Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-30
2003-07-08
Patel, Maulin (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06589175
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging system and, more particularly, to an ultrasonic imaging system having a real-time arbitrary mmode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasonic imaging systems are widely used to produce an image of the inside of a person's body.
FIG. 1
is a diagram illustrating the general concept of an ultrasonic imaging system. Referring now to
FIG. 1
, an ultrasonic imaging system
18
typically includes electronics
20
and a transducer
22
. Electronics
20
produces control signals for a transducer
22
. In accordance with the control signals, transducer
22
transmits ultrasonic energy
24
into tissue
26
, such as that, for example, in a human body. Ultrasonic energy
24
causes tissue
26
to generate a signal
28
which is received by transducer
22
. Electronics
20
then forms an image in accordance with the received signal
28
.
There are many “modes” of operation for an ultrasonic imaging system.
FIG. 2
is a diagram illustrating scan lines in a conventional bmode, often referred to as brightness mode, of an ultrasonic imaging system. Referring now to
FIG. 2
, the ultrasonic imaging system produces a plurality of scan lines
30
a
through
30
n
. Generally, each scan line represents a narrow ultrasonic transmission and receipt of the generated signal in the direction of the scan line. Generally, the ultrasonic imaging system produces scan lines
30
a
-
30
n
in sequential order to sweep across the intended target through a sufficient angle &thgr; which might be, for example, 90°. Of course,
FIG. 2
is only an example to illustrate bmode, and is not drawn to scale. Moreover, the number of scan lines and the specific angle &thgr; are only intended as examples, and bmode is not limited by these examples.
Bmode provides only limited information. Therefore, an ultrasonic imaging system might also include a conventional mmode.
FIG. 3
is a diagram illustrating a conventional mmode display. Referring now to
FIG. 3
, a plurality of mmode scan lines
34
a
through
34
x
are displayed. Each mmode scan line
34
a
through
34
x
indicates depth into the target tissue. Although not shown in
FIG. 3
, each mmode scan line
34
a
through
34
x
uses a grey scale to indicate intensity in the depth direction.
Each mmode scan line
34
a
through
34
x
represents a scan of the same line through the target tissue, but taken at a different time. Therefore, the plurality of mmode scan lines
34
a
through
34
x
, taken together, provide information relating to depth into the target tissue over time for the same line. The above-described mmode may hereafter be referred to as “regular” mmode.
Bmode scan lines and regular mmode scan lines are displayed in real-time. Often, bmode and regular mmode are shown together on the same display, as these different modes, taken together, provide a significant amount of useful information in real-time.
FIG. 4
is a diagram illustrating a bmode display showing various organs within the human body. Referring now to
FIG. 4
, a bmode display
40
, which is a two-dimensional ultrasonic image, might show, for example, a septum
42
inside a human body. Straight line
44
represents a specific mmode scan line which might be scanned over time as regular mmode. Then, a plurality of mmode scan lines taken over time along straight line
44
might be displayed as a regular mmode display such as that, for example, in FIG.
3
.
As can be seen from
FIG. 4
, a regular mmode scan is taken along a straight line, such as straight line
44
. However, for many reasons, it is desirable to provide an mmode scan along a user-defined curve, which might not be a straight line. For example, a user might desire to provide an mmode scan along curve
46
which more closely follows curves of tissue inside the human body.
Therefore, a conventional ultrasonic imaging system might include “arbitrary” mmode (often referred to as anatomical mmode). Arbitrary mmode is similar to regular mmode in that arbitrary mmode is a time versus depth display with gray scale used to show the intensity of the received signal. However, in arbitrary mmode, the data is acquired along a user defined curve within a two-dimensional ultrasonic image. For example, arbitrary mmode can provide data along curve
46
in FIG.
4
.
However, while regular mmode is a real-time display, arbitrary mmode is not performed in real-time. Instead, arbitrary mmode is performed as a post-processing operation on stored two-dimensional images. This is a significant disadvantage of arbitrary mmode, as it would be much more preferable to perform arbitrary mmode in real-time.
Moreover, since arbitrary mmode is performed as a post-processing operation on stored two-dimensional images, the user is undesirably restricted to the two-dimensional frame rate for the time interval between arbitrary mmode lines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides an ultrasonic imaging system having a real-time arbitrary mmode.
Moreover, the present invention provides an apparatus including (a) a scan converter scan converting portions of slices in real-time of a two-dimensional ultrasonic image which form an arbitrary user-defined curve within the two-dimensional ultrasonic image; (b) an image buffer, the scan converter drawing the scan converted portions into the image buffer; and (c) a display displaying the curve as a time versus depth image from the scan converted portions drawn into the image buffer.
Further, the present invention provides a method including (a) producing a two-dimensional ultrasonic image; and (b) producing a real-time mmode image of ultrasonic data acquired along an arbitrary user-defined curve within the two-dimensional ultrasonic image.
The present invention also provides a method including (a) scan converting portions of slices in real-time of a two-dimensional ultrasonic image which form an arbitrary user-defined curve within the two-dimensional ultrasonic image; and (b) displaying the curve as a time versus depth image from the scan converted portions.
Additional advantages, features and embodiments of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5515856 (1996-05-01), Olstad et al.
patent: 5820561 (1998-10-01), Olstad et al.
patent: 6146329 (2000-11-01), Hayakawa
patent: 6322505 (2001-11-01), Hossack et al.
patent: 6352507 (2002-03-01), Torp et al.
patent: 6354997 (2002-03-01), Holley et al.
patent: 08038475 (1996-02-01), None
ProSound SSD-5500 Pure HD product brochure.
R-FAM information—obtained from web site: http://www.aloka.ch/r-fam.htm.
Frisa Janice Louise
Panek Jonathan
Prater David M
Koninklijke Philips Electronics , N.V.
Lateef Marvin
Patel Maulin
Vodopia John
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