US005636631A
United
States
Patent
19
11
Patent
Number:
5,636,631
Waitz
et
al.
45
Date
of
Patent:
Jun.
10,
1997
54
ULTRASONIC
IMAGE
DATA
FORMATS
5,359,512
10/1994
Nishihara
...........................
364/41301
5,361.202
1/1994
Doue
..........
...
364/413.01
75
Inventors:
Aaron
S.
Waitz,
Suffern,
N.Y.;
John
E.
5,386,117
1/1995
Piety
et
al...............................
250/330
Bono,
Bellevue;
Robert
L.
Lincoln,
5,387,941
2.
Most
al.
..........
348/473
5,420,441
5/1995
Newman
et
al.
.......................
250/581
E.
signs
Yy
.
5,426,010
6/1995
Morton
......................................
430/22
owery,
dge
N.J.
Wayne
I
5,454,371
10/1995
Fenster
et
al.
...
128/660.07
Connell,
Snohomish,
Wash.;
James
R.
5,506,937
4/1996
Ford
et
al.
.........................
364/413.02
Jacobson,
Wharton,
N.J.;
Donn
D.
Franklin,
Lake
Stevens,
Wash.;
Richard
D.
Tabbutt,
Woodinville,
Wash.
Primary
Examiner-Francis
Jaworski
Attorney,
Agent,
or
Firm-W.
Brinton
Yorks,
Jr.
57
ABSTRACT
73)
Assignee:
Ay,
Sology
Laboratories,
A
format
for
ultrasonic
image
data
storage
is
described
that
utilizes
a
standard
data
formatting
system
to
provide
infor
mation
specific
to
ultrasonic
images
and,
in
particular,
21)
Appl.
No.:
881,911
sequences
of
ultrasonic
images.
E.
format
util
a
tech
22
Filed:
May
12,
1992
nique of
tagged
data
records
with
a unique
tag
that
extends
6
the
standardized
to
ultrasonic
image
specific
tages.
On
tag
51
int.
Cl.
.......................................................
A61B
800
denotes
a
particular
image
in
a
sequence of
images
which
is
52
U.S.
Cl.
........................................................
128/660.01
marked
as
the
image
which
is
representative
of
the
Sequence.
58)
Field
of
Search
...............................
128/630,
653,
Specific
areas
of
an
ultrasonic
image
which
contain
distinct
128/660.01,
660.07:364/413.25;
382/4;
types
of
data
are
tagged
to
identify
the
type
of
data
in
the
395/100,
114,400,924
area.
The
distinct
types
of
data
can
be
arranged
in
unique
ranges
of
data
values so
that
a
particular
data
value
will
56
References
Cited
inherently
identify
the
type
of
data
to
which
the
value
relates.
Blocks
of
image
data
comprising
monochrome
or
U.S.
PATENT
DOCUMENTS
color
data
can
be
tagged
as to the
data
type,
enabling
5,019,975
5/1991
Mukai
................................
364/43.3
luminance
data
or
red,
green
and
blue
datato
be
alternatively
5,038,158 8/1991
Ayers
et
al.
..........................
34.6/153.1
represented
in
the
data
values
and
automatically
processed
5,068,808
11/1991
Wake
......................................
395/119
accordingly.
Another
tag
Value
identifies
the
preferred
5,095,906
3/1992
Ema
.....................................
128/653.1
sequential
direction
in
which
a
sequence of
images
is
to
be
5,140,518
8/1992
Ema
...
...
364/43.01
viewed
when
recalled
and
replayed
5,185,673
2/1993
Sobol
.
...
338/296
w
5,210,824
5/1993
Putz
et
al.
395/145
5,321,520
6/1994
Inga
et
al.
...............................
358/403
7
Claims,
5
Drawing
Sheets
2
FE
HEADER
F O
OFFSET
RECORD
COUNT(==N)
AG
RECORD
O
AG
RECORD
MORE
TAGS
OFFSET
TAG
RECORD
N
FD
OFFSET
ONG
TAG
DATA
RECORD
COUNT
(==N)
AGRECORDO
FD
OFFSET
=
O
O
RECORD
COUNT
22