Patents by Inventor Ismayil M. Guracar
Ismayil M. Guracar 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: 6679844Abstract: The gain for multiple mode imaging and/or contrast agent imaging is automatically adjusted. The gain algorithm separately determines gain parameters for two different types of imaging, such as tissue and contrast agent imaging. The gain based on the contrast agent image may be optimized to provide maximum sensitivity, such as by mapping noise values measured prior to injection of contrast agent to low values within the dynamic range or somewhat below the display dynamic range. The automatic gain based on the contrast agent image may be free of variance calculations. One of the two gain parameters is selected as the system gain, or the two gain parameters are combined to form the system gain. The presence of contrast agents within the image may be determined, and different gain parameters used based on the presence or absence of contrast agents. Various ones or combinations of the gain adjustments summarized above may be used.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2002Date of Patent: January 20, 2004Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Rickard C. Loftman, Ismayil M. Guracar, Patrick J. Phillips, Zafer Zamboglu
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Publication number: 20030236459Abstract: The gain for multiple mode imaging and/or contrast agent imaging is automatically adjusted. The gain algorithm separately determines gain parameters for two different types of imaging, such as tissue and contrast agent imaging. The gain based on the contrast agent image may be optimized to provide maximum sensitivity, such as by mapping noise values measured prior to injection of contrast agent to low values within the dynamic range or somewhat below the display dynamic range. The automatic gain based on the contrast agent image may be free of variance calculations. One of the two gain parameters is selected as the system gain, or the two gain parameters are combined to form the system gain. The presence of contrast agents within the image may be determined, and different gain parameters used based on the presence or absence of contrast agents. Various ones or combinations of the gain adjustments summarized above may be used.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2002Publication date: December 25, 2003Inventors: Rickard C. Loftman, Ismayil M. Guracar, Patrick J. Phillips, Zafer Zamboglu
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Patent number: 6632177Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting contrast agents is provided. Differences between different sized vessels throughout a period of contrast agent enhancement are identified without significantly depleting the available contrast agent. Dual detection paths are used for imaging, such as one path for detecting nonlinear response and another path for detecting differences between the responses to two or more pulses. Where echoes from two or more pulses of acoustic energy are combined to detect the nonlinear response, the nonlinear response may also include signals originating from a loss-of-correlation (LOC) or motion between received pulses. These signals generated from LOC or motion can be produced from agent disruption where a second received echo is different from a first received echo due to a change in a bubble's shape (i.e., destruction), or from simple spatial translation between acoustic pulses as seen from the same spatial location, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2002Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Phillips, Ismayil M. Guracar
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Patent number: 6629926Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1999Date of Patent: October 7, 2003Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: David J. Finger, Ismayil M. Guracar, D. Grant Fash, III, Shahrokh Shakouri
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Patent number: 6602195Abstract: A medical ultrasound imaging pulse transmission method transmits at least three pulses, including at least two pulses of different amplitude and at least two pulses of differing phase. The larger-amplitude pulse is transmitted with a larger aperture and the smaller-amplitude pulses are transmitted with respective smaller subapertures. The subapertures are arranged such that the sum of the subapertures used for the smaller-amplitude pulses is equal to the aperture used for the larger-amplitude pulse. In this way, pulses of differing amplitudes are obtained without varying the power level of individual transducer elements, and precise control over pulse amplitude is provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2001Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Sriram Krishnan, Patrick J. Phillips, Gregory L. Holley, Ismayil M. Guracar
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Patent number: 6544184Abstract: Line synthesis avoids artifacts from differences in collateral destruction of contrast agent. Data representing a plurality of scan lines is received in response to each transmit event. Transmission and reception along the same scan lines are repeated a plurality of times for loss correlation imaging. Coherent data or data prior to detection along two or more scan lines is combined, removing differences. The combined data represents a synthesized line of data for detection. Line data representing contrast agents or not representing contrast agents may be synthesized from detected data. Detected data or data in the magnitude and phase domain representing two or more scan lines is combined. By altering the data provided to a flow processor or Doppler data detector, the relative phase of the data representing the two scan lines is determined. A magnitude for a synthetic line is calculated as a function of the magnitude of data representing two separate scan lines and the relative phase.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2001Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventor: Ismayil M. Guracar
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Patent number: 6497666Abstract: A medical ultrasonic imaging system transmits a set of two or more substantially identical transmit pulses into a tissue containing a contrast agent. The associated received pulses are filtered with a broadband filter that passes both the fundamental and at least one harmonic component of the echoes. The filtered received pulses are then applied to a clutter filter that suppresses harmonic and fundamental responses from slowly moving and stationary tissue, while clearly showing contrast agent response due to the loss of correlation effect. The disclosed system includes other signal paths for generating conventional B-mode images as well as combined images that include both components from the contrast-specific image as well as components from the B-mode image. An improved user interface allows the user to switch among these three images.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2000Date of Patent: December 24, 2002Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Phillips, Ismayil M. Guracar
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Patent number: 6464640Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2000Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Ismayil M. Guracar, John I. Jackson
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Patent number: 6436041Abstract: An improved method for suppressing fundamental or desired harmonic orders in an ultrasonic medical imaging system transmits at least one reverberation-suppression pulse prior to the transmission of a multiple-pulse sequence. Receive signals associated with the pulses of the multiple-pulse sequence are acquired and combined using receive weights selected to suppress energy at either the fundamental or a desired harmonic of the fundamental.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2000Date of Patent: August 20, 2002Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Phillips, Ismayil M. Guracar
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Patent number: 6417857Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2001Date of Patent: July 9, 2002Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: David J. Finger, Ismayil M. Guracar, D. Grant Fash, III, Shahrokh Shakouri
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Patent number: 6358204Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1999Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: David J. Finger, Ismayil M. Guracar, D. Grant Fash, III, Shahrokh Shakouri
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Patent number: 6322511Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2000Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Ismayil M. Guracar, Samuel H. Maslak
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Publication number: 20010035866Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2001Publication date: November 1, 2001Applicant: Acuson CorporationInventors: David J. Finger, Ismayil M. Guracar, D. Grant Fash, Shahrokh Shakouri
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Patent number: 6309357Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 1999Date of Patent: October 30, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Ismayil M. Guracar, Patrick J. Phillips
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Patent number: 6300961Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1999Date of Patent: October 9, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: David J. Finger, Ismayil M. Guracar, D. Grant Fash, III, Shahrokh Shakouri
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Patent number: 6262749Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1997Date of Patent: July 17, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: David J. Finger, Ismayil M. Guracar, D. Grant Fash, III, Shahrokh Shakouri
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Patent number: 6258029Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2000Date of Patent: July 10, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Ismayil M. Guracar, Samuel H. Maslak, John W. Allison, Paul E. Chandler, John I. Jackson, Arvind Jain, Laurence S. McCabe
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Patent number: 6241677Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2000Date of Patent: June 5, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Ismayil M. Guracar, Samuel H. Maslak, John W. Allison, Paul E. Chandler, John I. Jackson, Arvind Jain, Laurence S. McCabe
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Patent number: 6193664Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1999Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Ismayil M. Guracar, Samuel H. Maslak, John W. Allison, Paul E. Chandler, John I. Jackson, Arvind Jain, Laurence S. McCabe
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Patent number: 6177923Abstract: Both the energy and velocity contents of received Doppler and time shift signals are simultaneously displayed. A continuous range of imaging modes are provided ranging from velocity imaging to energy imaging. The user may select the particular imaging mode desired for a particular clinical application.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1996Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: James W. Arenson, Stanley S. C. Chim, Ismayil M. Guracar, Samuel H. Maslak, Shuwu Wu, Carrie L. Peressini, Janice L. Marshall