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US 11,953,591 B2Granted
Ultrasound imaging system with pixel extrapolation image enhancement
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsJun Seob Shin, Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon
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Abstract
An ultrasound imaging system produces images with enhanced resolution or contrast by extrapolation of two ultrasound images of different imaging characteristics, such as aperture size, imaging frequency, or degree of image compounding. In order to prevent the display of image artifacts, extrapolation is accompanied by artifact removal and image smoothing.
Claims16
An ultrasound imaging system which produces extrapolated images comprising:
- a transducer array probe;
- and
- one or more processors in communication with the transducer array probe, the processor configured to:
- separate signals received by the transducer array probe into two imaging signal paths of different imaging characteristics;
- beamform signals, from each imaging signal path, for images of different imaging characteristics;
- produce ultrasound images of different imaging characteristics;
- predict an extrapolated image by extrapolation of the ultrasound images;
- remove artifacts resulting from extrapolation which are not speckle from the extrapolated image;
- perform smoothing of the speckle of the extrapolated image;
- and
- display a final image predicted by the extrapolation.
8 more elements
An ultrasound imaging system which produces extrapolated images comprising:
- a transducer array probe;
- a signal separator, adapted to separate signals received by the transducer array probe into two imaging signal paths of different imaging characteristics;
- a beamformer coupled to the signal separator in each imaging signal path which is adapted to beamform signals for images of different imaging characteristics;
- an image processor coupled to the beamformer in each imaging signal path and configured to produce ultrasound images of different imaging characteristics;
- an extrapolator coupled to the image processor and adapted to predict an extrapolated image by extrapolation of the ultrasound images;
- an artifact filter coupled to the extrapolator and adapted to remove non-speckle artifacts resulting from extrapolation from the extrapolated image;
- a speckle filter coupled to the artifact filter and adapted to perform smoothing of the speckle of the extrapolated image;
- and
- a display, coupled to the speckle filter, and adapted to display a final image predicted by the extrapolation.
6 more elements
An ultrasound imaging system which produces extrapolated images comprising:
- a transducer array probe;
- a signal separator, adapted to separate signals received by the transducer array probe into two imaging signal paths of different imaging characteristics;
- a beamformer coupled to the signal separator in each imaging signal path which is adapted to beamform signals for images of different imaging characteristics;
- an image processor coupled to the beamformer in each imaging signal path and configured to produce ultrasound images of different imaging characteristics;
- an extrapolator coupled to the image processor and adapted to predict an extrapolated image by extrapolation of the ultrasound images;
- an artifact filter coupled to the extrapolator and adapted to remove non-speckle artifacts resulting from extrapolation from the extrapolated image;
- a speckle filter coupled to the artifact filter and adapted to perform smoothing of the speckle of the extrapolated image;
- and
- a display, coupled to the speckle filter, and adapted to display a final image predicted by the extrapolation,
- wherein the speckle filter is further adapted to decompose the extrapolated image and an image used by the extrapolator to produce the extrapolated image into a low-resolution image and a detail image containing speckle by spatial low pass filtering.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.