Ultrasound image performance determination

• US 9,116,226 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Urbano, Joseph A., Randall, Kevin S., Lannutti, Anthony P., Cannon, Michael G., Ku, George C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bitar, Nancy
• Application Number:
  US13/269,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20120141002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5205 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means

Abstract

Embodiments contemplate methods and systems for determining an image performance measurement in an ultrasound system. Embodiments contemplate that data may be received from a remote unit of an ultrasound imaging system. One or more determinations of the measure of performance of an image may be made, where the image may be derivable from at least part of the data. The measure of image performance may be displayed on a main unit of the ultrasound imaging system.

Claims

1. A method of determining image quality, comprising:

receiving a first data at a main unit of an ultrasound system, wherein the first data is digital data derived from ultrasound waves received at a remote unit, and the first data was sent in a transmission from the remote unit of the ultrasound system to the main unit of the ultrasound system;

determining a measure of performance of the transmission on at least one indicator based on correlation between at least first data and a predetermined condition;

converting at least part of the first data into an image; and

displaying the measure of performance with the image via a display of the main unit of the ultrasound system, wherein the measure of performance is displayed proximate to the image and storing data from which the image is derivable and the measure of performance in a memory wherein the image is derivable being associated with the stored measure of performance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is received via at least one of a wireless communication link or a wired connection.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving a second data at the main unit, wherein the determining the measure of performance is based, at least in part, on the second data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the measure of performance is based, at least in part, on a correlation between at least part of the first data and a predetermined condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the measure of performance is based, at least in part, on a correlation between the image and a predetermined image characteristic.

6. The method of claim 4, further including receiving a second data at the main unit, wherein the determining the measure of performance is based, at least in part, on both the correlation and the second data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data includes at least one of image pixel data, channel data, echo signal data, baseband data, beam formed data, or non-beam formed data.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the second data includes at least one of a predetermined data frame or data including one or more predetermined characteristics.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of a predetermined imaging performance characteristic or a statistic representative of an expected imaging performance.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined image characteristic includes at least one of image noise, an amount of image noise, or a type of image noise.

11. The method of claim 1, further including storing data from which the image is derivable and the measure of performance in a memory, the stored data from which the image is derivable being associated with the stored measure of performance.

12. A method of determining image quality, comprising:

receiving a first data at a main unit of an ultrasound system through a transmission from a remote unit of the ultrasound system, wherein the first data is digital data derived at the remote unit from acoustic echo waves received by the remote unit; and

the first data was sent in a transmission from the remote unit of the ultrasound system to the main unit of the ultrasound system;

identifying at least a part of the first data from which one or more frames of an image are derivable;

determining a measure of performance of the transmission of the first data on at least one indicator based on correlation between at least first data and a predetermined condition; and

converting at least part of the first data into an image;

displaying the measure of performance proximate to an image derived from the identified part of the first data at the main unit; and

storing data from which the image is derivable and the measure of performance in a memory wherein the image is derivable being associated with the stored measure of performance.

13. The method of claim 12, further including:

identifying a second data from at least part of the first data; and

identifying a third data from at least part of the first data, wherein a first frame of the image is derivable from the second data and a second frame of the image is derivable from the third data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining a measure of performance includes determining a measure of variability between the second data and third data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining a measure of performance includes determining a measure of variability among at least one of the second data or the third data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data is received via at least one of a wireless communication link or a wired connection.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing data from which the image is derivable and the measure of performance in a memory, the stored data from which the image is derivable being associated with the stored measure of performance

18. A main unit of an ultrasound system, comprising:

a receiver, the receiver configured, to receive a first data sent through a transmission from a remote unit of the ultrasound system, wherein the first data is generated responsive to ultrasound waves received at the remote unit;

a processor, the processor configured, to determine a measure of performance of the transmission based on at least one indicator based on correlation between at least first data and a predetermined condition;

an image being derivable from at least of the first data; and

determining a measure of performance of the transmission of the first data on at least one indicator based on correlation between at least first data and a predetermined condition; and

converting at least part of the first data into an image; and

a display, the display configured, to indicate the measure of performance proximate to the image from the identified part of the first data at the main unit; and

a storage configured to store data from which the image is derivable and the measure of performance in a memory wherein the image is derivable being associated with the stored measure of performance.

19. The main unit of claim 18, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the first data via at least one of a wireless communication link or a wired connection.

20. The main unit of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the measure of performance based, at least in part, on a correlation between at least part of the first data and a predetermined condition.

21. The main unit of claim 18, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a second data, and the processor is further configured to determine the measure of performance based, at least in part, on the second data.

22. The main unit of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the measure of performance based, at least in part, on a correlation between an image converted from the first data and a predetermined image characteristic.

23. The main unit of claim 20, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a second data, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the measure of performance based, at least in part, on both the correlation and the second data.

24. The main unit of claim 18, further comprising a memory, wherein data from which the image is derivable and the measure of performance is stored in the memory, the stored data from which the image is derivable being associated with the stored measure of performance.