Ultrasound image texture control using adaptive speckle control algorithm

A method for ultrasound imaging of an object, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting an ultrasound beams along a scan line into an object to be imaged;
• forming an acoustic data signal representing the amplitude of a net ultrasound beam reflected by said object from a range point along said scan line, said acoustic data signal beamforming step being performed for each of a multiplicity of range points along said scan line;
• transforming each acoustic data signal to form an in-phase component and a quadrature phase component thereof;
• for at least one of said transformed acoustic data signals, generating adaptive acoustic data signals which represent the square root of the absolute value of a sum of the square of said in-phase component plus the product of an adaptive speckle control index times the square of said quadrature phase components, wherein said adaptive speckle control index has a value .gtoreq.-1<+1;
• and
• displaying a specular image of said adaptive acoustic data signals.

An apparatus for adjusting speckle in an image, comprising:

• a beamformer for acquiring an input waveform S.sub.in (x, y) representing an input image;
• means for transforming said input waveform to form an in-phase component (Re(S.sub.in (x, y)) and a quadrature phase component (Im(S.sub.in (x, y)) of said input waveform;
• processing means for computing an output waveform S.sub.out (x, y) representing a speckle-modulated region of said input image in accordance with the following equation:
• S.sub.out (x,y)=.vertline.{(Re(S.sub.in (x,y)).sup.2 +M(Im(S.sub.in (x,y)).sup.2 }.vertline..sup.0.5
• wherein M is an adaptive speckle control index having a value in a range -1.ltoreq.M<1;
• and
• means for displaying said speckle-modulated region of said input image in conjunction with a non-speckle-adjusted region of said input image.