Patents by Inventor Ching-Hua Chou
Ching-Hua Chou 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: 11103221Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method includes activating a transmit aperture within a multi-element transducer array, transmitting one or more ultrasonic beams along scan direction(s) that span the region of interest, for each transmit event, receiving ultrasound echoes from each element of a receive aperture, grouping the receive channel echo data into two or more sets corresponding to different receive sub-apertures, combining each sub-aperture data set to generate partially focused echo-location data for one or more reconstruction lines, and storing all the sub-aperture echo data sets during a storage period in a format that can be retrieved for later analysis.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2018Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Larry Y. L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Albert Gee, David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Robert W. Steins
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Publication number: 20180368813Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method includes activating a transmit aperture within a multi-element transducer array, transmitting one or more ultrasonic beams along scan direction(s) that span the region of interest, for each transmit event, receiving ultrasound echoes from each element of a receive aperture, grouping the receive channel echo data into two or more sets corresponding to different receive sub-apertures, combining each sub-aperture data set to generate partially focused echo-location data for one or more reconstruction lines, and storing all the sub-aperture echo data sets during a storage period in a format that can be retrieved for later analysis.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2018Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Larry Y.L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Albert Gee, David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 10085724Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method includes activating a transmit aperture within a multi-element transducer array, transmitting one or more ultrasonic beams along scan direction(s) that span the region of interest, for each transmit event, receiving ultrasound echoes from each element of a receive aperture, grouping the receive channel echo data into two or more sets corresponding to different receive sub-apertures, combining each sub-aperture data set to generate partially focused echo-location data for one or more reconstruction lines, and storing all the sub-aperture echo data sets during a storage period in a format that can be retrieved for later analysis.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2015Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Larry Y. L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Albert Gee, David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 9901323Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an ultrasound scanner equipped with an image data processing unit that can perform adaptive parameter optimization during image formation and processing. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a channel data memory to store channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan; an image data processor configured to process the stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct an ultrasound image for each of a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized; and a parameter optimization unit configured to evaluate an image quality of the reconstructed ultrasound image for each trial value of the at least one parameter, and to determine the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2014Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Robert W. Steins
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Publication number: 20160051233Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method includes activating a transmit aperture within a multi-element transducer array, transmitting one or more ultrasonic beams along scan direction(s) that span the region of interest, for each transmit event, receiving ultrasound echoes from each element of a receive aperture, grouping the receive channel echo data into two or more sets corresponding to different receive sub-apertures, combining each sub-aperture data set to generate partially focused echo-location data for one or more reconstruction lines, and storing all the sub-aperture echo data sets during a storage period in a format that can be retrieved for later analysis.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Inventors: Larry Y.L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Albert Gee, David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 9198636Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2014Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 9060669Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method includes activating a transmit aperture within a multi-element transducer array, transmitting one or more ultrasonic beams along scan direction(s) that span the region of interest, for each transmit event, receiving ultrasound echoes from each element of a receive aperture, grouping the receive channel echo data into two or more sets corresponding to different receive sub-apertures, combining each sub-aperture data set to generate partially focused echo-location data for one or more reconstruction lines, and storing all the sub-aperture echo data sets during a storage period in a format that can be retrieved for later analysis.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: ZONARE MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Larry Y. L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Albert Gee, David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Robert W. Steins
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Publication number: 20150073276Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an ultrasound scanner equipped with an image data processing unit that can perform adaptive parameter optimization during image formation and processing. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a channel data memory to store channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan; an image data processor configured to process the stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct an ultrasound image for each of a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized; and a parameter optimization unit configured to evaluate an image quality of the reconstructed ultrasound image for each trial value of the at least one parameter, and to determine the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Robert W. Steins
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Publication number: 20140378834Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2014Publication date: December 25, 2014Applicant: Zonare Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 8784318Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an ultrasound scanner equipped with an image data processing unit that can perform adaptive parameter optimization during image formation and processing. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a channel data memory to store channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan; an image data processor configured to process the stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct an ultrasound image for each of a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized; and a parameter optimization unit configured to evaluate an image quality of the reconstructed ultrasound image for each trial value of the at least one parameter, and to determine the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2006Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 8672846Abstract: In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 8357094Abstract: An ultrasound scanner is equipped with one or more fuzzy control units that can perform adaptive system parameter optimization anywhere in the system. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems configured to generate an ultrasound image, the plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems including a transmitter subsystem, a receiver subsystem, and an image processing subsystem; and a fuzzy logic controller communicatively coupled with at least one of the plurality of ultrasound imaging generating subsystems.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2011Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems Inc.Inventors: Larry Y. L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Ching-Hua Chou, David J. Napolitano, Kathy S. Jedrzejewicz, Thomas Jedrzejewicz, Kurt Sandstrom, Feng Yin, Scott Franklin Smith, Wenkang Qi, Robert Stanson
