N22

N22e.u.

Myotise.u.

Daniel John Buckton

Christian Fritz Perrey

Gerald Schroecker

Stefan Bruckner

Peter Falkensammer

Lucienne Van Der Veen

Dieter Hoenigmann

Ralph Thomas Hoctor

Armin Schoisswohl

Klaus Pintoffl

Nitin Singhal

Erwin Fosodeder

Stefan Denk

Kajoli Banerjee Krishnan

Eduard Groeller

Walter Duda, Jr

Thomas Huepf

Eduard Gröller

Manfred Aichhorn

Martin Paul Mienkina

Alexey Karimov

Andrej Varchola

Johannes Novotny

Srinivasan Jagannathan

Jing Jin

Bálint Czupi

Heinz Winkler-Ebner

A system and method for enhancing color flow Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound images acquired based on clinically-specific profiles of imaging parameters is provided. The method includes presenting selectable clinical objects at a display. Each of the selectable clinical objects may be associated with color flow Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler profiles. Each of the profiles may comprise imaging parameters for the associated clinical object. The method includes receiving a selection of one of the selectable clinical objects and retrieving the color flow Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler profiles associated with the selected clinical object. The method includes acquiring and presenting color flow Doppler ultrasound data based on the imaging parameters of the retrieved color flow Doppler profile. The method includes initiating a pulsed wave Doppler imaging mode, and acquiring and presenting pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound data based on the imaging parameters of the retrieved pulsed wave Doppler profile.

Method and system for providing enhanced color flow doppler and pulsed wave doppler ultrasound images by applying clinically specific flow profiles

A system and method for presenting function data associated with a user input device at a main display in response to a presence signal provided via the user input device is provided. The method includes receiving, at a processor of an ultrasound system, a presence signal from a presence sensor of a user input device of the ultrasound system. The presence signal is provided by the presence sensor in response to a detection of a user at a proximity to the user input device. The presence signal is independent from an actuation signal provided by the user input device in response to user actuation of the user input device. The method includes processing, by the processor, the presence signal to present function data identifying a functionality of the user input device at a main display of the ultrasound system.

Method and system for presenting function data associated with a user input device at a main display in response to a presence signal provided via the user input device

An ultrasound probe acquires ultrasound images at different directions, such as by performing beam steering. A processor analyzes the ultrasound images to detect acoustic shadow artifacts. The processor marks the acoustic shadow artifacts detected in one or more regions of one or more of the analyzed ultrasound images. The processor constructs a compound image based on unmarked regions of the analyzed ultrasound images. The processor presents the constructed compound image at a display system. The processor applies an image recognition technique to identify whether a region of an ultrasound image includes a dark area. The processor compares image data of the region corresponding with a same location in each of the ultrasound images and detects the acoustic shadow artifacts in the region having the identified dark area if at least one of the analyzed ultrasound images does not include the dark area at the region corresponding with the same location.

Method and system for enhanced ultrasound image visualization by detecting and replacing acoustic shadow artifacts

Various embodiments include a system and method that provide support for acquiring secondary ultrasound image snapshots with primary real-time ultrasound image data. The method can include acquiring first image data at an ultrasound system in a primary acquisition mode based on primary acquisition mode imaging parameters. The method may include receiving a trigger to switch from the primary acquisition mode to a secondary acquisition mode. The method can include acquiring second image data at the ultrasound system in a secondary acquisition mode based on secondary acquisition mode imaging parameters in response to the trigger. The method may include displaying a replay cine sequence that includes the first image data and the second image data. The replay cine sequence can include a tag identifying the second image data in the replay cine sequence.

Method and system for snapshot support for real-time ultrasound

A method and system for applying shading to descriptors that are presented with 2D ultrasound images having corresponding shading is provided. The method may include mapping, by a processor, height values of a synthetic map to pixels of a descriptor. The method may include determining, by the processor, a gradient of the height values for each of the pixels of the descriptor. The method may include applying, by the processor, shading to the descriptor based on shading parameters and the gradient of the height values for each of the pixels of the descriptor to create a shaded descriptor. The method may include presenting, by the processor, the shaded descriptor at a display system with a 2D ultrasound image having shading corresponding with the shading applied to the shaded descriptor.

Method and system for presenting shaded descriptors corresponding with shaded ultrasound images

Various methods and systems are provided for shading a 2D ultrasound image, generated from ultrasound data, using a gradient determined from scalar values of the ultrasound image data. As one example, a method includes correlating image values of a dataset acquired with an ultrasound imaging system to height values; determining a gradient of the height values; applying shading to a 2D image generated from the dataset using the determined gradient; and displaying the shaded 2D image.

