Ultrasound Color Flow Steering Angle Auto-Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasound imaging systems require users to manually adjust both focal depth and color flow steering angle to achieve optimized images, which is time-consuming and prone to user error, especially in systems with limited user inputs, affecting the accuracy and quality of color flow imaging.
Innovation Solution
An automatic method adjusts the color flow steering angle in response to focal depth adjustments, maintaining a constant overlap between the color flow region of interest and the B-mode image, thereby increasing sensitivity and reducing user input requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the color flow steering angle is increased to improve color flow sensitivity, then the sensitivity to color flow data increases, but the color flow region of interest may not overlap the B-mode image at all
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by automatically adjusting the color flow steering angle in response to changes in focal depth. The system dynamically modifies the steering angle based on the current focal depth setting, ensuring that the color flow region of interest maintains optimal overlap with the B-mode image while preserving color flow sensitivity. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the steering angle adaptive rather than fixed.
2Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of both focal depth and color flow steering angle is required to obtain optimized images, then image quality can be optimized, but the process is time consuming and user dependent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the ultrasound imaging system to automatically adjust the color flow steering angle based on the focal depth setting without requiring manual user input. The system monitors focal depth changes and autonomously computes and applies the appropriate steering angle adjustment, thereby maintaining optimized image quality while eliminating the time-consuming manual adjustment process and reducing user dependency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback by continuously monitoring the focal depth setting and using this information to automatically adjust the color flow steering angle. The feedback loop ensures that the steering angle remains optimally aligned with the current imaging parameters, maintaining image quality without requiring manual intervention and reducing the time needed to achieve optimized images.
3Length of stationary object
If the focal depth is increased to view deeper structures, then deeper anatomical structures can be imaged, but the color flow steering angle must be decreased to ensure overlap
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through dynamic adjustment of the color flow steering angle in response to focal depth changes. When the focal depth is increased to image deeper structures, the system automatically adjusts the steering angle to maintain optimal overlap between the color flow region of interest and the B-mode image, thereby preserving color flow sensitivity across all focal depths without requiring manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the accuracy and quality of color flow imaging by maintaining constant sensitivity and reducing the likelihood of incorrect diagnoses, particularly in handheld devices with limited user controls.
Implementation Method 1
The frequency shift of back-scattered ultrasound waves may be used to measure the velocity of the back-scattered waves from tissue or blood. The change or shift in back-scattered frequency increase when blood flows towards the transducer and decreases when blood flows away from the transducer.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for automatically controlling a color flow steering angle during ultrasonic color flow imaging are provided. In one embodiment, a method for ultrasound imaging comprises automatically adjusting a color flow steering angle responsive to an adjustment of a focal depth setting. In this way, a sensitivity to color flow data may be increased by maintaining a constant overlap between a color flow image and a B-mode image, thereby increasing the accuracy of color flow imaging.