Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Atl Ultrasound, Inc.

Lars Jonas Olsson

Andrew Lee Robinson

Kenneth R Linkhart

Paul Wittrock

James Robertson Jago

Hua Xie

Vijay Thakur Shamdasani

Jean-Luc Francois-Marie Robert

David W Clark

Roy B Peterson

Ji Cao

Bruce Adrian Kincy

Thomas Martin Wissler

Alexey Viktorovich Cherepakhin

Robert Randall Entrekin

Lingnan Liu

Jing-Ming Jong

Thomas Patrice Jean Arsene Gauthier

Yangmo Yoo

Martin Anderson

Boyd Edmondson

Cedric Chenal

Richard Allen Snyder

Daniel C Schmiesing

Chicheong Stephen So

Martin James Moynihan

Lynette May Ward

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for confidence mapping of shear wave measurements are disclosed. Confidence maps of shear wave image measurements may be generated from one or more confidence factors. Masking of graphical overlays of tissue stiffness values, based at least in part on the confidence map is disclosed. The confidence map and/or masked graphical overlays of tissue stiffness values may be superimposed on ultrasound images and provided on a display.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for confidence mapping of shear wave imaging

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces spatially compounded trapezoidal sector images by combining component frames acquired from different look directions. A virtual apex scan format is used such that each scanline of a component frame emanates from a different point on the face of an array transducer and is steered at a different scanning angle. For different component frames the scanlines are steered at respectively different angles. In an illustrated example, the scanlines of each component frame are incremented by five degrees relative to the corresponding scanlines in a reference component frame. When the component frames are combined for spatial compounding, the maximum number of component frames are combined over virtually the entire image field.

Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system with spatial compounding of trapezoidal sector

The present invention relates to ultrasound imaging systems and methods, more particularly, to ultrasound imaging systems and methods for a multi-plane acquisition for single- or bi-plane real-time imaging modes suitable for ultrasound imaging applications, such as quantification of tumor blood flow and tumor fractional blood volume. An ultrasound imaging apparatus can determine a plurality of image planes to scan through a region of interest, acquire echo information corresponding to each of the image planes, generate image information for each of the image planes, store the image information corresponding to each of the image planes; and display an ultrasound image comprising the region of interest, wherein the ultrasound image is rendered from generated image information for a selected image plane of the plurality of image planes or a bi-plane that is at angle to the plurality of image planes.

Ultrasound systems for multi-plane acquisition with single- or bi-plane real-time imaging, and methods of operation thereof

The present invention relates to a method for providing three-dimensional ultrasound images of a volume () and an ultrasound imaging system (). In particular, the current invention applies to live three-dimensional imaging. To maintain a steady frame rate of the displayed images even if a user changes a region of interest and, therewith, the size of the volume () to be scanned, it is contemplated to adjust a density of the scanning lines within the volume () as a function of a size of the volume while maintaining a total number of scanning lines across the volume ().

Steady frame rate volumetric ultrasound imaging

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces spatially compounded trapezoidal sector images by combining component frames acquired from different look directions. A virtual apex scan format is used such that each scanline of a component frame emanates from a different point (El, En) on the face of an array transducer () and is steered at a different scanning angle. For different component frames the scanlines are steered at respectively different angles. In the illustrated example, the scanlines of each component frame are incremented by five degrees relative to the corresponding scanlines in a reference component frame. When the component frames are combined for spatial compounding, the maximum number of component frames are combined over virtually the entire image field.

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an extended field of view (EFOV) image. A 3D imaging probe is moved along the skin of a patient above the anatomy which is to be included in the EFOV image. As the probe is moved, images are acquired from a plurality of differently oriented image planes such as a sagittal plane and a transverse plane. As the probe is moved the image data of successive planes of one of the orientations is compared to estimate the motion of the probe. These motion estimates are used to position a succession of images acquired in one of the orientations accurately with respect to each other in an EFOV display format. The motion estimates are also used to display a graphic on the display screen which indicates the progress of the scan to the user as the probe is being moved. The progress may be indicated in terms of probe velocity, distance traveled, or the path traversed by the moving probe.

Extended field of view ultrasonic imaging with guided EFOV scanning

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an extended field of view (EFOV) image. A 3D imaging probe is moved along the skin of a patient above the anatomy which is to be included in the EFOV image. As the probe is moved, images are acquired from a plurality of differently oriented image planes such as a sagittal plane and a transverse plane. As the probe is moved the image data of successive planes of one of the orientations is compared to estimate the motion of the probe. These motion estimates are used to position a succession of images acquired in one of the orientations accurately with respect to each other in an EFOV display format. The display format may be either a 2D EFOV image or a 3D EFOV image.

Extended field of view ultrasonic imaging with a two dimensional array probe

An ultrasound imaging system acquires a sequence of partially overlapping image frames, and stores data corresponding to the image frames in a image frame buffer. The relative spatial positions of the image frames are determined by a correlator, and the resulting spatial position data are then stored in an extended image memory and a history buffer along with data corresponding to the image frames. The data stored in the extended image memory and the history buffer can then be used to generate a panoramic image, which is displayed by the imaging system. Significantly, the data corresponding to the image frames are retained in the image frame buffer after the panoramic image has been displayed so that specific image frames can be excluded from the data corresponding to the panoramic image to either edit defective image frames from the panoramic display or to trim the boundaries of the panoramic display.

Editing and trimming apparatus and method for extended field of view ultrasonic imaging systems

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided in which anatomical images are stabilized in the presence of probe motion, anatomical motion, or both. A decision processor analyzes motional effects and determines whether to inhibit or allow image stabilization. Images are anatomically aligned on the basis of probe motion sensing, image analysis, or both. The stabilization system can be activated either manually or automatically and adaptively.

Ultrasonic image stabilization system and method

An ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound scanhead coupled to an image processor that causes ultrasound images to be generated on the viewing screen of a display. The image processor includes a beamformer generating transmit and receive beams, a signal processor and a conventional scan converter. The signal processor receives signals from the beamformer to generate image data corresponding to an image, analyzes the image data and, based on the analysis, determines the number of transmit focal positions that should be used as well as the optimum location for each focal position. The signal processor then couples data to the beamformer to set the location of the focal position(s).

Ultrasound imaging system and method having automatically selected transmit focal positions

An ultrasound system is described which can be turned off quickly by an operator command or in response to an interruption of a.c. power to the system. When a.c. power is cut off, the system switches to battery backup while a processor executes an orderly shutdown sequence. The system can completely shut down, or the state of the system can be minimally preserved by battery backup in either volatile or nonvolatile memory so that the system can restart without having to sequence through an entire bootup procedure. This enables the system to remain active even when the ultrasound system is unplugged and being moved.

Portable ultrasound system with battery backup for efficient shutdown and restart

An ultrasound system is described which exhibits reduced power consumption and improved reliability. When the ultrasound system is idle for a period of time it automatically invokes a sequence of energy-saving procedures, including readying the system for use at a predetermined time. The use of periodically invoked low power states, even if only for seconds at a time, will over the long term save energy including the cost of air conditioning the site of the ultrasound system. Such low power states also reduce the heat dissipation and exposure of components to heat, one of the major causes of component failure. Thus an embodiment of the present invention can improve ultrasound system reliability and long term effectiveness and cost.

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Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Lars Jonas Olsson