1. A method for displaying an ultrasound image, the method comprising:
receiving in-vivo ultrasound image data at a computer system having a processor and a display screen;
statistically processing the image data with the processor to determine an object and an environment surrounding the object;
displaying an the display screen an image of the object, the surrounding environment, and a border surrounding the object; and
determining a structural property of the object and boundary of the object from a statistical parameter derived from the statistically processed data.
2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising calculating the area of the object with the processor.
3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the processing step further comprises determining whether the statistical parameter is within a certain range that is representative of the object, and marking the locations to indicate they are positioned within the object, and wherein the border is based at least in part on the marked locations.
4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the image data is time-domain data, further comprising transforming the time-domain data into frequency-domain data and compressing the frequency-domain data, and wherein the statistical parameter comprises the zero frequency magnitude of the compressed frequency-domain data and the sum of the frequency magnitudes of the compressed frequency-domain data.
5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the object is representative of a physical object within a patient, and wherein the zero frequency magnitude of the compressed frequency-domain data is representative of the physical composition of the physical object and the sum of the frequency magnitude of the compressed frequency-domain data is representative of the homogeneity of the physical object.
6. A method as in claim 4, further comprising coupling a catheter to the computer system, introducing the catheter into a patient and actuating an ultrasonic element to obtain the time-domain data.
7. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising;
a processor;
a memory device in electrical communication with the processor;
a display screen operably coupled to the processor; and
an interface that is adapted to receive image data;
wherein the processor Is configured to statistically process the image data to determine an object and an environment surrounding the object, to cause to be displayed on the display screen an image of the object, the surrounding environment, and a border surrounding the object, and to determine a structural property of the object and boundary of the object from a statistical parameter derived from the statistically processed data.
8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the area of the object.
9. A system as in claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the statistical parameter is within a certain range that is representative of the object, and to mark the locations to indicate they are positioned within the object, and wherein the border is based at least in part on the marked locations.
10. A system as in claim 9, wherein the image data is time-domain data, and wherein the processor is configured to transform the time-domain data into frequency-domain data and to compress the frequency-domain data, and wherein the statistical parameter comprises the zero frequency magnitude of the compressed frequency-domain data and the sum of the frequency magnitudes of the compressed frequency-domain data.
11. A system as in claim 10, wherein the object is representative of a physical object within a patient, and wherein the zero frequency magnitude of the compressed frequency-domain data is representative of the physical structure of the physical object, and the sum of the frequency magnitudes of the compressed frequency-domain data is representative of the homogeneity of the physical object.
12. A system as in claim 10, further comprising a catheter having an ultrasonic element which is coupled to the processor to obtain the time-domain data when the catheter is inserted into a patient.
13. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
an interface that is adapted to receive image data;
a memory device for storing the image data;
a display screen; and
means for statistically processing the image data to determine an object, and an environment surrounding the object;
means for displaying on the display screen an image of the object, the surrounding environment, and a border surrounding the object; and
means for determining a structural property of the object and boundary of the object from a statistical parameter derived from the statistically processed data.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A charged particle beam exposing apparatus comprising:
a charged particle beam gun;
a first shaping aperture which forms a charged particle beam from said beam gun into a predetermined shape and passes it therethrough;
a first projection lens which is provided on a downstream side of said first shaping aperture;
a shaping deflector which deflects said charged particle beam which passes through said first projection lens;
a second projection lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said shaping deflector is incident;
a second shaping aperture which forms said charged particle beam which passes through said second projection lens into a predetermined shape and passes it therethrough;
a reduction lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said second shaping aperture is incident;
an objective deflector which is provided on a downstream side of said reduction lens and deflects said charged particle beam which passes through said reduction lens;
an object lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said objective deflector is incident;
a sample base which is provided on a downstream side of said object lens; and
at least two pairs of quadrupole field generators which are provided between said second shaping aperture and said sample base along a beam axis so as to give converging force to said charged particle beam and generate a quadrupole field, a field intensity of said quadrupole field generators being variable in accordance with a deflection position of said charged particle beam on a sample mounted on said sample base in order to correct a focusing position of said charged particle beam.
2. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said quadrupole field generator includes 4n-pole electrodes which generate an electrostatic field (n is a natural number).
3. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said quadrupole field generator has four electrodes arranged at each apex of a substantial quadrate with said beam axis at a center, and a direct current voltage is applied between a connection point of one pair of opposed electrodes in said four electrodes and a connection point of the other pair of electrodes.
4. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said objective deflector includes an octopole field generator and has eight electrodes arranged at each apex of a substantial octagon with said beam axis at a center, and assuming that an appellation of a pair of opposed electrode is (xx); an appellation of a pair of electrodes orthogonal to said pair, (y, y); appellations of an electrode between x and y and an electrode opposed thereto, ((xy), (xy)); and appellations of an electrode between x and y and an electrode opposed thereto, ((xy), (xy)) and V0 is a constant when generating a deflection electric field inclined from a direction (y)(y) in a counterclockwise direction by , voltages V applied to said eight electrodes are as follows:
VxV0 cos(90) VxyV0 cos(45) VyV0 cos(0) VxyV0 cos(45) VxV0 cos(90) VxyV0 cos(135) VyV0 cos(180) VxyV0 cos(135)
5. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said quadrupole field generators also serves as said octopole field generator of said objective deflector and, when V is a constant in case of generating a quadrupole field inclined from a direction (y)(y) in the counterclockwise direction by 100 2, voltages V applied to said eight electrodes of said quadrupole field generator are as follows:
VxVxV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VyVyV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VxVxV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VyVyV cos() VxyVxyV sin()
6. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a deflection control portion, wherein said deflection control portion comprises:
a deflection control circuit to which lithographing position data is inputted from a control computer and which outputs main deflection position data;
a focus correction circuit for quadrupole to which said main deflection position data is inputted and which outputs focus correction data for each pole of said quadrupole;
an astigmatism aberration correction circuit for objective deflector to which said main deflection position data is inputted and which outputs astigmatism aberration correction data for each pole of said objective deflector;
an astigmatism aberration correction circuit for objective deflector to which said main deflection position data is inputted and outputs deflection data for each pole of said objective deflector; and
an add circuit which adds up said focus correction data, said astigmatism aberration correction data and said deflection data and outputs a control signal to said objective deflector.
7. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of said quadrupole field generators also serve as at least one of an astigmatism aberration corrector and a sub-deflector which supports said objective deflector.
8. A charged particle beam exposing apparatus comprising:
a charged particle beam gun;
a shaping aperture which forms a charged particle beam from said beam gun into a predetermined shape and passes it therethrough;
a first projection lens which is provided on a downstream side of said shaping aperture;
a shaping deflector which deflects said charged particle beam which passes through said first projection lens;
a second projection lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said shaping deflector is incident;
a mask which forms said charged particle beam which passes through said second projection lens into a predetermined pattern and passes it therethrough;
a reduction lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said second shaping aperture is incident;
an objective deflector which is provided on a downstream side of said reduction lens and deflects said charged particle beam;
an object lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said objective deflector is incident;
a sample base which is provided on a downstream side of said object lens; and
at least two pairs of quadrupole field generators which are provided between said second shaping aperture and said sample base along a beam axis so as to give converging force to said charged particle beam and generate a quadrupole field, a field intensity of said quadrupole field generators being variable in accordance with a deflection position of said charged particle beam on a sample mounted on said sample base in order to correct a focusing position of said charged particle beam.
9. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said quadrupole field generator includes 4n-pole electrodes which generate an electrostatic field (n is a natural number).
10. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one of said quadrupole field generators has four electrodes arranged at each apex of a substantial quadrate with said beam axis at a center, and a direct current voltage is applied between a connection point of one pair of opposed electrodes among said four electrodes and a connection point of the other pair of electrodes.
11. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said objective deflector includes an octopole field generator and has eight electrodes arranged at each apex of a substantial octagon with said beam axis at a center, and assuming that an appellation of a pair of opposed electrode is (xx); an appellation of a pair of electrodes orthogonal to said pair, (y, y); appellations of an electrode between x and y and an electrode opposed thereto, ((xy), (xy)); and an appellation of an electrode between x and y and an electrode opposed thereto, ((xy), (xy)) and V0 is a constant when generating a deflection electric field inclined from a direction (y)(y) in a counterclockwise direction by , voltages V applied to said eight electrodes are as follows:
VxV0 cos(90) VxyV0 cos(45) VyV0 cos(0) VxyV0 cos(45) VxV0 cos(90) VxyV0 cos(135) VyV0 cos(180) VxyV0 cos(135)
12. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of said quadrupole field generators also serves as said octopole field generator of said objective deflector and, when V is a constant in case of generating a quadrupole field inclined from a direction (y)(y) in the counterclockwise direction by 2, voltages V applied to said eight electrode of said quadrupole field generator are as follows:
VxVxV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VyVyV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VxVxV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VyVyV cos() VxyVxyV sin()
13. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a deflection control portion, wherein said deflection control portion comprises:
a deflection control circuit to which lithographing position data is inputted from a control computer and which outputs main deflection position data;
a focus correction circuit for quadrupole to which said main deflection position data is inputted and which outputs focus correction data for each pole of said quadrupole;
an astigmatism aberration correction circuit for objective deflector to which said main deflection position data is inputted and which outputs astigmatism aberration correction data for each pole of said objective deflector;
an astigmatism aberration correction circuit for objective deflector to which said main deflection position data is inputted and outputs deflection data for each pole of said objective deflector; and
an add circuit which adds up said focus correction data, said astigmatism aberration correction data and said deflection data and outputs a control signal to said objective deflector.
14. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one pair of said quadrupole field generators also serve as at least one of an astigmatism aberration corrector and a sub-deflector.
15. A charged particle beam exposing apparatus comprising:
a charged particle beam gun;
a shaping aperture which forms a charged particle beam from said beam gun into a predetermined shape and passes it therethrough;
a first projection lens which is provided on a downstream side of said shaping aperture;
a shaping deflector which deflects said charged particle beam which passes through said first projection lens;
a second projection lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said shaping deflector is incident;
a mask which forms said charged particle beam which passes through said second projection lens into a predetermined pattern and passes it therethrough;
a reduction lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said mask is incident;
an objective deflector which is provided on a downstream side of said reduction lens and deflects said charged particle beam which passes through said reduction lens;
an object lens on which said charged particle beam which passes through said objective deflector is incident;
a sample base which is provided on a downstream side of said object lens; and
at least two pairs of quadrupole field generators which are provided between said shaping aperture and said mask along a beam axis so as to give converging force to said charged particle beam and generate a quadrupole field, a field intensity of said quadrupole field generators being variable in accordance with a deflection position of said charged particle beam on said mask in order to correct a focusing position of said charged particle beam.
16. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said quadrupole field generator includes 4n-pole electrodes which generate an electrostatic field (n is a natural number).
17. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein one of said quadrupole field generators has four electrodes arranged at each apex of a substantial quadrate with said beam axis at a center, and a direct current voltage is applied between a connection point of one pair of electrodes among said four electrodes and a connection point of the other pair of electrodes.
18. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said objective deflector includes an octopole field generator and has eight electrodes arranged at each apex of a substantial octagon with said beam axis at a center, and assuming that an appellation of a pair of opposed electrode is (xx); an appellation of a pair of electrodes orthogonal to said pair, (y, y); appellations of an electrode between x and y and an electrode opposed thereto, ((xy), (xy)); and appellations of an electrode between x and y and an electrode opposed thereto, ((xy), (xy)) and V0 is a constant when generating a deflection electric field inclined from a direction (y)(y) in a counterclockwise direction by , voltages V applied to said eight electrodes are as follows:
VxV0 cos(90) VxyV0 cos(45) VyV0 cos(0) VxyV0 cos(45) VxV0 cos(90) VxyV0 cos(135) VyV0 cos(180) VxyV0 cos(135)
19. The charged particle beam exposing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein one of said quadrupole field generators also serves as said octopole field generator of said objective deflector and, when V is a constant in case of generating a quadrupole field inclined from a direction (y)(y) in the counterclockwise direction by 2, voltages V applied to said eight electrodes of said quadrupole field generator are as follows:
VxVxV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VyVyV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VxVxV cos() VxyVxyV sin() VyVyV cos() VxyVxyV sin()