Methods for adaptively varying gain during ultrasound agent quantification

• US 7,534,210 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Loftman, Rickard C., Chomas, James E., Simopoulos, Constantine
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Ruth S
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHTA, PARIKHA SOLANKI
• Application Number:
  US10/770,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20050187476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/458, 735/96, 736/27, 736/31
• US Class Current: 600/458
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52033 Gain control of receivers for seismic signals G01V1/245
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52041 detecting modification of a contrast enhancer, e.g. detecting the destruction of a contrast agent by an acoustic wave, e.g. loss of correlation diagnostic techniques involving the use of contrast agents A61B8/481
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5205 Means for monitoring or calibrating

Abstract

Methods are provided for automatic setting of parameters for contrast agent quantification. Various processes may improve quantification. For example, for consistency in contrast agent quantification, a gain or other setting of an ultrasound system is automatically determined in response to destruction of the contrast agent or at the initiation of the contrast agent quantification procedure. Automatic setting of an adaptive gain provides equalized image intensity for each repetition of a contrast agent quantification procedure based on a same triggering event, the destruction of contrast agent. By synchronizing the adaptive setting algorithms with contrast agent destruction, similar base line information is provided for each iteration of a contrast agent quantification procedure. As another example, the contrast agent gain setting treats acoustic signals representing tissue or other non-contrast agent structure as noise, mapping the tissue values to a substantially constant low value within the dynamic range. As yet another example, by segmenting out blood pools or other areas of contrast agent likely to have contrast agents even after destruction, the resulting gain is more likely sensitive to the detection of perfused contrast agents.

Claims

1. A method for automatic setting in contrast agent quantification, the method comprising:

(a) initiating a contrast agent quantification procedure;

(b) repeating (a) during a same imaging session; and

(c) automatically normalizing a setting of an ultrasound system as a function of received information for each initiation of the contrast agent quantification procedure;

wherein (c) comprises;

(c1) determining tissue values at a plurality of locations in a region after injection of a contrast agent; and

(c2) adaptively varying a gain of the ultrasound system based on the tissue values, the gain associated with mapping the tissue values within an image to a substantially constant low value; and

further comprising;

(d) generating at least one image of the contrast agent responsive to the gain for each initiation of the contrast agent quantification procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) injecting the contrast agent prior to (a);

wherein (a) comprises initiating one of a wash-in and wash-out quantification procedure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises performing the contrast agent quantification procedure at least once for each of at least one of:

different views of a same region and different imaging parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein (c) comprises normalizing as a function of the received information at a beginning of each repetition in (b).

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) transmitting acoustic energy to destroy the contrast agent in response to the initiations of the contrast agent quantification procedure in (a) and (b); and

(f) detecting the contrast agent after (e);

wherein (c) comprises determining the gain separately for each performance of the contrast agent quantification procedure, the gain determined from received information after (e) and substantially prior to (f).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein (c) comprises normalizing free of user input of the setting.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) preventing user adjustment of the setting for a time period after each of the initiations of (a) and (b).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein (c2) is performed free of a separately acquired thermal noise frame of data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein (c) comprises adaptively determining the gain from the group of:

lateral gain, depth gain, system gain, dynamic range and combinations thereof of the ultrasound system from a baseline frame of data;

further comprising;

(e) applying the gain to the baseline frame of data and at least one subsequent frame of data.

10. A method for automatic setting in contrast agent quantification, the method comprising:

(a) destroying a contrast agent in a region of interest;

(b) automatically setting a gain parameter for receive signals from the region of interest in response to (a); and

(c) detecting the contrast agent in the region of interest after (b);

wherein (a) comprises transmitting acoustic energy;

(b) comprises adaptively varying the gain of an ultrasound system based on tissue values, the gain associated with mapping the tissue values within an image to a substantially constant low value and (c) comprises detecting the contrast agent during a contrast agent quantification procedure.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein (b) comprises calculating the gain as a function of data acoustically acquired substantially immediately after (a).

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

(d) applying the gain to the data acoustically acquired substantially immediately after (a) and subsequent data acquired during (c).

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

(d) repeating (a), (b) and (c) in sequence;

(e) quantifying as a function of each repetition of (c).

14. The method of claim 10 wherein (b) comprises:

(b1) determining tissue values at a first plurality of locations in the region after (a);

(b2) determining contrast agent values at a second plurality of locations in the region after (a), the second plurality of locations different than the first plurality of locations; and

(b3) adaptively varying the gain of an ultrasound system free of the contrast agent values; and

further comprising;

(d) generating at least one image of the contrast agent responsive to the gain.

15. A method for automatic setting in contrast agent quantification, the method comprising:

(a) injecting a contrast agent into a region;

(b) determining tissue values at a plurality of locations in the region after (a);

(c) adaptively varying a gain of an ultrasound system based on the tissue values, the gain associated with mapping the tissue values within an image to a substantially constant low value; and

(d) generating an image of the contrast agent responsive to the gain.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) is performed free of a separately acquired thermal noise frame of data.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) comprises setting the gain such that tissue values are within a lower 15% of a dynamic range and contrast agent values are within an upper 85% of the dynamic range.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) comprises setting the gain such that tissue values are substantially at a bottom of a dynamic range.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

(e) performing (b) after acoustic destruction of the contrast agent.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein (c) comprises setting the gain based on the tissue values and free of contrast agent values.

21. A method for automatic setting in contrast agent quantification, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting acoustic energy to destroy a contrast agent;

(b) acquiring first data representing a region after (a); and

(c) adaptively varying a gain of an ultrasound system based on the first data representing a first sub-region of the region and free of the first data representing a second sub-region of the region, the second sub-region associated with the contrast agent;

wherein (c) comprises adaptively varying the gain such that tissue values are mapped to a substantially constant low value.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

(d) detecting the contrast agent as a function of the gain;

(e) repeating (a), (b), (c) and (d) in sequence;

(f) quantifying as a function of each repetition of (d).