Duke University

Other

The Johns Hopkins University

Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

Gregg E Trahey

Kathryn R Nightingale

William F Walker

Stephen W Smith

Mark L Palmeri

Nicholas Bottenus

Roger W Nightingale

Willie J Long

Peter J Hollender

Paul D Freiburger

Jeremy J Dahl

Ashutosh Chilkoti

Emad M Boctor

Levin F Nock

Haichong K Zhang

Richard E Davidsen

Vaibhav Kakkad

Stephen McAleavey

Michael Jason McAllister

Nick Bottenus

Joshua Doherty

Stewart S Worrell

Phyllis Kornguth

Gary C-h Ng

Loriann L Ries

Muyinatu A Lediju Bell

Richard L Goldberg

Katelyn Offerdahl

Matthew Morgan

David Bradway

Kristin D Frinkley

James Long

An ultrasound system for imaging a target is provided. The system includes a plurality of transducer elements; at least one transmitter configured to excite at least one of the transducer elements to emit ultrasound energy to the target; a plurality of samplers configured to sample echo signals received by at least some of the plurality of transducer elements, the echo signals comprising acoustic echoes received from the target responsive to the ultrasound energy; a coherence calculator configured to calculate a plurality of coherence values, each of the coherence values corresponding to a measure of similarity between at least two sample echo signals; an estimator configured to estimate a coherence contribution estimate, the coherence contribution estimate comprising an estimate of a contribution of at least one coherence model to the plurality of coherence values.

Methods, systems and computer program products for ultrasound imaging using coherence contribution

An ultrasound system is disclosed. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention include a transducer configured to acquire pulse-echo data at each transmit frequency bandwidth of interest. In addition, a bandpass filter is configured to receive a signal of the pulse-echo data, wherein the signal is bandpass-filtered over a plurality of frequencies. Further, a processor is configured to calculate a spatial coherence of the bandpass-filtered signal. The spatial coherence of the signal is calculated in a spatial domain or a frequency domain. The spatial coherence is used to predict target conspicuity. The processor selects a preferred frequency based on and, preferably, to realize, the target conspicuity.

Adaptive selection of ultrasound frequency

Methods, systems and computer program products for determining a property for a sample having a target region using ultrasound data from an ultrasound scanner include generating at least one spatial coherence curve based on ultrasound backscatter data in the target region, the spatial coherence curve comprising coherence values as a function of depth in the sample; and determining a property for a sample in response to the spatial coherence curve as a function of depth.

Methods, systems and computer program products for tissue analysis using ultrasonic backscatter coherence

A method for ultrasound imaging a target region including: (a) transmitting a tracking beam from at least a subset of the elements of the array to the region, each of the subset of the elements emitting a signal of the tracking beam with a respective transmission time shift; (b) receiving echo signals at at least some of the subset of the elements of the array, each echo signal being responsive to the tracking beam; (c) applying the time shift to at least some of the subset of the respective elements to the echo signals received at corresponding elements; (d) modifying the time shift and repeating (a)-(c) to provide an ultrasound dataset representing a recovered source element domain; (e) focusing and beamforming the dataset to map time signals of the dataset and combine channel signals to provide spatial pixel data; and (f) forming an ultrasound image from the spatial pixel data.

Systems and methods for intra-beam compounding for ultrasound imaging

An ultrasound system that includes a transducer configured to acquire ensemble channel/echo data and a filter bank configured to receive the echo data from the transducer, wherein the echo data is passed through a plurality of clutter filters within the filter bank to realize a plurality of echo data outputs. A processor calculates a spatial coherence value from each of the plurality of echo data outputs, compares the spatial coherence values of each filter, and selects the filter that yields a best spatial coherence for subsequent velocity estimation used to generate an output image for clinical use, where the best spatial coherence value is a highest and best spatial coherence value among the set of spatial coherence values.

Spatial coherence feedback for adaptive clutter filtering

Methods of triggering an imaging acquisition of a target region in an ultrasound transducer include: acquiring a first type of ultrasound data with the ultrasound transducer using a first type of ultrasound acquisition; analyzing the first type of ultrasound data to identify an acquisition time and/or position having characteristics that increase an estimated amount of image quality metrics in the target region for a second type of ultrasound acquisition; and generating a signal to initiate acquiring a second type of ultrasound data by the ultrasound transducer at the identified acquisition time and/or position using a second type of ultrasound acquisition in response to the identified acquisition time and/or position identified from the first type of ultrasound data.

Methods, systems and computer program products for triggering ultrasound data acquisition

Methods, systems and computer program products for determining a mechanical parameter for a sample having a target region using shear wave displacement are provided. The method includes a) generating at least one shear wave with an excitation pulse in the target region at an excitation position; b) transmitting tracking pulses in a tracking region, at least a portion of which is outside the target region; c) receiving corresponding echo signals for the tracking pulses in the tracking region; d) repeating steps A through C for one or more additional excitation positions within the target region, wherein at least two of the excitation pulses overlap and the tracking region associated with each excitation position overlaps with the tracking region associated with at least one other excitation position; and e) determining at least one mechanical parameter of the target region based on at least one parameter of a shear wave displacement.

Methods, systems and computer program products for single track location shear wave elasticity imaging

A synthetic aperture ultrasound system includes an ultrasound probe, and an ultrasound signal processor configured to communicate with the ultrasound probe to receive phase and amplitude information from a plurality of ultrasonic echo signals from a corresponding plurality of ultrasound pulses. The synthetic aperture ultrasound system also includes a positioning system configured to communicate with the ultrasound signal processor to provide probe position information. The positioning system is configured to determine a first position and a second position of the ultrasound probe relative to a region of interest. The ultrasound signal processor is further configured to coherently sum, utilizing the probe position information, at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic echo signals from the first position with at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic echo signals from the second position to provide a synthetic aperture that is larger than a physical aperture of the ultrasound probe.

Synthetic aperture ultrasound system

An ultrasound system for estimating tissue deformation in ultrasound elasticity imaging includes a controller configured to deliver a plurality of tracking pulses and to obtain a plurality of data sets for a region of interest from an ultrasound transducer array; a harmonic data analyzing circuit configured to receive the plurality of data sets and to extract one or more harmonic data sets including harmonic signals from the plurality of image data sets; and a displacement estimator circuit configured to estimate tissue deformation in the region of interest responsive to the one or more harmonic data sets.

Ultrasound systems, methods and computer program products for estimating tissue deformation with harmonic signals

A method of creating an ultrasound image includes receiving a return signal from a time delayed signal emitted from a plurality of transducer elements at a target the return signal comprising a measurement at each of the plurality of transducer elements formed from a plurality of reflections off of a plurality of volume elements forming a two dimensional slice of a target, computing a Van-Cittert Zernike (VCZ) curve for each of the plurality of volume elements based upon the measured return signals and creating an short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) image comprising a plurality of pixels each associated with one of the plurality of volume elements wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a value computed from a metric of the VCZ curve computed for each of the associated plurality of volume elements.

Methods, systems and apparatuses for Van-Cittert Zernike imaging

Methods for determining a mechanical parameter of a sample include detecting shear waves that have been generated in the sample by an applied shear wave source. A time of peak displacement of the shear waves for a plurality of sample positions is determined. At least one mechanical parameter of the sample based on the time of peak displacement for the plurality of sample positions is determined.

Methods, systems and computer program products for ultrasound shear wave velocity estimation and shear modulus reconstruction

A pushing pulse is delivered from an ultrasound transducer array having a plurality of elements to a target region within a medium to displace the target region to a displaced position. A tracking pulse is delivered from the ultrasound transducer array to the target region, and a plurality of tracking signals are received from locations in the target region, each tracking signal being responsive to the tracking pulse.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for ultrasound measurements using receive mode parallel processing

A remote palpation technique in breast imaging involves the use of multiple applications of radiation force in rapid succession throughout a two-dimensional plane in the target tissue medium (), and combination of the small, two-dimensional displacement maps from each force location into a single, larger remote palpation image (block). Apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method is also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for the identification and characterization of regions of altered stiffness

Ultrasound energy is transmitted into tissue in a first direction to provide a virtual extended shear wave source. The virtual extended shear wave source generates an extended shear wave that propagates in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction to cause movement in the first direction of tissue that is offset from the virtual extended shear wave source in the second direction. Related ultrasound imaging systems and computer program products are also disclosed.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for imaging using virtual extended shear wave sources

A method and system for both enhancing drug uptake by application of therapeutic transmissions of acoustic energy and imaging a region for applied therapy with a same transducer and ultrasound system. An ultrasonic image of a field of view is generated while localized delivery of a drug is enhanced with ultrasound energy. Using the same transducer and ultrasound system reduces costs and increases system availability for a broader range of medical practitioners. For example, a single linear array of transducer elements is used for application of both imaging and therapeutic ultrasound. As another example, a transmitter is provided that transmits therapeutic transmissions having substantially equal positive and negative peaks at the face of the transducer and also is operable to transmit imaging acoustic energy. As yet another example, therapeutic pulses of acoustic energy are transmitted to have greater power for heating than imaging, but a mechanical index or pressure comparable to imaging transmissions. For example, a mechanical index of about 1.9 or lower is provided, such that cavitation of blood or other non-contrast agent is avoided.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Gregg E Trahey