Angiography using ultrasound

Abstract

Method and apparatus for performing angiography of a subject under examination in an ultrasonic imaging apparatus. A set of ultrasonic reference pulses along each of a series of parallel vectors is emitted into the subject under examination, echoes are received, and a plurality of data samples are obtained. From each of the plurality of data samples a plurality of basis functions are removed to remove clutter and generate a plurality of processed samples. The processed samples are averaged and temporally filtered with signals displayed in a previous time period to generate a second averaged signals. The temporal filtering is performed using a filter coefficient which approximates a full cardiac cycle of the subject under examination. Each of the second plurality of signals is converted to a color value to generate a first plurality of color values within a range of color values from the first color value to a second color value, wherein the first color value represents a minimum amplitude of the third plurality of signals to be displayed and the second color value represents a maximum amplitude of the second plurality of signals to be displayed. The first plurality of color values is displayed on the display at positions on the display corresponding with the points (color sample volumes) along each of the series of parallel vectors in the subject.