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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1999
David W. Smith, Raleigh, NC (US);
Donald K. McAlister, Apex, NC (US);
Norman J. Bennett, Apex, NC (US);
Paul J. Hilts, Durham, NC (US);
John J. Stefanski, Raleigh, NC (US);
Steve Moore, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Richard Holloway, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
John A. Schachte, Cary, NC (US);
Ronald E. Hileman, Durham, NC (US);
Olaf T. von Ramm, Durham, NC (US);
John T. Oxaal, Bahama, NC (US);
Volumetrics Medical Imaging, Durham, NC (US);
Abstract
A volumetric ultrasound system is used to determine the velocity of tissue using 3D echo data. In particular, the velocity of tissue in a 3D volume is determined by steering ultrasound beams to the tissue in the 3D volume and forming 3D echo data from receive ultrasound beams formed from reflections of the steered ultrasound beams from the tissue in the 3D volume. The velocity of the tissue associated with the 3D echo data can be determined using velocity determination techniques. The velocity of the tissue can be displayed in real-time. For example, in one embodiment, a sub-volume of the 3D volume can be scanned and the determined velocity of the tissue displayed in about 50 milliseconds (ms).