Ultrasound method and ultrasound system for real time automatic setting of parameters for doppler imaging modes
AssigneeEsaote S.p.A.
InventorMassimo FARAGGI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To fasten the examination time in an Ultrasound system in a vascular Exam routine, it is desirable to: automatically position in the best way Color Doppler ROI and/or Sample Gate; select the best Color Doppler/Beamline Steering angle; and set the Doppler Correction angle. An algorithm is able to process in real time the Doppler Signal to identify the Doppler Area where the most significant flow is present then it analyzes the ‘Shape’ of such Color Doppler Area identifying the Position and direction of the “main” Flow. The vascular Examination routine can be made easier and faster.
Claims21
A method for real time automatic setting of parameters for Doppler mode or color Doppler imaging mode comprising:
- transmitting ultrasound beams in a target body and receiving the reflected beam from said target body;
- extracting Doppler signals from said reflected beam;
- processing the Doppler signals to identify an area where the Doppler signals indicate that a flow is present and processing the Doppler signals relating to the said area for automatically determining one or more of the following parameter settings:
- positioning of the color Doppler ROI and/or of the Doppler sample Gate, determining and applying a color Doppler beam steering angle, setting the Doppler correction angle,
- wherein processing the said Doppler signals comprises:
- analyzing the shape of the identified Doppler area by processing the corresponding Doppler signals for determining:
- a) the position of a flow having the most significant intensity;
- b) the direction of the flow at the position referred in a);
- determining the best position of the color Doppler ROI and/or of the Doppler sample gate as a function of the said position of the flow and positioning the said color Doppler ROI and/or sample gate on that position;
- determining the steering angle of the transmit beams and/or the Doppler correction angle as a function of the direction of the flow.
A ultrasound imaging system for real time automatic setting of parameters for Doppler modes comprising:
- an ultrasonic probe including a transducer array which probe transmits ultrasound beams in a target region where a flow is present and which receives the echo signals reflected by the said target region;
- a beamformer;
- a Doppler processor producing Doppler signals from the echo signals;
- an image processor producing Doppler images of the flows in the target region;
- a Color Doppler ROI and/or Doppler sample gate positioning processor for automatically positioning the ROI and/or a sample gate in the best position relatively to the imaged flow;
- a Steering angle and/or Doppler correction angle processor for automatically determining the best steering angle and setting the corresponding best correction angle of the ultrasound beams propagation directions;
- wherein
- the said Color Doppler ROI and/or Doppler sample gate positioning processor and the steering angle and/or Doppler correction angle processor are configured to:
- process the color Doppler flow signals;
- determine data relating to morphological features of the flow;
- and
- calculate the best position for the Color Doppler ROI and/or the Doppler sample gate and the Steering angle and/or the Doppler correction angle as a function of the said data on morphological features.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.