Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11844652-B2
Application number	US-201916693777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: acquiring a plurality of frequency band images respectively having different frequency bands based on an ultrasound signal corresponding to an object; determining weights respectively for the plurality of frequency band images based on brightness levels of regions including the object in each of the plurality of frequency band images; synthesizing the plurality of frequency band images based on the weights for the plurality of frequency band images; and displaying a synthetic ultrasound image of the object, generated as a result of the synthesizing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of frequency band images including a first frequency band image having a first frequency band higher than a first reference frequency and a second frequency band image having a second frequency band lower than a second reference frequency that is lower than the first reference frequency based on an ultrasound signal corresponding to an object;
determining a base image representing brightness levels for regions of the object and a detail image representing details of the regions of the object by respectively performing spatial filtering on each of the plurality of frequency band images,
determining weights respectively for the plurality of frequency band images;
synthesizing the plurality of frequency band images based on the weights for the plurality of frequency band images; and
displaying a synthetic ultrasound image of the object, generated as a result of the synthesizing,
wherein the determining of the weights comprises:
setting a weight for image information regarding a region corresponding to a shadow region, which is acquired from the second frequency band image, to be higher than a weight for image information regarding the shadow region in the first frequency band image,
setting weights for the base images respectively corresponding to a plurality of frequency bands, based on the brightness levels for the regions of the object; and
setting weights for the detail images respectively corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands, based on detail levels representing sharpness for the regions of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acquiring of the plurality of frequency band images comprises
classifying the ultrasound signal into a plurality of ultrasound signals by dividing it into a plurality of frequency band sections and acquiring, based on the classified ultrasound signal, the first frequency band image and the second frequency band image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining of the weights respectively for the plurality of frequency band images comprises:
detecting, in the first frequency band image, the shadow region having a lower brightness level than a predetermined brightness level and a higher noise level than a predetermined noise level.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the weights for the plurality of frequency band images comprises
setting a weight for image information regarding a non-shadow region in the first frequency band image to be higher than a weight for image information regarding a region in the second frequency band image corresponding to the non-shadow region.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthesizing of the plurality of frequency band images comprises:
synthesizing the base images respectively corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands according to the weights set for the base images;
synthesizing the detail images respectively corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands according to the weights set for the detail images or the brightness level of the base images; or synthesizing the detail images based on a maximum absolute value determined for each region of a detail image; and
obtaining the synthetic ultrasound image by combining a synthetic base image acquired by the synthesizing of the base images with a synthetic detail image acquired by the synthesizing of the detail images.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the weights for the base images respectively corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands based on the brightness levels for the regions of the object comprises:
setting, for a bright region having a brightness level that is greater than or equal to a first level among brightness levels lower than a first reference level used as a reference in representing the brightness levels for the regions of the object, a weight for image information regarding a base image for a first frequency band image to be higher than a weight for image information regarding a base image for a second frequency band image; and
setting, for a dark region having a brightness level that is less than the first level among the brightness levels lower than the first reference level, the weight for the image information regarding the base image for the second frequency band image to be higher than the weight for the image information regarding the base image for the first frequency band image.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the weights for the detail images respectively corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands based on the detail levels for the regions of the object comprises:
setting, for a bright region having a detail level that is greater than or equal to a second level among detail levels lower than a second reference level used as a reference in representing sharpness levels for the regions of the object, a weight for image information regarding a detail image for a first frequency band image to be higher than a weight for image information regarding a detail image for a second frequency band image; and
setting, for a dark region having a detail level that is less than the second level among the detail levels lower than the second reference level, the weight for the image information regarding the detail image for the second frequency band image to be higher than the weight for the image information regarding the detail image for the first frequency band image.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
receiving an input for adjusting a strength of a weight for image information regarding a second frequency band image among the plurality of frequency band images,
wherein the synthesizing of the plurality of frequency band images comprises
synthesizing the plurality of frequency band images based on the weight with the adjusted strength for the image information regarding the second frequency band image.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the synthetic ultrasound image of the object comprises:
displaying the synthetic ultrasound image and an original ultrasound image obtained based on the ultrasound signal; and
displaying a result of comparing a sharpness level or noise level between the synthetic ultrasound image and the original ultrasound image.

10. A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of steer images based on an ultrasound signal corresponding to an object and acquired according to a beam steering operation by a probe;
determining a base image representing brightness levels of regions of the object and a detail image representing details of the regions of the object by respectively performing spatial filtering on each of the plurality of steer images;
setting weights of the base images respectively for the plurality of steer images, based on the brightness levels for the regions of the object, and synthesizing the base images;
setting weights for the detail images respectively for the plurality of steer images, based on detail levels representing sharpness for the regions of the object, and synthesizing the detail images;
displaying a synthetic steer image obtained by combining a synthetic base image acquired by the synthesizing of the base images with a synthetic detail image acquired by the synthesizing of the detail images; and
receiving an input for adjusting a strength of a weight for image information regarding a predetermined steer image among the plurality of steer images,
wherein the synthesizing of the base images and the detail images comprises
synthesizing the base images and the detail images based on the weight w

Assignees

• Samsung Medison Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sungchan
• Kwon Jaehyun
• Kim Jungho

Classifications

• A61B8/5207 Primary

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image · CPC title

• A61B8/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B8/5269

  involving detection or reduction of artifacts · CPC title

• A61B8/587

  Calibration phantoms · CPC title

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title