Systems and methods for adaptive contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

A method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of contrast enhanced ultrasound images;
• performing an adaptive point spread function (PSF) thinning technique on individual images of the plurality of contrast enhanced ultrasound images, wherein the adaptive PSF thinning technique is based, at least in part, on an aggressiveness parameter that is adapted in a temporal domain;
• and
• temporally accumulating at least two of the individual images of the plurality of contrast enhanced ultrasound images to provide an adaptive contrast accumulation image.

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that when executed cause an ultrasound imaging system to:

• receive a plurality of contrast enhanced ultrasound images;
• perform an adaptive point spread function (PSF) thinning technique on individual ones of the plurality of contrast enhanced ultrasound images, wherein the adaptive PSF thinning technique is based, at least in part, on an aggressiveness parameter that is adapted in a temporal domain;
• and
• temporally accumulate at least two of the individual ones of the plurality of ultrasound images to provide an adaptive contrast accumulation image.