Abstract: An ultrasound display apparatus provides a two-dimensional display of a fluid filled cavity and surrounding wall tissue in the form of a sequence of pixel image frames that are shown on a display screen. The apparatus includes circuitry for indicating wall tissue displacements on the screen on a frame by frame basis. The apparatus includes a pixel classification circuit for classifying pixels in each pixel image frame into two types, i.e., tissue or fluid. A frame comparator determines which pixels change classification from one to another type as between a pair of succeeding frames. A color assignment circuit assigns to changed-type pixels in a frame, a color value which causes the changed pixels to be readily differentiated by a viewing user. Different color values are used from frame to frame on both ventricular expansion and contraction cycles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid-filled cavity in a patient's body in real time from an ultrasound image. An ultrasound display of the cavity and the surrounding tissue is obtained. The ultrasound display includes a sequence of ultrasound images. The user traces a fixed region of interest around the image of the cavity at the largest volume for which the volume determination is to be made. The region of interest is subdivided into a predetermined number of segments. Each pixel of the ultrasound image, at least within the region of interest, is classified as a fluid pixel or a tissue pixel. The area of fluid pixels within each segment is determined. The volume of the cavity is calculated from the area of the fluid pixels within each segment of the region of interest using the method of disks. The volume is determined for each ultrasound image in the sequence of ultrasound images to provide the volume of the cavity in real time.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system and method for controlling the system has a control panel which includes menu items divided into system mode menu items for selecting a system mode, and control set menu items for selecting functions corresponding to a selected system mode menu item. The system mode menu items are always available for selection independent of which control set is being displayed. An electro-luminescent touch panel displays the menu items and the user selects a menu item by touching the item on the panel. Rotatable controls are located on the control panel adjacent to the display and displayed menu items which define the functions of the controls. More then one system mode may be activated at the same time by selecting each desired system mode in sequence from the system mode menu items. The system modes include 2D, M mode, Color flow, and Doppler imaging. A second panel displays non-imaging related functions.