Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Atl Ultrasound, Inc.

Robert Randall Entrekin

James Robertson Jago

Brent Stephen Robinson

Claire Levrier

Claude Cohen-Bacrie

David N Roundhill

Jeffry E Powers

John Douglas Fraser

Michalakis Averkiou

Clifford R Cooley

Gary Allen Schwartz

Roy B Peterson

Matthew Bruce

Danny M Skyba

Daniel C Schmiesing

Jean-Michel LaGrange

Hua Xie

Vijay Thakur Shamdasani

Cecile Dufour

Lars Jonas Olsson

Laurence Rouet

Nicolas Francois Villain

Yan Shi

Jing-Ming Jong

Nicholas Villain

Patrick Ren&eacute; Pesque

Yangmo Yoo

Martin Anderson

Jean-Luc Francois-Marie Robert

Andrew Lee Robinson

Larry James Eshelman

Gary Cheng-How Ng

Walid Ali

Jean-Luc Robert

Antoine Collet-Billon

Anna Teresa Fernandez

James David Schaffer

Nicholas D Change, Iii

Anna Teresa Ferandez

Patrick Rene' Pesque

Jean-Michel Lagrange

A method and processing system for providing a three-dimensional, 3D, ultrasound image along with an additional ultrasound acquisition. A location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image is determined or obtained. After obtaining the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition, initial display data is for display of only the 3D ultrasound image. In response to a user input, second display data is generated for displaying both the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition. The display of the additional ultrasound acquisition is based on the location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image.

Providing a three dimensional ultrasound image

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an image of shear wave velocities by transmitting push pulses to generate shear waves. A plurality of tracking lines are transmitted and echoes received by a focusing beamformer adjacent to the location of the push pulses. The tracking lines are sampled in a time-interleaved manner. The echo data acquired along each tracking line is processed to determine the time of peak tissue displacement caused by the shear waves at points along the tracking line, and the times of peaks at adjacent tracking lines compared to compute a local shear wave velocity. The resultant map of shear wave velocity values is color-coded and displayed over an anatomical image of the region of interest.

Ultrasonic shear wave imaging with focused scanline beamforming

The invention provides a method of patient monitoring following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with a stent graft. It particularly applies to abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. A first 3D volume scan of the stent in situ is provided and a second, subsequent 3D volume scan of the stent is also provided. One or more fiducial markers are generated in a first image derived from the first scan and in a second image derived from the second scan. The fiducial markers identify recognizable features of the stent, such as the bifurcation point in the stent graft. A rigid 3D transform mapping based on the one or more fiducial markers is extracted and then a registration is applied to the first and second scans based on the 3D rigid transform between the first and second images. A size value is derived at the same location in the aneurysm from the first and second scans. The same location is determined with reference to the registered first and second images of the stent. A comparison of the size value from the first and second scans is used to assess a change in size of the aneurysm between the first and second scans. This change in size allows the clinician to evaluate disease progression.

Imaging method, controller and imaging system, for monitoring a patient post EVAR

The invention concerns a medical imaging system comprising means () of segmenting a region of interest around an object of interest within a volume of 3D data (DV). The system according to the invention comprises means () of calculating a sub-regions map (CSR) within the segmented region (RS) and correction means () intended to exclude sub-regions of the segmented region by means of said sub-regions map (CSR). The correction can be made automatically or manually by means of control means () enabling a user to select the sub-regions to be excluded. Display means () make it possible to display a 2D representation (DR) of the volume of 3D data (DV) and the segmented region (RS, RS') at various stages of the processing.

Medical imaging system and a method for segmenting an object of interest

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 ultrasonic imaging apparatus using a method for combining CMB images of the same object including a step of seeking representative contours CNT of an interface on the images to be combined IM,[I], IM[J] is disclosed. The step is intended to define interest areas IA[I], IA[J] in the vicinity of the representative contours. The method also includes analyzing the interest areas IA[I], IA[J] being intended to allocate weights W[I], W[J] to the points on the interest areas IA[I], IA[J] and to the points corresponding to the interest areas IA[I], IA[J] on the various images. The method also includes constructing a combination image IM, a point on the combination image IMcorresponding to a point on at least one interest area IA being obtained from a weighting of the corresponding points on the images to be combined IM[I], IM[J] according to the weights W[I], W[J] allocated in the analysis step ANA.

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus with adaptable spatial image combination

A method for determining the presence or absence of malignant features in medical images, wherein a plurality of base comparison or training images of various types of lesions taken of actual patient is examined by one or more image reading experts to create a first database array. Low-level features of each of the lesions in the same plurality of base comparisons or training images are determined using one or more image processing algorithms to obtain a second database array set. The first and second database array set are combined to create a training database array set which is input to a learning system that discovers/learns a classifier that maps from a subset of the low-level features to the expert's evaluation in the first database array set. The classifier is used to determine the presence of a particular mid-level feature in an image of lesion in a patient based solely on the image.

Method and apparatus for automatically developing a high performance classifier for producing medically meaningful descriptors in medical diagnosis imaging

The invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system for forming an echographic image of a medium, which system includes a set [REC] of transducer elements [EL] which are operative in a transmission mode and in a reception mode for ultrasound waves, construction means [REB] for constructing echographic signals on the basis of signals [S[] . . . S[N]] received on the transducer elements [EL], display means [DIS] which are coupled to the construction means [REB] in order to display an image of the medium formed by means of the echographic signals. The construction means [REB] are such that in so-called exclusion zones, in which a coherent reflector is detected and which are determined by determination means [DET], the reception delays [D] are estimated in a manner [INT] other than that [CORR] used for the other zones. The calculation [CAL] of echographic signals is then carried out on the basis of the estimated delays [D[Z],Di[Z}}. The invention enables a correction of phase aberrations and nevertheless offers an excellent lateral resolution, notably in the case of point coherent reflectors.

Ultrasound imaging system with a high lateral resolution

A breast imaging system is described which includes compression plates for retaining a breast during an examination. One of compression plates is formed by a polymeric membrane stretched under tension to provide a rigid but compliant retention surface which is substantially acoustically transparent for the conduct of a sonographic examination. The polymeric membrane may also be substantially radiographically transparent for the conduct of a mammographic examination. The thickness of the membrane is chosen to be a function of one-half of the wavelength of the ultrasonic frequency used for the sonographic examination so as to be substantially transparent to ultrasonic energy at that frequency.

Compression plate for diagnostic breast imaging

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 probe is moved to scan a volumetric region of the body. As it is moved, targets within the region are interrogated from multiple look directions. The echo data from the multiple look directions are compounded to form spatially compounded image data, which is processed for display in a three dimensional display format.

Spatially compounded three dimensional ultrasonic images

Three dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic imaging with high density hexagonal acquisition

Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging of the coronary arteries

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Robert Randall Entrekin