Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium includes shear wave imaging operations to acquire sets of shear wave propagation parameters, and determining a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field.

Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium, the method comprising a plurality of shear wave imaging steps (30) to acquire a plurality of sets of shear wave propagation parameters, the method further comprising a reliability indicator determining step (40) during which a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field is determined.

Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium, the method comprising a plurality of shear wave imaging steps (30) to acquire a plurality of sets of shear wave propagation parameters, the method further comprising a reliability indicator determining step (40) during which a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field is determined.

Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium, the method including shear wave imaging steps to acquire sets of shear wave propagation parameters, the method further including a reliability indicator determining step during which a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field is determined.

Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium, the method including shear wave imaging steps to acquire sets of shear wave propagation parameters, the method further including a reliability indicator determining step during which a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field is determined.

Abstract: Strain rate analysis is performed for ultrasonic images in which the spatial gradient of velocity is calculated in the direction of tissue motion. Strain rate is calculated for cardiac ultrasound images in the direction of motion which, for myocardial images, may be either in the plane of the myocardium or across the myocardium. Strain rate information is calculated for a sequence of images of a heart cycle and displayed for an automatically drawn border such as the endocardial border over the full heart cycle.

Abstract: An ultrasound system produces an image including a blood vessel. A blood flow direction indicator is displayed over the blood vessel to indicate the direction of blood flow within the vessel. The direction of blood flow is used to correct the Doppler estimate for angle of insonation. The orientation of the blood flow direction indicator is set automatically by a vector processor. The automatically calculated angle is used to display the correct flow velocity without user intervention.

Abstract: Ultrasonic cardiac image information is acquired and segmented by automatic border detection. The segmented ultrasonic information is used to display regional wall motion over time. The segmented information may be presented in a color-coded representation, or entered automatically as qualitative or quantitative measures on a scorecard of cardiac performance. The inventive technique is applicable to both two dimensional and three dimensional ultrasonic image information.

Abstract: Ultrasonic cardiac image information is acquired and segmented by automatic border detection. The segmented ultrasonic information is used to display regional wall motion over time. The segmented information may be presented in a color-coded representation, or entered automatically as qualitative or quantitative measures on a scorecard of cardiac performance. The inventive technique is applicable to both two dimensional and three dimensional ultrasonic image information.

Abstract: Strain rate analysis is performed for ultrasonic images in which the spatial gradient of velocity is calculated in the direction of tissue motion. Strain rate is calculated for cardiac ultrasound images in the direction of motion which, for myocardial images, may be either in the plane of the myocardium or across the myocardium. Strain rate information is calculated for a sequence of images of a heart cycle and displayed for an automatically drawn border such as the endocardial border over the full heart cycle.

Abstract: Multi-mode ultrasonic images are formed by processing the ultrasonic echoes from a single transmit pulse in parallel to display both tissue and motion. In a preferred embodiment short transmit bursts are employed to produce echo ensembles for tissue motion imaging. At least one sequence of echoes of the ensemble is also B mode processed for display of tissue structure. Preferably both the B mode and motion processing are performed in parallel. A substantially constant pulse repetition frequency reduces artifact development when imaging in the two modes from the same transmit pulse.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are described by which a fundamental frequency signal is transmitted into the body and harmonic (nonlinear) echo returns are received from the transmission. The harmonic echo signals are Doppler processed and displayed. The harmonic Doppler signals may be displayed alone, or in combination with a fundamental frequency or harmonic grayscale image. In a preferred embodiment harmonic signals returned from moving tissue are segmented on an intensity or frequency basis and displayed. The inventive apparatus and method provide highly resolved ultrasonic images of moving tissue which are substantially unobscured by image clutter from structures or tissue in the near field.

Abstract: The Doppler imaging of blood flow or slowly moving tissue at high frame rates of display is performed by oversampled acquisition of a Doppler ensemble from the body and display of Doppler information within a display range of Doppler values which is less than the range defined by said rate of oversampling. Preferably, Doppler information is acquired at the highest PRF for the depth of Doppler imaging. In one embodiment Doppler data is scaled in proportion to the ratio of the acquisition PRF to the display PRF. Alternatively, an embodiment of the present invention performs Doppler estimation by autocorrelation or spectral analysis which operates upon nonadjacent samples in the Doppler ensemble.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented for tracing the border of tissue through temporally acquired scanlines comprising the steps of reducing noise in the scanlines, producing a map of tissue edges from the scanlines, denoting a tissue border to be traced, and using velocity information corresponding to tissue edges to trace the denoted border.