METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACQUIRING AND TRANSFORMING ULTRASOUND DATA

• US 20100138191A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultrasound Medical Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ultrasound Medical Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Hamilton, James
• Application Number:
  US12/625,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138191A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8959 using coded signals for correlation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8981 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds, e.g. wall clutter filter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52046 Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00

Abstract

A method and system for transforming acquired ultrasound data for processing that includes the steps of generating ultrasound data, calculating object motion, modifying a data generation parameter using the calculated object motion, processing the ultrasound data related to the generated ultrasound data, and outputting the processed data. The method and system may additionally include buffering data from a data acquisition device.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring and transforming ultrasound data comprising:

generating ultrasound data;

calculating object motion from the collected ultrasound data;

modifying a data generation parameter using the calculated object motion;

processing the ultrasound data related to the generated ultrasound data; and

outputting the processed ultrasound data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating object motion includes performing speckle tracking.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying a data generation parameter includes adjusting operation of an ultrasound acquisition device.

4. The method of claim 3, further including adjusting an ultrasound beam property according to the calculated object motion.

5. The method of claim 3, further including adjusting the acquisition rate of an ultrasound acquisition device according to the calculated object motion.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of modifying a data generation parameter further includes modifying a data formation parameter and wherein the step of generating ultrasound data includes forming ultrasound data sent for processing according to the data formation parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein forming ultrasound data includes defining temporal and spatial sampling of ultrasound image data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating ultrasound data includes buffering data from a data acquisition device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data of the buffer is read at substantially the same time as the data is acquired by an ultrasound device

10. The method of claim 8, wherein buffering includes reading from a data storage device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the buffered data is 3D ultrasound data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating ultrasound data includes selecting buffered ultrasound data to send for processing according to the data generation parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting buffered ultrasound data includes optimizing data for processing.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of modifying a data acquisition parameter further includes modifying a data formation parameter and wherein the step of generating ultrasound data includes forming ultrasound data sent for processing according to the data formation parameter.

15. A system for acquiring and transforming ultrasound data comprising:

an ultrasound data generation device that collects ultrasound data;

an object motion calculation device that calculates object motion from the ultrasound data;

a data modification system that uses the calculated object motion to modify a data generation parameter; and

a data processor that processes the ultrasound data supplied by the ultrasound generation device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data modification system includes a control input of an ultrasound acquisition device of the ultrasound data generation device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the ultrasound acquisition device includes an ultrasound transducer that is at least partially manipulated by the control input.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the data modification system accepts ultrasound data and modifies the data for the data processor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the data modification system includes a data forming sub-system that outputs ultrasound data images for the data processor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the ultrasound data generation device is a buffer of ultrasound data.