Patent · US Expired

Guidance of invasive medical devices by high resolution three dimensional ultrasonic imaging

US7270634B2 · kind B2 · utility

57Cited by
35References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 17, 2004
Grant dateSep 18, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 4, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S128/916
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A three dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is operated to guide or observe the operation of an invasive medical device (30) in three dimensions. The appearance of the invasive device (30) in the three dimensional ultrasonic image is enhanced to be more readily observable by a clinician. The enhancement is produced by transmitting a greater ultrasonic beam density in a subvolumetric region including the invasive device (30) than in the surrounding portion of the volumetric region (120). The beam density may be uniformly high in the subvolumetric region and uniformly low in the surrounding region, or may taper from a relatively high beam density around the invasive device (30) to a minimum beam density at distances removed from the invasive device (30).

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