Patent ID: 6537222
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
In an ultrasonic echographic system receiving return signals wherein each return signal represents an image along a single receiving line, a quadrature demodulation contrast agent detector, comprising:an in phase/quadrature demodulator for determining the in phase and quadrature components of each return signal and providing resolved complex amplitude and phase components of each return signal, wherein the in phase and quadrature components of each return signal are the resolved complex amplitude and phase components, real and imaginary, of each return signal that are respectively in phase with and in quadrature phase with a reference signal, and a contrast agent detector for determining the complex difference between the resolved complex amplitude and phase components of a first return signal and the resolved complex amplitude and phase components of a second return signal and generating a complex difference value representing the magnitude of a complex amplitude and phase difference between the resolved first and second signals due to a contrast agent.