US 5,469,850 A · Ultrasonic diagnostic system

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic system incorporates therein a technique of extracting an outline of the tissue within the subject. The ultrasonic diagnostic system is functionally capable of objectively extracting the outline of the tissue without a manual work, or with only a simple manual work. A gradient on each point of a tomographic image is evaluated, a scalar quantity representative of the magnitude of the gradient is evaluated, a maximal point of the scalar quantity is evaluated, and the outline of the tissue is extracted on the basis of the maximal point thus evaluated. When the outline is extracted, an arithmetic effective domain is determined beforehand so that the outline is extracted only within the determined arithmetic effective domain. Further, a movement of the subject, which extends through a plurality of frames, is detected to vary the outline on the basis of the movement detected.

Claims41

Dependent claims

An ultrasonic diagnostic system wherein ultrasonic waves reflected within a subject are received, whereby image data corresponding to each point inside a tomographic surface spreading within the subject is obtained, comprising:

gradient arithmetic means for evaluating gradients of the image data on a plurality of points within the tomographic surface;
scalar quantity arithmetic means for evaluating scalar quantities each corresponding to an associated one of said gradients on the plurality of points within the tomographic surface;
maximal point arithmetic means for evaluating a plurality of maximal points within the tomographic surface so that said scalar quantities assume each a maximal value;
and
outline extracting means for determining an outline of a predetermined tissue within the subject on the basis of said plurality of maximal points.

2 more elements

outline arithmetic means for evaluating an outline of a predetermined tissue within the subject on the basis of the image data;
gradient arithmetic means for evaluating gradients of the image data on a plurality of points inside the tomographic surface;
and
arithmetic effective domain detecting means for determining an arithmetic effective domain including said predetermined tissue within the tomographic surface on the basis of directions of said gradients,
wherein said outline arithmetic means determines the outline of said predetermined tissue inside the arithmetic effective domain.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ultrasonic diagnostic system

Life of this patent

Ultrasonic diagnostic system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41