General Electric Company

Other

William Thomas Hatfield

Todd Michael Tillman

Brian Peter Geiser

Ricardo Scott Avila

Patricia A Schubert

Michael J Washburn

Anne Lindsay Hall

Carl Lawrence Chalek

Lisa Sobierajski Avila

Vaishali Vilas Kamat

Harvey E Cline

David Michael Davenport

Richard Yung Chiao

Steven Charles Miller

Kai Erik Thomenius

Steven Robert Koch

William C Hughes

Boris Yamrom

William Macomber Leue

Larry Y Mo

Charles R Stein

Susan Thayer Mahan

Dennis Cusano

Neil R Shapiro

Ertugrul Berkcan

Wolfgang Daum

Emad Andarawis Andarawis

Kenneth Brakeley Welles

Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr

Ralph Thomas Hoctor

Thomas James Batzinger

Douglas Glenn Wildes

Bruno Hans Haider

Robert S Gilmore

Edward James Nieters

David John Muzilla

James Norman Barshinger

Richard Eugene Klaassen

Abdallah Mahmoud Itani

Wei Li

Mir S Seyed-Bolorforosh

Joseph Edward Piel, Jr

Mir Said Seyed-Bolorforosh

David D Becker

Kuna Kishore

Ganesh Chandan Gangadharan

Gregory R Bashford

Michael J Harsh

Syed Omar Ishrak

Mukesh Soni

Robert John McElligott

William W Rohling

David Charles Franklin

Robert Snee Gilmore

Eugene Klaassen Richard

Robert John Mceilligott

A system for monitoring and controlling activation of a warning system includes a sensor module locally coupled to the warning system for sensing and controlling a flashing light of the warning system, a transceiver responsive to a microcontroller, and a power line interface for interfacing between the transceiver and the power line servicing the warning system. The sensor module includes a sensor arranged for sensing the flashing light, the microcontroller coupled to the sensor, and a power supply for providing power to the sensor module.

Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling warning systems

A system for monitoring alignment of a signal lamp includes at least one sensor and threshold detection circuitry. The sensor is positioned about the signal lamp and is configured to measure at least one of azimuthal and elevational movement of the signal lamp and generate an electrical signal. The threshold detection circuitry is configured to receive signals representative of the azimuthal and elevational movement of the signal lamp from the sensor. The threshold detection circuitry determine a change in alignment of the signal lamp according to at least one of the azimuthal movement signals and the elevational movement signals.

System and method for monitoring alignment of a signal lamp

A method for inspecting a component includes exciting a number of transducers forming an array to produce an ultrasonic transmission beam (beam) focused into the component. The array and the component are separated by a standoff. A number of echo signals are generated using the transducers, and the echo signals are processed in a number of channels. The processing includes both dynamical focus and providing a dynamic aperture on receive, both of which compensate for refraction of the beam at the component/standoff interface. A single-turn inspection method includes: (a) positioning the array facing the component, (b) exciting the transducers, (c) generating a number of echo signals, (d) changing the relative angular orientation of the array and the component around an axis and repeating steps (b) and (c), and (e) processing the echo signals to form at least one processed echo signal.

Phased array ultrasonic inspection method for industrial applications

A three-dimensional projection image representing a projection of a data volume at a predetermined orientation, three cut plane images representing respective mutually orthogonal planar cuts through the data volume, a graphical representation of the data volume at that orientation and graphical representations of the cut planes are displayed in spaced relationship. Each of the cut planes has a respective positional relationship to the data volume graphic that corresponds to the positional relationship of the respective cut plane to the data volume. The graphical representations are displayed in different colors. Any one of the four images can be active in the sense that images are reconstructed in real-time as a trackball is moved. Which of the four images is active is indicated by displaying the corresponding graphical representation in a color denoting the active state.

