Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic image processing method

An ultrasonic image processing method, comprising:

• (A) generating a transmission signal in response to a control signal, converting the transmission signal into an ultrasonic beam, and emitting the ultrasonic beam to a target;
• (B) receiving a reflected wave which is returned from the target after the ultrasonic beam has been reflected from the target, dividing the reflected wave into a plurality of reception signals, extracting the reception signals, generating primary ultrasonic image data of a plurality of frames from the reception signals, and storing the primary ultrasonic image data of the frames;
• (C) dividing primary ultrasonic image data of any one frame among primary ultrasonic image data of the plurality of frames into a plurality of blocks, extracting the luminance value and the high-frequency component values of block image data from individual blocks, selecting a block having maximum luminance value and maximum high-frequency component values as an optimal block by comparing the luminance value and the high frequency component values of block image data from individual blocks, determining blocks at locations of remaining frames, corresponding to a location of the optimal block, to be optimal blocks of corresponding frames, selecting an optimal frame, and determining a sound velocity of the optimal frame to be an actual sound velocity of the reflected wave;
• and
• (D) generating secondary ultrasonic image data by extracting a contour from primary ultrasonic image data of the optimal frame, and then outputting the secondary ultrasonic image data.