Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for ultrasonic arteriography

US4109642A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
10References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 25, 1974
Grant dateAug 29, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 25, 1994

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/02836
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Continuous wave ultrasonic sound waves from a transmitter and receiver are highly focused to a width of approximately 1 millimeter or less and are transmitted and received through intersecting paths within the tissue of a patient. A doppler flow detector produces an image of the moving blood within the vessel. The transmitter and receiver are systematically scanned over the subject and the detected images are converted into visually intelligible pictures. An improved circuit for more clearly defining the flow picture of the moving blood particles utilizes a conventional directional doppler circuit plus a multiplier-differentiator-low pass filter circuit to automatically eliminate venous flow signals. A grey scale oscilloscope provides brightness intensity on the visual picture proportional to the velocity and direction of the blood flow for detecting stenosis in the vessel. A recording technique is disclosed for detecting atherosclerotic thickening of the artery wall. A multiple beam scanner is disclosed which requires movement only in the longitudinal direction of the vessel.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.