Ultrasound Diagnosis With Interleaved Doppler and Contrast Scans
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses face challenges in efficiently combining blood flow and tissue imaging with contrast-enhanced imaging, often requiring separate scans that can be time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus performs simultaneous first and second ultrasound scans with different amplitude or phase modulation techniques to generate blood flow and contrast-enhanced images, allowing for overlapping regions to improve framerate and image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate scans are performed for blood flow imaging and contrast-enhanced imaging, then imaging quality can be optimized for each mode, but examination time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines blood flow imaging and contrast-enhanced imaging into a single integrated scan process. The ultrasound apparatus performs both imaging modes simultaneously using the same scan data, eliminating the need for separate scans. This is achieved by processing the received ultrasound signals to extract both blood flow information and contrast agent distribution information from the same raw data, thereby improving examination efficiency while maintaining imaging quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasound apparatus is designed to perform multiple imaging functions using a single scan. The same ultrasound signals are processed to generate both blood flow images and contrast-enhanced images, making the scanning process universal. This multi-functional approach allows the system to optimize for both imaging types without requiring separate dedicated scans, thus resolving the contradiction between imaging quality and examination efficiency.
2Loss of information
If multiple separate scans are performed to obtain both blood flow and tissue images, then comprehensive imaging information is obtained, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges blood flow imaging and tissue imaging into a single scan process. The ultrasound apparatus receives signals and processes them to simultaneously obtain both blood flow information and tissue structure information. By combining these imaging modes in one scan, the system maintains comprehensive imaging information while significantly reducing the total scan time compared to performing separate scans for each modality.
3Device complexity
If conventional scanning methods are used without amplitude or phase modulation, then the scanning process is simple, but image quality and framerate are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies amplitude modulation and phase modulation to the ultrasound scanning process to enhance image quality. By varying these parameters during scanning, the system improves the quality of blood flow images and tissue images while increasing the framerate. The modulation techniques allow for better separation of signal components and enhanced contrast, achieving superior imaging performance without excessively increasing system complexity.
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 ability to generate high-quality blood flow and tissue images with improved framerate, reducing the need for separate scans and optimizing image acquisition efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first ultrasound scan on a first region in a subject and a second ultrasound scan on at least a part of a second region in the subject
Implementation Method 2
a Doppler method by which a blood flow is rendered in an image by using the Doppler effect
Implementation Method 3
a contrast-enhanced echo method called Contrast Harmonic Imaging (CHI). To perform a contrast harmonic imaging process, for example, a contrast agent is injected through a vein
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a transmission and reception circuitry configured to perform, via an ultrasound probe, a first ultrasound scan on a first region in a subject who has a contrast agent injected and a second ultrasound scan on at least a part of a second region in the subject overlapping with the first region, the second ultrasound scan including transmitting and receiving two types of ultrasound waves of which one or both of amplitude levels and phases are different from each other; and processing circuitry configured to generate a blood flow image corresponding to one frame by implementing a Doppler method on the basis of a data sequence including reception data obtained from the first ultrasound scan performed multiple times in mutually the same position within the first region to have the second ultrasound scan performed in-between and to generate a contrast-enhanced image based on a result of the second ultrasound scan performed at least one time.