Three-dimensional ultrasound data display using multiple cut planes

The axis of rotational transducer array scans, because of imperfect transducer array assembly, may have two orthogonal offsets relative to the geometric center of the transducer array. Without knowledge of these offsets, it is not possible to convert rotational transducer scan data into a rectilinear (Euclidean) coordinate system, as is necessary for three-dimensional processing. Using spatial coherency between appropriate scan lines in different rotational transducer scans, the horizontal and vertical rotational offsets are calculated. These offsets are then utilized in converting the data to a rectilinear coordinate system for three-dimensional processing.

Method and apparatus for calibrating rotational offsets in ultrasound transducer scans

In performing three-dimensional flow imaging using coded excitation and wall filtering, a coded sequence of broadband pulses (centered at a fundamental frequency) is transmitted multiple times to a particular transmit focal position. On receive, the receive signals acquired for each firing are compressed and bandpass filtered to isolate a compressed pulse centered at the fundamental frequency. The compressed and isolated signals are then wall filtered to extract the flow imaging data. This process is repeated for a multiplicity of transmit focal positions in each of a multiplicity of scanning planes to acquire a volume of flow imaging data. Volume rendered images are then produced which allow the user to view the data volume from any angle. In addition, the data volume may be reformatted to produce two-dimensional images of arbitrary cut planes through the data volume.

Method and apparatus for three-dimensional flow imaging using coded excitation

In three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound data, speckle artifact data are reduced before the acquired data from a volume of interest are projected onto an image plane. A master controller performs an algorithm that iteratively morphologically filters the pixel data in a volume of interest and then iteratively projects the morphologically filtered data onto a plurality of rotated image planes using a ray-casting technique. Morphological filtering is performed by stepping a seven-point kernel through a source data volume of pixel data. The kernel, made up of a central pixel value and the six pixel values adjacent to the central pixel value, is stepped through the entire source data volume. The morphological filtering operation includes at least one erosion step, which removes speckle, followed by an equal number of dilation steps, which restore the imaging data.

Three-dimensional imaging by projecting morphologically filtered pixel

A method and an apparatus for segmenting three-dimensional projected velocity images by limiting the volume of velocity data projected onto the imaging planes. If the volume of interest contains flowing blood, i.e., an artery or vein, the Doppler shift present in the ultrasound reflected from the flowing blood can be detected and then used to limit the amount of velocity data which is projected. Only pixels having velocity values within a predetermined range are projected onto the imaging plane.

Method and apparatus for segmenting color flow mode data using velocity

A method and apparatus for calculating the inter-slice spacing in a data volume and registering the slices of that volume using SAD calculations. The resulting transformed data volume is then three-dimensionally reconstructed using a projection technique. If during scanning the probe is translated in the Z direction and at the same time is shifted in the X and/or Y direction, the SAD value will be artificially high. By translating two adjacent images with respect to each other in the X direction and then in the Y direction, and searching for the minimum SAD value, the amount of shift in the X and/or Y direction can be determined and that shift can then be removed. Also by rotating two slices with respect to each other and looking for a minimum SAD value, rotational motion of the probe during scanning can be removed.

Method and appartus for calculating distance between ultrasound images

A method and an apparatus for displaying three-dimensional images of ultrasound data having improved segmentation. This is accomplished by harmonic imaging. There are two types of harmonic imaging: (1) imaging of harmonics returned from contrast agents injected into the fluid; and (2) naturally occurring harmonics, generally referred to as 'tissue harmonics'. An ultrasound transducer array is controlled to transmit a beam formed by ultrasound pulses having a transmit center frequency and focused at a desired sample volume containing contrast agents. In the receive mode, the receiver forms the echoes returned at a multiple or sub-multiple of the transmit center frequency into a beam-summed receive signal. This process is repeated for each sample volume in each one of a multiplicity of scan planes. After filtering out the undesired frequencies in the receive signal, i.e., passing substantially all of the desired (sub)harmonic signals, the ultrasound scanner processes the (sub)harmonic signals to acquire B-mode, velocity or flow power data and then collects that data in a cine memory to form a volume of pixel display data which is used to generate a three-dimensional image.

