Method and apparatus for automatic location of blood flow with Doppler ultrasound
First Claim
1. A Doppler ultrasound system for monitoring blood flow, comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements;
an ultrasound pulser circuit operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to generate signals to drive a set of elements of the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements to radiate an ultrasound beam;
an ultrasound receiving circuit operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to process signals detected from reflections of the ultrasound beam by at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements and generate processed data therefrom representative of reflected signal power of blood flow; and
a computer operatively coupled to the ultrasound pulser circuit and the ultrasound receiving circuit, the computer configured to control the ultrasound pulser circuit to drive different sets of elements of the ultrasound transducer, control the ultrasound receiving circuit to generate processed data for the different sets of elements, and further configured to analyze the processed data for the different sets of elements to determine a window through which blood flow is detected, the window generally defined by a selected one of the sets of elements for which processed data is provided by the ultrasound receiving circuit and operating conditions for the pulser and receiving circuits for the selected set of elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for combining therapeutic pulsed or continuous-wave ultrasound with diagnostic pulsed ultrasound are described. In both a therapeutic mode and in a diagnostic mode, the ultrasound is administered from a single probe to a patient suffering from thrombosis. The ultrasound can have the same or different frequency ranges in the diagnostic and therapeutic modes. The pulsed or continuous-wave ultrasound in the therapeutic mode enhances a lysing effect of a thrombolytic agent. The pulsed ultrasound in the diagnostic mode allows monitoring of blood flow to locate a thrombus, to determine an optimal window to administer the therapeutic pulsed ultrasound, and to detect when recanalization has occurred. If an operator attends the device, a graphical display operates during the diagnostic mode to display an image representative of the blood flow.
79 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A Doppler ultrasound system for monitoring blood flow, comprising:
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an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements; an ultrasound pulser circuit operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to generate signals to drive a set of elements of the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements to radiate an ultrasound beam; an ultrasound receiving circuit operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to process signals detected from reflections of the ultrasound beam by at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements and generate processed data therefrom representative of reflected signal power of blood flow; and a computer operatively coupled to the ultrasound pulser circuit and the ultrasound receiving circuit, the computer configured to control the ultrasound pulser circuit to drive different sets of elements of the ultrasound transducer, control the ultrasound receiving circuit to generate processed data for the different sets of elements, and further configured to analyze the processed data for the different sets of elements to determine a window through which blood flow is detected, the window generally defined by a selected one of the sets of elements for which processed data is provided by the ultrasound receiving circuit and operating conditions for the pulser and receiving circuits for the selected set of elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A Doppler ultrasound system for monitoring blood flow, comprising:
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an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements; an ultrasound pulser circuit operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to generate signals to drive a set of elements of the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements to radiate an ultrasound beam; an ultrasound receiving circuit operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to process signals detected from reflections of the ultrasound beam by at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements and generate processed data therefrom representative of detected blood flow including reflected signal power of the detected blood flow; and a computer operatively coupled to the ultrasound pulser circuit and the ultrasound receiving circuit, the computer configured to control the ultrasound pulser circuit to drive different sets of elements of the ultrasound transducer, control the ultrasound receiving circuit to generate processed data for the different sets of elements, and further configured to analyze the processed data for the different sets of elements to select one set of elements from which the ultrasound beam is radiated and blood flow is detected. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A Doppler ultrasound system, comprising:
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an ultrasound transducer having an array of ultrasound transducer elements; an ultrasound pulser circuit coupled to the ultrasound transducer to drive a selected plurality of the ultrasound transducer elements to deliver an ultrasound beam; a processing circuit coupled to the ultrasound transducer to process signals detected from reflections of the ultrasound beam by the selected plurality of ultrasound transducer elements and generate Doppler shift data in response thereto representative of blood flow information; and a computer coupled to the processing circuit to execute a software algorithm that analyzes the Doppler shift data and determines which of the selected plurality of ultrasound transducer elements of the array provide an optimum location from which to deliver ultrasound and detect the signals from reflections of the ultrasound beam to acquire blood flow information based on signal power of reflected ultrasound. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In a Doppler ultrasound system, a method of detecting blood flow, comprising:
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providing an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements; delivering ultrasound from groups of ultrasound transducer elements, each group defining a transmitting group; analyzing signals detected from reflections of the ultrasound beam at groups of ultrasound transducer elements to determine reflected signal power for each of the groups, each group defining a receiving group; and determining from the reflected signal power for each of the transmitting and receiving groups a selected transmitting group and a selected receiving group of ultrasound transducer elements representing an optimum set of ultrasound transducer elements for monitoring blood flow. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. In a Doppler ultrasound system, a method of determining an optimum window through which blood flow is detected, the method comprising:
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selecting a region on a body surface of the patient; placing on the body surface a single ultrasound probe having a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array, the array defining a plurality of areas within the region; administering ultrasound from the ultrasound probe to a first one of the areas; evaluating signal power of reflected ultrasound through a window for the first area; if the window for the first area is not an optimum window, administering the ultrasound to a second one of the areas, at least a portion of the second area including at least a portion of the first area; evaluating signal power of reflected ultrasound through a window for the second area; and repeating the administration of the ultrasound to another area if prior areas administered with ultrasound do not substantially include the optimum window, until an area having substantially the optimum window is located. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification