US 12,582,383 B2Granted

Ultrasound image processing method, and ultrasound apparatus using the same

AssigneeSamsung Medison Co., Ltd.

InventorsKang Sik Kim, Yang Mo Yoo, Young Ray Kim, Jung Ho Kim

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Abstract

An ultrasound image processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes transmitting and receiving an ultrasound signal to and from an object through an array in which a plurality of apertures are arranged along one direction, calculating at least one of a transmission delay and a reception delay of the ultrasound signal, and forming a multi-beam through synthetic focusing by reflecting the calculated delay on the ultrasound signal received by the array, wherein the calculating of the delay is calculated through a propagation shape model in which the ultrasound signal transmitted or received through the array is centered on virtual sources parallel to the array.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An ultrasound image processing method, comprising:

transmitting and receiving an ultrasound signal to and from an object through an array in which a plurality of apertures is arranged along one direction;
obtaining at least one of a transmission delay and a reception delay of the ultrasound signal by calculating the delay using a propagation shape model in which the ultrasound signal transmitted or received through the array is centered on virtual sources parallel to the array, the virtual sources comprising a virtual ellipse having two fixed focus points with no discontinuous point of transmission delay appearing in a scan line formed between the two fixed focus points;
and
forming a multi-beam at different locations through synthetic focusing by reflecting the calculated delay on the ultrasound signal received by the array,
wherein the transmission delay and the reception delay of the ultrasound signal are calculated as:
a
2
-
c
2
=
b
2
equation
⁢
(
1
)
2
⁢
a
=
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
b
=
(
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
2
)
2
-
c
2
Tx
⁢
delay
=
d
f
±
b
equation
⁢
(
2
)
=
d
f
±
(
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
2
)
2
-
c
2
,
in the equations (1) and the equation (2), a is a length of a major axis of the virtual ellipse, b is a length of a minor axis of the virtual ellipse, c is a distance along an X-axis direction from a center of the virtual ellipse to each of the two fixed focus points, and each of de1 and de2 is a distance from each of the two fixed focus points to image points (xi, zi) on the virtual ellipse, and
wherein de1, de2, and df are derived as:
d
f
=
(
x
s
-
x
f
)
2
+
(
z
s
-
z
f
)
2
d
c
⁢
1
=
(
x
f
-
x
c
-
x
i
)
2
+
(
z
f
-
z
c
-
z
i
)
2
d
c
⁢
1
=
(
x
f
+
x
c
-
x
i
)
2
+
(
z
f
+
z
c
-
z
i
)
2
,
equation
⁢
(
3
)
in the equation (3), df is a focal length.

165 more elements

An ultrasound image processing method, comprising:

transmitting and receiving an ultrasound signal to and from an object through an array in which a plurality of apertures is arranged along one direction;
obtaining at least one of a transmission delay and a reception delay of the ultrasound signal by using a distance between two fixed focus points of a virtual ellipse, focal depth, a distance to image point and a positional relationship between probe elements, wherein no discontinuous point of the transmission delay appears in a scan line formed between the two fixed focus points of the virtual ellipse;
and
forming a multi-beam at different locations through synthetic focusing by reflecting the calculated delay on the ultrasound signal received by the array,
wherein the transmission delay and the reception delay of the ultrasound signal are calculated as:
a
2
-
c
2
=
b
2
equation
⁢
(
1
)
2
⁢
a
=
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
b
=
(
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
2
)
2
-
c
2
Tx
⁢
delay
=
d
f
±
b
equation
⁢
(
2
)
=
d
f
±
(
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
2
)
2
-
c
2
,
in the equations (1) and the equation (2), a is a length of a major axis of the virtual ellipse, b is a length of a minor axis of the virtual ellipse, c is a distance along an X-axis direction from a center of the virtual ellipse to each of the two fixed focus points, and each of de1 and de2 is a distance from each of the two fixed focus points to image points (xi, zi) on the virtual ellipse, and
wherein de1, de2, and df are derived as:
d
f
=
(
x
s
-
x
f
)
2
+
(
z
s
-
z
f
)
2
d
c
⁢
1
=
(
x
f
-
x
c
-
x
i
)
2
+
(
z
f
-
z
c
-
z
i
)
2
d
c
⁢
1
=
(
x
f
+
x
c
-
x
i
)
2
+
(
z
f
+
z
c
-
z
i
)
2
,
equation
⁢
(
3
)
in the equation (3), df is a focal length.

165 more elements

An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive an ultrasound signal to and from an object through an array in which a plurality of apertures is arranged along one direction;
a transceiving delay calculator configured to obtain at least one of a transmission delay and a reception delay of the ultrasound signal by calculating the delay using a propagation shape model in which the ultrasound signal transmitted or received through the array is centered on virtual sources parallel to the array, the virtual sources comprising a virtual ellipse having two fixed focus points with no discontinuous point of transmission delay appearing in a scan line formed between the two fixed focus points;
and
a multi-beam former configured to form a multi-beam at different locations through synthetic focusing by reflecting the calculated delay on the ultrasound signal received by the array,
wherein the transmission delay and the reception delay of the ultrasound signal are calculated as:
a
2
-
c
2
=
b
2
equation
⁢
(
1
)
2
⁢
a
=
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
b
=
(
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
2
)
2
-
c
2
Tx
⁢
delay
=
d
f
±
b
equation
⁢
(
2
)
=
d
f
±
(
d
c
⁢
1
+
d
c
⁢
2
2
)
2
-
c
2
,
in the equations (1) and the equation (2), a is a length of a major axis of the virtual ellipse, b is a length of a minor axis of the virtual ellipse, c is a distance along an X-axis direction from a center of the virtual ellipse to each of the two fixed focus points, and each of de1 and de2 is a distance from each of the two fixed focus points to image points (xi, zi) on the virtual ellipse, and
wherein de1, de2, and df are derived as:
d
f
=
(
x
s
-
x
f
)
2
+
(
z
s
-
z
f
)
2
d
c
⁢
1
=
(
x
f
-
x
c
-
x
i
)
2
+
(
z
f
-
z
c
-
z
i
)
2
d
c
⁢
1
=
(
x
f
+
x
c
-
x
i
)
2
+
(
z
f
+
z
c
-
z
i
)
2
,
equation
⁢
(
3
)
in the equation (3), df is a focal length.

165 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/139,718Filed 26 Apr 2023
Priority: KR 10-2022-006234420 May 2022
Published: US 2023/0371927 A123 Nov 2023
Granted: 24 Mar 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A61B 8/4483
Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device: characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
G01S 7/52047
Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver: for elimination of side lobes or of grating lobes; for increasing resolving power
A61B 8/4427
Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device: device being portable or laptop-like
G01S 15/8927
Using a transducer array: using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures