John W Allison

US Patent:

6364835, Apr 2, 2002

Filed:

Mar 27, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/536215

Inventors:

John A. Hossack - Charlottesville VA
Linyong Pang - Stanford CA
Thilaka S. Sumanaweera - San Jose CA
John W. Allison - Los Altos CA
Kutay F. Ustuner - Mountain View CA
Charles E. Bradley - Burlingame CA

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443

Abstract:

A medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system aligns substantially co-planar two-dimensional images to form an extended field of view using improved compounding methods. Compounding with a finite impulse response is used for more versatile compositing. The compounding is adaptive, such as through adapting the image regions, weighting, or type of compounding as a function of correlation, location within the image, estimated motion or combinations thereof. A user warning is provided as a function of the correlation between images.

US Patent:

6413218, Jul 2, 2002

Filed:

Feb 10, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/501443

Inventors:

John W. Allison - Los Altos CA
Lewis J. Thomas - Palo Alto CA
Sriram Krishnan - San Jose CA
Gregory L. Holley - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443

Abstract:

The preferred embodiments described herein provide a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system and method for determining an acoustic output parameter of a transmitted ultrasonic beam. In one preferred embodiment, the ultrasound system determines an acoustic output parameter of a transmitted ultrasonic beam in a user-selected region. In another preferred embodiment, the ultrasound system achieves a specified acoustic output parameter of a transmitted ultrasonic beam in a selected region by automatically adjusting an operating parameter of the ultrasound imaging system. In yet another preferred embodiment, a region is selected in the ultrasound image that does not contain a peak acoustic output parameter of a transmitted ultrasonic beam. The system then determines an acoustic output parameter of the transmitted ultrasonic beam in that region and provides an indication of the determined acoustic output parameter.

US Patent:

6527717, Mar 4, 2003

Filed:

Jun 30, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/608235

Inventors:

John I. Jackson - Menlo Park CA
Randall L. Schlesinger - San Mateo CA
John W. Allison - Los Altos CA

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600437, 600443, 600441, 128916

Abstract:

Accurate tissue motion systems and methods are provided. Motion of the ultrasound transducer is accounted for in estimates at tissue motion. Correcting for transducer motion better isolates localized tissue contractions or expansions, such as motion of the myocardial muscle or fibers. Accurate motion estimation is also provided by determining an angle of motion from the ultrasound data. The angle of motion is used to adjust velocity estimates, providing two-dimensional velocity vectors (i. e. motion estimates comprising motion in at least two dimensions). Movement of tissue is determined by correlating speckle or a feature represented by two different sets of ultrasound data obtained at different times. Additional aspects include tracking the location of a tissue of interest. A characteristic of strain, such as the strain rate or strain, is calculated for the tracked tissue of interest.

US Patent:

6554770, Apr 29, 2003

Filed:

Aug 25, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/648214

Inventors:

Thilaka S. Sumanaweera - San Jose CA
John W. Allison - Los Altos CA
Samuel H. Maslak - Woodside CA

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B 806

US Classification:

600443

Abstract:

A medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system aligns substantially co-planar two-dimensional images to form an extended field of view using improved compounding methods. Using variations in characteristics for each component frame or sub-set of data, the extended field of view image is enhanced. For example, the steering angle or acquisition frequency associated with each component image is different.

US Patent:

6641536, Nov 4, 2003

Filed:

Feb 21, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/081662

Inventors:

John A. Hossack - Charlottesville VA
Linyong Pang - Stanford CA
Thilaka S. Sumanaweera - San Jose CA
John W. Allison - Los Altos CA
Kutay F. Ustuner - Mountain View CA
Charles E. Bradley - Burlingame CA

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443

Abstract:

A medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system aligns substantially co-planar two-dimensional images to form an extended field of view using improved compounding methods. Compounding with a finite impulse response is used for more versatile compositing. The compounding is adaptive, such as through adapting the image regions, weighting, or type of compounding as a function of correlation, location within the image, estimated motion or combinations thereof. A user warning is provided as a function of the correlation between images.

US Patent:

6780152, Aug 24, 2004

Filed:

Jun 26, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/180386

Inventors:

Thilaka S. Sumanaweera - Los Altos CA
Kenneth M. Fowkes - Mountain View CA
John A. Hossack - Charlottesville VA
John W. Allison - Los Altos CA

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443

Abstract:

Images of the heart are formed by using multiple sets of ultrasound data. Each set of data is acquired and processed responsive to a different set of imaging parameters. The imaging parameter sets differ in at least one parameter, such as array position, temporal frequency response or transmit focal depth, so that the images formed using these data sets have, either laterally or axially, different spatial spectra. A set of images is formed responsive to a first imaging parameter set for a first cardiac cycle. Another set of images is formed responsive to a second imaging parameter set for a second cardiac cycle. The two sets of images are temporally aligned so that they correspond to the same set of phases of the cardiac cycle. Since the data acquisition and processing are distributed over multiple cycles of the motion, assuming regular periodic heart cycle, temporal resolution is maintained.

US Patent:

6976961, Dec 20, 2005

Filed:

Feb 13, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/365988

Inventors:

John I. Jackson - Menlo Park CA, US
Randall L. Schlesinger - San Mateo CA, US
John W. Allison - Los Altos CA, US

Assignee:

Acuson Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

A61B008/00

US Classification:

600443, 600449, 600450, 600453

Abstract:

Accurate tissue motion systems and methods are provided. Motion of the ultrasound transducer is accounted for in estimates at tissue motion. Correcting for transducer motion better isolates localized tissue contractions or expansions, such as motion of the myocardial muscle or fibers. Accurate motion estimation is also provided by determining an angle of motion from the ultrasound data. The angle of motion is used to adjust velocity estimates, providing two-dimensional velocity vectors (i. e. motion estimates comprising motion in at least two dimensions). Movement of tissue is determined by correlating speckle or a feature represented by two different sets of ultrasound data obtained at different times. Additional aspects include tracking the location of a tissue of interest. A characteristic of strain, such as the strain rate or strain, is calculated for the tracked tissue of interest.

US Patent:

7266176, Sep 4, 2007

Filed:

Sep 28, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/237007

Inventors:

John Allison - Los Altos CA, US
John R. Dooley - Castro Valley CA, US
Jay B. West - Mountain View CA, US
Gopinath Kuduvalli - San Jose CA, US
James Wang - Palo Alto CA, US
Warren Kilby - Swinford Leics, GB
Derek Olender - San Jose CA, US
Michael Saracen - Oakland CA, US

Assignee:

Accuray Incorporated - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

A61N 5/10

US Classification:

378 65, 378205

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for optimizing a workspace of a radiation treatment delivery system. An optimized treatment plan is generated for delivering a dose of radiation to a volume of interest (“VOI”) in a patient using fewer changes to a treatment plan parameter during delivery of the dose of radiation then available to a radiation treatment delivery system. The optimized treatment plan limits a number of adjustments to the treatment plan parameter during delivery of the dose of radiation. Prior to delivery, the optimized treatment plan is analyzed to determine whether a quality of the optimized treatment plan is acceptable.