Ultrasound imaging system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9427211-B2
Application number	US-201213545332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2012
Priority date	Jul 10, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring data including a first plane and a second plane. The system and method includes adjusting a first orientation of the first plane and automatically adjusting a second orientation of the second plane in order to maintain a fixed relationship between the second plane and the first plane.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of ultrasound imaging comprising:
independently adjusting a first plane to a first orientation with respect to a second plane and a transducer array, where the second plane is disposed at a different orientation than the first plane with respect to the transducer array, wherein the second plane is in a fixed relationship with the first plane after independently adjusting the first plane to the first orientation;
acquiring multi-plane data with the transducer array after independently adjusting the first plane to the first orientation, the multi-plane data including the first plane and the second plane;
displaying a first image of the first plane and a second image of the second plane, where the first image is an image of the first plane acquired as part of the multi-plane data and the second image is an image of the second plane acquired as part of the multi-plane data;
adjusting the first orientation of the first plane with respect to the transducer array with a user interface;
automatically adjusting the second orientation of the second plane with respect to the transducer array to maintain the fixed relationship between the second plane and the first plane after said adjusting the first orientation of the first plane;
acquiring additional multi-plane data of the first plane and the second plane after automatically adjusting the second orientation of the second plane with respect to the transducer array; and
displaying a first updated image of the first plane and a second updated image of the second plane based on the additional multi-plane data, wherein the first updated image is of the first plane that was acquired as part of the additional multi-plane data, after said adjusting the first orientation with respect to the transducer array, and wherein the second updated image is of the second plane that was acquired as part of the additional multi-plane data after said automatically adjusting the second orientation with respect to the transducer array.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said adjusting the first orientation of the first plane occurs during the process of said acquiring the multi-plane data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said automatically adjusting the second orientation of the second plane occurs during the process of acquiring the multi-plane data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said automatically adjusting the second orientation of the second plane, and said displaying the first updated image and the second updated image all occur in real-time in response to said adjusting the first orientation of the first plane.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a third image of a third plane at substantially the same time as said displaying the first image and the second image, wherein the third plane is in a second fixed relationship with respect to the first plane.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising automatically adjusting a third orientation of the third plane with respect to the transducer array to maintain the second fixed relationship of the third plane with respect to the first plane after said adjusting the first orientation of the first plane.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising automatically displaying a third image of the third plane after said automatically adjusting the third orientation of the third plane.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said adjusting a first orientation of the first plane comprises adjusting at least one of a tilt and a rotation of the first plane.

9. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
a probe including a transducer array;
a display device;
a user interface; and
a processor in electronic communication with the probe, the display device, and the user interface wherein the processor is configured to:
enable a user to independently adjust a first plane to a first orientation with respect to a second plane and the transducer array, where the second plane is disposed at a different orientation than the first plane with respect to the transducer array, wherein the second plane is in a fixed relationship with the first plane after independently adjusting the first plane to the first orientation;
control the probe to acquire multi-plane data with the transducer array after independently adjusting the first plane, the multi-plane data including the first plane disposed at the first orientation and the second plane disposed at the second orientation;
display a first image of the first plane and a second image of the second plane on the display device while acquiring the multi-plane data, where the first image is an image of the first plane acquired as part of the multi-plane data and the second image is an image of the second plane acquired as part of the multi-plane data;
enable a user to adjust the first orientation of the first plane with respect to the transducer array with the user interface while acquiring the multi-plane data;
automatically adjust a second orientation of the second plane with respect to the transducer array to maintain the fixed relationship between the first plane and the second plane after adjusting the first orientation of the first plane; and
control the probe to acquire additional multi-plane data after automatically adjusting the second orientation of the second plane with respect to the transducer array.

10. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to display a first updated image of the first plane and a second updated image of the second plane, based on the additional multi-plane data, on the display device after automatically adjusting the second orientation of the second plane, where the first updated image is of the first plane acquired as part of the additional multi-plane data and where the second updated image is of the second plane acquired as part of the additional multi-plane data.

11. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to independently adjust a rotation of either the first plane or the second plane with respect to the transducer array with the user interface.

12. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to independently adjust a tilt of either the first plane or the second plane with respect to the transducer array with the user interface.

13. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable a user to independently adjust both a tilt and a rotation of either the first plane or the second plane with respect to the transducer array with the user interface.

14. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the user interface comprises a rotary configured to adjust at least one of a tilt and a rotation of either the first plane or the second plane with respect to the transducer array.

15. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the user interface comprises a trackball configured to adjust at least one of a tilt and a rotation of either the first plane or the second plane with respect to the transducer array.

16. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface configured to adjust at least one of a tilt and a rotation of either the first plane or the second plane with respect to the transducer array.

17. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
a probe including a transducer array;
a display device;
a user interface; and
a processor in electronic communication with the probe, the display device, and the user interfa

Assignees

• Gerard Olivier
• Strand Jan Otto
• Ziegler Andreas M
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Gerard Olivier
• Strand Jan Otto
• Ziegler Andreas M

Classifications

• G01S15/8993

  Three dimensional imaging systems · CPC title

• G01S7/52084

  related to particular user interfaces (special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467) · CPC title

• G01N29/0645

  Display representation or displayed parameters, e.g. A-, B- or C-Scan · CPC title

• G01S7/52073

  Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means · CPC title

• G01S15/8925

  the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays · CPC title