U-systems, Inc.

Qview Medical, Inc.

Neff, Thomas

Thomas Neff

Wei Zhang

Shih-Ping Wang

Zengpin Yu

Jiayu Chen

Alexander Caldwell Schneider

Michael E Reed

Harlan M Romsdahl

Tommy Earl Cupples

Danhua Zhao

Jeanine M Rader

Shengtz Lin

Tor Collins Anderson

Douglas G Summers

Harlan Romsdahl

Eddy Ye

Alexander Scheider

A method and system acquiring, processing and displaying breast ultrasound images in a way that makes breast ultrasound screening more practical and thus more widely used, and reduces the occurrence of missing cancers in screening and diagnosis, using automated scanning of chestwardly compressed breasts with ultrasound. Enhanced, whole-breast navigator overview images are produced from scanning breasts with ultrasound that emphasize abnormalities in the breast while excluding obscuring influences of non-breast structures, particularly those external to the breast such as ribs and chest wall, and differentiating between likely malignant and likely benign abnormalities and otherwise enhancing the navigator overview image and other images, thereby reducing the time to read, screen, and/or diagnose to practical time limits and also reduce screening or diagnostic errors.

Automated breast ultrasound equipment and methods using enhanced navigator aids

Automated ultrasound equipment and methods using enhanced navigator aids

A method and system acquiring, processing and displaying breast ultrasound images in a way that makes breast ultrasound screening more practical and thus more widely used, and reduces missing cancers in screening and diagnosis, using automated scanning of chestwardly compressed breasts with ultrasound. Enhanced, whole-breast navigator overview images are generated from scanning breasts with ultrasound that emphasize abnormalities in the breast while excluding obscuring influences of non-breast structures, particularly those external to the breast such as ribs and chest wall, and differentiating between likely malignant and likely benign abnormalities and otherwise enhancing the navigator overview image and other images, to thereby reduce the time to read, screen, or diagnose to practical time limits and also reduce screening or diagnostic errors.

Reduced image reading time and improved patient flow in automated breast ultrasound using enchanced, whole breast navigator overview images

A modular, flexible architecture for offering full-field breast ultrasound (FFBU) functionality and general-purpose ultrasound functionality in a single system is described. A conventional, general-purpose ultrasound system is modified with an FFBU toolkit to create a dual-capability ultrasound system, the dual-capability ultrasound system being able to accommodate both general-purpose ultrasound functionality and FFBU functionality, using a single ultrasound engine. Among other advantages, real-world clinical environments may enjoy cost savings for initial system procurement, space savings on clinic floors, easier and less expensive system upgrades, and the ability to use a single system and user interface for both FFBU screening and for follow-up diagnosis, biopsy, etc. Among other advantages from an ultrasound manufacturer's perspective are the ability to quickly and/or more easily come to market with an FFBU-related offering by modifying their existing general-purpose ultrasound systems with FFBU toolkits to quickly create dual-capability ultrasound systems.

Full-field breast ultrasound system and architechture

Navigation among breast ultrasound volumes derived from different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast is described. On a display of a breast ultrasound workstation, a first image derived from a first ultrasonic volume is displayed. A user election of a source region of interest (ROI) in the first image is received. A destination ROI within a second ultrasonic volume is identified that at least roughly corresponds to a same locality of tissue in the breast as the source ROI. A second image derived from the second ultrasonic volume and including the destination ROI is displayed, the destination ROI being highlighted.

Breast ultrasound examination including scanning through chestwardly compressing membrane and processing and displaying acquired ultrasound image information

A modular, flexible architecture for offering full-field breast ultrasound (FFBU) functionality and general-purpose ultrasound functionality in a single system is described. A conventional, general-purpose ultrasound system () is modified with an FFBU toolkit to create a dual-capability ultrasound system (), the dual-capability ultrasound system () being able to accommodate both general-purpose ultrasound functionality and FFBU functionality, using a single ultrasound engine (). Among other advantages, real-world clinical environments may enjoy cost savings for initial system procurement, space savings on clinic floors, easier and less expensive system upgrades, and the ability to use a single system and user interface for both FFBU screening and for follow-up diagnosis, biopsy, etc. Among other advantages from an ultrasound manufacturer's perspective are the ability to quickly and/or more easily come to market with an FFBU-related offering by modifying their existing general-purpose ultrasound systems () with FFBU toolkits to quickly create dual-capability ultrasound systems ().

