Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-07
2001-06-05
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S447000, C128S916000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241675
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of ultrasound imaging in general, and more particularly, to velocity determinations of tissue using ultrasound imaging.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medical ultrasound has gained increased popularity as a diagnostic tool. A number of techniques for estimating the velocity of biological tissue using ultrasonic energy have been investigated, and some of these techniques are now considered standard clinical practice. For example, Doppler ultrasound techniques have been used to estimate the velocity of blood flow for some time by processing echoes generated by multiple transmissions and receptions of ultrasonic energy formed into a beam that can be steered in the region being investigated to measure frequency or phase shift.
Doppler techniques, however, may produce inaccurate results if the Doppler beam is not steered accurately. Accurately steering the Doppler beam may be difficult, however, when using a conventional two dimensional (2D) ultrasound scan. For example, a conventional 2D ultrasound system may produce a B slice image that represents a slice of the region being imaged. Unfortunately, the operator may experience difficulty in accurately steering the Doppler beam to the desired portion of a region using the conventional B slice which may reduce the accuracy of the estimated velocity of the biological tissue or affect estimates relating to the extent of the condition being examined. For example, if the Doppler beam is not steered to the desired portion of a heart valve being imaged, the determined size of the hole in heart valve may be wrong or the velocity of a jet due to a hole in the heart valve may be inaccurate.
In view of the above, there is a need to allow improved methods and systems for estimating the velocity of tissue using Doppler ultrasound techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to allow improved methods and systems for determining the velocity of tissue.
It is another object of the present invention to allow improved targeting of tissue for velocity determinations.
These and other object are provided by volumetric ultrasound systems that determine the velocity of tissue in a 3D volume 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). The display of the tissue velocity can comprise a Color Flow Doppler (CF) display, a Pulse Wave Doppler (PW) display and/or a Continuous Wave Doppler (CW) display. In an alternate embodiment, the 3D echo data is used to create a Motion Mode (M mode) display, wherein the display represents the relative displacement of the tissue being scanned.
In another aspect of the present invention, first tissue in the 3D volume is targeted using a display of a first image at a first position in the 3D volume. Second tissue in the 3D volume is targeted at a second position in the 3D volume and the display of the first image at the first position in the 3D volume is changed to a second image at a third position in the 3D volume based on the second position in the 3D volume. Accordingly, the user may target the tissue under investigation more accurately.
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Bennett Norman J.
Hileman Ronald E.
Hilts Paul J.
Holloway Richard
McAlister Donald K.
Imam Ali M.
Lateef Marvin M.
Myers Bigel & Sibley & Sajovec
Volumetrics Medical Imaging
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