Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for determining the location of at least one of a plurality of uniquely-identified transducers within one of a plurality of known areas (210-270). The method comprises the steps of receiving information from at least one sensor selected from a plurality of first (211, 212, 216) and second sensors (218, 228, 238), wherein the first sensors (211, 212, 216) are distributed within the plurality of known areas, and the second sensors are located between adjacent ones of the plurality of known areas (220, 240), the information including at least a transducer-unique identification, associating the received information based on the transducer identification, and determining the location based on the information received by at least one of the first sensors. In one aspect the information is a signal strength. In another aspect of the invention, the location may be determined based on information received by a plurality of the first sensors.

Abstract: A receive beamformer, and ultrasound system incorporating such a receive beamformer, is constructed to implement multi-bit analog to digital conversion in such a way that the need for gain control in the channel architecture preceding the digital conversion circuitry is obviated. Accordingly, the beamformer and any ultrasound system incorporating it may realize a rigorous level of ADC performance at desirable output rates, and a lower cost. Preferably, the invention construction realizes a level of performance by which CW Doppler may be digitized in the same manner as very wide-band pulsed-wave signals.

Abstract: A digital multiline beamformer is provided which produces multiple receive beams in response to a single transmit event. An embodiment of the present invention includes a bulk delay which provides a common steering delay applicable to all of the beams received at one time. The bulk delay is succeeded by parallel filter processing paths which produce finely focused multiple beams simultaneously. In one embodiment a multiphase filter produces the samples for multiple beams, which is advantageous when the number of simultaneously produced beams is greater than the number of phases produced by the fine focus filter.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: A digital multiline beamformer is provided which produces multiple receive beams in response to a single transmit event. An embodiment of the present invention includes a bulk delay which provides a common steering delay applicable to all of the beams received at one time. The bulk delay is succeeded by parallel filter processing paths which produce finely focused multiple beams simultaneously. In one embodiment a multiphase filter produces the samples for multiple beams, which is advantageous when the number of simultaneously produced beams is greater than the number of phases produced by the fine focus filter.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which produces ultrasonic breast images by acquiring ultrasonic data from a volumetric region of the breast, then volume rendering the data to produce a projection image from the data set. The diagnostic image reveals diagnostic information of the complete volume of breast tissue in a single ultrasonic image.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided for measuring the volume of a chamber of the heart or other organ or vessel. An ultrasonic transducer probe is used to scan the chamber with a plurality of spatially distinct scan planes. The pixels of the chamber volume of each scan plane are aggregated to provide a measure of the volume. In a preferred embodiment the chamber volume pixels are developed from Doppler signals from the fluid within the chamber, and are related to voxels within the chamber by weighting pixels in the scan planes in accordance with the voxel sampling afforded by the inter-plane separation.

Abstract: A medical diagnostic ultrasound system is described in which ultrasonic B mode tissue information and Doppler flow information is acquired from a volumetric region of the body and processed together to render a three dimensional image. The three dimensional rendering processes the B mode and Doppler flow information as a function of the spatial location of B mode and Doppler pixels in the volumetric region. The rendering utilizes separate three dimensional rendering parameters for the tissue and flow information, respectively.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided which utilizes a multivariate processor to discriminate between Doppler power signals which were produced by moving tissue, and Doppler power signals which were produced by fluid flow. Discriminated moving tissue Doppler power signals are displayed in a three dimensional spatial presentation.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic system and scanning technique are described for producing three dimensional ultrasonic image displays utilizing power Doppler signal information. In a preferred embodiment the power Doppler signal information is displayed in the absence of structural (B mode) information to reduce image clutter and provide three dimensional image segmentation. An ultrasonic scanning technique is presented for acquiring diagnostic three dimensional ultrasonic images of power Doppler intensity through manual hand scanning of a patient, without the need for specially fabricated scanning mechanisms or devices.