Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system

• US 6,231,510 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATL Ultrasound Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ATL Ultrasound Incorporated
• Inventors: Negrin, Irv D., Richbourg, Jack H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US09/293,370
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443, 600/444, 600/447, 600/445, 600/446, 364/11, 364/518, 358/98, 358/110, 358/403, 382/254
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52087 using synchronization techniques control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal A61B8/543
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8216 using time division multiplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

A digital video recorder is provided which provides digital storage of realtime ultrasonic image sequences, replacing the conventional VCR with a recorder which does not degrade digital ultrasound images by analog conversion and recording. The capacity of the digital video recorder is extended by the ability of the digital video recorder to compress ultrasound image data prior to storage and the ability to decompress compressed image data retrieved from storage for realtime display.

Claims

1. A digital ultrasound video storage system for storing and retrieving realtime ultrasonic image sequences in real time comprising:

a user control;

a high capacity nonvolatile digital storage medium;

an image display device;

a source of realtime digital ultrasonic image frame data; and

an ultrasonic digital image frame data processor, coupled to said source and responsive to said user control, for directing digital ultrasonic image frame data having a frame rate of 10 frames per second or greater to said digital storage medium for digital storage in substantially real time, and for retrieving said digital ultrasonic image frame data from said storage medium for display on said image display device in substantially real time.

2. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, wherein said image frame data processor further comprises a video data compression and decompression circuit for compressing digital ultrasonic image frame data prior to storage, and for decompressing compressed digital ultrasonic image frame data after retrieval from storage.

3. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 2, wherein said video data compression and decompression circuit utilizes one of a lossy compression algorithm or a lossless compression algorithm.

4. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 3, wherein said video data compression and decompression circuit utilizes one or more of the following compression protocols:

JPEG, MPEG, RLE or wavelet.

5. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, wherein said source of realtime digital ultrasonic image frame data comprises a source of digital ultrasonic color image frame data.

6. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 5, wherein said digital ultrasonic color image frame data has a red-green-blue data format.

7. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 6, wherein said image frame data processor further comprises a video data compression circuit, and further comprising a YUV conversion circuit for converting said RGB data to YUV data prior to compression.

8. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 7, wherein said image frame data processor further comprises an acquisition frame buffer for storing a full frame of digital ultrasonic image frame data prior to YUV conversion.

9. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, wherein said high capacity digital storage medium comprises one or more of the following:

a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, a digital compact disk, and a high density floppy disk.

10. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, further comprising a video display processor, coupled between said ultrasonic digital image frame data processor and said image display device, for converting retrieved digital ultrasonic image frame data into a form suitable for use by said image display device.

11. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 10, wherein said video display processor includes a digital to analog converter for converting digital ultrasonic image frame data to analog signals for use by said image display device.

12. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, further comprising means for arranging retrieved digital ultrasonic image frame data for display in full, dual or quad screen format.

13. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, further comprising means for digitally storing and retrieving audio ultrasound data.

14. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 13, wherein said means for digitally storing and retrieving audio ultrasound data includes a sound card.

15. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, further comprising means for digitally storing graphic ultrasound image information, and for retrieving said stored graphic ultrasound image data for display with stored ultrasonic image frame data.

16. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 15, wherein said means for digitally storing and retrieving graphic ultrasound image information includes a VGA card.

17. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 15, wherein said stored graphic ultrasound image data includes physiological data.

18. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 1, wherein said user control further comprises means for controlling an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system.

19. An ultrasound system with realtime digital video storage capability comprising:

an array transducer for acquiring ultrasonic signals from a region of the body being imaged;

a digital beamformer, coupled to said transducer, for producing coherent ultrasonic image signals of said region in a sequence of realtime image frames;

a digital signal processor, coupled to said beamformer, for producing frames of digital ultrasonic image data in real time;

an image display, coupled to said digital signal processor, for displaying frames of said digital ultrasonic image data in real time;

a high capacity nonvolatile digital storage medium; and

a digital video storage and retrieval system, coupled to said digital storage medium, said digital signal processor, and said image display, for storing said digital ultrasonic image data on said digital storage medium in substantially real time and for retrieving digital ultrasonic image data from said digital storage medium for display on said image display in substantially real time.

20. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein said high capacity digital storage medium has a capacity which able to store in excess of 400 ultrasound frames.

21. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein said high capacity digital storage medium has a capacity which is able to store a realtime ultrasonic image sequence which has a display duration on replay of greater than 30 seconds.

22. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein said high capacity digital storage medium has a capacity which is able to store a realtime ultrasonic image sequence which has a display duration on replay of greater than one minute.

23. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein said high capacity digital storage medium has a capacity which is able to store a realtime ultrasonic image sequence which has a display duration on replay of greater than five minutes.

24. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein said digital video storage and retrieval system includes a compression/decompression processor which compresses ultrasound images prior to storage and decompresses stored compressed ultrasound images prior to display.

25. The ultrasound system of claim 24, wherein the degree of compression effected by said compression/decompression processor is variable and selectable.

26. The ultrasound system of claim 24, wherein said compression/decompression processor can execute a plurality of selectable compression algorithms.

27. A digital ultrasound video storage system for storing realtime ultrasonic cardiac image sequences in real time comprising:

a source of realtime digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data;

an image display device coupled to the source for displaying the cardiac image frame data in real time;

a high capacity nonvolatile digital storage medium; and

an ultrasonic digital image frame data processor, coupled to receive realtime digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data from the source, which directs the digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data to the digital storage medium to digitally store the cardiac image data displayed on the image display.

28. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 27, wherein the realtime digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data has a frame rate of at least ten frames per second.

29. A digital ultrasound video storage system for storing realtime ultrasonic cardiac image sequences in real time comprising:

a source of realtime digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data;

a source of realtime physiological cardiac data corresponding to the realtime cardiac image frame data;

an image display device coupled to the sources for displaying the cardiac image frame data and corresponding physiological cardiac data in real time;

a high capacity nonvolatile digital storage medium; and

an ultrasonic digital image frame data processor, coupled to receive realtime digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data and corresponding physiological cardiac data from the sources, which directs the digital ultrasonic cardiac image frame data and the corresponding physiological cardiac data to the digital storage medium to digitally store the cardiac image data and the corresponding physiological cardiac data in real time.

30. The digital ultrasound video storage system of claim 29, further comprising a source of audio cardiac data corresponding to the realtime cardiac image frame data;

wherein the ultrasonic digital image frame data processor is coupled to receive the audio cardiac data so as to digitally store the audio cardiac data in correspondence to the cardiac image data.

31. A method for producing a cardiac image display comprising:

acquiring a first realtime sequence of images of one or more cardiac cycles;

digitally storing the first sequence of cardiac images on a nonvolatile storage device;

acquiring a second realtime cardiac image sequence and corresponding physiological cardiac data; and

simultaneously displaying the first sequence of cardiac images and the second realtime cardiac image sequence in physiological synchronism.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the physiological cardiac data comprises an ECG signal, and wherein the first sequence of cardiac images and the second realtime cardiac image sequence are both displayed in synchronism with the ECG signal.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein simultaneously displaying comprises simultaneously displaying the first sequence of cardiac images, the second realtime cardiac image sequence, and the ECG signal.