Abstract: Real time strain imaging is provided by acquiring a sequence of cardiac image frames and estimating tissue displacement in the myocardium over a heart cycle. The displacements are used to calculate strain over the myocardium and a color map is formed of the strain values. During the next heart cycle the color map is warped to fit the myocardium in each image frame and the warped color map is displayed as a color overlay over the myocardium of each image of the new heart cycle as they are displayed in real time. A new color map is also produced over the new heart cycle for use with the following heart cycle. An ultrasound system which performs real time strain imaging is also described.

Abstract: A method for using an interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining may be based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked.

Abstract: Real time strain imaging is provided by acquiring a sequence of cardiac image frames and estimating tissue displacement in the myocardium over a heart cycle. The displacements are used to calculate strain over the myocardium and a color map is formed of the strain values. During the next heart cycle the color map is warped to fit the myocardium in each image frame and the warped color map is displayed as a color overlay over the myocardium of each image of the new heart cycle as they are displayed in real time. A new color map is also produced over the new heart cycle for use with the following heart cycle. An ultrasound system which performs real time strain imaging is also described.

Abstract: Real time strain imaging is provided by acquiring a sequence of cardiac image frames and estimating tissue displacement in the myocardium over a heart cycle. The displacements may be estimated using speckle tracking and are used to calculate strain over the myocardium. A color map is formed of the strain values. During the next heart cycle the color map is warped to fit the myocardium in each image frame and the warped color map is displayed as a color overlay over the myocardium of each image of the new heart cycle as they are displayed in real time. A new color map is also produced over the new heart cycle for use with the following heart cycle. An ultrasound system which performs real time strain imaging is also described.

Abstract: A method for using an interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display system and configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining may be based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked. Included, for deriving the image, in some embodiments are imaging channels for receiving image data for which a metric of coherence, i.e., similarity among channel data, is computed. The determination for a direction is based on the metric for locations in that direction.

Abstract: An interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display system and configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view (216) detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium (244) that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia (244, 248) can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining maybe based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked. Included, for deriving the image, in some embodiments are imaging channels for receiving image data for which a metric of coherence, i.e., similarity among channel data, is computed. The determination for a direction is based on the metric for locations in that direction.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which assesses regurgitant flow through a mitral valve by color-flow imaging. A Doppler processor produces Doppler velocity measurements of blood flow around a regurgitant valve to identify an iso-velocity surface to be used in the PISA method of regurgitant flow quantification. The velocity measurements are used to color pixels in the colorflow image and are mapped to a plurality of colors for a color bar used with the image. The color bar exhibits distinct color transitions at one or more velocities in the velocity range of the color bar which distinctively identify an iso-velocity surface in the colorflow image. The color bar may be formed with an aliasing velocity in the middle of the bar, between a zero velocity reference color of the bar and an end of the bar, and the aliasing velocity aligned with a desired iso-velocity and used to create the color transition.

Abstract: An ultrasound system enables simplified setup of a remote terminal for display of ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound system. An image acquired by the ultrasound system is processed by or with display parameters for different viewing conditions or devices, such as display gamma correction, ambient lighting, or image quality. A plurality of versions of an image with slightly different display appearances are exported to the remote terminal, where a viewer can view all of the image versions simultaneously. The viewer selects the best image, and the display characteristics of the selected image are used for images subsequently exported from the ultrasound system to the remote terminal.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which quantifies regurgitant flow through a mitral valve, including the automatic indication of the location of a regurgitant orifice in an ultrasound image. A clinician images the regurgitant valve and indicates in the image the presumed location of the regurgitant orifice (130). A flow quantification processor is responsive to this initial location estimate by the clinician to calculate a refined estimation of the orifice location. The refined location is indicated on the ultrasound image by the imaging system, either by relocating an icon placed by the clinician, or displaying a second icon (132) on the image at the refined location.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method filter the data of successive ultrasonic images of moving tissue. At least two successive images are clutter filtered to remove clutter in the image data from stationary objects. The successive images and the filtered successive images are both used to produce displacement images of frame to frame tissue motion, and a quality metric is produced of the quality of the estimated displacement. The displacement image with the best quality metric is selected for further processing such as the production of strain images. The selected displacement image may further be spatially filtered to reduce boundary artifacts.

Abstract: An ultrasound system enables simplified setup of a remote terminal for display of ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound system. An image acquired by the ultrasound system is processed by or with display parameters for different viewing conditions or devices, such as display gamma correction, ambient lighting, or image quality. A plurality of versions of an image with slightly different display appearances are exported to the remote terminal, where a viewer can view all of the image versions simultaneously. The viewer selects the best image, and the display characteristics of the selected image are used for images subsequently exported from the ultrasound system to the remote terminal.

