What we claim is:
1. A diagnostic ultrasound apparatus for obtaining an image of a region to be scanned by scanning an object with a beam-shaped ultrasound signal, an ultrasound contrast agent being injected into the object, comprising:
scanning means for transmitting the ultrasound signal a plurality of times in each direction composing the region to be scanned and receiving an echo signal in response to each transmission;
subtracting means for obtaining a difference signal by performing subtraction between the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
producing mean for independently producing both of the echo signal received with any time of transmission of the plurality of times of transmission and the difference signal into individual tomographic images; and
displaying means for displaying the individual tomographic images at the same time.
2. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of times of transmission is two times of transmission in each raster composing each direction.
3. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 2, wherein the producing means has processing means for processing any of a first echo signal and a second echo signal received with the two times of transmission and the difference signal under processing conditions mutually independent of each other into data of two tomographic images.
4. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing conditions include at least one of a reception gain, a dynamic range, cut-off frequency and bandwidth of an echo filter, and a frame-to-frame after-image processing.
5. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing conditions include at least one of a correction processing technique and a color encoding technique performed when mapping intensities of the echo signal on a video screen.
6. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displaying means has means for displaying the individual tomographic images in mutually different colors.
7. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displaying means is means for displaying the individual tomographic images with either one tomographic image superposed on the other tomographic image.
8. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 7, wherein the displaying means is means for displaying the tomographic image based on the difference signal, which serves as the other tomographic image, superposed on the tomographic image based on the echo signal, which servers as the one tomographic image.
9. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displaying means is means for displaying, of the one and other images, either one image in gray scales and the remaining image in colors.
10. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displaying means is means for displaying the one and other images in mutually different colors.
11. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displaying means is means for displaying the individual tomographic images in parallel with each other on a screen.
12. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the producing means has image memorizing means capable of individually memorizing image data of the individual tomographic images and individually reading out the image data thereof.
13. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 12, wherein the displaying means has means for individually reading out the image data of the tomographic images from the image memorizing means and mans for commanding a switchover of display modes consisting of superposed display of the individual tomographic images, parallel display of the individual tomographic images, and sole display of either one of the individual tomographic images on the bases on the read-out image data.
14. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 13, wherein the displaying means include means for independently setting at least one of a correction processing technique and color encoding technique accordingly to which of the echo signal and the difference signal corresponds to the read-out image data and mapping the image data on a video screen.
15. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound contrast agent is a contrast agent of which main constituent is microbubbles, and the scanning means is means for additionally transmitting an ultrasound signal to excite the microbubbles in each direction.
16. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the additional transmission of the exciting ultrasound signal interleaves in time between two times of transmission selected from the plurality of times of transmission.
17. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displaying means has means for commanding a switchover of display modes consisting of superposed display of the individual tomographic images, parallel display of the individual tomographic images, and sole display of either one of the individual tomographic images.
18. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the echo signal experiencing the subtraction executed by the subtraction means is a radio frequency signal of the echo signal before detected.
19. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displaying means has superposition control means that is changeable in a superposition balance of intensity when the other tomographic image is superposed on the one tomographic image.
20. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 19, wherein the superposition control means has manual-change commanding means capable of manually changing the superposition balance.
21. A diagnostic ultrasound apparatus for obtaining an image of a region to be scanned by scanning an object with a beam-shaped ultrasound signal, an ultrasound medium being injected into the object:
scanning means for transmitting the ultrasound signal a plurality of times in each direction composing the region to be scanned and receiving an echo signal in response to each transmission;
subtracting means for obtaining a difference signal by performing subtraction between the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
addition means for obtaining an average signal by performing average between the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
producing mean for independently producing both of the difference signal and the average signal into individual tomographic images; and
displaying means for displaying the individual tomographic images at the same time.
22. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of times of transmission is two times of transmission in each raster composing each direction.
23. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 22, wherein the producing means includes processing means for processing the average signal and the difference signal with processing conditions mutually independent of each other into data of two tomographic images.
24. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 21, wherein the displaying means is means for displaying the individual tomographic images in either one of a superposition manner and a parallel manner.
25. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 21, wherein the subtraction means is means for performing the subtraction of the echo signal received by the first-time transmission of the plurality of times of transmission and the echo signal received by any-time transmission selected from the second-time or later transmission of the plurality of times of transmission, and
the addition means is means for performing the addition of the echo signal received by the first-time transmission of the plurality of times of transmission and the echo signal received by any-time transmission selected from the second-time or later transmission of the plurality of times of transmission.
26. An ultrasound imaging method for obtaining an image of a region to be scanned by scanning an object with a beam-shaped ultrasound signal, an ultrasound contrast agent being injected into the object, comprising the steps of:
transmitting the ultrasound signal a plurality of times in each direction composing the region to be scanned and receiving an echo signal in response to each transmission;
obtaining a difference signal by performing subtraction of the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
independently producing both of the echo signal received with any time of transmission of the plurality of times of transmission and the difference signal into individual tomographic images; and
displaying the individual tomographic images at the same time.
