Method and apparatus for performing multi-mode imaging

• US 20050113689A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gritzky, Arthur
• Application Number:
  US10/860,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20050113689A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0037 Performing a preliminary scan, e.g. a prescan for identifying a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing multi-mode imaging are provided. The includes performing a first volume scan using a first mode to acquire a first data set and performing a second scan using a second mode to acquire a second data set. The first and second modes are different.

Claims

1. A method for performing multi-mode ultrasonic imaging comprising:

performing a first volume scan using a first mode to acquire a first data set; and

performing a second scan using a second mode to acquire a second data set, the first and second modes being different.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second scan comprises one of a plane and single line scan.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second scan comprises a volume scan.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

acquiring the first data set at a first volume rate; and

acquiring the second data set at a second volume rate, the first and second volume rates being different.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second modes comprise at least one of b-mode, Power Doppler, Pulse Wave Doppler, Continuous Wave Doppler, Harmonic Imaging and color flow imaging.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first image based on the first data set; and

displaying a second image based on the second data set, the first and second images displayed at the same time.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first and second images are displayed on a single display in real-time.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first image based on a volume frame rate of the first data set; and

identifying a portion on the first image with the second data set acquired based on the identified portion and a second volume frame rate.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the portion comprises at least one of a volume, slice, line and plane.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises identifying a plurality of portions.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising displaying a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of identified portions.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the plurality of portions are defined having at least one of different resolutions and update rates.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein performing a first volume scan comprises scanning in a first direction in the first mode to acquire the first data set and performing a second scan comprises scanning in a second direction in the second mode to acquire the second data set.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the first and second directions are opposite.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising selecting the first and second modes of operation based upon a user input.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising filtering the first and second data sets.

17. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the scans are performed using one of a probe having a mechanically controlled array and a probe having an electrically controlled array.

18. A method is accordance with claim 1, wherein the first volume scan and the second volume scan are performed using an interleaved operation.

19. A method is accordance with claim 1, wherein the first volume scan and the second volume scan are performed during a single scanning operation.

20. A method of performing a multi-mode ultrasonic acquisition of an object, comprising:

acquiring a first data set containing at least two dimensions of spatial information and one dimension of at least one of temporal and spatial information; and

acquiring a second data set separate from and simultaneously with said first data set, said second data set containing at least a first dimension containing spatial information and a second dimension containing one of spatial, motion and temporal information.

21. An ultrasound system comprising:

a probe for acquiring a first data set with a volume scan in a first mode and acquiring a second data set with a scan in a second mode, the first and second modes being different; and

a processor configured to process the first and second data sets for display as first and second images, the first and second images displayed on the same display.

22. An ultrasound system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the probe is configured to scan in a first direction to acquire the first data set and to scan in a second direction to acquire the second data set, the first and second directions being different.