US6042545A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Medical diagnostic ultrasound system and method for transform ultrasound processing
Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc
•
Filing: 1998-11-25
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Granted: 2000-03-28
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Expires: 2018-11-25
Abstract
Abstract The preferred embodiment includes a method and system for processing ultrasound data during or after compression. Various compression algorithms, such as JPEG compression, are used to transfer ultrasound data. The ultrasound data may include image (i.e. video data) or data obtained prior to scan conversion, such as detected acoustic line data or data complex in form. Compression algorithms typically include a plurality of steps to transform and quantize the ultrasound data. Various processes in addition to compression may be performed as part of one or more of the compression steps. Furthermore, various ultrasound system processes typically performed on uncompressed ultrasound data may be performed using compressed or partially compressed ultrasound data. Operation on compressed or partially compressed data may more efficiently provide processed data for generation of an image. Fewer operations are required by one or more processors when operating on compressed or partially compressed data than for uncompressed or non-compressed data. In one embodiment, partially compressed data may be input into a look-up table for contrast enhancement. In another embodiment, partially compressed data is high passed filtered.
Inventors
- 👤 John A. Hossack
- 👤 Samuel H. Maslak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/89; G01S15/8906; G01S15/8977
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
55 words
A method for processing ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the acts of: (a) transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) compressing the transformed ultrasound data; (c) image processing the compressed, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain; and (d) inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
55 words
A method for processing ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the acts of: (a) transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) compressing the transformed ultrasound data; (c) image processing the compressed, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain; and (d) inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: (e) displaying an image responsive to the inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 2 wherein step (e) comprises displaying the image as a two-dimensional image in real time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: (e) storing the ultrasound data in the transform domain.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 4 wherein (e) comprises storing the ultrasound data in the transform domain prior to (c).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 4 wherein (e) comprises storing the ultrasound data in the transform domain after (c).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 4 wherein (e) comprises storing the ultrasound data in the transform domain for later image generation; further comprising (f) of generating an image responsive to the ultrasound data stored in the transform domain.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein (c) comprises filtering the ultrasound data in the transform domain.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8 wherein (c) comprises multiplying the transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising: (e) applying the inverse transformed ultrasound data responsive to (c) and other ultrasound data to a look-up table.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises quantizing the transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein (a) and (b) comprise JPEG compression.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system for processing ultrasound data, the system comprising: a processor for transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain, compressing the transformed ultrasound data, image processing the compressed, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain, and inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data; and a display for generating an image responsive to the inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system for processing ultrasound data, the system comprising: a processor for transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain, compressing the transformed ultrasound data, image processing the compressed, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain, and inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data; and a display for generating an image responsive to the inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 13 further comprising a memory for storing the ultrasound data in the transform domain.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 14 wherein the ultrasound data in the transform domain is stored in the memory prior to image processing in the transform domain.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 14 wherein the ultrasound data in the transform domain is stored in the memory after image processing in the transform domain.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 14 wherein the ultrasound data in the transform domain is stored in the memory for later image generation.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the processor for image processing is operable to filter the ultrasound data in the transform domain as the image processing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 18 further comprising a look-up table, wherein the inverse transformed ultrasound data responsive to the filtering in the transform domain and other ultrasound data is input into the look-up table.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is operable to compress the transformed ultrasound data by quantization.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is operable to perform JPEG compression for transforming and compressing.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for processing a complete frame of ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the acts of: (a) transforming the complete frame of ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) image processing the complete frame of transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain; (c) inverse transforming the complete frame of image processed ultrasound data; and (d) displaying an image responsive to the complete frame of inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for processing a complete frame of ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the acts of: (a) transforming the complete frame of ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) image processing the complete frame of transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain; (c) inverse transforming the complete frame of image processed ultrasound data; and (d) displaying an image responsive to the complete frame of inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 22 further comprising: (e) compressing the complete frame of transformed ultrasound data: wherein (b) comprises image processing the complete frame of compressed, transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for processing ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the step: (a) transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) image processing the transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain with a type of image processing selected from the group consisting of: temporal filtering, compounding between frames of data, color saturation control, contrast control, image gain, edge detection, motion detection, image scaling, tissue characterization and combinations thereof; and (c) inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for processing ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the step: (a) transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) image processing the transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain with a type of image processing selected from the group consisting of: temporal filtering, compounding between frames of data, color saturation control, contrast control, image gain, edge detection, motion detection, image scaling, tissue characterization and combinations thereof; and (c) inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 24 further comprising (d) compressing the transformed ultrasound data; wherein (b) comprises image processing the compressed, transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises tissue characterization.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises image scaling.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises motion detection.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises edge detection.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises image gain.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises contrast control.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises temporal filtering.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises color saturation control.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 24 wherein (b) comprises compounding between frames of data.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 34 wherein (b) comprises finite impulse response filtering.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
59 words
A method for processing ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the acts of: (a) transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) exporting the transformed ultrasound data to a remote processor; (c) image processing the exported, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain; and (d) inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
59 words
A method for processing ultrasound data with a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, the method comprising the acts of: (a) transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain; (b) exporting the transformed ultrasound data to a remote processor; (c) image processing the exported, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain; and (d) inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 36 further comprising: (e) displaying an image responsive to the inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 36 further comprising: (e) storing the ultrasound data in the transform domain.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 36 further comprising: (e) compressing the transformed ultrasound data prior to (b).
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
72 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system for processing ultrasound data, the system comprising: a first processor for transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain and for exporting the transformed ultrasound data to a remote processor; a remote processor for image processing the exported, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain, and inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data; and a display for generating an image responsive to the inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
72 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system for processing ultrasound data, the system comprising: a first processor for transforming the ultrasound data into a transform domain and for exporting the transformed ultrasound data to a remote processor; a remote processor for image processing the exported, transformed ultrasound data in the transform domain, and inverse transforming the image processed ultrasound data; and a display for generating an image responsive to the inverse transformed ultrasound data.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 40 wherein the first processor is operable to compress the transformed ultrasound data prior to export.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-03-28 | 2003-09-27 | 2004-03-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-03-28 | 2007-09-27 | 2008-03-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-03-28 | 2011-09-27 | 2012-03-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |