Transmit power based on harmonic to fundamental relationship in medical ultrasound imaging
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorsBimba Rao, Sharleen Marshall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Transmit power is adaptively set in medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging. The relative strength, such as a ratio, of harmonic and fundamental responses is calculated. This relative strength is used to set the transmit power. The transmit power may be set following ALARA while providing enough information for harmonic imaging.
Claims20
A method for setting transmit power in medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging, the method comprising:
- measuring, with an ultrasound scanner, a fundamental response at a location in a patient;
- measuring, with the ultrasound scanner, a harmonic response at the location in the patient;
- calculating a ratio of the fundamental and harmonic responses;
- setting a transmit power of a transmitter of the ultrasound scanner as a function of the ratio of the fundamental and harmonic responses;
- and
- imaging the patient with the ultrasound scanner using the transmit power.
A medical diagnostic imaging system for setting transmit power, the system comprising:
- a transducer operable to transmit acoustic energy and receive responses to the acoustic energy;
- a transmit beamformer configured to cause the transducer to transmit the acoustic energy;
- a receive beamformer configured to beamform a signal from the responses to the acoustic energy;
- and
- a processor configured to determine a relationship between fundamental and harmonic levels of the signal and to set a power of subsequent transmission of acoustic energy as a function of the relationship.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for setting transmit power in medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging, the storage medium comprising instructions for:
- calculating a value as a function of harmonic and fundamental information;
- determining the transmit power for an imaging condition of an ultrasound imager as a function of the value;
- and
- configuring the ultrasound imager to use the transmit power for the imaging condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.