APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN ULTRASOUND IMAGE

• US 20070167763A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medison Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Medison Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: HYUN, Dong Gyu
• Application Number:
  US11/566,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167763A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• 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 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/486 involving arbitrary m-mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/523 for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention may provide an apparatus and a method for displaying a 3-dimensional ultrasound image formed based on 2-dimensional ultrasound images. The method for displaying an ultrasound image, comprises: a) forming and storing a plurality of sequential 2-dimensional ultrasound images based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from a target object, each of said sequential 2-dimensional ultrasound images being assigned a serial number; b) selecting N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images having consecutive serial numbers; c) superposing the N number of 2-dimensional ultrasound images to form a 3-dimensional ultrasound image; d) forming a flow direction marker indicating a first 2-dimensional ultrasound image from the N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images; e) displaying the 3-dimensional ultrasound image together with the flow direction marker on a screen; f) removing the first 2-dimensional ultrasound image from the N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images; g) selecting a (N+1)^th 2-dimensional ultrasound image and superposing the selected 2-dimensional ultrasound image to the superposed 2-dimensional ultrasound images; and h) repeating the steps c) to h) as many as a predetermined number.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an ultrasound image, comprising:

a) forming and storing a plurality of sequential 2-dimensional ultrasound images based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from a target object, each of said sequential 2-dimensional ultrasound images being assigned a serial number;

b) selecting N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images having consecutive serial numbers;

c) superposing the N number of 2-dimensional ultrasound images to form a 3-dimensional ultrasound image;

d) forming a flow direction marker indicating a first 2-dimensional ultrasound image from the N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images;

e) displaying the 3-dimensional ultrasound image together with the flow direction marker on a screen;

f) removing the first 2-dimensional ultrasound image from the N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images;

g) selecting a (N+1)^th 2-dimensional ultrasound image and superposing the selected 2-dimensional ultrasound image to the superposed 2-dimensional ultrasound images; and

h) repeating the steps c) to h) as many as a predetermined number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step c) includes individually rendering the selected 2-dimensional ultrasound images.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the 2-dimensional ultrasound image selected at step g) is rendered and then superposed.

4. The method of claim 1, after forming the flow direction marker at step d), further comprising.

d11) receiving a moving instruction from a user;

d12) moving the flow direction marker in response to the moving instruction; and

d13) displaying the 3-dimensional ultrasound image on a first region of the screen and a 2-dimensional ultrasound image positioned at the moved flow direction marker on a second region of the screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the serial numbers are determined in an order of acquisition time of the 2-dimensional ultrasound images.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the flow direction marker is set to indicate a first 2-dimensional ultrasound image among the superposed 2-dimensional ultrasound mages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a time guide line parallel to a superposing direction of the 2-dimensional ultrasound images is displayed together with the 3-dimensional ultrasound image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3-dimensional ultrasound image is inversed and the inversed 3-dimensional ultrasound image is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, after forming the 3-dimensional ultrasound image at step d), further comprising:

d21) receiving a cutting marker setting instruction from a user;

d22) setting at least one cutting marker on the 3-dimensional ultrasound image, thereby dividing the 3-dimensional ultrasound image into a plurality of regions;

d23) selecting one of regions; and

d24) displaying the selected region.

10. An apparatus of displaying an ultrasound image, comprising:

a probe for transmitting ultrasound signals into a target object and receiving ultrasound echo signals;

a 2-dimensional ultrasound image forming unit for forming a plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound image based on the ultrasound image signals, each of the plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound images being assigned a serial number;

a 3-dimensional ultrasound image forming unit for selecting consecutive N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images and superposing the N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images, thereby forming a 3-dimensional ultrasound image;

a marker setting unit for setting at least one marker on the 3-dimensional ultrasound image; and

a displaying unit for displaying the 3-dimensional ultrasound image and the marker.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the 3-dimensional ultrasound image forming unit removes a first 2-dimensional ultrasound image from the N numbers of 2-dimensional ultrasound images, selects a (N+1)^th 2-dimensional ultrasound image, and forms the 3-dimensional ultrasound image by superposing the selected 2-dimensional ultrasound images to the superposed 2-dimensional ultrasound images.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selected 2-dimensional ultrasound images are individually rendered.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the serial numbers are determined in an order of acquisition time of the 2-dimensional ultrasound images.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the marker includes a flow direction marker indicating a first 2-dimensional ultrasound image among the superposed 2-dimensional ultrasound images and a cutting marker indicating a cutting position on the 3-dimensional ultrasound image.