Aberration correction using channel data in ultrasound imaging system

A method of processing data for generating an ultrasound image, the method comprising the steps, carried out during an ultrasound examination, of:

• obtaining multiple sets of channel data by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an ultrasound scanner in performing an image scan;
• storing the multiple sets of channel data in a computer-readable storage medium, each set of stored channel data representing at least a selected image region of a respective frame of channel data;
• for each particular set of stored channel data,
• reconstructing a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized using that same particular set of stored channel data in the computer-readable storage medium for each of the plurality of trial values;
• for each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images based on that particular set of stored channel data, evaluating an image quality of that reconstructed ultrasound image by computing a figure of merit for that reconstructed ultrasound image;
• determining the optimized value of the at least one parameter by combining the figures of merit for the multiple sets of channel data to provide combined figures of merit;
• and
• using the optimized value in connection with further processing of additional channel data.

An ultrasound system comprising:

• a channel data memory to store a set of channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan;
• an image data processor configured to process, for a set of stored channel data representing at least a selected image region of a particular frame of channel data, the same set of stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized;
• and
• a parameter optimization unit configured to
• compute one or more image focus quality parameters in order to evaluate an image quality for each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter, wherein the parameter optimization unit is configured to provide a focus quality spectrum of the image for use in computing the one or more image focus quality parameters,
• determine the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality by comparing the one or more image focus quality parameters, and
• provide the optimized value for use in connection with processing of additional channel data.

An ultrasound system comprising:

• a channel data memory to store multiple sets of channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan, each set of stored channel data representing at least a selected image region of a respective particular frame of channel data;
• an image data processor configured to process each set of stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct for that set of stored channel data a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized;
• and
• a parameter optimization unit including a parameter optimization program stored in a computer readable storage medium;
• wherein the parameter optimization program includes
• code for evaluating, for each set of stored channel data, an image quality of each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter including code for computing, for each set of stored channel data, a figure of merit for each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter,
• code for determining the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality including code for combining the figures of merit for the multiple sets of channel data to provide combined figures of merit, and
• code for providing the optimized value for use in connection with processing of additional channel data.

An ultrasound system comprising:

• a channel data memory to store multiple sets of channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan, each set of stored channel data representing at least a selected image region of a respective frame of channel data;
• means for processing the multiple sets of stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct, for each set of stored channel data, a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized;
• means for evaluating, for each set of stored channel data, an image quality of each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter including means for computing a figure of merit for each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter;
• means for determining the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality including means for combining the figures of merit for the multiple sets of channel data to provide combined figures of merit;
• and
• means for providing the optimized value for use in connection with processing of additional channel data.

An ultrasound system comprising:

• a channel data memory configured to store a set of channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan, the set of stored channel data representing at least a selected image region of a frame of channel data;
• means for processing the set of stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized;
• and
• means for evaluating an image quality of each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter including means for computing a figure of merit for each of the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of trial values of the at least one parameter;
• means for determining the optimal value of the at least one parameter by comparing the figures of merit for the plurality of reconstructed ultrasound images;
• and
• means for providing the optimized value for use in connection with processing of additional channel data.