ULTRASONIC CONTRAST IMAGING METHOD AND ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

• US 20080242998A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yoichi
• Application Number:
  US12/055,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/458
• 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 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52041 detecting modification of a contrast enhancer, e.g. detecting the destruction of a contrast agent by an acoustic wave, e.g. loss of correlation diagnostic techniques involving the use of contrast agents A61B8/481
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52077 with means for elimination of unwanted signals, e.g. noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/06 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

An ultrasonic contrast imaging method includes: a contrast medium destroying step of transmitting an ultrasonic wave for destroying a contrast medium in a portion close to an ultrasonic probe; and an imaging step of acquiring an ultrasonic image after destruction of the contrast medium in the portion close to the ultrasonic probe.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic contrast imaging method comprising:

destroying a contrast medium by transmitting an ultrasonic wave for destroying the contrast medium in a portion close to an ultrasonic probe; and

acquiring an ultrasonic image after destruction of the contrast medium in the portion close to the ultrasonic probe.

2. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 1, wherein destroying a contrast medium further comprises continuing a scan with an ultrasonic beam until a predetermined destruction time.

3. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 2, wherein destroying a contrast medium further comprises generating an ultrasonic image and determining the destruction time based on one of pixel values in a portion of the ultrasonic image and all pixel values of the ultrasonic image.

4. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 3, wherein determining the destruction time further comprises determining the destruction time based on one of an average value of pixel values in a portion of the ultrasonic image and an average value of all pixel values of the ultrasonic image.

5. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 3, wherein determining the destruction time further comprises determining the destruction time based on one of a histogram of pixel values in a portion of the ultrasonic image and a histogram of all pixel values of the ultrasonic image.

6. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 2, wherein destroying the contrast medium further comprises generating ultrasonic images and determining the destruction time based on a frame correlation between the ultrasonic images.

7. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 2, wherein destroying the contrast medium further comprises changing a sound pressure of ultrasonic beam during the scan.

8. The ultrasonic contrast imaging method according to claim 2, wherein destroying the contrast medium further comprises moving a focus of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.

9. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device for transmitting an ultrasonic wave for destroying a contrast medium in a portion close to an ultrasonic probe; and

an imaging device for acquiring an ultrasonic image after destruction of the contrast medium in the portion close to the ultrasonic probe.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting continues a scan with an ultrasonic beam until a predetermined destruction time.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting generates an ultrasonic image and determines the destruction time based on one of pixel values in a portion of the ultrasonic image and all pixel values of the ultrasonic image.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the destruction time is determined based on one of an average value of pixel values of a portion of the ultrasonic image and an average value of all pixel values of the ultrasonic image.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the destruction time is determined based on one of a histogram of pixel values of a portion of the ultrasonic image and a histogram of all pixel values of the ultrasonic image.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device generates a plurality of ultrasonic images and determines the destruction time based on a frame correlation between the ultrasonic images.

15. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device changes a sound pressure of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.

16. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device changes a sound pressure of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.

17. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device changes a sound pressure of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.

18. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device moves a focus of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.

19. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device moves a focus of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.

20. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the contrast medium destruction ultrasonic wave transmitting device moves a focus of an ultrasonic beam during the scan.