Abstract: Significant liver growths such as HCC lesions are detected during a contrast agent ultrasound exam by their early reception of contrast and brightening following a bolus injection, as compared with surrounding normal tissue and benign growths. A pixel classifier looks for and identifies pixel or voxel regions where this early wash-in of contrast occurs and denotes these pixel or voxel locations in a parametric image. The pixel classifier analyzes pixel or voxel values from a sequence of images and identifies suspicious regions in an image by uniquely coding the points in a parametric liver image where early wash-in occurs.

Abstract: A boundary macroblock of a video object is padded without significant synchronization overhead between a host processor and an existing coprocessor. The host processor determines horizontal and vertical graphics primitives as a function of shape data stored in a host memory. The shape data determine whether a dot, a line, or a rectangle primitive should be used to pad transparent pixels in the macroblock. The host processor communicates the primitives to a coprocessor, which renders the primitives in an interleaved pipeline fashion to pad transparent pixels of the macroblock based on texture data stored in video memory. The flow of primitives is in one direction from the host processor to the graphics coprocessor, and the texture data is not transferred back and forth between the host processor and coprocessor. This technique is especially useful for enabling acceleration of MPEG-4 video decoding utilizing existing coprocessors capable of accelerating MPEG-1/2 video decoding.

Abstract: A method and system are described for displaying an ultrasonic parametric image showing tissue perfusion in registration with an anatomical ultrasonic image of the tissue containing the blood flow. The relative opacities of the parametric image and the anatomical image can be varied, enabling the clinician to view both the perfusion parameters and the blood flow simultaneously or in rapid succession. In an illustrated embodiment the anatomical image or the parametric image can be viewed alone, or in anatomical registration with different or equal opacities. The relative opacity can be changed in a smoothly continuous or stepwise manner.

Abstract: A method for efficiently padding a macroblock of a video object plane employs two new instructions. The instructions, PadToRight and PadToLeft, are applied in alternating sequence during a PadPass 1 operation and a PadPass 2 operation. The results of these two operations are then averaged to pad each transparent pixel in each row of a macroblock that includes at least one opaque pixel. A Shift_in register is used to temporarily store data to facilitate the operation implemented by these instructions. Once the transparent pixels in each row have been padded horizontally, pixels in rows having shape data equal to zero (indicating all pixels in the row are transparent) are padded in a pre-processing step, followed by an upward propagation step. The two instructions are preferably implemented using 2:1 multiplexers implemented with an arithmetic logic unit. The method is particularly useful in set-top boxes, games, and other video applications.

Abstract: A method and system for tracing a tissue border in a medical diagnostic image are described in which a diagnostic image containing the tissue to be traced is acquired. A user manipulates a cursor on the image display to designate three landmarks on the boundary of the tissue. An automated border detector then fits a stored boundary shape to the three landmarks. The fitted border can thereafter be adjusted to precisely fit the boundary by a rubberbanding process. In an illustrated embodiment the myocardium is traced in an image of the left ventricle by first clicking on the mitral valve corners and the apex, then fitting an endocardial border to these three landmarks, then clicking on the apex of the epicardium, then fitting an epicardial border to the epicardial apex and the mitral valve corners.

Abstract: A boundary macroblock of a video object is padded without significant synchronization overhead between a host processor and an existing coprocessor. The host processor determines horizontal and vertical graphics primitives as a function of shape data stored in a host memory. The shape data determine whether a dot, a line, or a rectangle primitive should be used to pad transparent pixels in the macroblock. The host processor communicates the primitives to a coprocessor, which renders the primitives in an interleaved pipeline fashion to pad transparent pixels of the macroblock based on texture data stored in video memory. The flow of primitives is in one direction from the host processor to the graphics coprocessor, and the texture data is not transferred back and forth between the host processor and coprocessor. This technique is especially useful for enabling acceleration of MPEG-4 video decoding utilizing existing coprocessors capable of accelerating MPEG-1/2 video decoding.

Abstract: A boundary macroblock of a video object is padded without significant synchronization overhead between a host processor and an existing coprocessor. The host processor determines horizontal and vertical graphics primitives as a function of shape data stored in a host memory. The shape data determine whether a dot, a line, or a rectangle primitive should be used to pad transparent pixels in the macroblock. The host processor communicates the primitives to a coprocessor, which renders the primitives in an interleaved pipeline fashion to pad transparent pixels of the macroblock based on texture data stored in video memory. The flow of primitives is in one direction from the host processor to the graphics coprocessor, and the texture data is not transferred back and forth between the host processor and coprocessor. This technique is especially useful for enabling acceleration of MPEG-4 video decoding utilizing existing coprocessors capable of accelerating MPEG-1/2 video decoding.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for simplifying off-line quantification of ultrasound images by displaying a graphical user interface showing a real-time ultrasound image for enabling a user to freeze the real-time ultrasound image to display an image sequence capable of being modified and played back by the user. Upon freezing the real-time image, the graphical user interface displays a tagging system having a corresponding identification tag for each ultrasound image of the image sequence. Each tag of the tagging system records the exact point in a physiologic periodic waveform represented by the image identified by the tag using a timing reference. In order for a user to generate a modified image sequence having only ultrasound image frames representing a particular point over a plurality of physiologic periodic waveforms, the user indicates which point of the physiologic periodic waveform is desired.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for simplifying off-line quantification of ultrasound images by displaying a graphical user interface showing a real-time ultrasound image for enabling a user to freeze the real-time ultrasound image to display an image sequence capable of being modified, i.e., by removing and/or trimming images thereof, and played back by the user. The system and method of the present invention are further capable of simplifying off-line quantification of ultrasound images by accessing and displaying via the graphical user interface a tagging system having a corresponding identification tag for each ultrasound image of the image sequence for selecting and bookmarking at least one image of the image sequence for easily accessing the image in the future. The system and method of the present invention are embodied by software modules each having a series of programmable instructions capable of being executed by a processor for performing their respective functions.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for simplifying off-line quantification of ultrasound images by displaying a graphical user interface showing a real-time ultrasound image for enabling a user to freeze the real-time ultrasound image to display an image sequence capable of being modified and played back by the user. The graphical user interface displays graphs or curves providing data related to the ultrasound images. Each data point on the curves represents one ultrasound image of the ultrasound images. When the user selects a particular data point on a curve of a graph, the corresponding ultrasound image is displayed by the graphical user interface. The user can then select another data point on the same curve or another curve to display another corresponding ultrasound image. The two ultrasound image framescan then be compared.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for simplifying off-line quantification of ultrasound images by displaying a graphical user interface showing a real-time ultrasound image for enabling a user to freeze the real-time ultrasound image to display an image sequence capable of being modified and played back by the user. Upon freezing the real-time image, the graphical user interface displays a tagging system having a corresponding identification tag for each ultrasound image of the image sequence. The graphical user interface further displays time intensity curves each corresponding to an ROI in the frozen image. When the user selects a particular ROI in the frozen image, the curve corresponding to the selected ROI is brightened and the other curves are dimmed.

