Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Michael Schauf

Jeffry E Powers

David Hope Simpson

Keith William Johnson

Cyrille Villet

An ultrasound system () which is capable of biplane imaging is able to display, store and export independent image frames of only the reference image or only the variable orientation image, or the standard display of both images. The system is also able to sweep through a range of image plane orientations and to automatically acquire an image in each orientation over the range of plane orientations. The system is preferably operable in the biplane tilt mode, the biplane rotate mode, or the biplane elevation tilt mode.

Automated sweep and export of 2D ultrasound images of 3D volumes

An ultrasound system which is capable of biplane imaging is able to display, store and export independent image frames of only the reference image () or only the variable orientation image, or the standard display of both images. The system is also able to sweep through a range of image plane orientations and to automatically acquire a sequence of images () comprising an image in each orientation over the range of plane orientations. The system is preferably operable in the biplane tilt mode, the biplane rotate mode, or the biplane elevation tilt mode.

Display and export of individual biplane images

An ultrasound system and method provide a workflow to acquire 3D images of the fetal heart gated by a synthetic heart gating signal. An ROI is defined in an ultrasound image which delineates the fetal heart. The ultrasound system is controlled to automatically estimate the fetal heart rate from echo signals received from the ROI. When the system has acquired a stable synthetic heart rate signal, an indication thereof is given to the user and the user then commands the system to acquire 3D fetal heart images for a number of fetal heart cycles which are gated using the synthetic heart rate signal.

Automated heart rate detection for 3D ultrasonic fetal imaging

A method and apparatus are described for ultrasonically imaging tiny blood vessels with the aid of a contrast agent. The locations of microbubbles of the contrast agent are detected in a series of images as the microbubbles move through the blood vessels. These images are temporally processed to identify the moving microbubbles, and persistence processed to depict images which show the tracks followed by the microbubbles through the blood vessels. A maximum intensity persistence can be used to show the steady buildup of microbubble tracks through the vasculature, or a slow decay employed so that the tracks will fade to black over time.

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Bothell, WA, United States of America

Michael Schauf