Ultrasound imaging apparatus and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10402074-B2
Application number	US-201514945212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Provided are an ultrasound imaging apparatus and a method of controlling the same, and more specifically, to a technique for displaying a gain compensation regulating unit including a time gain compensation (TGC) regulating unit or a lateral gain compensation (LGC) regulating unit corresponding to the set ROI when a region of interest (ROI) in an ultrasound image is set. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to the embodiment includes an input unit configured to receive a command of setting a region of interest (ROI) in an ultrasound image; and a display unit including a first region on which the ultrasound image is displayed and a second region on which a gain compensation regulating unit configured to change a gain compensation value of the ultrasound image is displayed, wherein, when the command of setting the ROI in the ultrasound image displayed on the first region is input, the display unit displays only a gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the input ROI in the ultrasound image on the second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound imaging apparatus, comprising:
an input unit configured to receive a command of setting a region of interest (ROI) in an ultrasound image;
a display unit including a first region on which the ultrasound image is displayed and a second region on which a gain compensation regulating unit configured to change a gain compensation value of the ultrasound image is displayed; and
a processor configured to display an enlarged ROI in the ultrasound image on the first region and display only the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the enlarged ROI in the ultrasound image on the second region, when the command of setting the ROI in the ultrasound image displayed on the first region of the display unit is input,
wherein the processor is configured to determine a number of the gain compensation regulating unit displayed on the second region and a range thereof based on the enlarged ROI.

2. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ROI in the ultrasound image is a region set by enlarging, reducing, expanding or rotating the ultrasound image, and
when the ROI is set, a screen displayed on the display unit is changed.

3. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the gain compensation regulating unit includes at least one of a time gain compensation (TGC) regulating unit and a lateral gain compensation (LGC) regulating unit.

4. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit displays an increased or decreased level of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image such that gain compensation of the ROI in the ultrasound image is finely regulated.

5. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit emphasizes and displays a display mode of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image, and emphasizing and displaying the gain compensation regulating unit includes displaying the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image by changing a color thereof.

6. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit displays the ROI in the ultrasound image on the first region and displays the ROI in the ultrasound image and the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image in an overlapping manner.

7. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the command of setting the ROI in the ultrasound image includes a command of enlarging or reducing a specific area in the ultrasound image.

8. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a sub display panel configured to display an ultrasound image set as the ROI and the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image,
wherein the display unit displays an entire ultrasound image before the ROI in the ultrasound image is set and a gain compensation regulating unit corresponding thereto, and
wherein the sub display panel displays the ROI in the ultrasound image and the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image.

9. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the sub display panel displays the ROI in the ultrasound image and the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image in an overlapping manner.

10. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the display unit and the sub display panel include a touch panel in which a user inputs a touch command of setting the ROI in the ultrasound image and touches the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the displayed ultrasound image and thus the gain compensation value corresponding to the ultrasound image set as the ROI is regulated.

11. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the display unit displays at least one of a TGC regulating unit configured to regulate a TGC value corresponding to a depth direction of the ultrasound image set as the ROI and an LGC regulating unit configured to regulate an LGC value corresponding to a lateral direction.

12. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the display unit displays at least one of a TGC regulating object and a TGC regulating line configured to regulate a TGC value corresponding to a depth direction of the ultrasound image set as the ROI.

13. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the display unit displays at least one of an LGC regulating object and an LGC regulating line configured to regulate an LGC value corresponding to a lateral direction of the ultrasound image set as the ROI.

14. The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a memory configured to store information on the input ROI in the ultrasound image and the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the input ROI in the ultrasound image.

15. A method of controlling an ultrasound imaging apparatus including a display unit having a first region on which an ultrasound image is displayed and a second region on which a gain compensation regulating unit configured to change a gain compensation value of the ultrasound image is displayed, the method comprising:
receiving a command of setting a region of interest (ROI) in the ultrasound image displayed on the first region;
displaying an enlarged ROI on the first region; and
displaying only a gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the enlarged ROI in the ultrasound image on the second region,
wherein the displaying of only the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the enlarged ROI comprises determining a number of the gain compensation regulating unit displayed on the second region and a range thereof based on the enlarged ROI.

16. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the displaying of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the input ROI in the ultrasound image includes
displaying an increased or decreased level of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image such that gain compensation of the ROI in the ultrasound image is finely regulated.

17. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the displaying of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the input ROI in the ultrasound image includes emphasizing and displaying a display mode of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image, and
the emphasizing and displaying of the gain compensation regulating unit includes displaying the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image by changing a color thereof.

18. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the displaying of the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the input ROI in the ultrasound image includes
displaying the ROI in the ultrasound image displayed on the first region and the gain compensation regulating unit corresponding to the ROI in the ultrasound image in an overlapping manner.

19. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the receiving of the command of setting the ROI in the ultrasound image includes a command of enlarging or reducing a specific area in the ultrasound image.

20. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the gain compensation regulating unit includes at least one o

Assignees

• Samsung Medison Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jin Gil-Ju
• Ahn Mi Jeoung
• Kim Yuri
• Jo Jae Moon

Classifications

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title

• G06F3/04847 Primary

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06T3/40

  Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting · CPC title

• G01S7/52033

  Gain control of receivers (for seismic signals G01V1/245) · CPC title