Adaptive acoustic pressure estimation in medical ultrasound
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorWilko Gerwin Wilkening
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Adaptive acoustic pressure estimation is provided in medical ultrasound. The responses of tissue of a specific patient at different frequencies (e.g., linear and non-linear responses) are measured. The responses are used to determine the acoustic pressure. The measurement in a specific patient adapts the estimate to the patient. The acoustic pressure for the desired locations is determined in order to set the transmit power to the desired level, such as for contrast agent imaging with high SNR but with limited destruction of the contrast agents or to provide the desired thermal dose the acoustic therapy.
Claims19
A method for adaptive acoustic pressure estimation in medical ultrasound, the method comprising:
- acquiring first responses of tissue at a first frequency for a plurality of locations;
- acquiring second responses of the tissue at a second frequency for the plurality of locations;
- estimating, by a processor, an acoustic pressure at at least one of the locations, the acoustic pressure estimated as a function of the first and second responses;
- and
- setting an acoustic output of a transducer as a function of the acoustic pressure.
In a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for adaptive acoustic pressure estimation in medical ultrasound, the storage medium comprising instructions for:
- determining tissue response in first and second frequency bands to acoustic energy;
- setting a transmit power as a function of an acoustic pressure, the acoustic pressure estimated as a function of the tissue response in the first and second frequency bands;
- and
- performing contrast agent imaging or acoustic therapy using the transmit power.
An ultrasound system for adaptive acoustic pressure estimation in medical ultrasound, the system comprising:
- a transducer;
- a transmit amplifier connected with the transducer;
- and
- a processor configured to establish a transmit power of the transmit amplifier as a function of an acoustic pressure, the acoustic pressure estimated as a function of a first amplitude profile as a function of depth at a first frequency and a second amplitude profile as a function of depth at a second frequency different than the first frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.