Abstract: An ultrasound system and method that identify flow regions within a volume. The system comprises: a survey system for collecting motion data from a target image; a segmentation system for mapping a region of flow within the image based on the motion data; and a flow acquisition system that automatically limits the collection of flow image data within the image to the region of flow.

Abstract: An ultrasound system which performs two dimensional imaging is upgradeable to a system which also performs three dimensional ultrasonic imaging. The ultrasound system contains space in which an optional 3D beamformer may be installed to provide the ultrasound system with three dimensional imaging capability. When the 3D beamformer is installed a scanhead select module connects one of a plurality of scanhead connectors to the proper beamformer for the imaging procedure commanded by the user.

Abstract: An extended field of view image is formed by combining a plurality of spatially offset ultrasonic images which have been spatially aligned. Images which are to be aligned are processed to produce two sets of corresponding images of progressively lower resolution. The spatial alignment is performed by comparing images of the same resolution level from each set, and progressing from comparison of the lowest resolution images to comparison of the highest. Only prominent feature areas of the images are used in the comparison to improve alignment reliability and to reduce computational needs. As each pair of images is compared, the result of the comparison is used to pre-align the images of the next resolution level. Results are checked and refined against boundary conditions and by gradient refinement.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are described which perform spatial compounding of tissue motion or flow information. The resultant images not only reduce speckle artifacts, but also reduce dropout caused by the angular dependence of Doppler information. Compound images may be formed using both B mode and Doppler information acquired in a time interleaved manner, either one or both of which may be spatially compounded. The techniques of the present invention may be employed to reduce multiline artifacts and to produce real time compound images at high frame rates of display.

Abstract: An ultrasound system which performs two dimensional imaging is upgradeable to a system which also performs three dimensional ultrasonic imaging. The ultrasound system contains space in which an optional 3D beamformer may be installed to provide the ultrasound system with three dimensional imaging capability. When the 3D beamformer is installed a scanhead select module connects one of a plurality of scanhead connectors to the proper beamformer for the imaging procedure commanded by the user.

Abstract: An extended field of view ultrasonic imaging system allows the direction of scanhead motion to be reversed to reacquire the desired image plane or patient anatomy when the movement of the scanhead departs from the desired path of travel.

Abstract: An extended field of view image memory has x-y coordinates corresponding to the sight area of an extended field of view image, and a depth corresponding to the maximum number of elemental image pixels that can be compounded to form a pixel of the extended field of view image. Each elemental image is entered into the memory in registration with a previously acquired elemental image, and pushes down any previously entered images it overlaps. The finite depth of the memory thus forms a FIFO register at each pixel location, which eliminates the oldest pixel data when a newly entered image causes the maximum pixel depth at a location to be exceeded.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces spatially compounded images by combining component frames acquired from different look directions. The component frames are acquired in estimate space, converted to sampled data in a common coordinate system and compounded. Conversion to the common coordinate system is performed by modulating the sampling to the desired coordinate system or by resampling of the image data. The estimate data of the spatially compounded image is then scan converted to a display data format for display of the spatially compounded image.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic system simultaneously monitors the Doppler signal of a plurality of sample volumes within the body of a patient which are aligned around a point of diagnostic interest within the body. The Doppler signal of the sample volume which best satisfies a predetermined criterion, such as that exhibiting the greatest Doppler signal power, is displayed to the user. When a different sample volume meets the criterion the Doppler signal display changes to display the Doppler signal of the newly identified sample volume. In one embodiment the spectral Doppler displays of a number of sample volumes are displayed concurrently and that which best satisfies the chosen criterion is identified to the user. In another embodiment the identified sample volume is identified in a B mode display of the sample volume area while the spectral Doppler display from the identified sample volume is displayed.

Abstract: A technique for continuously determining and displaying the peak and mean velocities of spectral Doppler information is disclosed. Received spectral Doppler data is examined over a predetermined period to determine the signal to noise ratio of the Doppler signals. Individual instantaneous measurements, or lines, of Doppler spectral information are analyzed in the power versus frequency domain to compare the line information against a noise threshold determined by the signal to noise ratio. The maximum frequency signal component is thereby identified as the peak velocity of the spectral line. Mean velocity is calculated as an intensity weighted mean about the maximum power frequency of the line data. The identified peak and mean velocities are displayed in contrasting colors or shades on a continuously updated and displayed flow velocity versus time spectral display.

Abstract: An ultrasonic color flow information processing system receives ultrasonic Doppler information signals which are used to develop a map of color flow display information of fluid flow. The system processes the Doppler information through autoregressive spectral estimation, which models the Doppler information as the output of an all-pole filter driven by white noise. For real-time utilization, the estimation of poles of the filter model is restricted to the estimation of two poles, one representative of tissue and one representative of fluid flow. The two poles and the white noise power parameter of the model are analyzed in accordance with certain criteria to select for display one of the poles as that representative of fluid flow.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic system for measuring fluid flow velocities through Doppler techniques is provided which eliminates the effects of tissue motion from fluid flow velocity information. In a preferred embodiment Doppler information signal are discriminated to determine the presence of signal components resulting from moving tissue, which signal components are located at frequencies of a Doppler spectrum other than the predetermined frequency location of stationary tissue signals. The tissue motion signal components present are shifted to the predetermined frequency location and removed by high pass filtering the Doppler signals. The remaining signals are then shifted back to their original frequency location and transmitted to a Doppler velocity estimator for further processing of the fluid flow velocity information and ultimate display of the information.