Attenuation estimation using ultrasound

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11275159-B2
Application number	US-201916242287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2019
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for attenuation measuring using ultrasound. In various embodiments, echo data corresponding to a detection of echoes of one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into tissue are received. The echoes can be received from a range of depths of the tissue. Spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue are obtained using the echo data. Attenuation characteristics of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue can be estimated using the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue. Specifically, the attenuation characteristics of the tissue can be estimated using the spectral measurements and known spectral characteristics of the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for estimating attenuation characteristics of a tissue using ultrasound comprising:
receiving echo data corresponding to a detection of echoes of one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue, wherein the echoes are received from a range of depths of the tissue;
obtaining spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue using the echo data;
estimating attenuation characteristics of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue using the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue and known spectral characteristics of the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue;
identifying areas in the range of depths of the tissue represented by speckle in the spectral measurements; and
continuing to obtain additional spectral measurements for the areas.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectral measurements correspond to overlapping depth levels across the range of depths of the tissue, the method further comprising averaging the spectral measurements at the overlapping depth levels.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising averaging the spectral measurements across at least a portion of the range of depths of the tissue to improve an overall signal to noise ratio across the range of depths of the tissue.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue are formed by one or more broadband pulses.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
filtering the echo data generated by the one or more ultrasound signals based on a depth of the one or more ultrasound signals in the tissue where the corresponding echo data is created; and
obtaining the spectral measurements across, at least part of, the range of depths of the tissue using the filtered echo data.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
averaging the echo data generated by the one or more ultrasound signals based on a depth of the one or more ultrasound signals in the tissue where the corresponding echo data is created; and
obtaining the spectral measurements across, at least part of, the range of depths of tissue using the averaged echo data.

7. A method for estimating attenuation characteristics of a tissue using ultrasound comprising:
receiving echo data corresponding to a detection of echoes of one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue, wherein the echoes are received from a range of depths of the tissue;
obtaining spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue using the echo data; and
estimating attenuation characteristics of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue using the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue and known spectral characteristics of the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue,
wherein the spectral measurements correspond to overlapping depth levels across the range of depths of the tissue, the method further comprising averaging the spectral measurements at the overlapping depth levels.

8. A method for estimating attenuation characteristics of a tissue using ultrasound comprising:
receiving echo data corresponding to a detection of echoes of one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue, wherein the echoes are received from a range of depths of the tissue;
obtaining spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue using the echo data;
estimating attenuation characteristics of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue using the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue and known spectral characteristics of the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue; and
averaging the spectral measurements across at least a portion of the range of depths of the tissue to improve an overall signal to noise ratio across the range of depths of the tissue.

9. A method for estimating attenuation characteristics of a tissue using ultrasound comprising:
receiving echo data corresponding to a detection of echoes of one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue, wherein the echoes are received from a range of depths of the tissue;
obtaining spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue using the echo data;
estimating attenuation characteristics of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue using the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue and known spectral characteristics of the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue;
averaging the echo data generated by the one or more ultrasound signals based on a depth of the one or more ultrasound signals in the tissue where the corresponding echo data is created; and
obtaining the spectral measurements across, at least part of, the range of depths of tissue using the averaged echo data.

10. A method for estimating attenuation characteristics of a tissue using ultrasound comprising:
receiving echo data corresponding to a detection of echoes of one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue, wherein the echoes are received from a range of depths of the tissue;
obtaining spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue using the echo data;
estimating attenuation characteristics of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue using the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue and known spectral characteristics of the one or more ultrasound signals transmitted into the tissue;
generating a set of fast Fourier transforms based on the echo data, wherein each fast Fourier transform in the set of fast Fourier transforms is associated with a depth value;
generating a set of point estimates for a frequency dependent filtering coefficient included as part of the spectral measurements across the range of depths of the tissue, where each point estimate in the set of point estimates corresponds to a fast Fourier transform in the set of fast Fourier transforms; and
extracting a set of attenuation coefficients based on the set of point estimates for the frequency dependent filtering coefficient, the attenuation coefficients representing one or more attenuation levels of the tissue across the range of depths of the tissue.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the set of attenuation coefficients is extracted based on a slope of at least one line formed from the set of point estimates.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising applying a least means square fit on the set of attenuation coefficients to generate a varying estimate of attenuation levels across the range of depths of the tissue.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating one or more ultrasound images using the echo data; and
applying a moving block fast Fourier transform to the one or more ultrasound images to generate the set of fast Fourier transforms.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the moving block fast Fourier transform is applied to the one or more ultrasound images is applied in a direction along the range of depths of the tissue.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more fast Fourier transforms in the set of fast Fourier transforms are generated to have overlap with one or more previous fast Fourier transforms created by applying the moving block fast Fourier transform.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising applying a plurality of moving block fast Fourier transforms to the one or more ultrasound images to generate the set of fast Fourier transforms, wherein the set of fast Fourier transforms includes a plurality of subsets of f

Assignees

• Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mclaughlin Glen W
• Gee Albert

Classifications

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• A61B8/5207

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image · CPC title

• G01S7/52046

  Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver (image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00) · CPC title

• G01S7/5205

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G06T2207/10132

  Ultrasound image · CPC title