Ultrasonic imaging apparatus and method for breast cancer diagnosis with the use of volume rendering

• US 6,117,080 A
• Filed: 06/04/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ATL Ultrasound Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwartz, Gary Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAULIN M
• Application Number:
  US08/867,038
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 128/916, 128/915, 600/443, 600/447, 600/438
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52026 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which produces ultrasonic breast images by acquiring ultrasonic data from a volumetric region of the breast, then volume rendering the data to produce a projection image from the data set. The diagnostic image reveals diagnostic information of the complete volume of breast tissue in a single ultrasonic image.

Claims

1. A method for producing an ultrasonic image which may contain hypoechoic tissue comprising mapping ultrasonic image data by means of a transfer function which emphasizes low level ultrasonic echo signals in relation to high level ultrasonic echo signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transfer function comprises a decreasing transfer characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of masking from display areas which return Doppler signals above a given threshold.

4. A method for imaging hypoechoic structures of the breast comprising the steps of:

processing ultrasonic echo information received from a region of the breast to produce B mode signals;

processing ultrasonic echo information received from said region of the breast to produce Doppler signals;

processing said B mode signals to produce image signals which emphasize hypoechoic areas of said region; and

suppressing the display of hypoechoic areas of said region which correspond to said Doppler signals.

5. A method for producing diagnostic ultrasonic images of a breast, comprising the steps of:

acquiring an ultrasonic data set of a volumetric region of a breast; and

volume rendering said ultrasonic data to produce a projection image of said data of said volumetric region,

wherein said volume rendering comprises utilizing an opacity transfer function which renders lesions with greater opacity than normal tissue.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said opacity rendering parameter exhibits an increasing transfer characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said opacity rendering parameter renders calcified substances in the breast with greater opacity than normal tissue.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said opacity rendering parameter exhibits a decreasing transfer characteristic.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said opacity rendering parameter renders hypoechoic regions in the breast with greater opacity than normal tissue.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of suppressing the rendering of blood vessel lumens as opaque regions.