Method for synchronization of breathing signal with the capture of ultrasound data

Abstract

A method for producing an ultrasound image comprises monitoring the subject's respiration cycle or waveform, acquiring ultrasound data from the subject, producing an ultrasound image from the received ultrasound data received during the time when the subject's motion due to breathing had substantially stopped.

1 . A method for producing an ultrasound image of a portion of a subject, comprising:
 monitoring a respiration waveform of a respiration cycle of a subject and detecting a substantially non-motion period in the waveform, wherein the non-motion period corresponds to a time when the subject's bodily motion caused by its respiration has substantially stopped;   generating ultrasound at a frequency of at least 20 megahertz (MHz);   transmitting ultrasound at a frequency of at least 20 MHz into the subject;   acquiring ultrasound from the subject, wherein the steps of generating, transmitting and acquiring are performed during the non-motion period; and   processing the received ultrasound signal to form the ultrasound image.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of generating, transmitting and acquiring are incrementally repeated from a first scan line position through an nth scan line position. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first scan line position through an nth scan line position corresponds to a predefined area of a portion of the subject's anatomy where ultrasound is received from the subject. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a laboratory animal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the laboratory animal is a mouse or a rat. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound is generated in a frequency range of about 20 MHz to about 60 MHz. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound image is a blood flow image of a laboratory animal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the steps of generating, transmitting and acquiring for a predetermined number of breaths of the subject. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the steps of generating, transmitting and acquiring for a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mode of the image is selected from a group consisting of: B-Mode, Color Flow, Power Doppler, M-Mode, PW Doppler, contrast imaging, and Tissue Doppler. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said mode is Power Doppler. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring a respiration waveform of a subject comprises:
 detecting a peak in the respiration waveform; and   determining a respiratory period of the respiratory waveform,   
       wherein the peak and the respiratory period can be used to predict a beginning and an end of the substantially non-motion period in the waveform. 
     
     
         13 . A method for producing an ultrasound image, comprising:
 monitoring a respiration waveform of a respiration cycle of a subject laboratory animal and detecting a substantially non-motion period in the waveform, wherein the non-motion period corresponds to a time when the subject's bodily motion caused by its respiration has substantially stopped;   generating ultrasound at a frequency of at least 20 megahertz (MHz);   transmitting ultrasound at a frequency of at least 20 MHz into a subject;   acquiring ultrasound from the subject, wherein the steps of generating, transmitting and acquiring are performed during the non-motion period, wherein the steps of generating, transmitting and acquiring are incrementally repeated from a first scan line position through an nth scan line position corresponding to a predefined area of the subject's anatomy where ultrasound is received from the subject; and   processing the received ultrasound signal to form the ultrasound image.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the mode of the ultrasound image is selected from a group consisting of: B-Mode, Color Flow, Power Doppler, M-Mode, PW Doppler, contrast imaging, and Tissue Doppler. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said mode is Power Doppler. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the ultrasound is generated in a frequency range of about 20 MHz to about 60 MHz.