US5846202A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasound method and system for imaging
Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc
•
Filing: 1997-12-15
•
Granted: 1998-12-08
•
Expires: 2017-12-15
Abstract
Abstract Color Doppler data is acquired only over a portion of the cardiac cycle, such as during diastole in order to increase the sensitivity of detection. Ultrasound system parameters such as clutter filter coefficience, temporal and spatial filter coefficients and demodulation frequencies may be altered only for a portion of the cardiac cycle to increase detection sensitivity, to improve myocardial border estimation and to avoid the loss of color Doppler image at end-diastole.
Inventors
- 👤 Bhaskar Ramamurthy
- 👤 J. Michael Green
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 16:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/316; A61B5/318; A61B5/346; A61B5/349; A61B5/352; A61B8/00; A61B8/06; A61B8/08; A61B8/0883; A61B8/13; G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/89; G01S15/8906; G01S15/8979; G01S15/8988; G01S7/00; G01S7/52; G01S7/52017; G01S7/52053; G01S7/52057; G01S7/5206; G01S7/52085; G01S7/52087; A61B8/54; A61B8/543; G01S7/52023; G01S7/52036; G01S7/52038; G01S7/52071
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
A method for ultrasonic imaging, the method comprising the steps of: a) generating begin and end triggers in response to waveform information; b) acquiring in response to the begin trigger a plurality of frames of imaging data, each of the plurality of frames associated with a harmonic frequency band; and c) ending the acquisition of step (b) in response to the end trigger.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
63 words
A method for ultrasonic imaging, the method comprising the steps of: a) generating begin and end triggers in response to waveform information; b) acquiring in response to the begin trigger a plurality of frames of imaging data, each of the plurality of frames associated with a harmonic frequency band; and c) ending the acquisition of step (b) in response to the end trigger.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (b) comprises the step of acquiring imaging data associated with a second harmonic frequency band.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (b) comprises the step of acquiring color Doppler data selected from the group of: color Doppler velocity, color Doppler energy, color Doppler variance and combinations thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (b) comprises the step of acquiring B-mode data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step (d) of substantially continuously acquiring B-mode data during a waveform cycle; and wherein the step (a) comprises generating the begin and end triggers during the waveform cycle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step (d) comprises acquiring B-mode data associated with harmonic frequencies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the step (e) of providing contrast agents within an imaged subject and wherein the steps (b) and (d) comprise avoiding destruction of the contrast agents from the transmission of the acoustic waveforms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (a) comprises generating a plurality of begin and end triggers in response to a respective plurality of cycles of the waveform information; and wherein the step (b) comprises acquiring the plurality of frames of imaging data in response to each of the plurality of begin triggers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the step (c) comprises ending the acquisition of imaging data after each of the plurality of end triggers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step (d) of providing contrast agents within an imaged subject.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the step (b) comprises transmitting acoustic waveforms associated with reduced power.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the step (b) comprises avoiding destruction of the contrast agents from the transmission of the acoustic waveforms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: the step (d) of acquiring other imaging data before the begin trigger, the other imaging data associated with a substantially same mode as the imaging data; and the step (e) of changing in response to the begin trigger at least one parameter associated with the other imaging data for acquiring the imaging data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the step (c) comprises changing the at least one parameter in response to the begin trigger.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising the step (d) of repeating the steps (a), (b) and (c) for a plurality of cycles of the waveform information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the step (c) comprises changing a frequency band associated with the imaging data from the harmonic frequencies to fundamental frequencies.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising the step (d) of providing contrast agents.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step (c) comprises changing a power level of acoustic waveforms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the steps (b) and (c) comprise acquiring color Doppler mode data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (a) comprises generating the begin and end triggers in response to EKG information.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for ultrasonic imaging, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing at least one begin and end signals in response to EKG information, the at least one begin and end signals associated with first and second points, respectively, in a cardiac cycle; b) acquiring at least one frame of B-mode information during the cardiac cycle; and c) acquiring between the begin and end signals a plurality of frames of imaging information associated with harmonic frequencies, the imaging information selected from the group of: B-mode information and color Doppler information.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for ultrasonic imaging, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing at least one begin and end signals in response to EKG information, the at least one begin and end signals associated with first and second points, respectively, in a cardiac cycle; b) acquiring at least one frame of B-mode information during the cardiac cycle; and c) acquiring between the begin and end signals a plurality of frames of imaging information associated with harmonic frequencies, the imaging information selected from the group of: B-mode information and color Doppler information.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 21: further comprising the step (d) of providing contrast agents; and wherein the step (b) comprises the step of transmitting acoustic waveforms associated with power levels reduced from a maximum power level.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
72 words
An apparatus for ultrasonic imaging, the apparatus comprising: a) a waveform input; b) means for generating begin and end triggers in response to information from the waveform input; c) a data path for acquiring in response to the begin trigger a first plurality of frames of imaging data, each of the first plurality of frames associated with a harmonic frequency band, and for ending the acquisition in response to the end trigger.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
72 words
An apparatus for ultrasonic imaging, the apparatus comprising: a) a waveform input; b) means for generating begin and end triggers in response to information from the waveform input; c) a data path for acquiring in response to the begin trigger a first plurality of frames of imaging data, each of the first plurality of frames associated with a harmonic frequency band, and for ending the acquisition in response to the end trigger.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising: a) a means for acquiring before the begin trigger a prior plurality of frames of imaging data, the prior plurality of frames of imaging data corresponding to a substantially same mode as the first plurality of frames of imaging data; and b) a means for changing in response to the begin trigger at least one parameter associated with the prior plurality of frames for acquiring the first plurality of frames of imaging data.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3640271A
Cited
US4712037A
Cited
US5195520A
Cited
US5425366A
Cited
EP0357164A1
Cited
US5410516A
Cited
US5115809A
Cited
US5111823A
Cited
US5099847A
Cited
US5188112A
Cited
US5148810A
Cited
US5135000A
Cited
US5197477A
Cited
US5211169A
Cited
US5358466A
Cited
US5233994A
Cited
US5409688A
Cited
US5313948A
Cited
US5255683A
Cited
US5287753A
Cited
US5417214A
Cited
US5523058A
Cited
US5285788A
Cited
US5410205A
Cited
US5431161A
Cited
US5396285A
Cited
US5417213A
Cited
US5469849A
Cited
US5438554A
Cited
US5456255A
Cited
US5386830A
Cited
US5433207A
Cited
US5533510A
Cited
US5526816A
Cited
US5540909A
Cited
US5443071A
Cited
US5482046A
Cited
US5471990A
Cited
US5456257A
Cited
US5608690A
Cited
US5479926A
Cited
US5579768A
Cited
US5579770A
Cited
US5617862A
Cited
US5560364A
Cited
US5601086A
Cited
US5628322A
Cited
US5558092A
Cited
US5601085A
Cited
EP0770352A1
Cited
US5588435A
Cited
US5577505A
Cited
US5632277A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-12-07 | 2002-06-08 | 2002-12-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-12-07 | 2006-06-08 | 2006-12-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-12-07 | 2010-06-08 | 2010-12-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |