Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20090060306A1/en
Timestamp: 2018-12-15 05:25:37
Document Index: 567558678

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 71', 'art 71', 'art 71', 'art 71', 'art 71', 'art 71', 'art 71']

US20090060306A1 - Ultrasonic image processing apparatus and a method for processing an ultrasonic image - Google Patents
Ultrasonic image processing apparatus and a method for processing an ultrasonic image Download PDF
US20090060306A1
US20090060306A1 US12193315 US19331508A US2009060306A1 US 20090060306 A1 US20090060306 A1 US 20090060306A1 US 12193315 US12193315 US 12193315 US 19331508 A US19331508 A US 19331508A US 2009060306 A1 US2009060306 A1 US 2009060306A1
US12193315
US8224049B2 (en )
A contour specifying part receives volume data representing a subject acquired by transmission of ultrasonic waves to the subject, and specifies a 3-dimensional contour of a myocardium based on the volume data. A forming part sets a reference point on the contour of the myocardium, and forms an image generation plane including a plane substantially orthogonal to the contour of the myocardium at the reference point. An image generator generates image data on the image generation plane based on the volume data. A display controller controls a display to display an image based on the image data.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic image processing apparatus capable of generating and displaying an image along the wall-thickness direction of the myocardium, and a method for processing an ultrasonic image.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
An ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The receiver of the transmitter/receiver 3 includes a preamplifier circuit, an A/D conversion circuit, a reception delay circuit, and an adder circuit. The preamplifier circuit amplifies the echo signal outputted from each of the ultrasonic transducers of the ultrasonic probe 2 at each reception channel. The A/D conversion circuit executes A/D conversion of the amplified echo signal. The reception delay circuit gives a delay time necessary for determination of the transmission directionality to the echo signal after the A/D conversion. The adder circuit adds the delayed echo signals. A reflection component from a direction according to the transmission directionality is emphasized by the addition. Signals after execution of the adding process by the transmitter/receiver 3 may be referred to as “RF data (raw data).” The transmitter/receiver 3 outputs the RF data to the signal processor 4.
For example, the image generator 6 generates MPR image data (hereinafter may be referred to as “long-axis image data”) in a cross-section (hereinafter may be referred to as “long-axis cross-section”) along the cardiac long-axis direction, or MPR image data (hereinafter may be referred to as “short-axis image data”) in a cross-section (hereinafter may be referred to as “short-axis cross-section”) along the cardiac short-axis direction. Then, the display controller 9 controls the display 11 to display a long-axis image based on the long-axis image data or a short-axis image based on the short-axis image data.
For example, the contour tracking part 71 receives coordinate information of each of the points composing the contour of the endocardium set as the initial contour, and coordinate information of each of the points composing the contour of the epicardium. In addition, the contour tracking part 71 reads out volume data (hereinafter referred to as the “volume data B”) acquired in a cardiac phase following the volume data (hereinafter referred to as the “volume data A”) from which the initial contour has been detected, from the storage 5. Then, the contour tracking part 71 executes pattern matching using a speckle pattern on the two volume data that are temporally consecutive.
In addition, the contour tracking part 71 reads out volume data (hereinafter referred to as the “volume data C”) acquired in a cardiac phase following the volume data B, from the storage 5. Then, the contour tracking part 71 executes pattern matching using a speckle pattern on the two volume data (volume data B and volume data C) that are temporally consecutive, thereby obtaining a motion vector of each of the points composing the contour of the myocardium. Consequently, the position of each of the points composing the contour of the myocardium in the cardiac phase in which the volume data C has been acquired is obtained.
For example, the contour tracking part 71 obtains the position of each of the points composing the 3-dimensional contour of the myocardium in each cardiac phase, for all volume data acquired in one cardiac cycle. Consequently, the position of each of the points composing the 3-dimensional contour of the myocardium in each cardiac phase is obtained for one cardiac cycle. The contour tracking part 71 is equivalent to an example of the “contour specifying part” of the present invention.
Next, a first modification of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the abovementioned embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8A and 8B. FIG. 7 is a view of a screen illustrating an example of an image displayed on the display in the first modification. FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic views illustrating the contour of the myocardium on a cross-section along the long-axis direction of the myocardium.
Next, a second modification of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus 1 according to the abovementioned embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are schematic views illustrating the contour of the myocardium in a cross-section along the short-axis direction of the myocardium.
receiving volume data indicating a subject acquired by transmission of ultrasonic waves to the subject, and specifying a 3-dimensional contour of a myocardium based on the volume data;
displaying an image based on the image data.
an image based on the image data in the arbitrary time phase is displayed;
an image based on the image data in the each time phase is displayed for each time phase, and further motion information indicating a motion state on the image generation plane in the each time phase is displayed in a superimposed state on the image for each time phase.
US12193315 2007-09-04 2008-08-18 Ultrasonic image processing apparatus and a method for processing an ultrasonic image Active 2031-02-13 US8224049B2 (en)
JP2007-228730 2007-09-04
JP2007228730 2007-09-04
US20090060306A1 true true US20090060306A1 (en) 2009-03-05
US8224049B2 US8224049B2 (en) 2012-07-17
ID=40407564
US12193315 Active 2031-02-13 US8224049B2 (en) 2007-09-04 2008-08-18 Ultrasonic image processing apparatus and a method for processing an ultrasonic image
US (1) US8224049B2 (en)
JP (1) JP5319157B2 (en)
CN (1) CN101380239B (en)
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US8224049B2 (en) 2012-07-17 grant
JP2009078122A (en) 2009-04-16 application
CN101380239B (en) 2011-02-02 grant
CN101380239A (en) 2009-03-11 application
JP5319157B2 (en) 2013-10-16 grant
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:OHUCHI, HIROYUKI;KAWAGISHI, TETSUYA;ABE, YASUHIKO;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:021413/0646;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080408 TO 20080423
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:OHUCHI, HIROYUKI;KAWAGISHI, TETSUYA;ABE, YASUHIKO;AND OTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080408 TO 20080423;REEL/FRAME:021413/0646