General Electric Company

James K Riley

Stockton M Miller-Jones

Stephen W Flax

William R Hardin

A gain control system for use in an ultrasound imaging system includes a histogram analyzer for identifying image pixel populations attributable to fluid, soft tissue, specular reflectors and artifacts. The histogram analyzer establishes mean peak values. Nulls between image populations are identified for setting gain versus depth break points. A comparator uses a threshold level to compare image information corresponding to soft tissue. A TGC generator responds to a preselected slope, a brightness level, and the tissue identification to generate a time gain control signal.

Adaptive time gain compensation system for ultrasound imaging

A phased array of transducer elements in an ultrasound imaging system is selectively directed by grouping transducer elements in the array to form a plurality of groups of adjacent transducer elements. Electrical signals in each group are mixed with a modulation signal of a fixed frequency, the modulation signal being selectively phased delayed for each electrical signal in the group depending on the angle of direction of a reflection point in an imaged volume. The mixed electrical signals for each group are then summed and selectively timed delayed, and then all time delayed and summed electrical signals are then summed to form an image beam.

Method and means for steering phased array scanner in ultrasound imaging

Continuous wave (CW) Doppler imaging employs a linear array of transducer elements with a first plurality of elements functioning as an ultrasonic wave transmitter and a second plurality of elements functioning as a receiver of the reflected ultrasonic wave. Time delay circuitry connected to the transmitter and receiver elements define the beam focus and beam steering of the ultrasonic wave.

Method of CW doppler imaging using variably focused ultrasonic

The ultrasonic wave attenuation of tissue undergoing examination is determined by directing a plurality of ultrasonic signals into the tissue, receiving and detecting a measure (e.g. zero crossings) of the frequencies of ultrasonic signals reflected from various depths in said tissue, and averaging the measures of the frequencies for each of the various depths. Attenuation of the tissue between a first depth and a second depth is determined from a comparison of the averaged measure at the first depth and the averaged measure at the second depth.

Method and means for attaining ultrasonic attenuation by vector sample

The amplitudes of electrical signals generated by a transducer in an ultrasound scanning system are controlled by applying the electrical signals to an electrical filter whose frequency pass characteristics can be varied. As the ampltude and frequency of the generated electrical signals decrease due to passage through tissue, the low frequency of the filter is reduced. The control of the filter can be automatically implemented or can be manually implemented by the system operator.

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Shingle Springs, CA, United States of America

James K Riley