Ultrasound imaging apparatus for displaying a Kupffer phase based on contrast-enhanced images

An ultrasound imaging apparatus configured to irradiate ultrasonic waves to an object to which ultrasonic contrast agent is administered, receive an echo signal reflected from the object, and analyze a contrast enhanced (CE) ultrasound image for the object, the ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

• a display unit;
• an image processor configured to set a region of interest in the CE ultrasound image, and generate a first time intensity curve and a second time intensity curve associated with first and second contrast agents, respectively, each of the first and second time intensity curves representing brightness of each frame of the CE ultrasound image within the set region of interest, wherein the image processor is configured to:
• generate a first curve representing a vascular phase, the first curve being based on the first time intensity curve obtained from the object to which the first contrast agent is administered and a first curve fitting model representing a tendency of the first time intensity curve;
• generate a second curve representing the vascular phase followed by a Kupffer phase, the second curve being based on the second time intensity curve obtained from the object to which the second contrast agent is administered and a second curve fitting model representing a tendency of the second time intensity curve;
• and
• generate and display, through the display unit, a third curve as the Kupffer phase, the third curve representing a difference over time between the first curve and the second curve,
• wherein particles in the first contrast agent are weakly phagocytosed by Kupffer cells in the object compared to particles in the second contrast agent, and
• wherein the particles in the second contrast agent are strongly phagocytosed by the Kupffer cells in the object compared to the particles in the first contrast agent.