Patents by Inventor PAUL SHEERAN
PAUL SHEERAN 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).
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Patent number: 11986356Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide ultrasound systems and devices that provide for reduction of reverberation artifacts in ultrasound images by automatically changing imaging settings such as PRI or transmit/receive configuration based on detected amounts of reverberation in ultrasound images. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor circuit in communication with an ultrasound probe. The processor circuit obtains a plurality of ultrasound images obtained using a plurality of different PRIs and/or pulse sequences, calculates an amount of reverberation artifacts in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, selects a pulse repetition interval and/or pulse sequence based on the amounts of reverberation artifacts in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, and controls the ultrasound transducer to obtain a reduced-reverberation ultrasound image using the selected pulse repetition interval or pulse sequence. The reduced-reverberation ultrasound image is then output to a display.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2020Date of Patent: May 21, 2024Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau, Thanasis Loupas, Allison Arden Daniels
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Publication number: 20240099699Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for automatically selecting first and last frames for a sequence of frames from which an accumulation contrast image may be generated. In some examples, statistical distributions of groups of pixels of the image frames may be analyzed to generate parametric maps. The parametric maps may be analyzed to select the first and last image frames of the sequence. In some examples, an image frame corresponding to the parametric map having a value above a threshold value may be selected as a first frame. In some examples, an image frame corresponding to the parametric map having a maximum value of all the parametric maps may be selected as the last frame. In some examples, the parametric maps may be used to segment features, such as a tumor, from the image frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2021Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: William Tao Shi, Shiying Wang, Claudia Errico, Thanasis Loupas, Charles Tremblay-Darveau, Paul Sheeran, Jeffry Earl Powers
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Publication number: 20240090871Abstract: An ultrasound transmission material that may be used to convey ultrasonic energy in medical ultrasound or non-destructive testing (NDT) applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Adam Dixon, Zachary Leonard, Paul Sheeran, Frank William Mauldin, JR.
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Patent number: 11899142Abstract: An ultrasound system produces persisted images in response to both persistence coefficients and noise bias coefficients. The persistence coefficients control the degree of persistence, which reduces noise variance by persistence processing. The noise bias coefficients are produced in correspondence with the likelihood that an image pixel is noise, and operate to reduce the noise floor of the persisted images. A single user control enables a user to control both the noise variance and the noise level of images in tandem or, alternatively, dedicated controls can become available to adjust noise variance and noise level separately.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2019Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Thanasis Loupas, Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau
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Publication number: 20230073704Abstract: In some examples, color Doppler data may be separated into luminance data and chrominance data. The luminance data may be modified without modifying the chrominance data. In some examples, the luminance data may be adjusted based, at least in part, on power Doppler data. The adjusted luminance data may be recombined with the chrominance data to provide augmented color Doppler data. In some examples, the power Doppler data may be enhanced by filtering, for example, by applying a Frangi vesselness filter, prior to being used to adjust the luminance data of the color Doppler data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2021Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Charles Tremblay-Darveau, Paul Sheeran, Thanasis Loupas, Liang Zhang
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Publication number: 20230000467Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-level vascular imaging for construction and display of vasculature from large to small vessels and micro-vessels using a combination of varying resolution contrast enhanced ultrasound flow imaging modalities are disclosed. While one or more resolution flow imaging modes may be employed for imaging large to small vessels of a vascular tree within a large region of interest, a high resolution mode, such as super resolution imaging, constructed for delineation of the microvascular morphology and directional microcirculation is provided within one or more small ROIs placed in selected locations within the larger ROI.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2020Publication date: January 5, 2023Inventors: William Tao Shi, Shiying Wang, Claudia Errico, Hua Xie, Thanasis Loupas, Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau, Jeffry Earl Powers
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Publication number: 20220409182Abstract: Systems and methods for generating adaptive contrast accumulation imaging images are disclosed. A point spread function thinning/skeletonization technique may be performed on contrast enhanced image frames. An aggressiveness parameter of the technique may be adapted temporally and/or spatially. The aggressiveness parameter may be adapted based on various factors, including, but not limited to, time since injection of the contrast agent, signal intensity, and/or vessel size. The images may be temporally accumulated to generate a final sequence of adaptive contrast accumulation imaging images.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2020Publication date: December 29, 2022Inventors: Shiying Wang, Thanasis Loupas, Jeffry Earl Powers, Claudia Errico, William Tao Shi, Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau
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Publication number: 20220401081Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide ultrasound systems and devices that provide for reduction of reverberation artifacts in ultrasound images by automatically changing imaging settings such as PRI or transmit/receive configuration based on detected amounts of reverberation in ultrasound images. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor circuit in communication with an ultrasound probe. The processor circuit obtains a plurality of ultrasound images obtained using a plurality of different PRIs and/or pulse sequences, calculates an amount of reverberation artifacts in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, selects a pulse repetition interval and/or pulse sequence based on the amounts of reverberation artifacts in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, and controls the ultrasound transducer to obtain a reduced-reverberation ultrasound image using the selected pulse repetition interval or pulse sequence. The reduced-reverberation ultrasound image is then output to a display.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2020Publication date: December 22, 2022Inventors: Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau, Thanasis Loupas, Allison Arden Daniels
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Publication number: 20220398725Abstract: Systems and methods for time-varying two-dimensional (2D) color maps for visualizing images or sequences of images are disclosed. The 2D color map may include brightness values of a hue corresponding to different intensities that changes over time. In some 2D color maps, the hue used for the intensity scale may change over time while the brightness of a pixel may not. In some 2D color maps, both the hue and the brightness may change relative to intensity over time.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2020Publication date: December 15, 2022Inventors: Shiying Wang, Claudia Errico, William Tao Shi, Thanasis Loupas, Jeffry Earl Powers, Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau
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Publication number: 20220218312Abstract: A particular sequence of ultrasound transmissions and corresponding echo receptions enables the production of Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Amplitude Modulated Phase Inverted (AMPI) signals that are temporally balanced. Temporal balancing significantly reduces tissue artifacts caused by movement of tissue during acquisition of the ultrasound echoes. Additionally, in combining the selected echo signals to produce the AM5 and AMPI signals, and optionally a Phase Inverted (PI) signal, each of the echo signals is equally weighted to facilitate an amplitude balance that avoids different echoes affecting the produced AM, AMPI, and PI signals differently.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2020Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Thanasis Loupas, Paul Sheeran, Charles Tremblay-Darveau, Jeffry Earl Powers
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Publication number: 20220133278Abstract: Systems and methods for preprocessing three dimensional (3D) data prior to generating inverted renders are disclosed herein. The preprocessing may include segmenting the 3D data to remove portions of the data associated with noise such that those portions do not appear in the generated render. The segmentation may include applying a mask to the 3D data. The mask may be generated by sorting data points in the 3D data set into a first set or a second set. In some examples, the 3D data may be filtered prior to generating the mask. In some examples, the mask may be adjusted based on feature recognition. The preprocessing may allow the visualization of hypoechoic regions of interest in a volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2020Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: PAUL SHEERAN, THANASIS LOUPAS, CHARLES TREMBLAY-DARVEAU
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Publication number: 20220071596Abstract: Systems and methods for visualizing microbubbles for contrast-enhanced imaging are described herein. Microbubbles may be visualized by multi-pixel spots by identifying and localizing individual microbubbles. Motion compensation may be provided for localized microbubbles or for contrast images prior to microbubble identification and localization. Users may determine the size of the multi-pixel spot by adjusting a filter, for example, adjusting a threshold value of the filter. Altering the size of the multi-pixel spot may alter the resolution. As the number of pixels increases, the resolution decreases, but the acquisition time may also decrease. As the number of pixels decreases, the resolution increases, but the acquisition time may increase.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2019Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: SHIYING WANG, THANASIS LOUPAS, JEFFRY EARL POWERS, CLAUDIA ERRICO, WILLIAM TAO SHI, PAUL SHEERAN, CHARLES TREMBLAY-DARVEAU
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Publication number: 20220071597Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound systems configured to perform microbubble-based contrast imaging with enhanced sensitivity. The systems can enhance echo signals derived from microbubbles while suppressing echo signals derived from tissue by detecting phase shifts exhibited by microbubbles in resonance. To detect the phase shifts, and thereby distinguish between microbubble-based signals and tissue-based signals, the systems can transmit a series of ultrasound pulses into a target region in accordance with a predefined sequence. The sequence can include an initiation pulse configured to stimulate microbubbles into nonlinear oscillation, a detection pulse configured to detect the nonlinear oscillation, and a summation pulse formed by transmitting an initiation pulse and detection pulse with a small time delay therebetween.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2020Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: WILLIAM TAO SHI, HUA XIE, SHIYING WANG, CHARLES TREMBLAY-DARVEAU, PAUL SHEERAN, VIJAY THAKUR SHAMDASANI
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Publication number: 20210055398Abstract: An ultrasound system produces persisted images in response to both persistence coefficients and noise bias coefficients. The persistence coefficients control the degree of persistence, which reduces noise variance by persistence processing. The noise bias coefficients are produced in correspondence with the likelihood that an image pixel is noise, and operate to reduce the noise floor of the persisted images. A single user control enables a user to control both the noise variance and the noise level of images in tandem or, alternatively, dedicated controls can become available to adjust noise variance and noise level separately.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2019Publication date: February 25, 2021Inventors: THANASIS LOUPAS, PAUL SHEERAN, CHARLES TREMBLAY-DARVEAU