Ultrasound system with automated Doppler flow settings
An ultrasound system performs duplex colorflow and spectral Doppler imaging, with the spectral Doppler interrogation performed at a sample volume location shown on the colorflow image. The colorflow image is displayed in a color box overlaid on a co-registered B mode image. A color box position and steering angle processor analyzes the spatial Doppler data and automatically sets the color box angle and location over a blood vessel for optimal Doppler sensitivity and accuracy. The processor may also automatically set the flow angle correction cursor in alignment with the direction of flow. In a preferred embodiment these optimization adjustments are made automatically and continuously as a user pauses at points for Doppler measurements along a length of the blood vessel.
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for Doppler imaging, the system comprising:
an ultrasonic transducer array probe configured to transmit ultrasound beams and receive echo signals from a region of a subject where flow is present;
a beamformer configured to control directions in which the ultrasound beams are transmitted by the probe;
a Doppler processor responsive to the echo signals and configured to produce Doppler signals;
a Doppler image processor, responsive to the Doppler signals and configured to produce a color flow Doppler image;
a display configured to display an ultrasound image including the color flow Doppler image; and
a color box position and steering angle processor, responsive to the Doppler signals and configured to:
receive a selection of a location of interest in the ultrasound image, wherein the location of interest is associated with a location of flow;
using vessel segmentation, identify a vessel of interest associated with the location of interest;
determine a center of a flowpath of the vessel of interest to determine a flow direction;
compute a center of mass of the flow in the vessel of interest; and
automatically adjust the position of the color box in the ultrasound image such that the color box is centered at a location along the flowpath that is closest to the center of mass, and
automatically adjust a steering angle of the color box based on the flow direction, if the flow direction is determined by the color box position and steering angle processor to be different from the flow direction of a previously selected location of interest, by changing an angle of inclination of a sidewall of the color box with respect to a base of the color box.
2. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to automatically set the steering angle of the color box at +60° or −60° from the flow direction of the vessel of interest.
3. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to identify locations of flow in the ultrasound image including the vessel of interest based on flow data averaged over some or all of a heart cycle.
4. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to receive the indication of the location of interest responsive to user input.
5. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the identification of the vessel of interest further comprises identifying, using the vessel segmentation, a plurality of locations of flow in the ultrasound image including the vessel of interest and automatically identifying the vessel of interest by selecting a vessel from the identified locations of flow based on a size of or flow through one or more vessels in the identified locations of flow in the ultrasound image.
6. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to select, as the vessel of interest, the largest vessel identified in the ultrasound image.
7. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to determine the center of the flowpath by locating a center of a laminar flow field in the vessel of interest.
8. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is further configured to cause a Doppler beam direction line to be displayed on the ultrasound image through a sample volume at an orientation aligned with the steering angle of the color box.
9. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 8 , further comprising a beamformer controller and wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is coupled to the beamformer controller for controlling transmission of Doppler beams along a direction corresponding to the Doppler beam direction line.
10. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to cause a flow direction cursor to be displayed on the ultrasound image at an orientation aligned with the center line of the flowpath of the vessel of interest.
11. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to automatically set a location of a sample volume for a spectral Doppler image to the location along the flowpath of the vessel of interest that is closest to the center of mass.
12. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the Doppler image processor is further configured to produce the spectral Doppler image based on Doppler signals received from the sample volume for concurrent display with the ultrasound image.
13. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is configured to cause a flow direction cursor to be displayed on the ultrasound image at a location and an orientation corresponding to the location of the sample volume and an orientation of a flow vector located at the location of the sample volume, respectively.
14. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the color box position and steering angle processor is further configured, responsive to repositioning of the color box to a location near an edge of the ultrasound image, to automatically adjust a size of the color box such that the color box does not extend beyond the edge of the ultrasound image.