# US 12,004,898 B2 · Ultrasound gray-scale imaging system and method

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- Number: US 12,004,898 B2
- Document ID: US12004898B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/141,691
- Filed: 2023-05-01
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-06
- Assignees: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yigang Du
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004898B2

## CPC

- A61B 8/06: Measuring blood flow
- A61B 8/461: {Displaying means of special interest}
- A61B 8/5246: {combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode}
- G01S 15/8906: {Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques}
- G01S 15/8979: {Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems}
- A61B 6/547: {involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device}
- A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image}
- G01S 15/8927: {using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

An non-Doppler flow imaging system is disclosed that overlays a B-flow imaging sequence over B-mode ultrasound image data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system, comprising:
a probe;
a transmitting circuit which excites the probe to transmit multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound beams and focused ultrasound beams to a scanning target containing a flow, wherein the non-focused ultrasound beams and focused ultrasound beams comprise only B-mode pulses;
a receiving circuit which receives echoes of the multiple non-focused ultrasound beams returned from the flow to obtain multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals and receives echoes of the multiple focused ultrasound beams returned from the scanning target to obtain multiple groups of focused ultrasound echo signals;
a signal processing unit which obtains grayscale flow data according to the multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals using grayscale flow imaging without using Doppler processing;
a B-mode signal processing unit which obtains grayscale ultrasound image data according to the multiple groups of focused ultrasound echo signals;
an image processing unit which overlays the grayscale flow data on the grayscale ultrasound image data and obtains a B-mode ultrasound image sequence according to the grayscale ultrasound image data overlaid with the grayscale flow data, wherein the image processing unit is further configured to:
calculate variances of I data and Q data demodulated from the grayscale flow data, wherein the variances are calculated according to the formula,
V
ar
=
(
∑
i
=
0
N
⁢
I
i
+
k
⁢
I
i
+
Q
i
+
k
⁢
Q
i
)
2
+
(
∑
i
=
0
N
⁢
Q
i
+
k
⁢
I
i
-
I
i
+
k
⁢
Q
i
)
2
R
⁡
(
0
)
where i represents a sampling time, Ii represents I data at ith time, and Qi represents Q data at ith time;
determine non-flow regions and flow regions based on a variance threshold; and
map trends of the variances with grayscales and/or colors to obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence overlaid with the grayscales and/or colors or obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence overlaid with the grayscales and/or colors based on regions; and
a display device which displays the B-mode ultrasound image sequence.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein the focused ultrasound beams and the non-focused ultrasound beams are transmitted alternately.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting circuit adjusts a time delay of each transducer of the probe such that each successive non-focused ultrasound beam has a different virtual focus that is behind the probe.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 3, wherein the non-focused ultrasound beams at least partially overlap, and wherein the signal processing unit is to spatially compound the non-focused ultrasound echo signals received from the at least partially overlapping non-focused ultrasound beams.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 3, wherein all transducers of the probe are used to generate the non-focused ultrasound beams.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting circuit adjusts a time delay of each transducer of the probe such that each successive non-focused ultrasound beam has a different transmission angle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 6, wherein the focused ultrasound beams and the non-focused ultrasound beams with different transmission angles are transmitted alternately.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 6, wherein the signal processing unit is to spatially compound the non-focused ultrasound echo signals received from the successive non-focused ultrasound beams with different transmission angles.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting circuit adjusts a time delay of each transducer of the probe to generate a diffuse beam that diverges from the probe, and wherein the multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound beams comprise multiple diffuse beams.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, further comprising:
a wall filter to perform wall filtering on the multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals and send the wall-filtered multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals to the signal processing unit to obtain wall-filtered grayscale flow data;
wherein the image processing unit overlays the wall-filtered grayscale flow data on the grayscale ultrasound image data and obtains the B-mode ultrasound image sequence according to the grayscale ultrasound image data overlaid with the wall-filtered grayscale flow data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein each flow region is determined to have a variance above a variance threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein the image processing unit obtains the B-mode ultrasound image sequence by converting I data and Q data demodulated from wall-filtered grayscale flow data from polar coordinates to Cartesian coordinates and mapping trends of amplitudes of signal envelopes over time with grayscales and/or colors to obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 12, wherein the B-mode ultrasound image sequence is obtained using the formula:
flow_image(x,z)=√{square root over (I2(x,z)+Q2(x,z))}
where flow_image(x,z) is an expression of a grayscale flow image.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 10, wherein the image processing unit is further configured to:
calculate energy of signals representing the flow based on wall-filtered grayscale flow data;
determine flow regions and non-flow regions in the grayscale ultrasound image data based on an energy threshold;
overlay the wall-filtered grayscale flow data on the flow regions; and
obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence according to the grayscale ultrasound image data overlaid with the wall-filter grayscale flow data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system of claim 1, wherein each non-focused ultrasound beam covers an entire area to be scanned.

