System and method for medical imaging with robust mode switching via serial channel

• US 20060094959A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonowise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonowise, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Tony, Lin, Shengtz
• Granted Patent: US 7,771,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52034 Data rate converters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52057 Cathode ray tube displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, there is an ultrasound processing system that communicates images over a single asynchronous serial channel according to a scheme that does not require an isochronous serial channel and that switches among ultrasound imaging modes robustly. For example, the system is configured to packetize ultrasound image data of at least one ultrasound imaging mode into a stream of data frames and to convey the stream of data frames via the asynchronous channel. Each data frame includes indication of the ultrasound imaging mode and includes ultrasound-imaging-mode-specific imaging parameters. Other embodiments exist.

Claims

1. A system for ultrasound medical imaging, the system comprising:

a first ultrasound information processing device configured to packetize ultrasound image data of at least one ultrasound imaging mode into a stream of data frames and to convey said stream of data frames via a serial communication channel, wherein each of multiple data frames over a duration of said stream of data frames includes indication of the ultrasound imaging mode and includes ultrasound-imaging-mode-specific imaging parameters, and the imaging parameters included by the each of multiple data frames are descriptive of structure or time sequence of image data within the each of multiple data frames; and

a second ultrasound information processing device configured to receive said stream of data frames via said serial communication channel, and to recognize ultrasound imaging mode of received image data and structure of received image data from indications within a data frame that contained said received image data.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said serial communication channel comprises an asynchronous channel, and said stream of data frames is communicated via said asynchronous channel.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said asynchronous channel is configured to include error control capability.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein an isochronous serial communication channel is not required for communicating ultrasound image data from said first ultrasound information processing device to said second ultrasound information processing device.

5. A system according to claim 1, configured wherein said serial communication channel comprises a non-isochronous channel, and at least half of all ultrasound image data conveyed from said first ultrasound information processing device to said second ultrasound information processing device during a user session is communicated via said non-isochronous channel.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first ultrasound information processing device is configured wherein said duration of said stream of data frames is one over which a human operator receiving the stream of data frames has not changed desired ultrasound imaging mode.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first ultrasound information processing device is configured, when brightness mode, hereinafter referred to as B-mode, is desired by the human operator, to produce a stream of data frames that each have a header that indicates B- mode, a body that includes B-mode image data and B-mode parameters, and a frame tailer;

and

wherein said first ultrasound information processing device is configured, when brightness-and-color mode, hereinafter referred to as B+C-mode, is desired by the human operator, to produce a stream of data frames that each have a header that indicates B-mode, a body that includes B-mode image data and B-mode parameters, a header that indicates color mode, hereinafter referred to as C-mode, a body that includes C-mode image data and C-mode parameters, and a frame tailer.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said first ultrasound information processing device is configured, when brightness-and-doppler mode, hereinafter referred to as B+D-mode, is desired by the human operator, to produce a stream of data frames that each have a header that indicates B-mode, a body that includes B-mode image data and B-mode parameters, a header that indicates doppler mode, hereinafter referred to as D-mode, a body that includes D-mode image data and D-mode parameters, and a frame tailer.

9. A method for ultrasound medical imaging, the method comprising the acts of:

transmitting ultrasound acoustic waves into the body of a patient;

receiving and processing, according to one or more ultrasound imaging modes, echoes reflected from structures within the patient'"'"'s body to form ultrasound image data;

packaging ultrasound image data of at least one ultrasound imaging mode into a stream of data frames, each of multiple data frames over a duration of said stream of data frames including indication of the ultrasound imaging mode and including ultrasound-imaging-mode-specific imaging parameters, the imaging parameters within the each of multiple data frames being descriptive of structure or time sequence of image data within the each of multiple data frames;

conveying said stream of data frames via a serial communication channel;

receiving said stream of data frames via said serial communication channel;

recognizing ultrasound imaging mode of received image data and structure of received image data from indications within a data frame that contained said- received image data;

processing the received image data, based on recognized mode and structure of the received image data; and

displaying the processed received image data.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said serial communication channel comprises an asynchronous channel, and said conveying step comprises conveying said stream of data frames via said asynchronous channel.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said asynchronous channel is configured with error control capability.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein an isochronous serial communication channel is not required for said conveying, receiving, or recognizing steps.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said serial communication channel comprises an asynchronous channel, and said conveying step comprises conveying via said non-isochronous channel at least half of all image data to be conveyed from said first ultrasound information processing device to said second ultrasound information processing device during a user session.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein said packaging step is as described even when said duration of said stream of data frames is one over which a human operator receiving the stream of data frames has not changed desired ultrasound imaging mode.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein said packaging step comprises, when brightness mode, hereinafter referred to as B-mode, is desired by the human operator, producing a stream of data frames that each have a header that indicates B- mode, a body that includes B-mode image data and B-mode parameters, and a frame tailer;

and

wherein said packaging step comprises, when brightness-and-color mode, hereinafter referred to as B+C-mode, is desired by the human operator, producing a stream of data frames that each have a header that indicates B-mode, a body that includes B-mode image data and B-mode parameters, a header that indicates color mode, hereinafter referred to as C-mode, a body that includes C-mode image data and C-mode parameters, and a frame tailer.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said packaging step comprises, when brightness-and-doppler mode, hereinafter referred to as B+D-mode, is desired by the human operator, producing a stream of data frames that each have a header that indicates B-mode, a body that includes B-mode image data and B-mode parameters, a header that indicates doppler mode, hereinafter referred to as D-mode, a body that includes D-mode image data and D-mode parameters, and a frame tailer.

17. A computer memory product, comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium;

first computer code stored on said at least one computer readable storage medium,

the first computer code including instruction to at least a first computer processor to;

package ultrasound image data of at least one ultrasound imaging mode into a stream of data frames, each of multiple data frames over a duration of said stream of data frames including indication of the ultrasound imaging mode and including ultrasound-imaging-mode-specific imaging parameters, the imaging parameters within said each of multiple data frames being descriptive of structure or time sequence of image data within the said each of multiple data frames; and

convey said stream of data frames via a serial communication channel; and

second computer code stored on said at least one computer readable storage medium, the second computer code including instruction to at least a second computer processor to;

receive said stream of data frames via said serial communication channel;

recognize ultrasound imaging mode of received image data and structure of received image data from indications within a data frame that contained said received image data; and

process the received image data, based on recognized mode and structure of the received image data, to facilitate display of the received image data.

18. A computer memory product according to claim 17, wherein said instruction to convey comprises instruction to convey said stream of data frames via an asynchronous channel.

19. A computer memory product according to claim 18, wherein said instruction to convey does not require an isochronous serial communication channel.

20. A computer memory product according to claim 17, wherein said instruction to at least a first computer processor is configured for said instruction to package to be executed even over an instance of said duration of said stream of data frames over which desired ultrasound imaging mode remains unchanged by a human operator who is viewing displayable image data.