Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus and image displaying system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the object including the organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
- means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue;
means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals;
means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped absolute velocities of movement of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the absolute velocities having a vector quantity and representing a value in a moving direction of the organ at sampling points in the cross section, the absolute velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the tissue from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; and
means for color-displaying data of the two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities.
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Abstract
There is provided an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a region containing an organ of an object being examined is diagnosed by means of ultrasonic beams, the organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising: an element for scanning the region by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals having Doppler shift; an element for calculating movement velocities every sampling volume on the basis of the ultrasonic echo signals; and an element for displaying in color the movement velocities.
183 Citations
60 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the object including the organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped absolute velocities of movement of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the absolute velocities having a vector quantity and representing a value in a moving direction of the organ at sampling points in the cross section, the absolute velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the tissue from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; and means for color-displaying data of the two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object with the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the tissue from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for calculating data of a contour of the organ in the cross section on the basis of the movement velocities; means for estimating absolute velocities of the organ in a movement direction of the organ on the basis of the movement velocities and the contour data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic means, the tissue including an organ being being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the tissue from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for obtaining a B-mode tomographic image of the tissue; means for calculating contour data of the organ in the B-mode tomographic image; and means for estimating absolute velocities of the organ in a direction of the movement of the organ on the basis of image data of the B-mode tomographic image and the movement velocities. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 33)
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31. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the organ from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for calculating data of a contour data of the organ in the cross section on the basis of the movement velocities; and means for color-displaying an image of the organ using the contour data. - View Dependent Claims (32, 34, 35)
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36. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped data of movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the organ from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped data of movement acceleration of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the data of the movement velocities; and means for displaying the data of the movement acceleration. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being periodically in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped data of movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the organ from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for memorizing the data of the movement velocities every image frame; means for analyzing timing of movement aspect of the organ on the basis of a series of the memorized data of the movement velocities; and means for displaying the analyzed timing information. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being periodically in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped data of movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the organ from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped data of movement acceleration of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the data of the movement velocities; means for memorizing the data of the movement acceleration every image frame; means for analyzing timing of movement acceleration aspects of the organ on the basis of a series of the memorized data of the movement acceleration; and means for displaying the analyzed timing information. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being periodically in motion, the apparatus comprising;
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped data of movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the organ from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for memorizing the data of the movement velocities every image frame; means for analyzing phases of movement velocities of the organ on the basis of a series of the memorized data of the movement velocities; and means for displaying the analyzed phases. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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57. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, each of the movement velocities being a vector quantity, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the tissue from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; first means for displaying an image of the tissue of the cross section; means for automatically and in real time tracing a contour of the organ on the basis of the movement velocities; and second means for displaying the contour of the organ. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59)
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60. An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus in which a tissue of an object being examined is imaged by means of ultrasonic beams, the tissue including an organ being in motion, the apparatus comprising:
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means for ultrasonically scanning a cross section of the object by the ultrasonic beams to obtain ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the cross section, the cross section including at least a portion of the tissue; means for obtaining Doppler shift frequencies from the ultrasonic echo signals; means for calculating two-dimensionally mapped velocities of movement of the tissue in the cross section on the basis of the Doppler shift frequencies, the movement velocity calculating means comprising a means for substantially extracting echo signals of the tissue from the ultrasonic echo signals obtained by the scanning means; means for color-displaying data of the two-dimensionally mapped movement velocities.
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Specification