### Claim 16

An ultrasound grayscale flow imaging method, comprising:
transmitting, via a probe, multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound beams and focused ultrasound beams to a scanning target containing a flow, wherein the non-focused and focused ultrasound beams comprise only B-mode pulses;
receiving echoes of the multiple non-focused ultrasound beams returned from the flow to obtain multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals and receiving echoes of the multiple focused ultrasound beams returned from the scanning target to obtain multiple groups of focused ultrasound echo signals;
obtaining grayscale flow data according to the multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals using grayscale flow imaging without using Doppler processing;
obtaining B-mode ultrasound image data according to the multiple groups of focused ultrasound echo signals;
overlaying the grayscale flow data on the B-mode ultrasound image data to obtain a B-mode ultrasound image sequence by:
calculating variances of I data and Q data demodulated from the grayscale flow data, wherein the variances are calculated according to the formula,
V
a
⁢
r
=
(
I
i
+
1
⁢
I
i
+
Q
i
+
1
⁢
Q
i
)
2
+
(
Q
i
+
1
⁢
I
i
-
I
i
+
1
⁢
Q
i
)
2
I
i
2
+
Q
i
2
where i represents a sampling time, Ii represents I data at ith time, and Qi represents Q data at ith time;
determining non-flow regions and flow regions based on a variance threshold; and
mapping trends of the variances with grayscales and/or colors to obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence overlaid with the grayscales and/or colors or obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence overlaid with the grayscales and/or colors based on regions; and
displaying the B-mode ultrasound image sequence.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The ultrasound grayscale flow imaging method of claim 16, wherein:
each non-focused ultrasound beam covers an entire area to be scanned;
all transducers of the probe are used to generate each non-focused ultrasound beam;
transmitting comprises adjusting a time delay of each transducer of the probe such that each successive non-focused ultrasound beam has a different virtual focus that is behind the probe;
the non-focused ultrasound beams at least partially overlap; and
obtaining the grayscale flow data comprises spatially compounding the non-focused ultrasound echo signals received from the at least partially overlapping non-focused ultrasound beams.

### Claim 18

An ultrasound grayscale flow imaging system, comprising:
a probe;
a transmitting circuit which excites the probe to transmit multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound beams and focused ultrasound beams to a scanning target containing a flow, wherein the non-focused ultrasound beams and focused ultrasound beams comprise only B-mode pulses;
a receiving circuit which receives echoes of the multiple non-focused ultrasound beams returned from the flow to obtain multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals and receives echoes of the multiple focused ultrasound beams returned from the scanning target to obtain multiple groups of focused ultrasound echo signals;
a signal processing unit which obtains grayscale flow data according to the multiple groups of non-focused ultrasound echo signals using grayscale flow imaging without using Doppler processing;
a B-mode signal processing unit which obtains grayscale ultrasound image data according to the multiple groups of focused ultrasound echo signals;
an image processing unit which overlays the grayscale flow data on the grayscale ultrasound image data and obtains a B-mode ultrasound image sequence according to the grayscale ultrasound image data overlaid with the grayscale flow data, wherein the image processing unit is further configured to:
calculate variances of I data and Q data demodulated from the grayscale flow data, wherein the variances are calculated according to the formula,
V
a
⁢
r
=
(
∑
i
=
0
N
⁢
I
i
+
k
⁢
I
i
+
Q
i
+
k
⁢
Q
i
)
2
+
(
∑
i
=
0
N
⁢
Q
i
+
k
⁢
I
i
-
I
i
+
k
⁢
Q
i
)
2
R
⁡
(
0
)
where K=0, 1, 2, 3 . . . R(0) represents energy of flow signals obtained using a Lag-zero method, which is represented by:
R
⁡
(
0
)
=
∑
i
=
0
N
⁢
I
i
2
+
Q
i
2
+
I
i
+
k
2
+
Q
i
+
k
2
2
⁢
(
N
+
1
)
;
determine non-flow regions and flow regions based on a variance threshold; and
map trends of the variances with grayscales and/or colors to obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence overlaid with the grayscales and/or colors or obtain the B-mode ultrasound image sequence overlaid with the grayscales and/or colors based on regions; and
a display device which displays the B-mode ultrasound image sequence.