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US 12,514,564 B2Granted
Systems and methods for improving ultrasound image quality
AssigneeMaui Imaging, Inc.
InventorsElias M. Atmeh, Bruce R. Ritzi, David J. Specht
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for improving ultrasound image quality. In some embodiments, data sets can be formed from received echoes at each of a plurality of receive elements. The data between the data sets can be masked to include or exclude data. The masked data sets can then be beamformed to form ultrasound images.
Claims12
A method of reducing noise in ultrasound imaging, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a first unfocused ultrasound pulse with a multiple-aperture ultrasound array into a region of interest having one or more types of tissue including bones;
- receiving echoes from the region of interest with one or more receive elements of the multiple-aperture ultrasound array;
- forming a digital data set for a plurality of pixels in the region of interest for each of the one or more receive elements;
- conducting an average of all the digital data sets;
- applying a control to mask data values from the digital data sets to include or exclude data based on a user-selected percentage of the average;
- producing a masked data set output;
- and
- beamforming the masked data set output to produce one or more ultrasound images.
5 more elements
A method of reducing noise in ultrasound pulse imaging, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a first unfocused ultrasound pulse with a multiple-aperture ultrasound array into a region of interesting having one or more types of tissues;
- receiving echoes from the region of interest with one or more receive elements of the multiple-aperture ultrasound array;
- forming a first digital data set for echoes received by a first receiver element;
- forming a second digital data set for echoes received by a second receiver element;
- identifying groups of similar data where common values are shared between the first and second digital data sets;
- masking data where common values are shared;
- reducing gap values in the first and second digital data sets to zero or another values;
- producing a masked data set output;
- and
- beamforming the masked data set output to produce one or more ultrasound images.
7 more elements
A method of reducing noise in ultrasound imaging, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a first unfocused ultrasound pulse with a multiple-aperture ultrasound array into a region of interest having one or more types of tissue including bones;
- receiving echoes from the region of interest with one or more receive elements of the multiple-aperture ultrasound array;
- forming a first digital data set for echoes received by a first receiver element;
- forming a second digital data set for echoes received by a second receiver element;
- identifying groups of similar data in the first and second digital data sets;
- correlating the similar data where common values are shared between the first and second digital data sets;
- masking data where common values are shared;
- keeping only data retained from gaps between the first and second digital data sets;
- producing a masked data set output;
- and
- beamforming the masked data set output to produce one or more ultrasound images.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.