Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-30
2001-10-09
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299579
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systems and, in particular, to ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systems which produce ultrasonic images with an extended field of view.
Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systems of the 1970s and 1980s were manufactured with what is known as B-arm scanning. In B-arm scanning systems an A line (single beam) transducer was mounted at the end of an articulated arm. The joints of the articulated arm contained sensors which continuously monitored the relative positions of the arm segments, enabling the spatial position of the transducer to be constantly tracked. As the transducer was scanned over the body of the patient, the relative spatial locations of consecutive A lines was computed from the articulated arm sensors, and the A lines were assembled in consecutive, side-by-side locations on an image display. The B arm system was thus capable of painting an ultrasonic image that could laterally extend for the maximum number of successive A lines that the system could store and display and over which the B arm could extend.
In recent years electronically scanned array transducers have been adapted for the same purpose. Since an electronically scanned array transducer automatically produces a two dimensional image, movement of the array transducer in the plane of the image will produce successive, spatially offset two dimensional images. Each new image in a new spatial location can be spatially registered with a previously acquired image with which it overlaps, then combined with the previous images to produce an extended image which is laterally extensive in the direction of motion of the array transducer. The extent of the extended field of view image is determined by the capacity of the ultrasound system to store and display multiple partially overlapping two dimensional images.
Extended field of view (EFOV) imaging systems of the prior art are capable of producing a continuous EFOV image as a scanhead is continually moved in a given direction along the surface of the body. However, a clinician acquiring an EFOV image is often trying to image a structure of extended length in the body, such as a blood vessel in an arm or leg. Although the clinician is trying to maintain the vessel in alignment with the image plane of the scanhead, frequently the path of the vessel and the moving scanhead will move out of alignment and the vessel will no longer appear in the image. In such circumstances, the usual recourse is to repeat the scan from the beginning. It would be desirable for the clinician to compensate for the premature termination of the scan by being able to reacquire the blood vessel in the EFOV image.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an extended field of view ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided in which newly acquired images may be obtained for an EFOV image by moving the scanhead in either direction. Thus, if the scanhead moves such that structure of interest is out of the scan plane of the EFOV image, the clinician may reverse the direction of the scan until the structure is reacquired, preferably at the point at which it initially disappeared from view. The clinician can therefore recover from misalignment of the structure of interest and the scan plane and continue the scan without having to restart the scan from the beginning.
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Olsson Lars Jonas
Peterson Roy B.
Wissler Thomas Martin
ATL Ultrasound
Imam Alt M.
Lateef Marvin M.
Yorks, Jr. W. Brinton
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