Patent ID: 6162176
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
In an ultrasound imaging system generating color flow signals in response to ultrasound signals backscattered from a subject under study and generating image signals based on the amplitude of ultrasound signals backscattered from the subject under study, improved apparatus for displaying images in response to the color flow signals comprising in combination:a terminal connected to receive a first threshold signal having a first threshold value and a second threshold signal having a second threshold value;a memory connected to store a first set of data words in response to the color flow signals and a second set of data words in response to the image signals;a logic unit connected to determine a dynamic range compression scheme based on an analysis of the data words in the first set, to alter the data words in the first set based on the determined dynamic range compression scheme, to alter the second threshold value based on an analysis of the first set of data words, to determine a characteristic value corresponding to at least one characteristic of the second set of data words, to alter the first threshold value in response to the characteristic value and to select data words from the first and second sets depending on a first predetermined relationship between the altered first threshold value and altered second threshold value and the values of the data words in the first and second sets; anda display connected to display a color flow image in response to the selected data words.