Abstract: An ultrasound system enables simplified setup of a remote terminal for display of ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound system. An image acquired by the ultrasound system is processed by or with display parameters for different viewing conditions or devices, such as display gamma correction, ambient lighting, or image quality. A plurality of versions of an image with slightly different display appearances are exported to the remote terminal, where a viewer can view all of the image versions simultaneously. The viewer selects the best image, and the display characteristics of the selected image are used for images subsequently exported from the ultrasound system to the remote terminal.

Abstract: Real time strain imaging is provided by acquiring a sequence of cardiac image frames and estimating tissue displacement in the myocardium over a heart cycle. The displacements may be estimated using speckle tracking and are used to calculate strain over the myocardium. A color map is formed of the strain values. During the next heart cycle the color map is warped to fit the myocardium in each image frame and the warped color map is displayed as a color overlay over the myocardium of each image of the new heart cycle as they are displayed in real time. A new color map is also produced over the new heart cycle for use with the following heart cycle. An ultrasound system which performs real time strain imaging is also described.

Abstract: An ultrasound system enables simplified setup of a remote terminal for display of ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound system. An image acquired by the ultrasound system is processed by or with display parameters for different viewing conditions or devices, such as display gamma correction, ambient lighting, or image quality. A plurality of versions of an image with slightly different display appearances are exported to the remote terminal, where a viewer can view all of the image versions simultaneously. The viewer selects the best image, and the display characteristics of the selected image are used for images subsequently exported from the ultrasound system to the remote terminal.

Abstract: An ultrasound system enables simplified setup of a remote terminal for display of ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound system. An image acquired by the ultrasound system is processed by or with display parameters for different viewing conditions or devices, such as display gamma correction, ambient lighting, or image quality. A plurality of versions of an image with slightly different display appearances are exported to the remote terminal, where a viewer can view all of the image versions simultaneously. The viewer selects the best image, and the display characteristics of the selected image are used for images subsequently exported from the ultrasound system to the remote terminal.

Abstract: An interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display system and configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view (216) detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium (244) that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia (244, 248) can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining maybe based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked. Included, for deriving the image, in some embodiments are imaging channels for receiving image data for which a metric of coherence, i.e., similarity among channel data, is computed. The determination for a direction is based on the metric for locations in that direction.

Abstract: An ultrasound system enables simplified setup of a remote terminal for display of ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound system. An image acquired by the ultrasound system is processed by or with display parameters for different viewing conditions or devices, such as display gamma correction, ambient lighting, or image quality. A plurality of versions of an image with slightly different display appearances are exported to the remote terminal, where a viewer can view all of the image versions simultaneously. The viewer selects the best image, and the display characteristics of the selected image are used for images subsequently exported from the ultrasound system to the remote terminal.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which assesses regurgitant flow through a mitral valve by color-flow imaging. A Doppler processor produces Doppler velocity measurements of blood flow around a regurgitant valve to identify an iso-velocity surface to be used in the PISA method of regurgitant flow quantification. The velocity measurements are used to color pixels in the colorflow image and are mapped to a plurality of colors for a color bar used with the image. The color bar exhibits distinct color transitions at one or more velocities in the velocity range of the color bar which distinctively identify an iso-velocity surface in the colorflow image. The color bar may be formed with an aliasing velocity in the middle of the bar, between a zero velocity reference color of the bar and an end of the bar, and the aliasing velocity aligned with a desired iso-velocity and used to create the color transition.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which quantifies regurgitant flow through a mitral valve, including the automatic indication of the location of a regurgitant orifice in an ultrasound image. A clinician images the regurgitant valve and indicates in the image the presumed location of the regurgitant orifice (130). A flow quantification processor is responsive to this initial location estimate by the clinician to calculate a refined estimation of the orifice location. The refined location is indicated on the ultrasound image by the imaging system, either by relocating an icon placed by the clinician, or displaying a second icon (132) on the image at the refined location.

Abstract: An ultrasound-imaging system and method is provided that permits an operator to acquire an image of a volume-of-interest in a time critical fashion, that is capable of referencing the volume rendering to a standard two-dimensional imaging mode, and permits the operator to selectively choose a number of display-mode parameters that result in an operator directed view of the volume-of-interest. The ultrasound-imaging system comprises an input device configured to receive a plurality of imaging parameters and a controller in communication with the input device. The ultrasound-imaging system generates an operator-directed transmit-beam scan sequence in response to the imaging parameters and transmits a spatially modified transmit-beam scan sequence over a portion of the volume-scan range of the ultrasound-imaging system. Moreover, the ultrasound-imaging system provides the flexibility for an operator to direct a plurality of operator-configurable multi-dimensional views.