Patents by Inventor Paul J. Hilts

Paul J. Hilts has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Methods and systems for volume rendering using ultrasound data
    Patent number: 6544178
    Abstract: An ultrasound scanner may display volume renderings of objects in real time. In particular, the system can scan an object at a first time using the ultrasound scanner to provide a first 3D ultrasound dataset that represents the object and of an instrument at a first position. A volume rendering of at least a portion of the object and instrument can be displayed. The first position of the instrument can be adjusted relative to the object based on the displayed volume rendering to provide a second position of the instrument. The object is scanned at a second time using the ultrasound scanner to provide a second 3D ultrasound dataset that represents at least a portion of the object and the instrument at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignees: Volumetrics Medical Imaging, Duke University
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Grenon, Paul J. Hilts, Richard Holloway
  • Methods and systems for determining velocity of tissue using three dimensional ultrasound data
    Patent number: 6241675
    Abstract: A volumetric ultrasound system is used to determine the velocity of tissue using 3D echo data. In particular, the velocity of tissue in a 3D volume is determined by steering ultrasound beams to the tissue in the 3D volume and forming 3D echo data from receive ultrasound beams formed from reflections of the steered ultrasound beams from the tissue in the 3D volume. The velocity of the tissue associated with the 3D echo data can be determined using velocity determination techniques. The velocity of the tissue can be displayed in real-time. For example, in one embodiment, a sub-volume of the 3D volume can be scanned and the determined velocity of the tissue displayed in about 50 milliseconds (ms).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Volumetrics Medical Imaging
    Inventors: David W. Smith, Donald K. McAlister, Norman J. Bennett, Paul J. Hilts, John J. Stefanski, Steve Moore, Richard Holloway, John A. Schachte, Ronald E. Hileman, Olaf T. von Ramm, John T. Oxaal