Steven Charles Miller

B-mode blood flow (B-flow) imaging

B-flow is a new technique that extends the resolution, frame rate, and dynamic range of B-mode to simultaneously image blood flow and tissue. B-flow relies on coded excitation to boost weak signals from blood scatterers and on tissue equalization to simultaneously display flowing blood and tissue without threshold decision and overlay. Various classes of codes such as Barker and Golay may be used. Clinical B-flow cineloops demonstrate 3/spl times/ resolution and frame rate improvement over color flow, which, together with over 60 dB of display dynamic range, are able to image hemodynamics and vessel walls with unprecedented clarity.

Ultrasound image display by combining enhanced flow imaging in B-mode and color flow mode

An ultrasound system (1) acquires data using a gray scale mode of operation and a color flow mode of operation. A transducer (10) generates receive signals in response to echo ultrasound waves received from a subject (S) being studied. A gray scale receive channel (9G) generates gray scale data representing movement of portions of the subject, in particular that of blood flow or contrast agents in blood or tissue. A color flow receive channel (9C) generates color flow data (e.g., either power data or velocity data) also representing movement of portions of the subject. A processor (30) combines the gray scale flow data with the color flow data and displays the result on a display monitor (19) such that moving portions of the subject are displayed with a colored gray scale image.

Real-time ultrasound spatial compounding using multiple angles of view

A method and an apparatus for spatially compounding ultrasound frames by using multiple angle views. Successive image frames of pixel data are processed using a Sum of Absolute Difference registration algorithm. The multiple angle views are achieved by operator manipulation of a probe (2).