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Tissue data is tissue echo intensity displayed as grayscale. The Region Data Type (0018,6014) value is 0001H (Tissue). Color flow is Doppler signal displayed as color and encoded as some function of Doppler magnitude and velocity of blood flow or tissue motion. The Region Data Type value is 0002H (Color flow). For 2D, the Region Spatial Format (0018,6012) is 0001H (2D), meaning that the region is a tomographic image. For such 2D regions the reference pixel location is typically at the center of the transducer face on the tissue-transducer interface (skin line).

Figure C.8-1 shows 2D Attribute values of reference pixel location along with Region Location Min and Region Location Max. for 2D-Tissue and 2D-Color Flow Regions:

Figure C.8-1. 2D Regions with Reference Pixel

Both the 2D regions-Tissue and Color Flow-share the same physical location at the skin line but the reference pixel location values (Reference Pixel X0 and Reference Pixel Y0) are relative to their respective region origins at the skin line.

Spectral Doppler is the time varying magnitude of Doppler signal as function of frequency. Region Data Type (0018,6014) value is 0003H (pulsed wave Doppler) or 0004H (continuous wave Doppler). Spectral Doppler regions display the magnitude of Doppler signal with frequency or velocity as the vertical dimension and time as the horizontal dimension. Spectral Doppler regions have a Region Spatial Format (0018,6012) of 0003H (Spectral). The time dimension for the Region Spatial Format displays horizontally with data scrolling toward the left or sweeping toward the right. The reference pixel location is the pixel in the frame where:

Figure C.8-2 shows an example of reference pixel locations in an image with both a Tissue and a scrolling Spectral (CW or PW Doppler) Region. The user adjusts the depth and position of the Doppler sample volume. The system annotates the sample volume position on the 2D region and specifies the location in Doppler Sample Volume X Position (0018,6039) and Doppler Sample Volume Y Position (0018,603B).

Figure C.8-2. 2D & Doppler Regions with Reference Pixel

The scrolling Spectral Region reference pixel location specifies the horizontal location at the time of the current image frame. Data to the left of this location in the Spectral Region was acquired in the past. Because time increases to the right, the Physical Delta X (0018,602C) for this Region is positive. To specify the location of the most recent data the Reference Pixel x0specifies the time of acquisition, and the Reference Pixel Physical Value X (0018,6028) specifies the reference time to be zero. The Physical Units X Direction (0018,6024) is seconds. For an explanation of how to handle sweeping regions refer to Section C.8.5.5.1.16.7 Treatment of Sweeping Regions.

The Reference Pixel Physical Value Y (0018,602A) value specifies the baseline where velocity or frequency are zero. Typically spectral Doppler regions display positive velocity (cm/Sec) or frequency shift (Hz) above the baseline. This indicates flow toward the transducer face. Negative velocity or frequency information is displayed below the baseline. This indicates flow away from the transducer face. The Physical Delta Y (0018,602E) value is therefore negative because vertical coordinates increment downward.

M-Mode is tissue or color flow with a Region Spatial Format (0018,6012) of 0002H (M-mode). The vertical reference pixel location is the transducer face.

The horizontal reference pixel location is the pixel in the frame where:

Figure C.8-3 shows an example of reference pixel locations for 2D Tissue and M-Mode Regions within the same image frame. The system annotates the sample line position on the 2D tissue region and specifies its position with the TM-Line Position Attributes (0018,603D), (0018,603F), (0018,6041) and (0018,6043).

Figure C.8-3. 2D & M-Mode Regions with Reference Pixel Example

The physical length of the TM-Line corresponds directly to the physical height of the M-Mode Region. The M-Mode region's Reference Pixel y0 can be used to calculate the depth of the M-Mode region and facilitate depth measurements. In this example the M-Mode Region Reference Pixel y0 has a negative value corresponding to the distance between the face of the ultrasound probe and the TM-Line starting point. Note that the negative offset in pixel units is determined using the pixel height-width scaling of the M-Mode - Tissue Region as this could differ from the scaling of the 2D - Tissue Region (as it does in this example).

Waveforms are traces with a Region Spatial Format (0018,6012) value of 0004H (Waveform). The Reference Pixel x0 (0018,6020) specifies the time origin as the time of frame capture. There is typically no baseline position for ECG traces; the Reference Pixel y0 (0018,6022) is arbitrary.

Figure C.8-4 shows an example of reference pixel location for 2D Tissue, M-Mode, and ECG Waveform Regions within the same image frame:

Figure C.8-4. 2D, M-Mode, & Waveform Regions with Reference Pixel

Doppler Traces have a Region Spatial Format (0018,6012) value of 0004H (Waveform) and a Region Data Type value of 0005H (Doppler Mean Trace), 0006H (Doppler Mode Trace) or 0007H (Doppler Max Trace). The Reference Pixel x0 (0018,6020) specifies the time origin as the time of frame capture. The Reference Pixel y0 (0018,6022) is the Doppler Baseline position (zero velocity / frequency position).

For regions with Region Spatial Format (0018,6012) value of 0005H (Graphics) the reference pixel location has no meaning.

Time-based display of data may scroll the acquired data from a fixed horizontal location to the left. Alternatively, sweep-based display increments the horizontal location of the acquired data, overwriting previously acquired data to the right. When the horizontal location corresponding to zero time has completely swept over the older data, writing wraps from the left of the region. Thus, sweep-based displays have a time discontinuity. The measurement of time intervals across the discontinuity requires special treatment. The time interval between two points across the discontinuity is equal to the region's time width minus the point separation. The sweeping area can be treated as a single region. The Reference Pixel x0 should indicate the time origin for the multi-frame image, which will be the location of the sweeping region's discontinuity line for the first frame of the multi-frame image. In order to specify that this is actually the location of the discontinuity line, the Reference Pixel Physical Value X (0018,6028) must be set to 0 seconds. This indicates that this location corresponds to the time at which the first frame was acquired.

It is useful to be able to calculate the location of the discontinuity line for subsequent frames of a multi-frame image. This is necessary if one is to determine whether two points are on opposite sides of the discontinuity line and also to correctly calculate the difference in time between such points. The x-axis location of the discontinuity line, x, for a given frame number, y, can be calculated from the Reference Pixel x0, x0, the Reference Pixel x1, x1, the time offset for frame y, t, (determined from the Frame Time Vector (0018,1065) or Frame Time (0018,1063)) and the Physical Delta X (0018,602C), p_x, as follows:

x = x0 + modulus((t / p_x) / (x1 - x0))

Alternatively, two regions can be used, one on each side of the time discontinuity. Figure C.8-5 shows the use of two regions. Note that the two region approach is not valid for multi-frame images, as the same region scaling must apply to all the frames.

Figure C.8-5. Sweep Example Using Two Regions

The two region approach may also be used in Doppler or physiological sweeping regions.

Time-based display of data may also be a combination of sweeping and scrolling. Sweep-based display is used at the start of acquisition, incrementing the horizontal location of the acquired data from left to right. After the horizontal location corresponding to zero time has completely swept to the right hand limit of the region, writing scrolls to the left from the right hand limit rather than wrapping from the left. A single region should be specified when this combination of behavior is used. The x-axis (zero time) location, x, for a given frame number, y, can be calculated from the Reference Pixel x0, x0, the Reference Pixel x1, x1, the time offset for frame y, t, (determined from the Frame Time Vector (0018,1065) or Frame Time (0018,1063)) and the Physical Delta X, p_x, as follows:

X = Min (x0 + (t / p_x), x1)