Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-02-27
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S447000, C600S449000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a medical diagnostic ultrasound system and method for determining the position of a region of interest. In particular, a region of interest in determined in one or more images as a function of a region of interest in another image.
A region of interest may identify particular anatomy in an ultrasound image. As subsequent images are generated, the representation of the anatomy in the image may move. Ultrasound imaging of anatomy is rarely static due to respiration motion, organ motion, transducer motion and other sources of motion. To designate the same anatomy in a plurality of images, the user may manually adjust the position of the region of interest in each image during a review of the images. However, proper placement of the region of interest to identify anatomy in real time is not provided, and manual adjustment may be time consuming.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. By way of introduction, the preferred embodiment described below includes a method and system for determining the location of a region of interest throughout a sequence of images. The system, in response to user input or automatically, identifies a region of interest associated with anatomy represented in an image. The data associated with the region of interest is compared with data for other or subsequent images. A maximum correlation between the data associated with the region of interest and data for the subsequent image is determined. A translation and/or rotation associated with the maximum correlation determines the position of a region of interest designator in the subsequent image. The same process may be used to determine the position of the designator in previous images.
In one aspect, a method for determining a region of interest with an ultrasound system is provided. A first region of interest associated with a first set of data is identified from a first frame of data. The first set of data is correlated with a second frame of data. A second region of interest in the second frame of data is determined as a function of the correlation. An image that is a function of the second frame of data is displayed, and the second region of interest is designated in the image.
In a second aspect, the first and second frames of data are provided on a display with associated designations of the region of interest. A processor performs the correlation and determination of the position of the regions of interest.
In a third aspect, a method for positioning a region of interest in a sequence of images with an ultrasound system is provided. A sequence of images are displayed. Each image comprises a region of interest designator. The region of interest designator in each one of the sequence of images is positioned as a function of a correlation value.
Further aspects and advantages of the preferred embodiments are discussed below.
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Jackson John I.
Marshall Janice L.
Acuson Corporation
Brinks Hoter Gilson & Lione
Imam Ali M.
Lateef Marvin M.
Summerfield, Esq. Craig A.
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