Software invisible selective monochrome to color signal converter for medical diagnostic imaging

An apparatus for converting a monochrome video signal that includes a number of scan lines to a polychrome video signal, the apparatus comprising:

• a switching means for switching magnitude components of the monochrome video signal to one of at least two sets of channels, each channel converting the monochrome signal magnitudes to magnitudes of a color component of the polychrome video signal;
• a first comparing means for comparing position along each scan line with at least one selected reference position;
• a second comparing means for comparing a scan line with at least one selected scan line number;
• a logic means for controlling the switching means in accordance with the first and second comparing means in accordance with the first and second comparing means such that the switching means selectively changes states with regions of a video signal field;
• a pattern recognition means for recognizing a preselected segment of a monochrome video signal, the recognition means being operatively connected with the first and second comparing means to set the reference position and scan line number in accordance with the recognized segment from the monochrome video signal;
• an output means for outputting the polychrome video signal.

A medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

• a medical diagnostic scanner for non-invasively examining a patient and producing a monochrome video signal indicative thereof, the monochrome video signal including a plurality of scan lines, each scan line carrying a plurality of monochrome magnitude values, which magnitude values are indicative of gray scale when displayed on a video monitor;
• a monochrome to color converting means operatively connected to the scanner for converting the monochrome video signal to components of a color video signal, the monochrome to color converting means including:
• a plurality of sets of look up tables, each set of look up tables being preprogrammed with a selected monochrome to color transfer function such that the monochrome magnitude values address the look up tables and the look up tables retrieve corresponding magnitudes for each of the color video signal components,
• a switching means for selecting among the plurality of sets of look up tables;
• a color video monitor operatively connected with the monochrome to color converting means for providing a man-readable display of the color video signal.

A medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

• a medical diagnostic scanner for non-invasively examining a patient and producing a monochrome video signal indicative thereof, the monochrome video signal including a plurality of scan lines, each scan line carrying a plurality of analog magnitude values, which magnitude values are indicative of gray scale when displayed on a video monitor;
• a monochrome to color converting means operatively connected to the scanner for converting the monochrome video signal to components of a color video signal such that each magnitude value of the monochrome video signal is converted to color magnitude values of color video signal components, the monochrome to color converting means including:
• a switching means for selecting among a plurality of monochrome to color transfer functions within each frame of the monochrome video signal,
• a first comparing means for comparing a position along each scan line with a scan line position reference value,
• a second comparing means for comparing a scan line number with a selected scan line count number,
• a logic means for controlling the switching means in accordance with the comparisons of the first and second comparing means;
• a color video monitor operatively connected with the monochrome to color converting means for providing a man-readable display of the color video signal.

A method of converting gray scale video images into hue scale color video signals, the method comprising:

• receiving an analog monochrome video signal including gray scale and sync information components;
• separating the gray scale and sync information components of the analog video signal;
• digitizing the gray scale component;
• operating on the gray scale component with a preselected transfer function to create each of three digital components of the color video signal;
• converting the three digital components to three analog components of the color video signal;
• combining the sync information with one of the three analog color video signal components.