The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Aug. 29, 2000

Filed:

Sep. 30, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:

Levin F Nock, Bellevue, WA (US);

John C Lazenby, Fall City, WA (US);

Assignee:
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
600443 ; 128916 ;
Abstract

A method of generating data compatible with forming a three-dimensional ultrasonic image includes selecting different frame rates for generating patterns of image information and frames of non-imaging information, such as motion information. The frame rates may be independently determined, based upon the desired characteristics of the two types of frames. Typically, image frames and motion frames are formed concurrently, with the formation of each motion frame overlapping the formation of more than one image frame, i.e., motion frames have a lower frame rate than image frames. After a sufficient number of image and motion frames have been generated, the image frames and the motion data are spatially coordinated to provide a three-dimensional flow image of a region of interest. In one approach, the spatial coordination of motion frames is implemented by incorporating the motion frames in a non-parallel relationship with the image frames. In a more accurate approach, the motion information is incorporated on a value-by-value basis into the image frames.


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