Patent ID: 8672849
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
1. A method of acquiring and displaying Doppler data from a subject under study through an ultrasound system, the method comprising the following steps: a) transmitting ultrasound waves into the subject under study; b) generating back-scattered signals in response to a back-scattering of the ultrasound waves from the subject under study; c) generating a plurality of Doppler signal samples representing a predetermined range of depth increments within said subject in response to said back-scattered signals; d) generating a plurality of first Doppler frequency signals representing said predetermined range of depth increments in response to said Doppler signal samples; e) displaying a first Doppler graph representing said first Doppler frequency along a first axis and said range of depth increments along a second axis in response to said first Doppler frequency signals; f) generating Doppler mean frequency signals at each of the range depth increments from the first Doppler frequency signals; g) displaying a second Doppler graph representing said Doppler mean frequency along the first axis and said range depth increments along the second axis by setting parameters defining a status of appearance of pixels forming a displayed image of the second Doppler graph that visually differentiates the pixels from pixels of an image of the first Doppler graph; h) displaying and maintaining appearance of the pixels forming the image of said second Doppler graph such that the pixels maintain their status of appearance regardless of any attenuation or termination of said first Doppler frequency signals for a predetermined period of time, or until second Doppler frequency signals with greater absolute mean frequency values than said first Doppler frequency signals are generated from Doppler signal samples acquired during a repetition of steps a) to q), wherein said Doppler mean frequency signals are used to upgrade the displayed image of said second Doppler graph by setting the status of the appearance of the pixels forming said displayed image of said second Doppler graph.