# US 9,517,046 B2 · Velocity estimation for vector flow imaging (VFI) in ultrasound > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,046 B2 - Document ID: US9517046B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/865,554 - Filed: 2015-09-25 - Published: 2016-01-14 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-13 - Assignees: B-K Medical Aps - Applicants: Per Haugaard; Gert Seerup - Inventors: Per Haugaard; Gert Seerup - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517046B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/06: Measuring blood flow - G01S 15/8984: {Measuring the velocity vector} - G01S 15/8915: {using a transducer array} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract An ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array, with an array of transducer elements that transmits an ultrasound signal and receives a set of echoes generated in response to the ultrasound signal traversing a flowing structure. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a beamformer that beamforms the set of echoes, generating a beamformed signal. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a pre-processor that performs basebanding, averaging and decimation of the beamformed signal and determines an autocorrelation of the basebanded, averaged and decimated beamformed signal. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a velocity processor that generates an axial velocity component signal and a lateral velocity component signal based on the autocorrelation. The axial and lateral velocity components indicate a direction and a speed of the flowing structure in the field of view. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, with a transducer array of an ultrasound imaging system, a set of echoes generated in response to an ultrasound signal traversing a flowing structure in a field of view; beamforming, with a beamformer, the set of echoes, generating a beamformed signal; basebanding, averaging and decimating, with a pre-processor, the beamformed signal; determining, via a processor, an autocorrelation of the basebanded, averaged and decimated beamformed signal; and generating, with a processor, an axial velocity component signal and a lateral velocity component signal based on the autocorrelation, wherein the axial and lateral velocity components indicate a direction and a speed of the flowing structure in the field of view. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein decimating the beamformed signal includes decimating the signal by a factor having a value in a range of two to eight. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the basebanding, averaging and decimating operations are performed by circuitry different form the circuitry determining the autocorrelation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the basebanding, averaging, decimating, autocorrelations operations are performed by a same circuitry. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein beamforming the set of echoes generates a single beamformed signal each scan-line for the axial velocity component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein beamforming the set of echoes generates at least two beamformed signals for at least two scan-lines for the lateral velocity component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein beamforming the set of echoes generates at least at least four beamformed signals for at least two scan-lines for display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein beamforming the set of echoes generates multiple beamformed signals and multiple scan-lines each acquisition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: beamforming the set of echoes generates with a sample frequency to center frequency ratio of four. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: beamforming the set of echoes generates with a sample frequency to center frequency ratio with a value in a range from two to four. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: visually displaying indicia representing the axial and lateral velocity components in connection with an ultrasound image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: optimizing the lateral velocity component through axial-velocity compensation. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a computer causes the processor to: receive a set of echoes generated in response to an ultrasound signal traversing a flowing structure in a field of view; beamform the set of echoes and generate a beamformed signal; baseband, average and decimate the beamformed signal; determine an autocorrelation of the basebanded, averaged and decimated beamformed signal; and generate an axial velocity component signal and a lateral velocity component signal based on the autocorrelation, wherein the axial and lateral velocity components indicate a direction and a speed of the flowing structure in the field of view. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein decimating the beamformed signal includes decimating the signal by a factor having a value in a range of two to eight. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the basebanding, averaging and decimating operations are performed by circuitry different form the circuitry determining the autocorrelation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the basebanding, averaging, decimating, autocorrelations operations are performed by a same circuitry. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: receiving, via a pre-processor, a beamformed signal, wherein the beamformed signal includes a beamformed set of echoes that were generated in response to an ultrasound signal traversing a flowing structure in a field of view; basebanding, via the pre-processor, the beamformed signal, producing a basebanded signal; averaging, via the pre-processor, the basebanded signal, producing an average signal; decimating, via the pre-processor, the averaged signal; determining, via a processor, an autocorrelation of the decimated signal; and generating, via a processor, an axial velocity component signal and a lateral velocity component signal based on the autocorrelation, wherein the axial and lateral velocity components indicate a direction and a speed of the flowing structure in the field of view. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the basebanding, the averaging and the decimating is performed by circuitry different form the circuitry determining the autocorrelation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the basebanding, the averaging and the decimating is performed by a same circuitry determining the autocorrelation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: generating the beamformed signal by beamforming the set of echoes.