Florida Atlantic University

Adalberto Vara

Robert L Dhein

William E Glenn

John W Marcinka

Fouad Guediri

Pedro Monteiro

Albert Vara

Adalberto Moreno

The PC based ultrasound system utilizes a standard PC central processing unit or CPU (an Intel 486 processor or better), standard PC memory storage and retrieval components, a scan conversion board and a video processing board, all disposed and electronically linked to the bus in the computer. Additionally, the analog drive and return scan video signals are sent to and received from a video processing and motor control unit. The video processing and motor control unit is coupled to an ultrasound scan lead or probe. The virtual control user interface for the ultrasound system includes a software driven display obtained from memory. The software driven display reveals images representative of hardware control configurations for many different ultrasound processors. The images provided by the software driven display include: gain control tactile user interfaces, image enhancement control tactile user interfaces, focus control tactile user interface, multiple menu levels for gain control, image enhancement, and focus controls. In a further embodiment, the virtual control user interface is used in conjunction with a touch sensitive user input screen and the virtual control user interface includes a touch screen input command converter responsive to a user's touch on the touch sensitive display monitor to convert the tactile input into software commands. Other features include the ability to recall previously scanned ultrasound images, annotate recently acquired ultrasound images, preferably in color, electronically transfer the images to other peripheral computer equipment, and display a checklist for medical protocol involved in the ultrasound medical techniques. The medical protocol is loaded as pull down or pop up menu available to the user.

PC based ultrasound device with virtual control user interface

A method is set forth for encoding and decoding a video signal, including the following steps: encoding the signal, the encoding including separating the signal into a plurality of spatial frequency bands at different frame rates, and temporally pre-filtering at least one of the bands with a pre-filtering circuit; and decoding the encoded signal, the decoding preferably including temporally post-filtering the at least one band, and combining the bands. In a preferred embodiment temporal pre-filtering is low-pass temporal filtering with a filter cut-off in the range 1.25 to 1.75 times the temporal Nyquist limit for the frame rate of the at least one band. The temporal post-filtering is preferably low pass temporal filtering with a cut-off near the Nyquist limit.

Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding video signals

Growing community of inventors

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, United States of America

Robert L Dhein