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Publication number: 20120095338Abstract: An ultrasound scanner is equipped with one or more fuzzy control units that can perform adaptive system parameter optimization anywhere in the system. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems configured to generate an ultrasound image, the plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems including a transmitter subsystem, a receiver subsystem, and an image processing subsystem; and a fuzzy logic controller communicatively coupled with at least one of the plurality of ultrasound imaging generating subsystems.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: Zonare Medical Systems Inc.Inventors: Larry Y. L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Ching-Hua Chou, David J. Napolitano, Kathy S. Jedrzejewicz, Thomas Jedrzejewicz, Kurt Sandstrom, Feng Yin, Scott Franklin Smith, Wenkang Qi, Robert Stanson
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Publication number: 20120083695Abstract: In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2011Publication date: April 5, 2012Applicant: Zonare Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y.L. Mo, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Robert W. Steins
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Patent number: 8002705Abstract: In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2006Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Zonaire Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Robert W. Steins
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Publication number: 20100189329Abstract: An ultrasound scanner is equipped with one or more fuzzy control units that can perform adaptive system parameter optimization anywhere in the system. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems configured to generate an ultrasound image, the plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems including a transmitter subsystem, a receiver subsystem, and an image processing subsystem; and a fuzzy logic controller communicatively coupled with at least one of the plurality of ultrasound imaging generating subsystems.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2009Publication date: July 29, 2010Applicant: Zonare Medical Systems Inc.Inventors: Larry Y.L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Ching-Hua Chou, David J. Napolitano, Kathy S. Jedrzejewicz, Thomas Jedrzejewicz, Kurt Sandstrom, Feng Yin, Scott Franklin Smith, Wenkang Qi, Robert Stanson
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Patent number: 7627386Abstract: An ultrasound scanner is equipped with one or more fuzzy control units that can perform adaptive system parameter optimization anywhere in the system. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems configured to generate an ultrasound image, the plurality of ultrasound image generating subsystems including a transmitter subsystem, a receiver subsystem, and an image processing subsystem; and a fuzzy logic controller communicatively coupled with at least one of the plurality of ultrasound imaging generating subsystems.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2004Date of Patent: December 1, 2009Assignee: Zonaire Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Larry Y. L. Mo, Glen W. McLaughlin, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Ting-Lan Ji, Ching-Hua Chou, David J. Napolitano, Kathy S. Jedrzejewicz, Thomas Jedrzejewicz, Kurt Sandstrom, Feng Yin, Scott Franklin Smith, Wenkang Qi, Robert Stanson
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Patent number: 7510529Abstract: An ultrasound reconstruction unit is provided. In one embodiment, a receive aperture control engine for the unit adaptively determines a set of reconstruction signals based on at least a series of selected echo signals and compares the size of a receive aperture with a predetermined number of reconstruction channels at each imaging point. The unit passes the selected echo signals from selected receive channels of one or more transducer elements to a reconstruction processor if the size of the receive aperture is not greater than the number of reconstruction channels. In another embodiment, the control engine compares the size of the receive aperture with a predetermined number of reconstruction channels at each imaging point and preprocess the selected echo signals to produce reconstructions signals that are equal in number to the number of reconstruction channels if the size of the receive aperture is greater than the number of reconstruction channels.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2006Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Ching-Hua Chou, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ting-Lan Ji
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Publication number: 20070038102Abstract: An ultrasound reconstruction unit is provided. In one embodiment, a receive aperture control engine for the unit adaptively determines a set of reconstruction signals based on at least a series of selected echo signals and compares the size of a receive aperture with a predetermined number of reconstruction channels at each imaging point. The unit passes the selected echo signals from selected receive channels of one or more transducer elements to a reconstruction processor if the size of the receive aperture is not greater than the number of reconstruction channels. In another embodiment, the control engine compares the size of the receive aperture with a predetermined number of reconstruction channels at each imaging point and preprocess the selected echo signals to produce reconstructions signals that are equal in number to the number of reconstruction channels if the size of the receive aperture is greater than the number of reconstruction channels.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2006Publication date: February 15, 2007Inventors: Ching-Hua Chou, Glen McLaughlin, Larry Mo, Ting-Lan Ji
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Patent number: 7087020Abstract: Methods for processing ultrasound signals are provided. Processing of ultrasound signals comprises identifying qualified reconstruction channels in a receive aperture, grouping qualified reconstruction channels in the aperture, and preprocessing of selected echo signals using the grouped qualified reconstruction channels to produce reconstruction signals. Additional methodologies comprise comparing a number of channels in a receive aperture with a number of reconstruction channels to determine a number of reconstruction signals and grouping qualified channels in the receive aperture such that the number of reconstruction data signals is not less than the number of reconstruction channels. An ultrasound reconstruction unit comprising a receive aperture control engine configured to use selected echo signals to adaptively determine a set of reconstruction signals is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2005Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Ching-Hua Chou, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ting-Lan Ji