Full-field breast ultrasound system and architecture

Displaying breast ultrasound information on an interactive user interface is described, the user interface being useful in adjunctive ultrasound mammography environments and/or ultrasound-only mammography environments. Bilateral comparison is facilitated by a pairwise display of thick-slice images corresponding to analogous slab-like subvolumes in the left and right breasts. Coronal thick-slice imaging and convenient navigation on and among coronal thick-slice images is described. In one preferred embodiment, a nipple marker is displayed the coronal thick-slice image representing a projection of a nipple location thereupon. A convenient breast icon is also displayed including a cursor position indicator variably disposed thereon in a manner that reflects a relative position between the cursor and the nipple marker. Preferably, the breast icon is configured to at least roughly resemble a clock face, the center of the clock face representing the nipple marker location. Bookmark-centric and CAD-marker-centric navigation within and among thick-slice images is also described.

Thick-slice ultrasound images derived from ultrasonic scans of a chestwardly-compressed breast of a supine patient

Methods and related apparatuses are described for acquiring and displaying ultrasound mammographic image information. The system includes an ultrasound image acquisition device having at least one ultrasonic transducer positionable by a user on breast tissue of a patient so as to provide sonographic information of the breast tissue. A processing system controls the ultrasonic transducer, receives sonographic data from the transducer, and processes the data to generate sonographic image information for real time viewing by the user. A graphical user interface includes a touch-sensitive display programmed and configured to accept user adjustments with respect to the sonographic imaging process, and display the sonographic image information to the user responsive to the accepted adjustments in real time.

User interface for ultrasound mammographic imaging

Coronal and axial thick-slice ultrasound images derived from ultrasonic scans of a chestwardly-compressed breast

Navigation among breast ultrasound volumes derived from different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast is described. On a display of a breast ultrasound workstation, a first image derived from a first ultrasonic volume is displayed. A user selection of a source region of interest (ROI) in the first image is received. A destination ROI within a second ultrasonic volume is identified that at least roughly corresponds to a same locality of tissue in the breast as the source ROI. A second image derived from the second ultrasonic volume and including the destination ROI is displayed, the destination ROI being highlighted.

Navigation among multiple breast ultrasound volumes

Processing and displaying breast ultrasound information

An ultrasound information processing system comprises a plurality of ultrasound devices coupled to a high-speed serial ultrasound information bus, wherein each ultrasound device comprises a program for communicating with other ultrasound devices according to an ultrasound information exchange protocol (UIEP). The UIEP is a lightweight, connection-oriented protocol adapted to efficiently transfer ultrasound information among different devices on the ultrasound information bus. Each ultrasound device comprises an application layer program for performing an ultrasound function, as well as a lower protocol layer program for receiving and sending data across the ultrasound information bus according to a high-speed serial bus standard that provides both isochronous and asynchronous data delivery. The ultrasound information exchange protocol (UIEP) program is adapted to receive a communication request from the application layer, open a connection-oriented communication session with the requested ultrasound device, and transfer ultrasound information through the lower protocol layer and across the ultrasound information bus to the requested device. Advantageously, any ultrasound device manufacturer provided with the UIEP program may readily generate application layer code capable of communicating with other manufacturers' ultrasound devices across the ultrasound information bus, without requiring specific knowledge of the internal structure of the other manufacturers' devices or of the specific frame/packet structure of the UIEP/lower layer protocols themselves.

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Newark, CA, United States of America

Thomas Neff