1. A method for processing ultrasound data comprising:
acquiring ultrasound data;
generating an image based on the ultrasound data;
identifying an anatomical region of the image;
automatically modifying the anatomical region for the purpose of reducing a clutter artifact;
generating a modified image comprising at least a portion of the modified anatomical region; and
displaying the modified image.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical region comprises a vessel region.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said identifying the anatomical region of the image comprises using Doppler ultrasound data to identify the vessel region.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifying the anatomical region of the image further comprises using Color Doppler ultrasound data to identify the vessel region.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical region comprises a heart region.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound data comprises RF ultrasound data or raw ultrasound data.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the anatomical region comprises identifying the anatomical region based on the image.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically modifying the anatomical region comprises reducing a gain in the anatomical region.
9. A method for processing ultrasound data comprising:
acquiring RF ultrasound data;
demodulating the RF ultrasound data to generate raw ultrasound data;
differentiating the raw ultrasound data to generate differentiated raw ultrasound data;
identifying global maxima and global minima in the differentiated raw ultrasound data;
generating an image based on the raw ultrasound data;
identifying an anatomical region of the image based on the global maxima and the global minima;
automatically modifying the anatomical region for the purpose of reducing a clutter artifact;
generating a modified image comprising at least a portion of the modified anatomical region; and
displaying the modified image.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said identifying the anatomical region comprises fitting a first curve to the global maxima.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises fitting a second curve to the global minima.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises identifying the anatomical region based on the first curve and the second curve.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises using the first curve to identify a local maximum.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises adjusting the fit of the first curve based on the local maximum and identifying the anatomical region based on the adjusted first curve.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises using the second curve to identify a local minimum.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises adjusting the fit of the second curve based on the local minimum and identifying the anatomical region based on the adjusted second curve.
17. An ultrasound system comprising:
a transducer;
a beam-former connected to the transducer; and
a processor connected to the beam-former, said processor configured to:
demodulate and smooth RF ultrasound data from the beam-former to generate raw ultrasound data;
differentiate the raw ultrasound data to generate differentiated raw ultrasound data;
identify global maxima and global minima in the differentiated raw ultrasound data;
identify an anatomical region based on the global maxima and the global minima;
generate an image based on the raw ultrasound data; and
modify the anatomical region of the image to generate a modified image.
18. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to fit a first curve to the global maxima.
19. The ultrasound system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to fit a second curve to the global minima.
20. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to identify at least one of a first boundary of the anatomical region based on the first curve and a second boundary of the anatomical region based on the second curve.
21. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the modified image in real-time.
22. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to display the modified image.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A coolant tube for a plasma arc torch, the coolant tube comprising:
an elongated body having a first end, a second end, and a coolant passage extending therethrough, wherein the elongated body is not rigidly attachable to a torch body; and
a surface located on an exterior portion of the elongated body adapted to mate and align with an electrode along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the elongated body, wherein an opening in the second end of the elongated body does not contact an inner surface of the electrode.
2. The tube of claim 1 wherein the surface comprises at least one or more of a contour, step, or flange.
3. The tube of claim 2 wherein the contour comprises a linear taper.
4. The tube of claim 1 wherein the surface has an enlarged diameter body integral with the elongated body.
5. The tube of claim 4 wherein the enlarged diameter body has a varying diameter.
6. The tube of claim 1 wherein the surface is adapted to align respective longitudinal axes of the elongated body and the electrode.
7. The tube of claim 6 wherein the longitudinal axes are at least one or more of substantially concentrically aligned, radially aligned, or circumferentially aligned.
8. The tube of claim 1 wherein the surface is located in a region between the first end and second end.
9. The tube of claim 1 wherein the surface is located at an end of the elongated body.
10. The coolant tube of claim 1 wherein the elongated body is capable of movement along the longitudinal axis of the body.
11. The coolant tube of claim 10 wherein the elongated body is capable of movement along the longitudinal axis of the body relative to the electrode.
12. An electrode for a plasma arc torch, the electrode comprising:
a hollow elongated body having an open end and a closed end; and
a surface located on an interior portion of the elongated body adapted to mate and align with a coolant tube along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the coolant tube, wherein the coolant tube is not rigidly attachable to a torch body and an opening in the second end of the coolant tube does not contact an inner surface of the electrode.
13. The electrode of claim 12 wherein the surface comprises at least one or more of a contour, step, or flange.
14. The electrode of claim 13 wherein the contour comprises a linear taper.
15. The electrode of claim 12 wherein the surface has a reduced diameter body integral with the elongated body.
16. The electrode of claim 15 wherein the reduced diameter body has a varying diameter.
17. The electrode of claim 12 wherein the surface is adapted to align respective longitudinal axes of the elongated body and a coolant tube.
18. The electrode of claim 17 wherein the longitudinal axes are at least one or more of substantially concentrically aligned, radially aligned, or circumferentially aligned.
19. A plasma arc torch comprising:
a torch body;
a coolant tube, the tube comprising an elongated body having a first end, a second end, and a coolant passage extending therethrough, and a surface located on an exterior portion of the elongated body, wherein the elongated body is not rigidly attachable to the torch body; and
an electrode supported by the torch body, the electrode comprising a hollow elongated body having an open end and a closed end, and a surface located on an interior portion of the elongated electrode body adapted to mate and align with the tube along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the tube, wherein an opening in the second end of the coolant tube does not contact an inner surface of the electrode.
20. The torch of claim 19 wherein at least one of the surfaces comprises at least one or more of a contour, step, or flange.
21. The torch of claim 20 wherein the contour comprises a linear taper.
22. The torch of claim 19 wherein the surface of the tube has an enlarged diameter body integral with the elongated body of the tube, and the surface of the electrode has a reduced diameter body integral with the elongated body of the electrode.
23. The torch of claim 22 wherein at least one of the integral bodies has a varying diameter.
24. The torch of claim 19 wherein the surfaces are adapted to align respective longitudinal axes of the electrode and coolant tube.
25. The torch of claim 24 wherein the longitudinal axes are at least one or more of substantially concentrically aligned, radially aligned, or circumferentially aligned.
26. A plasma arc torch comprising:
a torch body;
an electrode supported by the torch body, the electrode comprising a hollow elongated body having an open end and a closed end;
a coolant tube, the tube comprising an elongated body having a first end, a second end, and a coolant passage extending therethrough, wherein the elongated body is not rigidly attachable to the torch body; and
means for aligning mating surfaces of the coolant tube and the electrode along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the tube, wherein an opening in the second end of the coolant tube does not contact an inner surface of the electrode.
27. The torch of claim 26 wherein the means for aligning comprises a mating surface on the inner surface of the electrode.
28. The torch of claim 26 wherein the means for aligning comprises a mating surface on the outer surface of the tube.
29. The torch of claim 26 wherein the means for aligning comprises a mating surface on the inner surface of the coolant tube.
30. A coolant tube for a plasma arc torch, the coolant tube comprising:
an elongated body having a first end, a second end, and a coolant passage extending therethrough, wherein the elongated body is not rigidly attachable to a torch body; and
a surface located on an exterior portion of the elongated body adapted to (a) mate with an electrode and (b) align respective longitudinal axes of the electrode and coolant tube along a direction of the respective longitudinal axes, wherein an opening in the second end of the elongated body does not contact an inner surface of the electrode.