Methods for the use of contrast agents in ultrasonic imaging

Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation

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A61B 800

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active

060801077

ABSTRACT:
Methods for use of contrast agents with an acoustic echographic imaging system, including controlling the concentration of contrast agent in a region of interest by adjusting the acoustic imaging signal to increase or decrease depletion of the contrast agent to the linear range of response. Adjustment of the signal includes dividing the received signal level by a power reduction ratio to re-normalize the signal level and compensating the signal power level. A spectral processor detects the concentration of the contrast agent in a gate marker window as the averaged ratio of energy around the second harmonic of the return signal versus energy around the fundamental frequency of the return signal, and includes a boundary detector for detecting a point of greatest change in value of the averaged ratios as a boundary between regions of interest. A well defined bolus of contrast agent in a region of interest is created by scanning to destroy contrast agent entering the region of interest during a predetermined initial interval. A desired contrast agent depletion patterns is generated by scanning a selected portion of the region of interest with a depletion acoustic signal having a power level and duration selected to create a desired contrast agent depletion pattern. The depletion acoustic signals may be separate and different from the acoustic image signals in one or more signal characteristics, including the arrangement, sequence, frequency, pulse length, number of pulses, power levels, focus profiles, apodization and apertures.

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