Abstract: A method for efficiently padding a macroblock of a video object plane employs two new instructions. The instructions, PadToRight and PadToLeft, are applied in alternating sequence during a PadPass 1 operation and a PadPass 2 operation. The results of these two operations are then averaged to pad each transparent pixel in each row of a macroblock that includes at least one opaque pixel. A Shift_in register is used to temporarily store data to facilitate the operation implemented by these instructions. Once the transparent pixels in each row have been padded horizontally, pixels in rows having shape data equal to zero (indicating all pixels in the row are transparent) are padded in a pre-processing step, followed by an upward propagation step. The two instructions are preferably implemented using 2:1 multiplexers implemented with an arithmetic logic unit. The method is particularly useful in set-top boxes, games, and other video applications.

Abstract: A boundary macroblock of a video object is padded without significant synchronization overhead between a host processor and an existing coprocessor. The host processor determines horizontal and vertical graphics primitives as a function of shape data stored in a host memory. The shape data determine whether a dot, a line, or a rectangle primitive should be used to pad transparent pixels in the macroblock. The host processor communicates the primitives to a coprocessor, which renders the primitives in an interleaved pipeline fashion to pad transparent pixels of the macroblock based on texture data stored in video memory. The flow of primitives is in one direction from the host processor to the graphics coprocessor, and the texture data is not transferred back and forth between the host processor and coprocessor. This technique is especially useful for enabling acceleration of MPEG-4 video decoding utilizing existing coprocessors capable of accelerating MPEG-1/2 video decoding.

Abstract: In a distributed object system, the services available on the network are modeled as network objects. A client typically communicates with and uses these objects using Internet connections. As the number of clients increase the servers can get overwhelmed by the number of connections coming into the server resulting in sluggish response and/or loss of service. The invention describes the mechanisms for reducing the required number of connections by automatically concentrating multiple connections onto a single connection. This is done by introducing shared intermediate connection concentrators called gateways. When the client invokes on an external object reference, the ORB running on the client automatically forwards the request to a gateway assigned to it, which then forwards it onto a shared connection to the server. The solution is symmetrical—if the server invokes on an object running inside the client, the invocation again flows through the gateway.

Abstract: In a distributed object system, the services available on the network are modeled as network objects. A client typically communicates with and uses these objects using Internet connections. As the number of clients increase the servers can get overwhelmed by the number of connections coming into the server resulting in sluggish response and/or loss of service. The invention describes the mechanisms for reducing the required number of connections by automatically concentrating multiple connections onto a single connection. This is done by introducing shared intermediate connection concentrators called gateways. When the client invokes on an external object reference, the ORB running on the client automatically forwards the request to a gateway assigned to it, which then forwards it onto a shared connection to the server. The solution is symmetrical—if the server invokes on an object running inside the client, the invocation again flows through the gateway.

Abstract: One or more filters may be included in each object implementation in a CORBA distributed object system. Each CORBA server object maintains a registry of filters containing unique identifiers and specifications for each of the filters and the order in which the filters must be applied. The filters execute selected code either before or after the conventional marshaling and unmarshaling which take place during a method invocation in the system. The CORBA client object builds a filter registry, from information that it received from the server. Filters may also be present in the client side of the ORB in order to execute code before and after the marshaling and unmarshaling that takes place in the client side of the ORB and these latter filters are also included in the client filter registry. The client then uses its filter registry to invoke the filters during a subsequent method invocation. The client also receives a time stamp from the server to identify the current filter composition.

Abstract: Data structures, methods and devices for reducing computing overhead by utilizing threads which are effective to listen for requests for new connections, for new requests for services, and process requests for services in a distributed client/server-based object oriented operating system are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a method of processing a request for service from a client, involves listening for a request using a first server side thread which is effective to listen for and process requests on a connection, reading the header of the request using the first server side thread, and processing the request. In another aspect of the invention, a client writes a request for service on a connection between the client and a server using a first client side thread which is effective for dispatching requests and listening for replies to the request, and determines whether a reply from the server is expected in response to the request for service.