Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Xiaohui Hao

Richard Yung Chiao

Steven Charles Miller

James Fowler Greenleaf

Feng Lin

Satchi Panda

Yadong Li

Joseph William Charboneau

Nicholas James Hangiandreou

Certain embodiments include a system and method for improved compound imaging using a plurality of imaging modes. In an embodiment, a plurality of echo signals are received in response to a plurality of beams formed based on different imaging modes corresponding to different steering angles, such as steered or non-steered angles. The plurality of echo signals is compounded to form a compound image. In an embodiment, the imaging mode includes at least one of harmonic, fundamental, coded harmonic, and variable frequency imaging. Parameters may be generated for the plurality of beams formed based on different imaging modes corresponding to different steering angles. Additionally, the parameters may be stored. The echo signals may be filtered. Imaging mode may be controlled based on steering angle. Employing different imaging modes based on steering angles for spatial compound imaging helps reduce grating lobe artifacts while improving speckle reduction effect.

Method and apparatus for ultrasound compound imaging with combined fundamental and harmonic signals

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus providing tissue harmonic imaging using an ultrasound machine. Coded pulses and the phase inverted version of the said coded pulses with time bandwidth greater than 1 are transmitted into the tissue. Backscattered echoes are received and filtered before or after coherent summation. Decoding/compressing of the received echoes of the coded pulses is implemented naturally through the propagation of the specially designed ultrawide band (&#x3e;80%) waveforms inside tissue and pulse inversion. Costly decoding/compression filter are not necessary.

Method and apparatus for tissue harmonic imaging with natural (tissue) decoded coded excitation

A halo surrounding the ultrasonic image of a liver tumor is automatically evaluated by detecting the boundary of the tumor and defining two annular regions around that boundary. The brightness of pixels in the two annular regions are compared to determine if a halo of darker pixels surround the tumor. Presence of this halo is indicative of a malignant tumor.

Detection of tumor halos in ultrasound images

A method and apparatus in an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed that enhances the contrast-to-tissue ratio and signal-to-noise ratio of contrast imaging using stepped-chirp waveforms. The first waveform component is employed with a first frequency optimized to initiate the bubble dynamics and the second waveform component is employed with a second frequency optimized to produce an enhanced bubble nonlinear response. The first waveform component and the at least a second waveform component are transmitted as a single stepped-chirp transmit pulse. At least one of a center frequency, an amplitude, a starting phase, and a bandwidth of the waveform components are adjusted to generate the single stepped-chirp transmit pulse. A relative phase, a switch time, and a time delay between the waveform components are also adjusted for maximal enhancement of bubble nonlinear response.

Method and apparatus to enhance ultrasound contrast imaging using stepped-chirp waveforms

The contrast-to-tissue ratio is improved while imaging contrast infused tissue. A subject is infused with contrast medium having microbubbles at a fundamental frequency. First and second transmit pulses are transmitted into the subject. The first and second transmit pulses each comprise first, or basic, and second, or seed, signals. The basic signal has a frequency based on the fundamental frequency and the seed signal has a subharmonic frequency based on the frequency of the basic signal. The first and second transmit pulses are phase inverted with respect to each other. Received echoes from first and second transmit pulses are filtered at a subharmonic or ultraharmonic frequency to remove tissue response and pass microbubble response.

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Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Xiaohui Hao