Ultrasound Vector Doppler Plane Wave Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound Doppler systems face limitations in frame rate and image resolution when using plane waves, particularly when the ultrasound signal direction is perpendicular to the target object's movement direction, leading to inaccurate blood flow velocity and direction estimation.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that generate ensemble frames by combining reflected signals from multiple angles, reusing previous signals to maintain high frame rates while improving image resolution and sensitivity, using a processor to synthesize in-phase and quadrature components and estimate Doppler shift frequencies, and employing clutter filtering to enhance accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If focused beam-based Doppler imaging is used, then image resolution and sensitivity are improved, but frame rate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging process is segmented into multiple passes with different beam directions (e.g., +45 degrees and -45 degrees). Each pass captures specific velocity components, and the results are combined to form the complete vector Doppler image. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high resolution and sensitivity through focused beams while maintaining acceptable frame rates by distributing the measurement burden across multiple sequential passes.
2Productivity
If plane wave transmission is used, then frame rate is improved, but image resolution and sensitivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple plane wave transmissions from different angles into a single comprehensive imaging pass. By combining the reflected signals from multiple plane wave angles through coherent compounding, the system achieves image resolution and sensitivity comparable to focused beam methods while maintaining the high frame rate advantage of plane wave transmission.
3Measurement precision
If vector Doppler technique with multi-angle plane waves is used, then sensitivity and accuracy are improved, but frame rate is reduced due to multiple transmission sequences
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous imaging by overlapping transmission sequences from different angles. While one set of beams is being transmitted, the system prepares and processes data from previous transmissions, ensuring that there are no idle periods. This continuous processing pipeline maintains high frame rates even when multiple angles are used for vector Doppler measurements, as the useful action of data acquisition and processing occurs without interruption.
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
The method achieves a higher frame rate and improved sensitivity and accuracy of ultrasound vector Doppler images, effectively overcoming the limitations of focused beam-based techniques while maintaining high image resolution.
Implementation Method 1
A vector Doppler technique has an advantage of providing quantitative information on a moving direction and velocity of a target object... obtain information on movement of a certain moving object to detect the object... blood flow information calculated from a Doppler frequency
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to technology for generating an ultrasound vector Doppler image using plane wave synthesis, and in a method for generating ultrasound Doppler images, a preset number of plane waves having different incident angles are sequentially and repeatedly transmitted to a target according to a transmission sequence, reflection signals are received from the target at different locations, an ensemble frame is generated by synthesizing, among the received reflection signals, a preset number of reflection signals for each of a positive angle and a negative angle with respect to a reference direction facing the target, and a vector Doppler image generated using a plurality of ensemble frames is output.