Methods and system for shading a two-dimensional ultrasound image

Embodiments for aligning a volume to a standard alignment are provided. One example method of aligning a volume constructed from captured image data to a standard orientation includes determining an orientation and a scale of the volume based on a comparison of a volume model representing the volume to captured image data of the volume over time and adjusting the volume according to the determined orientation and scale.

Automatic alignment of ultrasound volumes

Various embodiments include systems and methods for gain auto-correction. Automatic gain optimization or correction may be applied in an ultrasound system, during an automatic gain mode. The automatic gain optimization or correction may comprise automatic time gain compensation (TGC) and/or lateral gain compensation (LGC) optimization or correction. The applying of the gain optimization or correction may comprise determining an optimal gain, such as based on processing input ultrasound images; determining, based on the optimal gain, settings for a plurality of user controls of the ultrasound system (e.g., slides, knobs, etc.), corresponding to the optimal gain; and providing feedback to a user of the ultrasound system, relating to (e.g., showing) the settings for the plurality of user controls that correspond to the optimal gain. The plurality of user controls may be adjustable manually and automatically. The user controls may be physical or virtual.

Adaptive ultrasound image optimization through automatic gain control adjustment

A method of ultrasound imaging includes acquiring plural groups of ultrasound data sets in an imaged volume that at least partially encompasses an object. The groups of ultrasound data sets include ultrasound image data obtained by transmitting one or more ultrasound pulses from one or more transducer elements into different zones of the imaged volume. The method also includes arranging the ultrasound data sets into one or more temporal groups based on when the ultrasound data sets are acquired. The ultrasound data sets in each temporal group are acquired during a common time period. The method further includes constructing a three-dimensional image of the object based on the ultrasound data sets in at least one of the temporal groups.

Ultrasound imaging system and method for ultrasound imaging a three dimensional volume

A method for rendering an image from ultrasound image data includes dividing the ultrasound image data into at least a first group of voxels and a second group of voxels, based on comparing voxel echo intensity to a threshold value. The method further includes processing the first group of voxels according to a first protocol and processing the second group of voxels according to a second protocol. The method further includes generating an image that includes both the first group of processed voxels and the second group of processed voxels to enhance realism of the rendered image.

Method and apparatus for rendering an ultrasound image

An medical imaging system and method for generating and displaying a blended cine loop. The system and method include acquiring image data and identifying a base image sequence in the image data. The system and method include identifying at least one non-base image in the image data acquired from outside of the base image sequence and generating a blended image sequence from the base image sequence and the at least one non-base image. The system and method include displaying the blended image sequence as a blended cine loop on a display device.

Medical imaging system and method for generating a blended cine loop

An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring motion data for a region-of-interest (ROI). The system and method includes calculating a quality parameter based on the motion data, wherein the quality parameter represents an amount of unwanted motion in the ROI. The system and method includes performing an action based on the quality parameter.

Ultrasound imaging system and method

Methods and system for visualizing 3D ultrasound data are provided. One method includes obtaining image slices from a volumetric image data set and generating a ray profile using one or more rays through at least one of the image slices, wherein the one or more rays extend along a depth of the volumetric image data set. The method further includes identifying one or more seed points along the one or more rays and defining a clipping surface using the one or more seed points, wherein the clipping surface defines a rendering region within the volumetric image data set. The method also includes rendering a 3D image of the rendering region within the volumetric image data set.

Methods and systems for removing occlusions in 3D ultrasound images

Systems and methods for ultrasound beamforming are provided. One method includes obtaining ultrasound data using receive line spacing that changes as a function of depth, determining a number of transmit events to combine at each of a plurality of points for use in combining the obtained ultrasound data, and aligning the ultrasound data with time delays computed from a probe geometry used to obtain the ultrasound data. The method also includes combining the aligned ultrasound data to generate an ultrasound image.

Systems and methods for ultrasound retrospective transmit focus beamforming

An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring first 4D ultrasound data of a first partial volume for a first period of time that is longer than an estimated cardiac period and acquiring second 4D ultrasound data of a second partial volume for a second period of time that is longer than the estimated cardiac period. The system and method includes combining the first 4D ultrasound data with the second 4D ultrasound data to generate 4D ultrasound data of a region-of-interest. The system and method also includes generating and displaying an image based on the 4D ultrasound data.

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Daniel John Buckton