Patent ID: 7245746

Claim:
In an ultrasound machine for generating an image responsive to moving structure within a region of interest of a subject by displaying at least one color characteristic corresponding to a movement parameter of said structure, apparatus for mapping said color characteristic comprising: a front-end arranged to transmit ultrasound waves into said structure and to generate received signals in response to ultrasound waves backscattered from said structure in said region of interest over a time period; a processor responsive to: (i) said received signals to generate a set of parameter signals representing values of said movement parameter within said structure during said time period, (ii) a distribution of said set of parameter signals, and (iii) a mapping algorithm to generate a set of color characteristic signals representative of said values of said movement parameter, wherein said mapping algorithm comprises a mapping function formed by generating a cumulative total of a frequency of occurrence of said values of said movement parameter, and normalizing said cumulative total to a domain of a color characteristic legend resulting in a uniform distribution of said values of said movement parameter across said domain of said color characteristic legend; and a display arranged to display a color representation of said moving structure in response to said set of color characteristic signals.