Contrast enhanced ultrasonography with superimposing different phases

• US 8,858,444 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogasawara, Yoichi, Nishino, Masatoshi, Gunji, Takayuki, Kobayashi, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOR, HELENE CATHERINE
• Application Number:
  US12/794,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 382/131, 600/437, 600/443
• US Class Current: 600/443
• 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 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 characterised by articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• 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 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5253 combining overlapping images, e.g. spatial compounding
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/223 using block-matching

Abstract

When an image creating unit creates a three-dimensional ultrasound image of a blood-vessel early phase, an operator presses an image selecting button, and selects an area to be displayed as superimposed by using an image-selecting Graphical User Interface (GUI) displayed by an image-selecting GUI display-control unit. After the image creating unit start creation of a three-dimensional ultrasound image in a late phase, when the operator presses a composition display button, the movement-distance calculating unit calculates a movement distance between a three-dimensional tissue image at the moment of the press of the composition display button and each of three-dimensional tissue images in the area to be displayed as superimposed, and an image correcting unit corrects each of three-dimensional contrast enhanced images corresponding the three-dimensional tissue images of the blood-vessel early phase by using the movement distance. An animated-image compositing unit creates a group of images for animation that the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images of the blood-vessel early phase are each combined with a three-dimensional contrast enhanced image of the late phase, and a monitor displays the group of the images for animation in animation.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a processor connected to a memory,

wherein the processor is configured to;

calculate a movement distance between a tissue image in a first phase appearing after an ultrasound contrast agent is given to a subject, and a tissue image in a second phase that is a phase later than the first phase;

create a corrected image from a contrast enhanced image in the first phase by matching the contrast enhanced image in the first phase in position with a contrast enhanced image in the second phase based on the movement distance;

create a composite image by combining the corrected image and the contrast enhanced image in the second phase; and

control a display unit to display the composite image, wherein

the tissue image in the first phase is an ultrasound image created by separating a fundamental wave corresponding to a transmission frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from an ultrasound probe onto the subject in the first phase from reflected waves of the ultrasound waves in the first phase,

the tissue image in the second phase is an ultrasound image created by separating the fundamental wave corresponding to the transmission frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from the ultrasound probe onto the subject in the second phase from reflected waves of the ultrasound waves in the second phase,

the contrast enhanced image in the first phase is an ultrasound image created by separating a subharmonic wave or a higher harmonic wave of the transmission frequency from the reflected waves used for creating the tissue image in the first phase, and

the contrast enhanced image in the second phase is an ultrasound image created by separating the subharmonic wave or the higher harmonic wave of the transmission frequency separated from the reflected waves used for creating the tissue image in the second phase.

2. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an input unit that receives an instruction of an operator to select a group of selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase from a plurality of contrast enhanced images that is already created along a time sequence in the first phase, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate each movement distance between each of a group of selected tissue images in the first phase and the tissue image in the second phase, each of the selected tissue images in the first phase is already created together with each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase,

create a group of corrected contrast enhanced images by matching each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase in position with the contrast enhanced image in the second phase created together with the tissue image in the second phase used for movement-distance calculation processing, based on respective movement distances of the selected tissue images in the first phase,

create a group of composite images by combining each of the corrected contrast enhanced images and the contrast enhanced image in the second phase, and

control the display unit to display the group of the composite images in animation.

3. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to perform movement-distance calculation processing by using the tissue image that is created at a moment specified by the operator via the input unit in the second phase, or performs movement-distance calculation processing each time when the tissue image is newly created in the second phase by using the newly created tissue image.

4. The ultrasound image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controlling the display unit switches an image displayed on the display unit from the contrast enhanced image in the second phase to the composite image based upon the input unit receiving a composition display request from the operator during a scan in the second phase.

5. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when creating three-dimensional tissue images and three-dimensional contrast enhanced images along a time sequence by three-dimensionally scanning with the ultrasound waves by the ultrasound probe, the processor is further configured to:

calculate each movement distance between each of a group of selected three-dimensional tissue images in the first phase corresponding to the group of the selected tissue images in the first phase and a three-dimensional tissue image in the second phase corresponding to the tissue image in the second phase,

create a group of corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images by matching each of selected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images in the first phase, corresponding to each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase, in position with a three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to the contrast enhanced image in the second phase based on respective movement distances of the group of the selected three-dimensional tissue images in the first phase, and

create the group of composite images by combining a cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to a set cross section that is arbitrarily set and respective cross-sectional images of the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images corresponding to the set cross section, or by combining the cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to the set cross section and respective images of the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images.

6. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to perform movement-distance calculation processing by using the three-dimensional tissue image that is created at a time point specified by the operator via the input unit in the second phase, or performs movement-distance calculation processing each time when the three-dimensional tissue image is newly created in the second phase by using the newly created three-dimensional tissue image.

7. The ultrasound image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, based upon the input unit receiving a composition display request from the operator performing a two-dimensional scan during a scan in the second phase, the controlling the display unit controls the ultrasound probe to execute a three-dimensional scan in order to display the composite image on the display unit.

8. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate each movement distance between each of a group of selected tissue images that are a group of tissue images in the first phase created in a selection period set in advance by the operator via an input unit, and the tissue image of the second phase,

create a group of corrected contrast enhanced images that a group of selected contrast enhanced images that are a group of the selected contrast enhanced images corresponding to the group of the selected tissue images are each corrected so as to match in position with the contrast enhanced image corresponding to the tissue image of the second phase used for movement-distance calculation, based on respective movement distances of the selected tissue images,

create a group of composite images each of which is composited of each of the corrected contrast enhanced images and the contrast enhanced image corresponding to the tissue image of the second phase, and

control the display such that the group of the composite images are displayed in animation on the display unit.

9. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to perform movement-distance calculation processing by using a tissue image that is created at a moment specified by the operator via the input unit in the second phase, or performs movement-distance calculation processing each time when a tissue image is newly created in the second phase by using created tissue image.

10. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

when creating three-dimensional tissue images and three-dimensional contrast enhanced images along a time sequence by three-dimensionally scanning with the ultrasound waves by the ultrasound probe, the processor is further configured to:

calculate each movement distance between each of a group of selected three-dimensional tissue images in the first phase corresponding to the group of selected tissue images in the first phase and a three-dimensional tissue image in the second phase corresponding to the tissue image in the second phase,

create a group of corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images by matching each of selected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images in the first phase, corresponding to each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase, in position with a three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to the contrast enhanced image in the second phase based on respective movement distances of the group of the selected three-dimensional tissue images, and

create a group of composite images by combining a cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to a set cross section that is arbitrarily set and respective cross-sectional images of the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images corresponding to the set cross section, or by combining the cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to the set cross section and respective images of the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images.

11. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to perform movement-distance calculation processing by using three-dimensional tissue images that are created at a time point specified by the operator via the input unit in the second phase, or performs movement-distance calculation processing each time when a three-dimensional tissue image is newly created in the second phase by using the three-dimensional tissue image.

12. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an input unit that receives an instruction of an operator to select a group of selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase from a plurality of contrast enhanced images that is already created along a time sequence in the first phase and to specify a specified contrast enhanced images in the second phase from a plurality of contrast enhanced images that is already created along a time sequence in the second phase, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate each movement distance between each of a group of selected tissue images in the first phase and a specified tissue image in the second phase, each of the selected tissue images in the first phase is already created together with each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase and the specified tissue image in the second phase is already created together with the specified contrast enhanced image in the second phase,

create a group of corrected images by matching each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase in position with the specified contrast enhanced image in the second phase, based on respective movement distances of the selected tissue images in the first phase,

create a group of composite images by combining each of the corrected contrast enhanced images and the specified contrast enhanced image in the second phase, and

control the display unit to display the group of the composite images in animation.

13. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

when creating three-dimensional tissue images and three-dimensional contrast enhanced images along a time sequence by three-dimensionally scanning with the ultrasound waves by the ultrasound probe, the processor is further configured to:

calculate each movement distance between each of a group of selected three-dimensional tissue images in the first phase corresponding to the group of the selected tissue images in the first phase and a specified three-dimensional tissue image in the second phase corresponding to the specified contrast enhanced images in the second phase,

create a group of corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images by matching each of selected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images in the first phase, corresponding to each of the selected contrast enhanced images in the first phase, in position with a specified three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to the specified contrast enhanced image in the second phase based on respective movement distances of the group of the selected three-dimensional tissue images, and

create the group of composite images by combining a cross-sectional image of the specified three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to a set cross section that is arbitrarily set and respective cross-sectional images of the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images corresponding to the set cross section, or by combining the specified cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional contrast enhanced image in the second phase corresponding to the set cross section and respective images of the corrected three-dimensional contrast enhanced images.

14. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to change at least one of color tone and transparency of the contrast enhanced image in the first phase and the contrast enhanced image in the second phase when creating the composite image.

15. An ultrasound image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor connected to a memory,

wherein the processor is configured to;

calculate a movement distance between a tissue image in a first phase appearing after an ultrasound contrast agent is given to a subject and a tissue image in a second phase that is a phase later than the first phase;

create a corrected image from a contrast enhanced image in the first phase by matching the contrast enhanced image in the first phase in position with a contrast enhanced image in the second phase based on the movement distance;

create a composite image by combining the corrected image and the contrast enhanced image in the second phase; and

control a display unit to display the composite image, wherein

the tissue image in the first phase is an ultrasound image created by separating a fundamental wave corresponding to a transmission frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from an ultrasound probe onto the subject in the first phase from reflected waves of the ultrasound waves in the first phase,

the tissue image in the second phase is an ultrasound image created by separating the fundamental wave corresponding to the transmission frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from the ultrasound probe onto the subject in the second phase from reflected waves of the ultrasound waves in the second phase,

the contrast enhanced image in the first phase is an ultrasound image created by separating a subharmonic wave or a higher harmonic wave of the transmission frequency from the reflected waves used for creating the tissue image in the first phase, and

the contrast enhanced image in the second phase is an ultrasound image created by separating the subharmonic wave or the higher harmonic wave of the transmission frequency separated from the reflected waves used for creating the tissue image in the second phase.

16. An image processing method comprising:

calculating, using a processor, a movement distance between a tissue image in a first phase appearing after an ultrasound contrast agent is given to a subject, and a tissue image in a second phase that is a phase later than the first phase;

creating a corrected image from a contrast enhanced image in the first phase by matching the contrast enhanced image in the first phase in position with a contrast enhanced image in the second phase based on the movement distance;

creating a composite image by combining the corrected image and the contrast enhanced image in the second phase; and

controlling a display unit to display the composite image, wherein

the tissue image in the first phase is an ultrasound image created by separating a fundamental wave corresponding to a transmission frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from an ultrasound probe onto the subject in the first phase from reflected waves of the ultrasound waves in the first phase,

the tissue image in the second phase is an ultrasound image created by separating the fundamental wave corresponding to the transmission frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from the ultrasound probe onto the subject in the second phase from reflected waves of the ultrasound waves in the second phase,

the contrast enhanced image in the first phase is an ultrasound image created by separating a subharmonic wave or a higher harmonic wave of the transmission frequency from the reflected waves used for creating the tissue image in the first phase, and

the contrast enhanced image in the second phase is an ultrasound image created by separating the subharmonic wave or the higher harmonic wave of the transmission frequency separated from the reflected waves used for creating the tissue image in the second phase.