US 2011/0079083 A1Published application

Extended field of view ultrasonic imaging with guided efov scanning

AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.

InventorsYangmo Yoo, James Jago, Jing-Ming Jong, Robert Randall Entrekin, Martin Anderson, Lars Jonas Olsson

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Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an extended field of view (EFOV) image. A 3D imaging probe is moved along the skin of a patient above the anatomy which is to be included in the EFOV image. As the probe is moved, images are acquired from a plurality of differently oriented image planes such as a sagittal plane and a transverse plane. As the probe is moved the image data of successive planes of one of the orientations is compared to estimate the motion of the probe. These motion estimates are used to position a succession of images acquired in one of the orientations accurately with respect to each other in an EFOV display format. The motion estimates are also used to display a graphic on the display screen which indicates the progress of the scan to the user as the probe is being moved. The progress may be indicated in terms of probe velocity, distance traveled, or the path traversed by the moving probe.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system which produces a guided extended field of view (EFOV) image comprising:

an ultrasound probe including an array transducer which may be moved along the surface of a subject in a front direction;
a beamformer coupled to the array transducer which controls the probe to repeatedly scan a plurality of image planes as the probe is moved along the surface in the front direction;
an image processor responsive to signals received from the array transducer to form a sequence of images as the probe is moved;
a motion estimator, responsive to a sequence of images which produces estimates of probe motion;
an EFOV subsystem responsive to the probe motion estimates which operates to produce an EFOV image from a sequence of images;
a probe motion indicator responsive to the motion estimator which produces an indication of probe motion in the front direction and variation of probe motion transverse to the front direction;
and
a display responsive to the EFOV subsystem and the probe motion indicator for displaying the probe motion indicator as the probe is moved and the EFOV image.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/995,194Filed 2 Jun 2009
Priority: 5 Jun 2008
Published: 7 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01S 7/52065
Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display: compound scan display, e.g. panoramic imaging
A61B 8/483
Diagnostic techniques: involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
G01S 7/52073
Cathode ray tube displays: production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
G01S 7/52074
Cathode ray tube displays: composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular…