Anne M Hall

US Patent:

6375618, Apr 23, 2002

Filed:

Jan 31, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/494465

Inventors:

Richard Yung Chiao - Clifton Park NY
Yasuhito Takeuchi - Tokyo, JP
Anne Lindsay Hall - New Berlin WI
Kai Erik Thomenius - Clifton Park NY

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600447

Abstract:

In performing tissue-generated harmonic imaging using coded excitation, the transmit waveform for acquiring the N-th harmonic signal is biphase (1,-1) encoded using two code symbols of a code sequence, the portions (i. e. , chips) of the transmit waveform encoded with the second code symbol each being phase-shifted by 180Â/N relative to the chips encoded with the first code symbol. This is implemented by time shifting the portions (i. e. , chips) of the transmit sequence which are encoded with the second code symbol by ÂN fractional cycle at center frequency relative to the chips of the transmit sequence encoded with the first code symbol. During reception, the desired harmonic signal is isolated by a bandpass filter centered at twice the fundamental frequency and enhanced with decoding.

US Patent:

6406430, Jun 18, 2002

Filed:

Apr 24, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/557255

Inventors:

Syed O. Ishrak - Milwaukee WI
Gary E. MacLeod - Menomone Falls WI
Michelle G. Angle - Muskego WI
Anne L. Hall - New Berlin WI
James D. Hamilton - Menomonee Falls WI
Steven C. Miller - Waukesha WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

A61B 806

US Classification:

600441

Abstract:

An ultrasound system ( ) acquires data using a gray scale mode of operation and a color flow mode of operation. A transducer ( ) generates receive signals in response to echo ultrasound waves received from a subject (S) being studied. A gray scale receive channel ( G) generates gray scale data representing movement of portions of the subject, in particular that of blood flow or contrast agents in blood or tissue. A color flow receive channel ( C) generates color flow data (e. g. , either power data or velocity data) also representing movement of portions of the subject. A processor ( ) combines the gray scale flow data with the color flow data and displays the result on a display monitor ( ) such that moving portions of the subject are displayed with a colored gray scale image.

US Patent:

6478741, Nov 12, 2002

Filed:

Mar 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/810048

Inventors:

Richard Yung Chiao - Clifton Park NY
Anne Lindsay Hall - New Berlin WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Niskayuna NY

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600447

Abstract:

An optimized pulse waveform is used to excite contrast microbubbles such that the subharmonic signal may be easily isolated for imaging. By reducing the contribution of transmitted fundamental frequency f within the subharmonic band, the subharmonic imaging quality is improved. This is accomplished by transmitting an optimized pulse waveform and then filtering the received signal to isolate the subharmonic signal for imaging. The optimized pulse waveform has low spectral energy within a band of frequencies centered at f /2 and high spectral energy within another band of frequencies centered at f , where both bands are within the transducer passband. The contrast-generated subharmonic signal is extracted by a receive filter centered at f /2.

US Patent:

6535835, Mar 18, 2003

Filed:

Jan 31, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/495231

Inventors:

Jonathan M. Rubin - Ann Arbor MI
Jeffrey Brian Fowlkes - Ann Arbor MI
Theresa Ann Tuthill - Ann Arbor MI
Anne Lindsey Hall - New Berlin WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI
The Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor MI

International Classification:

G01B 1102

US Classification:

702159, 702 48

Abstract:

The volume of fluid flow within a vessel (VE) is measured by an ultrasound system. Ultrasound waves backscattered from the fluid within the vessel generate data from which velocity values representing components of velocity (V and V ) of the fluid flow in the scan plane (IP) are calculated. Grayscale data is correlated and the rate of decorrelation (D) of the data is calculated. The volume flow of the fluid (F) is estimated in response to the velocity signals and the rate of decorrelation (D).

US Patent:

6796944, Sep 28, 2004

Filed:

May 17, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/063847

Inventors:

Anne Hall - New Berlin WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443, 600454

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for displaying reference background and flow ultrasound images. The method comprises: transmitting at least first and second broadband pulses to a common transmit focal position; receiving at least first and second ultrasound reflections associated with the at least first and second broadband pulses; forming a flow/contrast agent signal component based on the at least first and second ultrasound reflections; forming a B-mode background signal component based on independent processing of at least one of the at least first and second ultrasound reflections; and displaying an ultrasound image including a flow image component in a first image portion of a display and a B-mode reference image component based on at least one of the at least first and second ultrasound reflections, said B-mode reference image component displayed in a second image portion of said display.

US Patent:

7583828, Sep 1, 2009

Filed:

Aug 18, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/920813

Inventors:

Anne Lindsay Hall - New Berlin WI, US
Michael Joseph Washburn - Bookfield WI, US
Koji Miyama - Hachiouji, JP
Kirstin Nora LaConte - Waukesha WI, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

G06K 9/00
A61B 8/00

US Classification:

382128, 600443

Abstract:

A system for displaying accumulated ultrasound images of tissue structures. A set of N image frames is used to produce a peak image display. Multiple peak image displays are produced by discarding the oldest image frame in the set of N image frames and replacing the discarded image frame with another more recent image frame. The more recent image frame is added to the set of image frames to produce a new set of N image frames. The new set of N image frames is used to produce another peak display image. If there is an undesirable amount of distortion or blur in the peak display images due to tissue motion, then the number of image frames in the set of N image frames can be reduced.

US Patent:

7670293, Mar 2, 2010

Filed:

Oct 17, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/252006

Inventors:

David Thomas Dubberstein - Waukesha WI, US
Anne Lindsay Hall - New Berlin WI, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

A61B 8/00

US Classification:

600453, 600441, 600458

Abstract:

Methods and systems for scan sequencing in an ultrasound imaging system are provided. The method includes determining an interleave factor based at least partially on a pulse repletion interval (PRI). The method further includes dividing a total number of colorflow imaging vectors into interleave groups based on the interleave factor. Further, the method includes modifying at least one scan sequencing parameter such that all colorflow imaging vectors are included in a colorflow region of interest (ROI).

US Patent:

7806827, Oct 5, 2010

Filed:

Jul 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/616319

Inventors:

Heidi D. Zhang - Los Gatos CA, US
Robert F. Lawrence - Soquel CA, US
Gilbert M. Lima - Fremont CA, US
Steven C. Miller - Waukesha WI, US
Anne L. Hall - New Berlin WI, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

A61B 8/00

US Classification:

600459, 600437, 600472, 378 37

Abstract:

An ultrasound breast imaging assembly includes first and second compression plates angled with respect to one another, a breast compression area defined between the first and second compression plates, at least one pivot assembly, and an ultrasound probe. The pivot assembly allows relative motion between the first and second compression plates. The ultrasound probe, which is configured to translate over one of the first and second compression plates, includes an active matrix array (AMA) positioned on one of the first and second compression plates.