Quantified perfusion studies with ultrasonic thick slice imaging having a dual port memory

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for a diagnosis of tissue perfusion, the imaging system comprising:

• an array transducer located in an ultrasound probe and configured to transmit and receive scanlines over a volumetric region;
• a microbeamformer located in the probe and coupled to the array transducer to control the steering and focusing of ultrasound signals over a plurality of adjacent slices in the volumetric region where contrast agent perfused tissue is present, the adjacent slices being parallel to each other in the elevation direction;
• a detector, coupled to the microbeamformer, configured to detect image data of the slices;
• a dual port slice memory, coupled to the detector, configured to store slice image data comprising a first plurality of parallel slices acquired at a first time interval and a second plurality of parallel slices at a second time interval;
• a write address controller, coupled to a first port of the dual port slice memory, configured to control writing of slice image data comprising the second plurality of parallel slices into a second location in the dual port slice memory;
• a read address controller, coupled to a second port of the dual port slice memory, configured to control reading of slice image data comprising the first plurality of parallel slices from a first location in the dual port slice memory while the slice image data comprising the second plurality of parallel slices is being written into the second location;
• a combiner, coupled to the dual port slice memory, configured to combine slice image data comprising the first plurality of parallel slices and the second plurality of parallel slices in the elevation direction, wherein the combined slice image data is written into a third location in the dual port slice memory;
• a perfusion data processor, coupled to the combiner, configured to process the combined slice image data to produce at least one of a qualitative or quantitative measure of perfusion;
• and
• a display responsive to the perfusion data processor configured to display at least one measure of perfusion of tissue from combined slice image data.