Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Advanced Technology Laboratories, Inc.

Other

Matthew Bruce

Jeffry E Powers

Michalakis Averkiou

Danny M Skyba

David N Roundhill

John Douglas Fraser

Brent Stephen Robinson

Robert Randall Entrekin

Gary Allen Schwartz

Clifford R Cooley

Patrick Ren&eacute; Pesque

David Hope Simpson

Patrick Rene' Pesque

An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging transducer with hexagonal patches

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are presented to determine low rates of blood flow using contrast agents. Pairs of differently modulated pulses are transmitted in several beam directions to acquire echoes which can be combined to separate harmonic frequencies by pulse inversion. The pulses of each pair are transmitted in rapid succession to minimize motional artifacts. The transmission in the different beam directions is time-interleaved, resulting in the sampling of each beam direction over a long ensemble time for the detection of low rates of flow.

Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for low flow rate contrast agents

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for the detection and imaging of ultrasonic contrast agents. Ultrasonic apparatus is provided for coherent imaging of ultrasonic contrast agents, and for detecting harmonic contrast agents. The inventive apparatus includes a dual display for simultaneously viewing a real time image which displays the location of the contrast agent and a triggered contrast image. Methods of contrast agent detection and imaging include the measurement of perfusion rate characteristics, multizone contrast imaging, multifrequency contrast imaging, tissue perfusion display, and high PRF contrast image artifact elimination.

Ultrasonic image persistence using contrast agents

Ultrasonic perfusion measurement using contrast agents

Three dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic imaging with high density hexagonal acquisition

Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging of the coronary arteries

Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging with contrast agents

Perfusion of tissue such as the myocardium by a microbubble contrast agent is imaged in realtime by a multiple pulse technique which uses low power transmit pulses which are sufficient to elicit a harmonic response from the microbubbles but are not high enough in power to cause substantial destruction to the microbubbles. In a preferred embodiment the realtime microbubble image sequence is displayed in color, overlaid with a grayscale image of the surrounding tissue in the region being imaged.

Realtime ultrasonic imaging of perfusion using ultrasonic contrast agents

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Matthew Bruce