Computed volume sonography

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods which avow for ultrasound parameter estimation to occur at specific advantageous sets of points in a two- or three-dimensional field of view within re-configurable, massively parallel, programmable architectures that can accommodate the input/output streaming, data movement or storage, and computation requirements. In one embodiment, a power efficient system is used for processing the data thereby increasing the ability of the system to be used for hand carried or mobile ultrasound applications. One aspect of the concepts discussed herein is the architectural aspects which provide the ability to simultaneously accept a large number of channels of data characterized by a continuous, simultaneous flow at high sample rates. The input data is routed at high rates to a distributed and large number of processing elements, memory, and connections for simultaneous parameter estimation at multiple points in the field of view. The ability to route the same data to multiple places enables high frame rates and allows for the streaming of data through the architecture.

1 . A method of creating sonographic images, said method comprising:
 processing transduced data representing at least one physical phenomenon so as to produce multiple simultaneous displayable images of said physical phenomena using a single volume acquisition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing is accomplished without reducing a frame rate of any image. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each said physical phenomenon is representative of an energy response at a target area and wherein said simultaneous displayed images are produced without requiring physical movement of a transducer with respect to said target area. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing is accomplished using a distributed parallel processing network of digital processing elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said method is practiced in a device weighing ten pounds or less. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 reconfiguring said processing network elements dependent upon desired displayable parameters of a said displayable image. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said processing network comprises at least 32 processing elements. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 programming and reprogramming said processing elements from time to time. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein different ones of said images may be images using different modalities. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing comprises:
 using multiple processors for simultaneously processing said transduced data. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein some of said processors are general purpose processors and some of said processors are specialized processors. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein surfaces are created within said transduced data, each surface defining a particular one of said images. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of said surfaces is curved. 
     
     
         14 . A method of creating sonographic images comprising:
 creating image data of a target area, said image data corresponding to acoustic parameters estimated from transduced data received from said target area; and   defining said image data at at least one set of points corresponding directly with pixels on a display.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 displaying selected ones of said defined sets of points on a display. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said display, together with apparatus for accomplishing said creating, said defining and said displaying are contained within a device weighing ten pounds or less. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said image data is representative of an energy response at a target area and wherein multiples of said sets of points can be produced without requiring physical movement of a transducer with respect to said target area. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said creating and defining are accomplished using a distributed parallel processing network of digital processing elements. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 reconfiguring said processing network elements dependent upon desired displayable ones of said set of points. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said processing network comprises at least 32 processing elements. 
     
     
         21 - 64 . (canceled)