Patent ID: 6535835
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
An ultrasound system for measuring the volume of flow of a fluid within a region of interest, said system comprising in combination:a transducer arranged to generate and to transmit ultrasound waves to said region in transmit directions defining a scan plane, said transducer being arranged to generate transducer signals defining data in response to ultrasound waves backscattered from said fluid within said region; and a processor responsive to said data and arranged to calculate a first velocity signal having a first value representing a first component of velocity of said fluid flow in a first direction in said scan plane and a second velocity signal having a second value representing a second component of velocity of said fluid flow in a second direction in said scan plane, to correlate portions of said data, to calculate the rate of decorrelation of said portions, to calculate third velocity signals having third values representing third components of velocity of said fluid flow perpendicular to said scan plane in response to said first value, said second value and said rate of decorrelation, and to estimate said volume of fluid flow in response to said third velocity signals.