Method of enhancing and prolonging the effect of ultrasound contrast agents
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for enhancing and prolonging the effect of ultrasound contrast agents comprising the steps of:
- introducing an ultrasound contrast agent into a patient;
applying a high power stimulus each period to generate a high power stimulus image;
receiving and processing the high power stimulus image;
applying M (M≧
0) low power stimuli each period to generate multiple low power stimulus images; and
receiving and processing the multiple low power stimulus images.
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Abstract
Ultrasound energy has been observed to rapidly destroy a large quantity of microbubbles. The duration and intensity of the contrast effect is greatly diminished by conventional imaging frame rates and power levels. Altering the imaging sequence by strategically shooting ultrasound image frames at various transmit powers and reducing the number of transmit lines per frame allows for enhancement of the contrast effect (increasing maximum intensity and duration).
77 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for enhancing and prolonging the effect of ultrasound contrast agents comprising the steps of:
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introducing an ultrasound contrast agent into a patient; applying a high power stimulus each period to generate a high power stimulus image; receiving and processing the high power stimulus image; applying M (M≧
0) low power stimuli each period to generate multiple low power stimulus images; andreceiving and processing the multiple low power stimulus images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method enhancing and prolonging the effect of ultrasound contrast agents comprising the steps of:
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introducing an ultrasound contrast agent into a patient; applying Q (Q≧
1) high power stimuli each period to destroy the contrast agent and to generate multiple high power stimulus baseline images;receiving and processing the multiple high power stimulus baseline images; applying M (M≧
0) low power stimuli each period to generate multiple low power stimulus images;receiving and processing the multiple low power stimulus images; applying an additional high power stimulus in the same period which is delayed relative to the Q high power stimuli; receiving and processing the second high power stimulus image; applying a second group of S (S≧
0) low power stimuli each period to generate multiple low power stimulus images; andreceiving and processing the multiple low power stimulus images. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification