Chord propagation velocity measurement system and method for an ultrasound imaging system
US6196971A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 1999 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 2, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S7/52066
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A chord propagation velocity measurement (CPVM) system is used in connection with, for example, a brightness-mode (B-mode) or doppler ultrasound imaging system. The CPVM system monitors ultrasound data provided to it by the ultrasound imaging system and enhances the functionality of the ultrasound imaging system by providing a chord propagation velocity (CPV) associated with a body region, such as a blood vessel in a living thing. The CPV is indicative of the stiffness of the body region. In architecture, the CPVM system includes a tissue processor connected to the scanner of the ultrasound system designed to analyze each acoustic scan line and to determine a category (type of region, for example, blood or tissue) for each point along each acoustic scan line. A display produces an image generated from acoustic scan lines. A user input mechanism permits a user to identify a region of interest in the image. The tissue processor produces samples based upon the region of interest in the image. A CPV determination system, which is connected to the tissue processor, acquires a plurality of the samples from different subregions along a longitudinal span of the region for each of a plurali…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.