Method and apparatus for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging using

In performing for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of an object from any angle relative to the plane of acquisition, a human body is scanned to acquire multiple images forming a data volume. The system computer generates a multiplicity of reformatted slices through the data volume and parallel to the imaging plane. For each projected pixel, a ray is cast through the reformatted slices onto the imaging plane. For each pixel along the ray, the accumulated intensity is calculated as a function of the pixel and opacity values for the pixel being processed, the accumulated intensity calculated at the preceding pixel the remaining opacity for the subsequent pixels. The final accumulated intensity for each ray is obtained when the remaining opacity reaches a predetermined minimum. The accumulated intensities for all cast rays form the projected image.

A three-dimensional image of flowing fluid or moving tissue using velocity or power Doppler data is displayed by using an ultrasound scanner that collects velocity or power data in a cine memory to form a volume of pixel data. Average or median pixel values are projected on an image plane by casting rays through the data volume. As the ray passes through each scan plane, a data value is assigned to the ray at that point. At each scan plane, the assigned pixel data value is tested to see if it exceeds a noise threshold. For a given ray, pixel data values above the detection threshold are accumulated until a pixel data value falls below the detection threshold. A minimum number of pixel data values exceeding the threshold are required for each ray before the average of the accumulated values is processed and/or the median value is selected. When all pixels along a given ray have been tested, the projection is complete and the average or median projection is then displayed. Uniformity within the projected image and the sharpness of edges are enhanced by projecting average or median pixel values instead of maximum pixel values.

Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of velocity and power data using

A method and an apparatus for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of a needle-like instrument, such as a biopsy needle, inserted in a human body. The instrument is visualized by transmitting ultrasound beams toward the instrument and then detecting the echo signals using a linear array of transducer elements. The problem of ultrasound being reflected from a biopsy needle in a direction away from the transducer array is solved by steering the transmitted ultrasound beams to increase the angle at which the beams impinge upon the biopsy needle. Ideally the ultrasound beams are perpendicular to the biopsy needle. This increases the system's sensitivity to the needle because the reflections from the needle are directed closer to the transducer array. This can be accomplished using either the B mode or the color flow mode of an ultrasound imaging system. The acquired data for multiple two-dimensional image frames is gathered in memory to form a data volume, which is then processed to form a three-dimensional image (by projection) or a two-dimensional slice taken at an angle through the data volume. In particular, a two-dimensional slice which is coplanar with the inserted biopsy needle can be imaged.

Method and apparatus for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of biopsy

A method and an apparatus for improving the contrast of the displayed image data in a B-mode ultrasound imaging system. An adaptive gray mapping is based on the actual raw imaging data instead of assumptions about that raw data. The user specifies a region of the image (or the entire image) with a graphical region-of-interest (ROI) marker. When prompted by the user, a software program in the master controller analyzes the raw data within the ROI and constructs a new gray map based upon the analyzed data. This mapping can be created by transforming an old gray map or by generating a new gray map. This new gray map is then used by the ultrasound system during imaging. Optimum contrast is achieved by automatically adjusting the brightness and contrast levels of the image based on the values of the raw data.

Method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging using adaptive gray mapping

A method and an apparatus for tracking scan plane motion in free-hand three-dimensional ultrasound scanning using adaptive speckle correlation. The method employs a correlation index which adapts to different display dynamic range and post-processing filters. The method may include the following steps: choosing a kernel within each frame image for correlation calculations; rejecting duplicate image frames; measuring the degree of correlation between successive image frames; rejecting correlation estimates which may be associated with hand jitter and other artifacts; and computing the average frame-to-frame (i.e., interslice) spacing based on the average correlation estimate. This image-based motion tracking technique enables three-dimensional reconstruction with good geometric fidelity, without use of any external position-sensing device.

Method and apparatus for tracking scan plane motion in free-hand

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William Thomas Hatfield