System and method for ECG-triggered retrospective color flow ultrasound imaging

• US 20050197572A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre
• Inventors: Williams, Ross, Cherin, Emmanuel, Needles, Andrew, Foster, F. Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 7,674,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• 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 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5284 involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8906 Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8956 using frequencies at or above 20 MHz
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8988 Colour Doppler imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52034 Data rate converters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52087 using synchronization techniques control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal A61B8/543
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52088 involving retrospective scan line rearrangements medical diagnostic ultrasound devices involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal A61B8/5284

Abstract

A method for producing an ECG-triggered retrospective color-flow ultrasound image comprises generating ultrasound, transmitting the ultrasound into a subject at a first location, wherein a first reference point of an ECG signal taken from the subject triggers the ultrasound transmission, receiving ultrasound reflected from the subject at the first location, transmitting the ultrasound into the subject at a second location, wherein a second reference point of an ECG signal taken from the subject triggers the ultrasound transmission receiving ultrasound reflected from the subject at the second location, processing the received ultrasound to form ultrasound color traces, and reconstructing the ultrasound color traces to form the ultrasound image.

Claims

1. A method of producing an ultrasound image, comprising:

generating ultrasound;

transmitting the ultrasound into a subject at a first location, wherein a first reference point of an ECG signal taken from the subject triggers the ultrasound transmission;

receiving ultrasound reflected from the subject at the first location;

transmitting the ultrasound into the subject at a second location, wherein a second reference point of an ECG signal taken from the subject triggers the ultrasound transmission;

receiving ultrasound reflected from the subject at the second location;

processing the received ultrasound to form ultrasound color traces;

reconstructing the ultrasound color traces to form the ultrasound image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating ultrasound in a frequency of about 20 MHz to 60 MHz.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the ultrasound on a small animal to image blood flow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the small animal is a mouse.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the ultrasound on a small animal to produce a blood velocity estimate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the small animal is a mouse.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying the ultrasound image on a retrospective B-scan ultrasound image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound is generated by a single element mechanically scanned transducer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound is generated by an electronically steerable array transducer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plurality of color flow traces, each color flow trace generated from ultrasound data acquired at a specific location and triggered by a reference point of an ECG signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising assembling the plurality of color flow traces to form a frame.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a plurality of frames in series to form a cineloop.

13. A system for developing an ultrasound image, comprising:

an ultrasound probe having a transducer capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasound energy; and

a processor for generating an ECG-triggered retrospective color flow ultrasound image.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound occurs at a frequency range of about 20 MHz to 60 MHz.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the ultrasound is performed on a small animal to image blood flow.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the small animal is a mouse.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a transmit subsystem configured to transmit a plurality of ultrasound pulses at a location on a subject'"'"'s anatomy, the plurality of ultrasound pulses transmitted at the location when triggered by a reference point of an ECG signal.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the plurality of ultrasound pulses are transmitted at a first location on a subject'"'"'s anatomy when triggered by a reference point on the ECG signal and wherein a second plurality of ultrasound pulses are transmitted at a second location on a subject'"'"'s anatomy when triggered by a reference point on the ECG signal.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

software, wherein ultrasound data are input into the software from the locations on a subject'"'"'s anatomy and corresponding color flow traces are output by the software.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a second software, wherein the color flow traces are processed by the second software forming a representation of blood flow over a region or portion of a subject'"'"'s anatomy.