Fast 2d blood flow velocity imaging

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for fast 2D blood flow velocity ultrasound imaging. In embodiments, this includes generating beam data representing a plurality of beams formed in a plurality of transmit events, wherein each of the plurality of transmit events is associated with a transmit event index, each beam is associated with a beam index, and the beam data is associated with the transmit event index, the receiving beam index, and a repeat index; calculating positions within a region of interest based on the beam data; processing the beam data to derive velocities, wherein each of the velocities is associated with the transmit event index and the receiving beam index; grouping the velocities; and for each group, calculating an angle component of a 2D velocity vector, and calculating an amplitude component of the 2D velocity vector.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit high voltage pulses using a first transducer element, the first transducer element being selected as a transmit element and the high voltage pulses being passed through a transmitter/receiver switch connecting the transmitter to the transmit element;   a set of transducer elements centered around the transmit element, the set of transducer elements configured to receive ultrasound echo waves reflected from points within a region of interest;   a receiver operatively coupled to the set of transducer elements by the transmitter/receiver switch, the receiver configured to convert the received ultrasound echo waves into digital data;   a beamformer operatively coupled to the receiver, the beamformer configured to obtain beam data from the digital data representing a plurality of beams;   a memory configured to store the beam data;   a two-dimensional (2D) receiving beam processor operatively coupled to the beamformer, comprising:
 a position calculation module configured to calculate a position information for each of the points within the region of interest, wherein the position information includes a Doppler angle; 
 a 2D velocity vector detection module configured to process the beam data and calculate a plurality of 2D velocity vectors, wherein each of the plurality of 2D velocity vectors comprises an angle component indicating a blood vessel angle and an amplitude component indicating a speed of blood flow at a point within the region of interest; and 
 a synthesis module configured to generate B-Mode image data based on the beam data. 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the transmit element is configured to convert the high voltage pulses into sphere waves and repeatedly transmit the sphere waves into the region of interest. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of claim  1 , further comprising an image processor configured to process the plurality of 2D velocity vectors, generate 2D color Doppler image data, and map the 2D color Doppler image data on the B-Mode image data. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of claim  3 , further comprising a display unit coupled to the image processor, the display unit configured to display the 2D color Doppler image data and the B-Mode image data. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the beamformer includes:
 a channel delay control operatively coupled to the receiver, the channel delay control configured to apply delays to the digital data to obtain intermediate outputs, wherein the delays correspond to channels provided from the set of transducer elements;   a plurality of FIFO coupled to the channel delay control to store the intermediate outputs; and   a summation module operatively coupled to the plurality of FIFO, the summation module configured to sum the intermediate outputs to provide the beam data representing the plurality of beams.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the 2D velocity vector detection module includes:
 an IQ demodulation module operatively coupled to the beamformer, the IQ demodulation module configured to demodulate the beam data to derive in-phase values and quadrature values;   a phase estimator operatively coupled to the IQ demodulation module, the phase estimator comprising:
 a phase calculator to calculate phase values as a function of the in-phase values and the quadrature values, and 
 a velocity calculator to calculate velocities based on the phase values; 
   a grouping unit configured to group the velocities, wherein each of the velocities in a group is associated with a beam covering a position within the region of interest;   a direction estimator configured to calculate, for each group of the velocities, the angle component of the 2D velocity vector as a function of the velocities within the group and the Doppler angle calculated by the position calculation module for the position;   a velocity estimator configured to calculate, for each group, the amplitude component of the 2D velocity vector based on the velocities within the group and the angle component of the velocity vector of the group, and the Doppler angle.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of claim  1 , further comprising an ultrasound probe configured to house the set of transducer elements and to contact a subject for ultrasound imaging. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of claim  1 , further comprising a transmit control unit configured to select the transmit element. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of claim  8 , wherein the transmit control unit resides on the transmitter. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the set of transducer elements comprises a linear array of transducer elements. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store a transmit element index. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store a transmit element index as a function of a transmit event index, the function being used to track a number of transducer element(s) and a position of the transducer element(s) used during each transmit event.