US5195521A — Tissue measurements

Claim 1

Independent Claim 172 words

Apparatus for deriving a signal corresponding to the incremental area that lies between the edges of a fluid filled cavity and between successive scan lines comprising: means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves along scan lines of a frame in sequence, means for deriving electrical signals from the reflections of said pulses of pressure waves from reflectors in each scan line, a tissue/fluid indicator circuit responsive to said electrical signals for producing at each of a plurality of ranges a first output value when the reflections are from tissue and a second output value when the reflections are from fluid, means synchronized with said means for transmitting pulses for producing a voltage during a scan line such that integration thereof provides a signal corresponding to one of the area between successive radial scan lines and the area between successive parallel scan lines, and means for integrating said voltage only when said tissue/fluid indicator circuit produces said second output value so as to produce a first output signal representing said incremental area.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 172 words

Apparatus for deriving a signal corresponding to the incremental area that lies between the edges of a fluid filled cavity and between successive scan lines comprising: means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves along scan lines of a frame in sequence, means for deriving electrical signals from the reflections of said pulses of pressure waves from reflectors in each scan line, a tissue/fluid indicator circuit responsive to said electrical signals for producing at each of a plurality of ranges a first output value when the reflections are from tissue and a second output value when the reflections are from fluid, means synchronized with said means for transmitting pulses for producing a voltage during a scan line such that integration thereof provides a signal corresponding to one of the area between successive radial scan lines and the area between successive parallel scan lines, and means for integrating said voltage only when said tissue/fluid indicator circuit produces said second output value so as to produce a first output signal representing said incremental area.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 58 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a majority vote circuit coupled between said tissue/fluid indicator circuit and said means for integrating so as to provide to said means for integrating the output value of said tissue/fluid circuit that occurred in a majority of a given number of previous scan lines at each of said ranges.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for producing said voltage is comprised of an integrator having a D.C. voltage applied to its input.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further comprising means for integrating successive first output signals so as to derive a second output signal representing a cross sectional area of said cavity.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 20 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for producing said voltage is a source of D.C. voltage.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 further comprising means for integrating successive first output signals so as to derive a second output signal representing a cross sectional area of said cavity.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 70 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves produces pulses at the start of each line and pulses at the start of each frame further comprising: means responsive to said pulses at the start of each frame and the pulses at the start of each line for deriving a signal defining the borders of a region of interest in each frame.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 59 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 further comprising: means responsive to said pulses at the start of each frame and the pulses at the start of each line for producing an enabling signal only when the electrical signals are in response to reflections of the transmitted pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves from points within said region of interest.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 89 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cavity is a ventricle and said means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves transmits the pulses in directions nearly perpendicular to the long axis of said ventricle, said apparatus further comprising: means for producing signals respectively representing incremental volumes that are the product of the area of a circle having a diameter equal to the range during which said first output values occur and the average dimension of the corresponding incremental area along the long axis of said cavity.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 further comprising: means for summing said signals representing incremental volumes.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for integrating successive first output signals so as to derive a second output signal representing a cross sectional area of said cavity.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 147 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein: said cavity is a ventricle of the heart of a subject and said means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves transmits them along scan lines that are nearly perpendicular to one of the long axis and short axis of said ventricle so that said cross sectional area signal represents one of the long axis cross sectional area (ALS) and the short axis cross sectional area (ASA) of said ventricle, said apparatus further comprising: means for raising said second output signal to 3/2 power, and means for multiplying the result thus obtained by a function of a ratio "a" of the long axis and short axis cross sectional areas, ALA and ASA respectively, and a coefficient depending on an assumed shape of said cavity so as to produce a third output signal corresponding to the volume of said cavity.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU8##

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU9##

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU10##

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU11##

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU12##

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU13##

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU14##

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: said coefficient is ##EQU15##

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 211 words

Apparatus for deriving a signal corresponding to the volume of a fluid filled cavity formed within tissue comprising: transducer means for successively transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves along successive radial scan lines and for producing electrical waves corresponding to reflections of said pulses from reflectors along said scan lines, means responsive to said electrical waves for producing indications as to when pulses causing them are reflected from fluid, a first integrator having an input and an output, means for applying a D.C. voltage to said input, a second integrator having an input and an output, switching means for coupling the output of said first integrator to the input of said second integrator in response to said indication, a third integrator having an input and an output, means for applying a D.C. voltage to the input of said third integrator in response to said indication, a multiplier having two inputs and an output, said latter inputs being respectively coupled to the outputs of said second and third integrators, means for resetting said first, second and third integrators after reflections of each pulse have been received from maximum range, and means coupled to the output of said multiplier for summing the signals appearing therein in response to a given number of pulses.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 211 words

Apparatus for deriving a signal corresponding to the volume of a fluid filled cavity formed within tissue comprising: transducer means for successively transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves along successive radial scan lines and for producing electrical waves corresponding to reflections of said pulses from reflectors along said scan lines, means responsive to said electrical waves for producing indications as to when pulses causing them are reflected from fluid, a first integrator having an input and an output, means for applying a D.C. voltage to said input, a second integrator having an input and an output, switching means for coupling the output of said first integrator to the input of said second integrator in response to said indication, a third integrator having an input and an output, means for applying a D.C. voltage to the input of said third integrator in response to said indication, a multiplier having two inputs and an output, said latter inputs being respectively coupled to the outputs of said second and third integrators, means for resetting said first, second and third integrators after reflections of each pulse have been received from maximum range, and means coupled to the output of said multiplier for summing the signals appearing therein in response to a given number of pulses.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 192 words

