Elevation beamwidth control for contrast imaging

• US 7,625,341 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Brock-Fisher, George A
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham; Salieu M
• Application Number:
  US11/073,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/440, 600/441, 600/443, 600/447, 600/453, 600/458, 600504-507, 424 95- 952
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• 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: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• 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 7/52046 Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to contrast imaging. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for contrast imaging in which the elevation beamwidth is controlled to reduce image artifacts, which result from contrast agent being carried into the image region by motion or respiration and not by reperfusion.

Claims

1. A method for imaging a contrast agent within a body of a patient, comprising:

transmitting high intensity ultrasound (HIFU) into a region of interest (ROI) within the patient in order signals to destroy the contrast agent in the ROI;

waiting a predetermined time period after transmitting the HIFU signals;

transmitting low intensity ultrasound (LIU) signals into the ROI; and

receiving LIU signals echoed from the ROI in order to image only reperfused contrast agent in the ROI, wherein the receiving is from a narrower portion of the ROI exposed to the transmitting of the HIFU signals.