Realtime ultrasonic imaging of perfusion using ultrasonic contrast agents
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for imaging an ultrasonic microbubble contrast agent in a region of the body in realtime comprising the steps of:
- transmitting pulses and receiving echoes to produce a grayscale image of tissue in the region of the body being imaged;
transmitting time interleaved pulses and receiving multiple temporally discrete echoes from each of the sample volumes in the region where microbubbles are being imaged;
separating harmonic components of said multiple echoes from said sample volumes and producing display signals of said microbubbles of said sample volumes from the harmonic components of said multiple echoes of said sample volumes; and
displaying a realtime image sequence of said grayscale tissue signals combined or overlaid with said microbubble display signals in a distinguishing color, wherein said transmitted pulses for said realtime image sequence are at a power which is low enough to cause no substantial microbubble destruction in said imaged region but at a power which is sufficiently high enough to cause a detectable harmonic response by said microbubbles.
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Abstract
Perfusion of tissue such as the myocardium by a microbubble contrast agent is imaged in realtime by a multiple pulse technique which uses low power transmit pulses which are sufficient to elicit a harmonic response from the microbubbles but are not high enough in power to cause substantial destruction to the microbubbles. In a preferred embodiment the realtime microbubble image sequence is displayed in color, overlaid with a grayscale image of the surrounding tissue in the region being imaged.
80 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for imaging an ultrasonic microbubble contrast agent in a region of the body in realtime comprising the steps of:
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transmitting pulses and receiving echoes to produce a grayscale image of tissue in the region of the body being imaged;
transmitting time interleaved pulses and receiving multiple temporally discrete echoes from each of the sample volumes in the region where microbubbles are being imaged;
separating harmonic components of said multiple echoes from said sample volumes and producing display signals of said microbubbles of said sample volumes from the harmonic components of said multiple echoes of said sample volumes; and
displaying a realtime image sequence of said grayscale tissue signals combined or overlaid with said microbubble display signals in a distinguishing color, wherein said transmitted pulses for said realtime image sequence are at a power which is low enough to cause no substantial microbubble destruction in said imaged region but at a power which is sufficiently high enough to cause a detectable harmonic response by said microbubbles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for observing tissue perfusion by use of an ultrasonic microbubble contrast agent continuously in realtime over one or more cardiac cycles comprising the steps of:
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repetitively transmitting pulses and receiving echoes to produce a grayscale image of said tissue;
repetitively transmitting time interleaved pulses and receiving multiple temporally discrete echoes from each of the sample volumes in the tissue where microbubbles are being imaged;
separating harmonic components of said multiple echoes from said sample volumes and producing display signals of said microbubbles of said sample volumes from the harmonic components of said multiple echoes of said sample volumes; and
displaying a realtime image sequence of said grayscale tissue signals combined or overlaid with said microbubble display signals in a distinguishing color, wherein said transmitted pulses for said realtime image sequence are at a power which is low enough to cause no substantial microbubble destruction in said imaged region but at a power which is sufficiently high enough to cause a detectable harmonic response by said microbubbles. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for observing tissue perfusion by use of an ultrasonic microbubble contrast agent continuously in realtime over one or more cardiac cycles comprising the steps of:
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repetitively transmitting pulses and receiving echoes to produce a grayscale image of said tissue;
repetitively transmitting time interleaved pulses and receiving multiple temporally discrete echoes from each of the sample volumes in the tissue where microbubbles are being imaged;
separating harmonic components of said multiple echoes from said sample volumes and producing display signals of said microbubbles of said sample volumes from the harmonic components of said multiple echoes of said sample volumes;
displaying a realtime image sequence of said grayscale tissue signals combined or overlaid with said microbubble display signals in a distinguishing color; and
optimizing the transmitted pulse energy for said realtime image sequence to a power which is low enough to cause no substantial microbubble destruction in said imaged region. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification