Abstract: The invention is directed to improvements in diagnostic medical ultrasound contrast agent imaging. In a preferred embodiment, high pulse repetition frequency (HPRF) destruction pulses are fired at a rate higher than necessary for receiving returning echoes. Pulse parameters can also be changed between the plurality of contrast agent-destroying pulses. Other preferred embodiments of the invention are directed to simultaneous transmission of multiple beams of destruction pulses. Destruction frames that consist of a plurality of destruction pulses can be triggered and swept over the entire region of tissue being imaged and at a variety of focal depths from the transmitter. The destruction frames are fired at some time triggered from a timer or some fixed part of a physiological signal, such as an ECG signal.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments described herein provide a medical diagnostic ultrasonic transducer probe and imaging system for use with a position and orientation sensor. In one preferred embodiment, an ultrasonic transducer probe comprises a position and orientation sensor and a memory device comprising calibration data for the position and orientation sensor. The memory device is adapted to provide the calibration data to a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system coupled with the ultrasonic transducer probe. In another preferred embodiment, a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system comprises a memory device comprising a plurality of position and orientation sensor calibration data. Each of the plurality of position and orientation sensor calibration data is associated with a respective ultrasonic transducer probe family. In operation, identification of a probe family of an ultrasonic transducer probe is provided to the ultrasound system.

Abstract: Improvements to a method for imaging a target, which method including the steps of (a) transmitting ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency, (b) receiving reflected ultrasonic energy at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency and (c) generating an image responsive to reflected energy at the harmonic, are provided. The transmitting step includes transmitting a waveform with a positive pulse spatially defined by first and second zero values. A positive peak amplitude of the positive pulse is a first distance from the first zero value that is less than half a second distance between said first and second zero values. Thus, the waveform includes a fundamental spectral component and a harmonic spectral component at the transducer. An attenuation normalized peak of the harmonic spectral component is reduced at a region spaced from the transducer as compared to the peak at a region adjacent to the transducer. A negative peak is also shifted or pre-distorted.

Abstract: The invention provides a non-invasive method and apparatus for improved ultrasonic imaging and for measurement of ambient pressure, temperature or gas concentration using non-invasive ultrasound contrast imaging techniques.

Abstract: Ultrasound data is generated by a receive beamformer. Ultrasound image processing is applied to the ultrasound data for presentation of an image. Various ones of the ultrasound image processing steps may be reversed. For example, persistence processing may be reversed in order to obtain ultrasound data associated with data prior to persistence processing. This recovered data may be used to generate an image or for application of a different amount of persistence. Other processes that may be reversed to recover ultrasound data include focal and depth gain compensation, dynamic range compression, intensity or color mapping, and various filtering, such as persistence or spatial filtering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quantifying and displaying ultrasound signals in an ultrasonic system are provided. A first signal value for each of at least one spatial location in a region of interest is acquired at a first time, and the signal values are summed to obtain a first surface integral value. A second signal value for each of said at least one spatial location in said region of interest is acquired at a second time, and the second signal values are summed to obtain a second surface integral value. The first surface integral value is summed with the second surface integral value to obtain a time based integral. The time based integral is displayed. Other quantities based on any of various ultrasound parameters, such as Doppler energy, Doppler velocity and B-mode intensity, are calculated and displayed as quantities or as waveforms as a function of time. Furthermore, various comparisons of quantities and waveforms are provided. Image plane data or other ultrasound data are used in the calculations.

Abstract: A diagnostic ultrasound system and method for providing temporally accurate EKG data with imaging is provided. The EKG data is linked to imaging data. The frame of data of imaging data contains EKG data in a line of information. Additional EKG data may be provided separately from the imaging data. A scan converter processes both the EKG data and imaging data at substantially the same time, maintaining temporal accuracy. The EKG data provided comprises an entire trace so that the trace on the display appears to be smoothly updated.

Abstract: A medical ultrasound diagnostic imaging system includes a delay system that applies a composite delay profile to signals to or from respective transducer elements. One composite delay profile includes a first, substantially point-focus delay profile for a first set of the transducer elements and a second, substantially point-focus delay profile for a second set of the transducer elements. The first and second delay profiles cause ultrasonic energy from the respective first and second sets of the transducer elements to constructively add at first and second respective spaced focal zones in either transmit or receive. Another composite delay profile includes first and second portions that substantially correspond to respective parts of a point-focus delay profile, and third and fourth portions that are intermediate the point-focus delay profile and respective tangents.

Abstract: Improvements to a method for imaging a target, which method including the steps of (a) transmitting ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency, (b) receiving reflected ultrasonic energy at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency and (c) generating an image responsive to reflected energy at the harmonic, are provided. The transmitting step includes transmitting a waveform with a positive pulse spatially defined by first and second zero values. A positive peak amplitude of the positive pulse is a first distance from the first zero value that is less than half a second distance between said first and second zero values. Thus, the waveform includes a fundamental spectral component and a harmonic spectral component at the transducer. An attenuation normalized peak of the harmonic spectral component is reduced at a region spaced from the transducer as compared to the peak at a region adjacent to the transducer. A negative peak is also shifted or pre-distorted.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing ultrasound data is provided. The apparatus includes an interface operatively connected to a memory, a programmable single instruction multiple data processor (or two symmetric processors), a source of acoustic data (such as a data bus) and a system bus. The memory stores data from the processor, ultrasound data from the source, and data from the system bus. The processor has direct access to the memory. Alternatively, the system bus has direct access to the memory. The interface device translates logically addressed ultrasound data to physically addressed ultrasound data for storage in a memory. The translation is the same for data from both the processor and the source for at least a portion of a range of addresses. The memory stores both ultrasound data and various of: beamformer control data, instruction data for the processor, display text plane information, control plane data, and a table of memory addresses. One peripheral connects to the ultrasound apparatus.

