Image analysis – Applications – Biomedical applications
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-02
2001-07-17
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
Biomedical applications
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263094
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to ultrasound imaging systems, and more particularly, to an acoustic data acquisition/playback system and method for capturing raw acoustic data, at any stage of processing along a signal processing pipeline associated with the ultrasound imaging system (preferably before the data is substantially modified), and allowing subsequent substantially real time (as if the imaged body were present) playback and manipulation of images during playback.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, when an ultrasound imaging system is used in a medical application for imaging a patient's body, the ultrasound imaging system is operated by a medical technician to acquire and record (e.g., tape) pertinent images of the body, while the doctor is not present to provide input as to the control settings of the system. Then, at a later time, the images are reviewed by the doctor who diagnoses the patient. The images are usually stored by the ultrasound imaging system as a video signal, or after the acoustic data has been fully processed and compressed by various signal processing stages and has reached the video stage within the signal processing pipeline associated with the ultrasound imaging system. The video signal is essentially comprised of a single or multiple planes of black and white picture elements (pixels) and/or color pixels.
A significant limitation of the foregoing methodology is that much of the information associated with the original ultrasound signal is not preserved, as the acoustic data has been processed by various mechanisms, such as filters, mixers, nonlinear transformations, compression mechanisms, etc., along the signal processing pipeline. Thus, when the images are reviewed, no additional or alternative signal processing may be performed upon the images by the doctor, and the patient is typically not available for more imaging sessions with the doctor.
An example of a commercially available ultrasound imaging system that generally employs the foregoing methodology is the Vingmed SD 100/200, which is a doppler-type system that is manufactured by Vingmed Corporation, U.S.A. The Vingmed SD 100/200 contains a frequency modulated (FM) video store capability, which provides for the storage and playback of baseband doppler audio. This signal, in the audio domain, is arguably analogous to visual information in the video domain. In other words, the stored signal is in the post-processed format, or the format in which it is presented to the user. Raw acoustic data is not preserved, and thus, additional and alternative signal processing of the ultrasound data cannot be performed. Only the stored baseband audio signal is available to the replay device.
Another example of a commercially available ultrasound imaging system is the SONOS™ 5500, which is manufactured by the Hewlett-Packard Company, USA. Hewlett-Packard's SONOS 5500 provides a slow motion video feature, called the “acoustic quick review” or just “quick review,” which can review acoustic data in slow motion from the SONOS 5500 system. However, the information is stored to non-volatile memory as video pixel data, and is injected back into the system at the video stage of the system, which does not permit additional or alternate signal processing to be performed on the image data.
Thus, there is a heretofore unaddressed need in the industry for a better way to acquire and play back ultrasound images.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an acoustic data acquisition/playback system and method for enabling acquisition of acoustic data from an ultrasound imaging system and subsequent substantially real time playback of the acoustic data.
In general, the method of the present invention can be broadly summarized as follows. Acoustic data is acquired at a particular data rate from a signal processing pipeline associated with an ultrasound imaging system during an image acquisition session wherein the acoustic data is produced by exposing a body to ultrasound signals. The acquired data is preferably acquired early in the pipeline so that it is completely raw, but it could be partially processed. Raw data or near raw data allows for later signal processing. The acoustic data is stored during the session in a nonvolatile memory, which can optionally be removable. Next, at a time after the image acquisition session, the acoustic data is introduced into a signal processing system (the same ultrasound imaging system or a different system) from the nonvolatile memory at approximately the particular rate that the data was acquired or at a higher data rate, in order to produce an image in real time for a reviewer that can be modified by the reviewer by further selective processing, if desired.
In architecture, the system includes an interface having an input and an output. The input and output are connectable to a signal processing pipeline associated with the ultrasound imaging system (or a different reviewing system) at essentially any point along the pipeline after the digital-to-analog conversion and prior to the conversion to video pixel data. The system also includes a nonvolatile memory, which can optionally be removable, for storing the acquired data. Finally, a controller, for example, a processor operating pursuant to software in the system, which is in electrical communication with the interface and the nonvolatile memory, is designed to selectively control the interface to acquire ultrasound data samples via the input and store the data samples in the nonvolatile memory. A suitable graphical user interface or other input scheme may be implemented to permit a user to advise the controller as to which data to acquire on a display screen, during the imaging session.
For playback, the controller can read the ultrasound samples from the nonvolatile memory and communicate the ultrasound samples to the output of the interface at approximately the same or greater than the data rate that the data was acquired at the input of the interface. The output can be connected to the same acquiring system or to another system for permitting review and processing of the acoustic data. Alternatively, the system may be provided with a removable nonvolatile memory for transporting the acquired acoustic data from one system to another.
An advantage of the invention is that it allows real time playback of previously acquired acoustic data, enabling a reviewer, such as a doctor, to selectively perform additional and/or alternative signal processing upon the acoustic data at a later time.
Another advantage of the invention is that it permits re-injection of raw or partially processed acoustic data (e.g., RF, IF, pre-video, etc.) into the signal processing pipeline of the ultrasound imaging system that acquired the acoustic data or into a separate different reviewing system, perhaps another ultrasound imaging system or merely a computer-based viewing system, which matches or exceeds the processing capability of the acquiring system.
Another advantage of the invention is that when the acoustic data is reinjected, the data rate is at or near the actual rate at which the data was acquired. This effectively simulates the presence of the insonified target. It allows the reviewer of the ultrasound data to change and manipulate the signal processing parameters which the acquiring system can change, and to see the results in real time, as if the insonified target was a source of the data, instead of the storage device.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. These additional features and advantages are intended to be included herein within this description and protected by the claims.
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patent: 617124
Belanger Laurent
Hunt Thomas J
Rosich Douglas
Agilent Technologie,s Inc.
Johns Andrew W.
Nakhjavan Shervin
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