Apparatus for deriving a signal corresponding to the volume of a fluid filled cavity formed within tissue comprising: transducer means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves along successive parallel scan lines and for producing electrical waves corresponding to reflections of said pulses from reflectors along said scan lines, means responsive to said electrical waves for producing indications as to when pulses causing them are reflected from fluid, a first integrator having an input and an output, means for resetting said first integrator after the reflections of each pulse from a maximum range have reached said transducer means, means for coupling a D.C. voltage to said input in response to said indications, a multiplier having two inputs, means for coupling the output of said first integrator to each of said inputs of said multiplier, a second integrator having an input and an output, means for resetting said second integrator after a given number of pulses have been transmitted, and means for coupling the input of said second integrator to the output of said multiplier whereby a signal is produced at the output of said second integrator representing the volume of said cavity.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 192 words

Apparatus for deriving a signal corresponding to the volume of a fluid filled cavity formed within tissue comprising: transducer means for transmitting pulses of ultrasonic pressure waves along successive parallel scan lines and for producing electrical waves corresponding to reflections of said pulses from reflectors along said scan lines, means responsive to said electrical waves for producing indications as to when pulses causing them are reflected from fluid, a first integrator having an input and an output, means for resetting said first integrator after the reflections of each pulse from a maximum range have reached said transducer means, means for coupling a D.C. voltage to said input in response to said indications, a multiplier having two inputs, means for coupling the output of said first integrator to each of said inputs of said multiplier, a second integrator having an input and an output, means for resetting said second integrator after a given number of pulses have been transmitted, and means for coupling the input of said second integrator to the output of said multiplier whereby a signal is produced at the output of said second integrator representing the volume of said cavity.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 185 words

In a system having a scanner for transmitting pulses of ultrasound into a body along successive scan lines and for producing at an output thereof first signals from reflections of the pulses from reflectors along the scan lines, apparatus for deriving second signals indicating the locations along the lines of the edges of a cavity within the body comprising: indicator means for producing a third signal when a signal applied to it exceeds a given reference value and a fourth signal when a signal applied to it is less than the given reference value, means for coupling said indicator means to said output, and majority vote means for producing a fourth signal when said second signal occurs at the same range in a majority of a current line and a given number of previous lines and a fifth signal when said third signal occurs on the same range of a majority of the current line and the said given number of previous lines, and edge indicating means for producing a fifth signal when said third and fourth signals occur in succession along a current line.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 185 words

In a system having a scanner for transmitting pulses of ultrasound into a body along successive scan lines and for producing at an output thereof first signals from reflections of the pulses from reflectors along the scan lines, apparatus for deriving second signals indicating the locations along the lines of the edges of a cavity within the body comprising: indicator means for producing a third signal when a signal applied to it exceeds a given reference value and a fourth signal when a signal applied to it is less than the given reference value, means for coupling said indicator means to said output, and majority vote means for producing a fourth signal when said second signal occurs at the same range in a majority of a current line and a given number of previous lines and a fifth signal when said third signal occurs on the same range of a majority of the current line and the said given number of previous lines, and edge indicating means for producing a fifth signal when said third and fourth signals occur in succession along a current line.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 41 words

In a system as set forth in claim 23, means for deriving a signal representing integrated backscatter from said first signals included in said means for coupling so as to apply the signal representing integrated backscatter to said majority vote means.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 23 words

In a system as set forth in claim 23, means for coupling said first signals appearing at said output to said indicator means.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 174 words

Apparatus for identifying the border between adjacent matter in an image of a cross section of a living body comprising: a source of signals representing a characteristic of matter at points in said image; signal processing means coupled to said source for producing processed signals; a threshold detector having first and second inputs and an output; means for coupling said processed signals to said first input of said threshold detector; means for applying a reference value to said second input of said threshold detector, said threshold detector producing a first level at its output when the processed signal exceeds the reference value and a second level at its output when a processed signal is less than the reference value; means responsive to said levels for a plurality of contiguous points in the image for producing a level corresponding to the majority of said first and second levels; and means for producing a signal representing an edge at each point where said majority shifts from one of said first and second levels to the other.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 174 words

Apparatus for identifying the border between adjacent matter in an image of a cross section of a living body comprising: a source of signals representing a characteristic of matter at points in said image; signal processing means coupled to said source for producing processed signals; a threshold detector having first and second inputs and an output; means for coupling said processed signals to said first input of said threshold detector; means for applying a reference value to said second input of said threshold detector, said threshold detector producing a first level at its output when the processed signal exceeds the reference value and a second level at its output when a processed signal is less than the reference value; means responsive to said levels for a plurality of contiguous points in the image for producing a level corresponding to the majority of said first and second levels; and means for producing a signal representing an edge at each point where said majority shifts from one of said first and second levels to the other.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 47 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein: said signals represent the amplitude of reflection of a pulse of acoustic pressure waves from points along a scan line; and said signal processing means produces processed signals that represent the amplitude of the integrated backscatter of said signals.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 21 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 27 wherein means are provided for reproducing the signal representing an edge in said image.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-03-22	1996-09-21	1997-03-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-03-22	2000-09-21	2001-03-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-03-22	2004-09-21	2005-03-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Tissue measurements

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