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US 2025/0288282 A1Published application
Ultrasound image artefact reduction
AssigneeSonoclear AS
InventorTormod SELBEKK
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSonoclear AS
InventorTormod SELBEKK
Estimating the term…
There is provided a method and system (1) for reducing an artefact (10) in an ultrasound image (4) of biological tissue (5), the biological tissue (5) comprising an object (6) that has different attenuation than surrounding tissue (8), wherein the object (6) comprises a cyst, a ventricle, a fluid-filled cavity, or a natural or surgically-created opening. The method comprises: obtaining an ultrasound image (4) of the biological tissue (5) including the object (6) that has different attenuation than the surrounding tissue (8); identifying the object (6) in the ultrasound image (4); identifying a region (14) of the ultrasound image (4) that has an enhancement or shadowing artefact (10) caused by the different attenuation of the object (6), wherein the region (14) is identified based on one or more of: geometry of a transducer (2) used to obtain the ultrasound image (4), a beam angle of transmitted ultrasound pulse(s) (22) used to obtain the ultrasound image (4), and a distance of propagation of the ultrasound pulse(s) (22) in the object (6); and applying a spatially varying gain correction to the identified region (14) to compensate for the difference in attenuation of the object (6).
A method for reducing an artefact in an ultrasound image of biological tissue, the biological tissue comprising an object that has different attenuation than surrounding tissue, wherein the object comprises a cyst, a ventricle, a fluid-filled cavity, or a natural or surgically-created opening;
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gain correction is frequency dependent.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising determining the gain correction based on a time of travel of the ultrasound pulse(s) at a given depth and a time of travel of the ultrasound pulse(s) in the object.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising determining the gain correction based on pixel intensities in one or more surrounding areas of the ultrasound image that are not affected by the enhancement or shadowing artefact.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising determining the gain correction factor for a pixel at depth (z) and lateral position (x) in the ultrasound image based on the sum of attenuation experienced by the ultrasound pulses contributing to the given pixel intensity.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gain correction is applied in real-time to an ultrasound scanner, and wherein the method comprises subsequently using the ultrasound scanner to obtain a second ultrasound image of the biological tissue including the object.
A computer programme product comprising instructions that, when executed, will configure a computer system to carry out the method of any preceding claim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.