Multiple ultrasound image registration system, method and transducer
First Claim
1. A method for registering ultrasonic image information acquired from a target, said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) acquiring a plurality of sets of ultrasonic image information with a single ultrasonic transducer array or with at least two ultrasonic transducer arrays in a substanially fixed relationship with each other, said array or arrays moved between least some of the sets of image information, said plurality of sets of ultrasonic image information comprising a plurality of image data sets and a plurality of tracking sets, both the image data sets and the tracking sets representative of respective portions of tissue in the target;
(b) automatically determining a component of motion based on a comparison of at least a portion of the tracking sets representing tissue acquired at different times in step (a); and
(c) automatically using the component of motion determined in step (b) to register selected ones of the image data sets acquired in step (a) with respect to one another.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic imaging system includes an ultrasonic transducer having an image data array and a tracking array at each end of the image data array. The tracking arrays are oriented transversely to the image data array. Images from the image data array are used to reconstruct a three-dimensional representation of the target. The relative movement between respective frames of the image data is automatically estimated by a motion estimator, based on frames of data from the tracking arrays. As the transducer is rotated about the azimuthal axis of the image data array, features of the target remain within the image planes of the tracking arrays. Movements of these features in the image planes of the tracking arrays are used to estimate motion as required for the three-dimensional reconstruction. Similar techniques estimate motion within the plane of an image to create an extended field of view.
629 Citations
72 Claims
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1. A method for registering ultrasonic image information acquired from a target, said method comprising the following steps:
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(a) acquiring a plurality of sets of ultrasonic image information with a single ultrasonic transducer array or with at least two ultrasonic transducer arrays in a substanially fixed relationship with each other, said array or arrays moved between least some of the sets of image information, said plurality of sets of ultrasonic image information comprising a plurality of image data sets and a plurality of tracking sets, both the image data sets and the tracking sets representative of respective portions of tissue in the target; (b) automatically determining a component of motion based on a comparison of at least a portion of the tracking sets representing tissue acquired at different times in step (a); and (c) automatically using the component of motion determined in step (b) to register selected ones of the image data sets acquired in step (a) with respect to one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method for detecting an erroneous motion estimate comprising the following steps:
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(a) providing an ultrasonic transducer comprising an imaging transducer array and at least three tracking transducer arrays, each tracking transducer array comprising at least one transducer element; (b) collecting tracking data from each of the tracking transducer arrays; (c) developing at least three motion estimates from the tracking data, each motion estimate associated with a respective tracking transducer array; and (d) detecting an unreliable one of the motion estimates based on a comparison of the motion estimates.
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66. A method for registering ultrasonic image information acquired from a target, said method comprising the following steps:
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(a) acquiring a plurality of sets of ultrasonic image information with a single ultrasonic transducer array or with at least two ultrasonic transducer arrays in a substanially fixed relationship with each other, said array, or arrays moved between at least some of the sets of image information, said plurality of sets of ultrasonic image information comprising a plurality of image data sets and a plurality of tracking sets, both the image data sets and the tracking sets representative of respective portions of tissue in the target; (b) automatically determining a component of motion based on a comparison of at least a portion of the tracking sets representing tissue acquired at different times in step (a); and (c) automatically using the component of motion determined in step (b) to register selected ones of the image data sets acquired in step (a) with respect to one another; wherein step (a) comprises the step of transmitting ultrasonic energy concentrated near a fundamental frequency into a target; and wherein at least one of the image data sets and the tracking data sets comprises a selectively received harmonic component of received ultrasonic echo information, said harmonic component concentrated near a harmonic of the fundamental frequency. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification