Ultrasound apparatus and method of generating ultrasound image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016106397-A1
Application number	US-201514981218-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 17, 2012
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of generating an ultrasound image includes transmitting an ultrasound signal to a predetermined point included in an object and receiving at least three response signals reflected from the predetermined point; extracting a plurality of response signal pairs by combining the received at least three response signals two-by-two; obtaining a plurality of pieces of prediction vector information, each of the pieces of prediction vector information indicating a prediction velocity magnitude and a prediction velocity direction of the predetermined point, based on reception angles and Doppler frequencies of the response signals included in the plurality of response signal pairs; and determining vector information indicating a velocity magnitude and a velocity direction of the predetermined point, based on the plurality of pieces of prediction vector information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ultrasound apparatus comprising:
a region dividing unit which divides an object into a plurality of regions; a probe which transmits an ultrasound signal to the plurality of regions and receives response signals reflected from the plurality of regions; a measurement unit which measures power levels or Doppler frequencies of the received response signals; and a control unit which determines a monitoring region from among the plurality of regions by using the power levels or the Doppler frequencies of the received response signals.

2 . The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit arbitrarily sets an initial region from among the plurality of regions, and determines one of the regions reflecting response signals having Doppler frequencies in a first predetermined range, which is closest to the initial region, as the monitoring region.

3 . The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines one of the regions reflecting a response signal having a Doppler frequency in a second predetermined range, as the monitoring region.

4 . The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit arbitrarily sets an initial region from among the plurality of regions, and determines one of the regions reflecting response signals having power levels in a third predetermined range, which is closest to the initial region, as the monitoring region.

5 . The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines one of the regions reflecting a response signal having a power level in a fourth predetermined range, as the monitoring region.

6 . The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines one of the regions reflecting a response signal having a power level in a fifth predetermined range from among the response signals that pass through a clutter filter, as the monitoring region.

7 . The ultrasound apparatus claim 2 , wherein the control unit adjusts a region of interest in such a way that the monitoring region is included in the region of interest.

8 . The ultrasound apparatus claim 2 , wherein the control unit adjusts a range gate in such a way that the range gate is located in the monitoring region.

9 . The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit measures power levels or Doppler frequencies of response signals reflected from a plurality of the regions located within a preset distance from the monitoring region, and
wherein the control unit determines a blood vessel direction of the object based on a modeled line obtained by applying a fitting method to the power levels or the Doppler frequencies of the response signals reflected from the plurality of regions, and adjusts a steering angle of the ultrasound signal in such a way that an angle between the blood vessel direction and an incident direction of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the plurality of regions is a predetermined angle.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shim Hwan
• Lim Hyung-Joon
• Cheon Byeong-Geun
• Kim Young-Tae

Classifications

• A61B8/5207

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

• G01S15/8984

  Measuring the velocity vector · CPC title

• A61B8/469

  for selection of a region of interest · CPC title

• G01S7/52071

  Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging · CPC title

• A61B8/488 Primary

  involving Doppler signals · CPC title