Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2003-09-09
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S441000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616611
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to medical monitoring and diagnostic procedures and devices, and more particularly to a Doppler ultrasound method and apparatus for monitoring blood flow.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Doppler ultrasound has been used to measure blood flow velocity for many years. The well-known Doppler shift phenomenon provides that ultrasonic signals reflected from moving targets will have a shift in frequency directly proportional to the target velocity component parallel to the direction of the ultrasound beam. The frequency shift is the same for any object moving at a given velocity, whereas the amplitude of the detected signal is a function of the acoustic reflectivity of the moving object reflecting the ultrasound. Pulse Doppler ultrasound systems commonly produce a spectrogram of the detected return signal frequency (i.e., velocity) as a function of time in a particular sample volume, with the spectrogram being used by a physician to determine blood flow characteristics of a patient.
Some Doppler ultrasound systems also have the capability to detect and characterize emboli flowing in the bloodstream. An example Doppler ultrasound system with embolus detection capability is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,015, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Ultrasonically Detecting, Counting, and/or Characterizing Emboli,” issued Sept. 20, 1994, to Moehring et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such ultrasound systems are advantageously used both for diagnostic exams (to determine the presence and significance of vascular disease or dysfunction) and during surgical interventions (to indicate surgical manipulations that produce emboli or alter/interrupt blood flow).
Typically, a user of ultrasound equipment finds it rather difficult to properly orient and position an ultrasound transducer or probe on the patient, as well as to select a depth along the ultrasound beam corresponding to the desired location where blood flow is to be monitored. This is particularly true in ultrasound applications such as transcranial Doppler imaging (TCD). The blood vessels most commonly observed with TCD are the middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral arteries, and the vertebral and basilar arteries. The Doppler transducer must be positioned so the ultrasound beam passes through the skull via the temporal windows for the cerebral arteries, and via the foramen magnum for the vertebral and basilar arteries. The user of the ultrasound equipment may find it difficult to locate these particular windows or to properly orient the ultrasound probe once the particular window is found.
A complicating factor in locating the ultrasound window is determination of the proper depth at which the desired blood flow is located. Commonly, the user does not know if he is looking in the correct direction at the wrong depth, the wrong direction at the right depth, or whether the ultrasound window is too poor for appreciating blood flow at all. Proper location and orientation of the Doppler ultrasound probe, and the proper setting of depth parameters, is typically by trial and error. Not only does this make the use of Doppler ultrasound equipment quite inconvenient and difficult, it also creates a risk that the desired sample volume may not be properly located, with the corresponding diagnosis then being untenable or potentially improper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an information display is provided in connection with Doppler ultrasound monitoring of blood flow. The information display includes two simultaneously displayed graphical displays. One graphical display is a blood locator display that indicates locations along the axis of the ultrasound beam at which blood flow is detected. The blood locator display includes a location indicator, such as a pointer directed to a selected one of the locations. The other graphical display is a spectrogram indicating velocities of monitored blood flow at the selected location. The blood locator display may include a color region corresponding with the locations at which blood flow is detected. The intensity of the color may vary as a function of detected ultrasound signal amplitude or as a function of detected blood flow velocities.
The blood locator display allows a user to quickly locate blood flow along the ultrasound beam axis. Using the blood locator display, the location of blood flow of particular interest can be further refined by the user adjusting the aim of the ultrasound probe to producea greater displayed intensity or spatial extent at the particular location of interest. The user may then select the position of the pointer to view the corresponding spectrogram. The user may also use the two simultaneously displayed graphical displays to locate a particular blood vessel by detecting temporal or other variations in the displays that are consistent with the blood vessel.
A method of detecting and characterizing an embolus is also provided. Locations in which blood does and does not flow are determined, as well as the direction of blood flow. A first ultrasound signal that may be an embolus is evaluated to determine if it corresponds with the locations where blood does and does not flow, as well as determining if it corresponds with the direction and rate of blood flow. If the first ultrasound signal does not correspond with blood flow direction or rate, then it is identified as non-embolic. If the first ultrasound signal does correspond with blood flow direction, and if it corresponds solely with locations where blood flows, then the first ultrasound signal is identified as an embolic signal of a first type. If the first ultrasound signal does correspond with blood flow direction, and if it corresponds both with locations where blood does and does not flow, then the first ultrasound signal is identified as an embolic signal of a second type.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4501277 (1985-02-01), Hongo
patent: 4848354 (1989-07-01), Angelsen et al.
patent: 4896674 (1990-01-01), Seo
patent: 5083567 (1992-01-01), Uchibori
patent: 5103826 (1992-04-01), Bonnefous
patent: 5129399 (1992-07-01), Hirama
patent: 5148808 (1992-09-01), Satake
patent: 5231573 (1993-07-01), Takamizawa
patent: 5271404 (1993-12-01), Corl et al.
patent: 5348015 (1994-09-01), Moehring et al.
patent: 5501223 (1996-03-01), Washburn et al.
patent: 5513640 (1996-05-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: RE35371 (1996-11-01), Seo
patent: 5615680 (1997-04-01), Sano
patent: 5732705 (1998-03-01), Yokoyama et al.
patent: 5785654 (1998-07-01), Iinuma et al.
patent: 5785655 (1998-07-01), Goodsell, Jr. et al.
patent: 5860927 (1999-01-01), Sakaguchi et al.
patent: 5882315 (1999-03-01), Ji et al.
patent: 5910118 (1999-06-01), Kanda et al.
patent: 5913824 (1999-06-01), Ogasawara et al.
patent: 5919139 (1999-07-01), Lin
patent: 5997478 (1999-12-01), Jackson et al.
patent: 6045505 (2000-04-01), Holley et al.
patent: 6196972 (2001-03-01), Moehring
patent: 0 079 453 (1983-05-01), None
patent: WO 94/06353 (1994-03-01), None
Omoto, R. et al., “The Development of Real-Time Two-Dimensional Doppler Echocardiography and Its Clinical Significance in Acquired Valvular Diseases With Special Reference to the Evaluatioan of Valvular Regurgitation”, Reprinted fromJapanese Heart Journal, vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 325-340, May 1984.
Omoto, R. et al., “Clinical Significance and Prospects of ‘Real-Time Two-Dimensional Doppler Echocardiography’”, Color ATLAS of Real-Time Two-Dimensional Doppler Echocardiography, Chapter 1-6, 1-44, Shindan-To-Chiryo Co., Ltd. Tokyo 1984.
Kremkau, F.W.Doppler Ultrasound, Principles and Instruments. (Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company, 1990), pp. 177-211.
Griffith, James M. et al., “An Ultrasound System for Combined Cardiac Imaging and Doppler Blood Flow Measurement in Man”, Biomedical Engineering and Instrumental Branch, Division of Research Services and the Cardiology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Maryland, vol. 57, No. 5, May 1978, pp. 925-930.
“Operation Manual for Diagnostic Ultrasound Equipment Model SSH-160A (2B730-405E
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Imam Ali M.
Lateef Marvin M.
Spentech, Inc.
LandOfFree
Doppler ultrasound method and apparatus for monitoring blood... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Doppler ultrasound method and apparatus for monitoring blood..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Doppler ultrasound method and apparatus for monitoring blood... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3076956