27. An ultrasound imaging method for obtaining an image of a region to be scanned by scanning an object with a beam-shaped ultrasound signal, an ultrasound contrast agent being injected into the object, comprising the steps of:
transmitting the ultrasound signal a plurality of times in each direction composing the region to be scanned and receiving an echo signal in response to each transmission;
calculating a difference signal by performing subtraction of the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
calculating an average signal by performing average between the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
independently producing both of the difference signal and the average signal into individual tomographic images; and
displaying the individual tomographic images at the same time.
28. A diagnostic ultrasound apparatus for obtaining an image of a region to be scanned by scanning an object with a beam-shaped ultrasound signal, an ultrasound contrast agent being injected into the object:
an ultrasound probe for transmitting and receiving the ultrasound signal;
a transmitter for exciting the ultrasound probe responsively to each rate pulse so as to cause the ultrasound probe to output the ultrasound signal;
a receiver for delaying and adding an echo signal received by the ultrasound probe;
a controller for causing the transmitter to transmit the ultrasound signal a plurality of times in each direction composing the region to be scanned and causing the receiver to receive the echo signal in response to each transmission;
a subtracter for obtaining a difference signal by performing subtraction between the echo signals received with two times of transmission among the plurality of times of transmission;
a producer for independently producing both of the echo signal received with any time of transmission of the plurality of times of transmission and the difference signal into individual tomographic images; and
a display for displaying the individual tomographic images at the same time.
29. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 28, wherein the plurality of times of transmission is two times of transmission in each raster composing each direction.
30. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 29, wherein the producer has a processor for processing any of a first echo signal and a second echo signal received with the two times of transmission and the difference signal under processing conditions mutually independent of each other into data of two tomographic images.
31. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 28, wherein the display is configured to display the individual tomographic images with either one tomographic image superposed on the other tomographic image.
32. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 31, wherein the display is changeable in a superposition balance of intensity when the other tomographic image is superposed on the one tomographic image.
33. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 32, wherein the display is configured to be capable of manually changing the superposition balance.
34. The diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 28, wherein the echo signal experiencing the subtraction executed by the subtracter is a radio frequency signal of the echo signal before detected.
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 method comprising:
segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments utilizing a processor; and
creating a second representation of the image sequence, wherein a block of information of a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments,
wherein the second representation of the image sequence comprises a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second segment of the plurality of segments comprises more blocks of information than the first segment of the plurality of segments.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments spans a same time interval.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein after creating the second representation of the image sequence, the first and second segments of the plurality of segments comprise a same number of blocks of information.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable bit rate representation comprises a plurality of packets of blocks of information and wherein a block of information from the first segment of the plurality of segments is removed from the first segment.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
extending a size of each segment of the plurality of segments to cause each segment to have a size within an upper bound after creating the second representation.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
removing a frame from the image sequence to cause each segment of the plurality of segments to have a size within an upper bound after creating the second representation.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
streaming the second representation of the image sequence via a communication network; and
reconstructing frames of the image sequence.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein reconstructing frames of the image sequence comprises:
storing blocks of information from the first segment interlaced with blocks of information from the second segment in a buffer; and
reconstructing frames of the image sequence based on blocks of information stored in the buffer and blocks of information received in real time.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a set of computer executable instructions for processing a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence, the set of computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments; and
creating a second representation of the image sequence wherein a block of information from a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments,
wherein the second representation of the image sequence comprises a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the second segment of the plurality of segments comprises more blocks of information than the first segment of the plurality of segments.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments spans a same time interval.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein after creating the second representation of the image sequence, the first and second segments of the plurality of segments comprise a same number of blocks of information.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the variable bit rate representation comprises a plurality of packets of blocks of information.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a block of information from the first segment of the plurality of segments is removed from the first segment.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise extending a size of each segment of the plurality of segments, and
wherein after creating the second representation, each segment has a size within an upper bound.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise removing a frame from the image sequence, and
wherein after creating the second representation, each segment of the plurality of segments has a size within an upper bound.
18. A system for processing a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence, the system comprising:
a buffer coupled to a processor, wherein the buffer comprises computer instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
segmenting a variable bit rate representation of an image sequence into a plurality of segments; and
creating a second representation of the image sequence wherein a block of information from a first segment of the plurality of segments is interlaced with blocks of information of a second segment of the plurality of segments,
wherein the second representation of the image sequence comprises a fragment header indicating the block of information of the first segment of the plurality of segments interlaced with the blocks of information of the second segment of the plurality of segments.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the variable bit rate representation comprises a plurality of packets of blocks of information.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein a block of information from the first segment of the plurality of segments is removed from the first segment.