Method and apparatus for ultrasonic imaging
AssigneePrisma Medical Technologies LLC
InventorsHarold Hastings, Steven Evans, Scott Roth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reducing speckle in an ultrasonic image formed from a digitized scan line including linearly arranged signal intensity data points obtained from ultrasonic energy reflected by structures within a body. The scan line is divided into intensity pixels. Each intensity pixel includes at least one data point. A raw intensity level and a feature gain factor are determined for each intensity pixel. A corrected intensity level is calculated for each intensity pixel by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the corresponding feature gain factor. The corrected intensity level of each intensity pixel is displayed.
Claims53
A method for reducing speckle in an ultrasonic image formed from a digitized scan line including a plurality of linearly arranged signal intensity data points obtained from ultrasonic energy reflected by structures within a body, said method comprising the steps of:
- dividing the scan line into a plurality of intensity pixels, each of said intensity pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points;
- determining a raw intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels;
- determining a feature gain factor for each pixel of said plurality of intensity pixels;
- calculating a corrected intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the feature gain factor for the corresponding intensity pixel;
- and
- displaying the corrected intensity level of each of said plurality of intensity pixels.
A method for reducing speckle in an ultrasonic image formed from a digitized scan line including a plurality of linearly arranged signal intensity data points obtained from ultrasonic energy reflected by structures within a body, said method comprising the steps of:
- dividing the scan line into a plurality of intensity pixels, each of said intensity pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points;
- determining a raw intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels;
- selecting a feature detection pixel corresponding to each intensity pixel of said plurality of intensity pixels, each of said feature detection pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points;
- developing a normalized power spectrum for each feature detection pixel;
- determining a feature gain factor for each feature detection pixel from the normalized power spectrum thereof;
- calculating a corrected intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the feature gain factor for the corresponding intensity pixel;
- and
- displaying the corrected intensity level of each of said plurality of intensity pixels.
Apparatus for reducing speckle in an ultrasonic image formed from a digitized scan line including a plurality of linearly arranged signal intensity data points obtained from ultrasonic energy reflected by structures within a body, said apparatus comprising:
- a control and processor unit having:
- (a) means for dividing the scan line into a plurality of intensity pixels, each of said intensity pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points;
- (b) means for determining a raw intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels;
- (c) means for determining a feature gain factor for each pixel of said plurality of intensity pixels;
- (d) means for calculating a corrected intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the feature gain factor for the corresponding intensity pixel;
- and
- a display for displaying the corrected intensity level of each of said plurality of intensity pixels.
Apparatus for producing an ultrasonic image comprising:
- a transducer for emitting ultrasonic energy into a body and receiving ultrasonic energy reflected by structures in the body as digitized scan lines, each of said lines including a plurality of linearly arranged signal intensity data points;
- a control and processing unit operatively connected to the transducer for controlling the transducer and for processing said digitized scan lines by dividing the scan line into a plurality of intensity pixels, each of said intensity pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points, determining a raw intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels, determining a feature gain factor for each pixel of said plurality of intensity pixels, and calculating a corrected intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the feature gain factor for the corresponding intensity pixel;
- and
- a display operatively connected to the control and processing unit for displaying the corrected intensity level of each of said plurality of intensity pixels.
Apparatus for reducing speckle in an ultrasonic image formed from a digitized scan line including a plurality of linearly arranged signal intensity data points obtained from ultrasonic energy reflected by structures within a body, said apparatus comprising:
- a control and processor unit having:
- (a) means for dividing the scan line into a plurality of intensity pixels, each of said intensity pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points;
- (b) means for determining a raw intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels;
- (c) means for selecting a feature detection pixel corresponding to each intensity pixel of said plurality of intensity pixels, each of said feature detection pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points;
- (d) means for developing a normalized power spectrum for each feature detection pixel;
- (e) means for determining a feature gain factor for each feature detection pixel from the normalized power spectrum thereof;
- and
- (f) means for calculating a corrected intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the feature gain factor for the corresponding intensity pixel;
- and
- a display for displaying the corrected intensity level of each of said plurality of intensity pixels.
Apparatus for producing an ultrasonic image comprising:
- a transducer for emitting ultrasonic energy into a body and receiving ultrasonic energy reflected by structures in the body as digitized scan lines, each of said lines including a plurality of linearly arranged signal intensity data points;
- a control and processing unit operatively connected to the transducer for controlling the transducer and for processing said digitized scan lines by dividing the scan line into a plurality of intensity pixels, each of said intensity pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points, determining a raw intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels, selecting a feature detection pixel corresponding to each intensity pixel of said plurality of intensity pixels, each of said feature detection pixels including at least one data point of said plurality of signal intensity data points, developing a normalized power spectrum for each feature detection pixel, determining a feature gain factor for each feature detection pixel from the normalized power spectrum thereof, and calculating a corrected intensity level for each of said plurality of intensity pixels by multiplying the raw intensity level for each intensity pixel by the feature gain factor for the corresponding intensity pixel;
- and
- a display operatively connected to the control and processing unit for displaying the corrected intensity level of each of said plurality of intensity pixels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.