Abstract: A pulse echo beamforming system generates high spatial bandwidth ultrasound images using only a few transmit/receive events per frame. Each transmit/receive event consists of firing an unfocused or weakly focused wave and receiving and storing the echo on every receive channel. Each set of stored echoes is delayed and apodized to form component beams for each desired image point in the region insonified by that particular wave. The final images are synthesized by adding two or more of the component beams for each image point.

Abstract: A method and system for flow or movement detection is provided. More than one clutter filter is used. Each clutter filter's magnitude versus frequency response is optimized differently. Estimates of the flow or movement are generated from the data output by each of the clutter filters. Using selection or combination of the resulting estimates, the best attributes of each filter are used for imaging.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for operating a catheter guiding assembly, with one lumen providing access for an ultrasound imaging catheter and a second lumen providing a working port for a tool. Optionally, the ultrasound imaging catheter in the catheter guiding assembly is exposed to blood, and the ultrasound imaging catheter port has a gasket. Alternatively, the catheter guiding assembly is sealed to prevent blood contact by the ultrasound imaging catheter, and the ultrasound imaging catheter may be re-used several times. In either case, the working tool is in the field of view of the ultrasound imaging catheter and normally exposed to blood. Because the working tool is exposed to blood, the working port has a gasket to keep blood from leaking out. Optionally, the working port is used for fluid delivery for injecting contrast agent, chemicals or drugs, which can be activated by sonification from the ultrasound imaging catheter.

Abstract: A method and system for generating data for a spectral Doppler strip in an ultrasound system includes a beamformer that provides Doppler data to a signal processor. The signal processor applies an autoregressive model and determines autoregressive parameters responsive to the Doppler data. Information responsive to the autoregressive parameters is generated, and a window function is applied to the information. At least one spectrum responsive to the auto-regressive parameter is estimated with a Fourier transform.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is programmed to acquire first ultrasonic image frames intermittently. These first frames, typically triggered frames synchronized with a selected portion of an ECG cycle, are optimized for high image quality of a contrast agent included in the tissue. The imaging system automatically acquires second ultrasonic image frames between at least some of the first frames. The second image frames are typically locator frames which are optimized for reduced degradation of the contrast agent. More of the second frames are acquired per unit time than first frames, and both the first and second frames are displayed, either superimposed over one another or in side-by-side relationship. In this way the user is provided with substantially continuous transducer locating information, yet contrast agent destruction between acquisitions of the first, triggered frames is reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: The use of transformations in ultrasound systems is disclosed. A first set of points in a first data set or a subset of a first data set is known to correspond to a second set of points in a second data set or a subset of a second data set. The point correspondence can be established using any number of techniques including speckle and/or feature correlation, speckle decorrelation time delays. Spectral broadening, power and spectral peak. A method for estimating the best fitting rigid body transformation that maps the first data set or a subset of the first data set to the second data set or a subset of the second data set is disclosed. This yields three dimensional ultrasonic data sets which preserves the shapes of object they represent.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments described herein provide a method for assessing ejection fraction by ultrasonically monitoring a region of a ventricle as contrast agent refills the ventricle following an initial imbalance. In one preferred embodiment, contrast agent is first administered into the body, and then the amount of contrast agent in a ventricle is reduced. In subsequent heart cycles, the ventricle draws contrast-agent-filled blood from the atrium, causing the concentration of contrast agent in the ventricle to increase until it is at equilibrium with the concentration of contrast agent in the atrium. By ultrasonically measuring the increase in contrast agent in the ventricle for one or more heart cycles, ejection faction of the ventricle can be determined without manual or automatic edge detection, assumptions about heart shape, or three-dimensional imaging.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing ultrasound data is provided. The apparatus includes an interface operatively connected to a memory, a programmable single instruction multiple data processor (or two symmetric processors), a source of acoustic data (such as a data bus) and a system bus. The memory stores data from the processor, ultrasound data from the source, and data from the system bus. The processor has direct access to the memory. Alternatively, the system bus has direct access to the memory. The interface device translates logically addressed ultrasound data to physically addressed ultrasound data for storage in a memory. The translation is the same for data from both the processor and the source for at least a portion of a range of addresses. The memory stores both ultrasound data and various of: beamformer control data, instruction data for the processor, display text plane information, control plane data, and a table of memory addresses. One peripheral connects to the ultrasound apparatus.

Abstract: A system and methods for measuring the volume flow of fluid in an enclosed structure with an ultrasound system is provided. Manual designation of flow angles and areas may not be necessary. Velocities along two or more different scan lines in a first scan plane are obtained to determine an angle of flow within the enclosed structure. A Doppler spectrum parameter is measured from a transmission in a second scan plane substantially perpendicular to the first scan plane. Volume flow is calculated from the flow angle and the parameter. The scan planes are associated with rotating a linear array transducer or holding a multi-dimensional transducer in place. A C-scan method with a linear transducer may also be used.