Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging of the coronary arteries

US6468216B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Kininklijke Philips Electronics N.V. · NL

Inventors

• Jeffry E. Powers · Lake Stevens, US
• Michalakis Averkiou · Nicosia, CY
• Matthew Bruce · Seattle, US
• Danny Skyba · Bothell, US
• Robert R. Entrekin · Bothell, US
• John Douglas Fraser · Woodinville, US
• Clifford R. Cooley · Seattle, US
• Brent Stephen Robinson · Kirkland, US
• David N. Roundhill · Bothell, US
• Gary Allen Schwartz · Seattle, US
• Patrick Pesque · Scottsdale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 24, 2000
• Grant date: Oct 22, 2002
• Expiry date: Aug 24, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S128/916
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus are described for imaging the coronary arteries of the heart. The vascular system is infused with an ultrasonic contrast agent. A volumetric region of the heart wall including a coronary artery is three dimensionally scanned. A projection image of the volumetric region is produced from the scanning, providing a two dimensional contrast image of the coronary artery with the appearance of an angiogram. Preferably the coronary artery signals are segmented from contrast signals emanating from the myocardium and the heart blood pool so that the coronary arteries are clearly highlighted and distinct in the ultrasonic angiogram.