Method and system for ultrasound enhanced-resolution spectral Doppler

• US 6,306,093 B1
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Wang, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAULIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/087,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 600/447, 600/455, 600/454, 600/441, 600/443
• US Class Current: 600/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers

Abstract

A method and system for generating data for a spectral Doppler strip in an ultrasound system includes a beamformer that provides Doppler data to a signal processor. The signal processor applies an autoregressive model and determines autoregressive parameters responsive to the Doppler data. Information responsive to the autoregressive parameters is generated, and a window function is applied to the information. At least one spectrum responsive to the auto-regressive parameter is estimated with a Fourier transform.

Claims

1. An ultrasound apparatus for generating data for a spectral Doppler strip comprising:

a beamformer with a Doppler data output; and

a signal processor for generating auto-regressive parameters from Doppler data at said output and for applying a window function to information responsive to said auto-regressive parameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal processor comprises an autoregressive parameter estimator implementing an algorithm selected from the group consisting of:

Burg, autocorrelation and covariance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal processor applies a window function selected from the group consisting of:

Blackman, Blackman-Harris, Hamming and Acuson; and

further comprising a control processor for selecting said window function.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor for setting a number of Doppler data samples and for setting a window length for said signal processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal processor further comprises a spectral estimator for calculating a Fourier transform of an output of said window function.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal processor further comprises an extrapolator responsive to said autoregressive parameters for generating extrapolated data from said Doppler data;

wherein said window function generates data responsive to said Doppler data and said extrapolated data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a spectral Doppler strip display.

8. An ultrasound apparatus for generating data for a spectral Doppler strip comprising:

a beamformer with a Doppler data output; and

a signal processor for generating extrapolated data from Doppler data at said output and for applying a window function to said extrapolated data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said signal processor comprises an autoregressive parameter estimator implementing an algorithm selected from the group consisting of:

Burg, autocorrelation and covariance; and

wherein said extrapolated data comprises extrapolated data responsive to autoregressive parameters.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said signal processor applies a window function selected from the group consisting of:

Blackman, Blackman-Harris, Hamming and Acuson; and

further comprising a control processor for selecting said window function.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a processor for setting a number of Doppler data samples and for setting a window length of said window function.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said signal processor further comprises a spectral estimator for calculating a Fourier transform of an output of said window function.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a spectral Doppler strip display.