Ultrasound imaging with reduced noise

Details Ultrasound imaging with reduced noise Ultrasound imaging with reduced noise

2011-08-16

2011-08-16

Smith, Ruth S (Department: 3737)

Surgery

Diagnostic testing

Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation

C600S443000, C600S449000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07998073

ABSTRACT:
Signal processing techniques reduce the impact of noise (including speckle noise and shot noise) on ultrasound images by reducing the intensity of pixels that are probably noise and increasing the intensity of pixels that are probably signal. The decision of whether a given pixel is probably noise or probably signal is made based on spectral characteristics of the samples in and around the given pixel, based on knowledge of the expected spectral characteristics of the signal and the expected spectral characteristics of the noise.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4646748 (1987-03-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 4771470 (1988-09-01), Geiser et al.
patent: 4817015 (1989-03-01), Insana et al.
patent: 4977898 (1990-12-01), Schwarzschild et al.
patent: 4982339 (1991-01-01), Insana et al.
patent: RE33672 (1991-08-01), Miwa
patent: 5111823 (1992-05-01), Cohen
patent: 5291893 (1994-03-01), Slayton
patent: 5322067 (1994-06-01), Prater et al.
patent: 5325860 (1994-07-01), Seward et al.
patent: 5390676 (1995-02-01), Katakura
patent: 5409007 (1995-04-01), Saunders et al.
patent: 5417215 (1995-05-01), Evans et al.
patent: 5497777 (1996-03-01), Abdel-Malek et al.
patent: 5619998 (1997-04-01), Abdel-Malek et al.
patent: 5839441 (1998-11-01), Steinberg
patent: 6181810 (2001-01-01), Zhang et al.
patent: 6264609 (2001-07-01), Herrington et al.
patent: 6359637 (2002-03-01), Perkins et al.
patent: 6383139 (2002-05-01), Hwang et al.
patent: 6483544 (2002-11-01), Murakami et al.
patent: 6512854 (2003-01-01), Mucci et al.
patent: 6514202 (2003-02-01), Grunwald
patent: 6572547 (2003-06-01), Miller et al.
patent: 6932770 (2005-08-01), Hastings et al.
patent: 2001/0029336 (2001-10-01), Teo
patent: 2001/0031924 (2001-10-01), Seward
patent: 2003/0231790 (2003-12-01), Bottema
patent: 2005/0008203 (2005-01-01), Dixon
patent: 0 248 623 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 0 749 723 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 2002209891 (2002-07-01), None
patent: 99/15874 (1999-04-01), None
patent: 00/07035 (2000-02-01), None
patent: 00/40997 (2000-07-01), None
patent: WO 01/65538 (2001-09-01), None
patent: 0180714 (2001-11-01), None
patent: 2005/016444 (2005-02-01), None
Search Report Dated Jul. 11, 2008 from EP 04 75 6114.7.
Roy W. Martin et al., “Design characteristics for intravascular ultrasonic catheters,” International Journal of Cardiac Imaging 4:201-216, (1989).
Jérôme Poguet et al., “Phased Array Technology: Concepts, Probes and Applications”, NDT.net, (2002), vol. 7, No. 05.
Scott L. Roth et al., “Spectral Analysis of Demodulated Ultrasound Returns: Detection of Scatterer Periodicity and Application to Tissue Classification”, Ultrasonic Imaging 19. (1997).
Paul A. Heindenreich, “Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) in the Critical Care Patient”, Transesophageal Echocardiography, vol. 18, No. 4, (2000), pp. 789-805.
K. K. Djoa et al., “Two Decades of Transesophageal Phased Array Probes”, Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., vol. 22, No. 1., (1996).
Search Report and Written Opinion from related application PCT/US2004/039441 dated Jun. 17, 2005.
Office Action dated Oct. 19, 2010 from related Japanese Application No. 2006-522556.
Office Action dated Mar. 16, 2010 from related Japanese Application No. 2006-522556.
Second Office Action dated Sep. 1, 2010 from related Chinese Application No. 200480035079.6.
Office Action dated Sep. 7, 2010 from related Japanese Application No. 2006-541681.
Office Action dated May 6, 2010 from related Japanese Application No. 2006-541681.
Office Action dated May 14, 2009 from related European Application No. 04 756 114.7.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Ultrasound imaging with reduced noise does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Ultrasound imaging with reduced noise, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ultrasound imaging with reduced noise will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2652788