Method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a biopsy needle or the like during an ultrasound imaging examination
AssigneeEsaote S.p.A.
InventorsBarbara Greppi, Marino Cerofolini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a biopsy needle or the like during an ultrasound imaging examination, including the steps of alternately performing one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters which are adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the needle and one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body, in which the needle is inserted, injecting contrast agents in the region to be examined before imaging, and setting ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body.
Claims46
A method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a biopsy needle or the like during an ultrasound imaging examination, including the following steps:
- a. Alternately performing one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters which are adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the needle and one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body or details thereof, in which the needle is inserted.
- Characterized in that it includes the additional steps of
- b. Injecting contrast agents in the region to be examined before imaging;
- c. Setting ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body or details thereof, wherein the needle is inserted, so that these parameters are optimized for imaging body fluid flows.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides alternate ultrasound imaging with transmit and receive parameters optimized for imaging the needle, with transmit and receive parameters optimized for imaging the tissues of the body under examination or a detail thereof, and with transmit and receive parameters optimized for imaging body fluid flows.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that alternate imaging consists in performing single scans or a group of scans including a succession of a certain number of scans, each scan or each group of scans being performed with different optimization parameters, for imaging the needle, or the like, and body fluid flows respectively, and in succession either in a constant or variable order with time.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the images obtained by said imaging procedures with transmit and receive parameters optimized for the needle and body flows and possibly for tissues are displayed by assigning different color and/or gray scales to the intensity values of the reflected echo beams.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a combined image is displayed which is made by overlaying and/or combining images, and is detected with an optimization for the needle, fluid flows and/or possibly for static tissues.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides that the individual images obtained by optimized imaging of the needle, body fluid flows and/or possibly static tissues, are displayed in separate and adjacent positions or in combined positions, according to any sub-combination between the different images optimized for the needle, for body fluid flows and/or possibly for tissues.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a low mechanical index and at the second harmonic for imaging body fluid flows and an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a low mechanical index and at the fundamental frequency with needle optimized parameters.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the parameters optimized for needle imaging provide a deformation of the focusing rule according to the so-called steering technique, in which the incidence direction between the ultrasound beam and the needle is essentially orthogonal to the needle or as close as possible to this condition.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a low mechanical index and at the second harmonic for imaging body fluid flows and an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a high mechanical index and at the fundamental frequency with needle optimized parameters, for instance by using a steering technology in combination with linear probes.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a low mechanical index and at the second harmonic for imaging body fluid flows and an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a high mechanical index and at the fundamental frequency with needle optimized parameters, as well as an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or more images, with a high mechanical index and at the fundamental frequency, with tissue optimized parameters.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a low mechanical index and at the second harmonic for imaging body fluid flows and an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or a group of images, with a high or low mechanical index and at the fundamental frequency with needle optimized parameters, e.g. by using the steering technology, as well as an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or more images, with a high mechanical index and at the second harmonic frequency, with tissue optimized parameters.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or more images, at the second harmonic optimized for imaging body fluid flows and an imaging procedure, for acquiring one or more images, with a high or low mechanical index and at the fundamental or second harmonic frequency, which subtracts two successive reflection echoes determined by two successively fired ultrasound beams with the same parameters, for imaging the needle.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the different imaging procedures with parameters optimized for imaging the needle, body fluid flows and/or possibly static tissues are executed alternately, within a predetermined frame rate, or parallel, i.e. simultaneously to each other, at least as regards the processing of received echoes, there being provided two or three dedicated receiving and processing chains.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides several imaging procedures, for acquiring one or more images, with the different parameters optimized for imaging the needle, body fluid flows and/or possibly tissues, in combination with three-dimensional imaging methods, which consist in performing scans of more predetermined adjacent section planes and in generating a three-dimensional image data matrix, in combination with means for locating the transducers and/or the probe for each scan plane along which a scan has been performed.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided in combination with a three-dimensional real-time imaging method comprising the following steps:
- transmitting ultrasonic beams generated by transducers into an object volume corresponding to a body under examination or a part thereof;
- receiving and storing signals generated by the ultrasonic beams in said object volume;
- processing the received signals into image data associated to image dots or lines of a video display;
- displaying at least a portion of image data on the display according to user selected parameters, relating to a predetermined image section or projection plane of said volume under examination, the processing of ultrasound beams and/or the display being predetermined in a targeted manner, with reference to a previous selection of an image section or projection plane of the volume under examination to be imaged;
- defining a virtual volume coincident with the object body or part thereof or a three-dimensional reference system, provided it has a definite orientation with respect to the imaging planes generated by the ultrasound probe;
- selecting the section plane of the object body and/or part thereof along which ultrasound imaging is to be performed;
- determining the position-defining coordinates for the dots which form said section plane along which imaging is to be performed, with reference to the virtual volume;
- restricting the scanning operation to the region which coincides with said section plane along which imaging is to be performed;
- transmitting the transmission signals and receiving the reflected echoes only along such lines of view of the probe which coincide with the surface or the projection slice of the selected section plane along which imaging is to be performed;
- only processing and displaying the received echo signals;
- the execution of the above imaging steps for acquiring one or more images with parameters optimized for imaging the needle and/or for imaging fluid flows and/or for imaging tissues.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides the alternate and sequential transmission of ultrasound beams with parameters optimized for imaging the needle, body fluid flows and/or possibly even tissues respectively, and the alternate processing of received data deriving from the two or possibly three types of parameters of the transmitted ultrasound beams, there being provided a memory in which the parameters or combinations thereof for optimized imaging of the needle, body fluid flows and/or stationary tissues are stored for user selection.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides that a different or identical number of images to be acquired may be set alternately with the specific optimization for the needle, for fluid flows and/or possibly for tissues.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides presetting and storage of parameters optimized for imaging the needle and/or body fluid flows and/or possibly tissues both as regards transmitted ultrasound beams and as regards reflected and received ultrasound beams and/or also as regards the different image coloring and/or displaying and/or combining modes, and protocols for executing imaging procedures optimized relative to each other and in such a manner that a specific setting of the parameters for controlling the processing and possibly a specific setting of processing, handling and/or combining parameters for images detected in different modes for the needle, body fluid flows and/or possibly tissues corresponds to each specific setting of the parameters of transmitted ultrasound beams, univocally related to imaging optimized for the needle, body fluid flows and/or possibly tissues.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides a modulation of intensity, i.e. of the mechanical index of ultrasound beams also within the imaging procedure/s for the needle, and/or body fluid flows and/or tissues.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides storage of the parameters optimized for imaging the needle, fluid flows and/or possibly tissues into a working storage memory which is accessible by the scan control unit and/or by the image processing and/or handling and/or combining unit, with no need to reprogram said units.
An apparatus for implementing the method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an ultrasonic probe, means for generating ultrasound beams and for controlling the scan of a body under examination by said ultrasound beams;
- means for receiving and reconstructing image data from the ultrasound beams reflected by the body under examination and display means, characterized in that said apparatus is further provided with a memory in which the parameters for generating the ultrasound beams and the methods for scanning the body under examination or a part thereof are loaded, which parameters are alternately optimized for imaging the needle and/or body fluid flows and/or possibly tissues, and means for receiving, reconstructing and processing reflected ultrasound beams deriving from said transmit beams, which operate in relation to the generating parameters and scan modes with the transmitted ultrasound beams.
A method for ultrasound imaging of a biopsy needle or the like during an ultrasound imaging examination, wherein one or more imaging scans are alternately performed with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters which are adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the needle and one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body or details thereof, in which the needle is inserted, characterized in that it includes the step of setting the ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted to optimized imaging and display of the body or details thereof, in which the needle is inserted, for second harmonic imaging of tissues, without contrast agents.
An imaging method wherein one or more imaging scans are alternately performed with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters which are adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of different tissues and/or body fluid flows in a region under examination of a body, characterized in that it provides that protocols are set for alternating imaging scans according to the different optimized parameters.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, alternatively to the biopsy needle, any other type of similar diagnostic or therapeutic instrument is provided, such as RF, microwave, laser, cryostatic probes, cannulae or needles for localized injection of drugs and other instruments having similar structural characteristics.
A method as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the needle or any other diagnostic or therapeutic instrument are subjected to such a treatment that the material whereof they are made has acoustic impedance adjustment and improved reflection characteristics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.