Beamforming method, beamforming apparatus, and medical imaging system performing the beamforming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9161739-B2
Application number	US-201213680741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2012
Priority date	Nov 17, 2011
Publication date	Oct 20, 2015
Grant date	Oct 20, 2015

Abstract

A beamforming apparatus includes a storage for storing a plurality of basis vectors obtained from a beamforming coefficient of a previously-measured echo signal; a weight calculator for calculating a weight to be applied to an echo signal reflected from a target; and a synthesizer for applying the weight to the echo signal reflected from the target and synthesizing signals to which the weight is applied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound apparatus configured to acquire ultrasound signals as echo signals reflected from a target, the ultrasound apparatus comprising: a transducer which acquires the echo signals reflected from the target;
a storage which stores basis vectors obtained from beamforming coefficients of previously-measured echo signals;
a projector configured to project the acquired echo signals on a k number of the basis vectors;
a weight calculator which calculates weights to be applied to the echo signals reflected from the target, by using the projected echo signals; and
a synthesizer which applies the weights to corresponding echo signals reflected from the target, and synthesizes the echo signals to which the weights are applied,
wherein the k number is equal to or greater than 1 and less than a number of reception channels which receive the echo signals reflected from the target.

2. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the synthesizer applies the weights to the projected echo signals, and synthesizes the projected echo signals to which the weights are applied.

3. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the projector projects a steering vector on at least one of the basis vectors,
the weight calculator calculates the weights by using the projected echo signals and the projected steering vector, and
the synthesizer applies the weights to the projected echo signals, and synthesizes the echo signals to which the weights are applied.

4. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the k number is determined by a user.

5. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage stores the basis vectors obtained by performing a principal component analysis (PCA) on the beamforming coefficients of the previously-measured echo signals.

6. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the synthesizer applies a weighted sum to the echo signals reflected from the target, and synthesizes the echo signals to which the weighted sum is applied, and
the weighted sum is determined with respect to at least some of the basis vectors.

7. A medical imaging system comprising:
a transducer which acquires the echo signals reflected from a target; a beamforming apparatus which projects echo signals reflected from a target on a k number of basis vectors obtained from beamforming coefficients of previously-measured echo signals, calculates weights to be applied to the echo signals reflected from the target, by using the projected echo signals, applies the weights to the acquired echo signals, and synthesizes the echo signals to which the weights are applied; and
a diagnostic image generator which generates a diagnostic image by using signals output from the beamforming apparatus,
wherein the k number is equal to or greater than 1 and less than a number of reception channels which receive the echo signals reflected from the target.

8. The medical imaging system of claim 7 , further comprising a storage which stores the basis vectors.

9. The medical imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the k number is determined by a user.

10. The medical imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the beamforming apparatus applies the weights to the projected echo signals.

11. A beamforming method of an ultrasound apparatus configured to acquire ultrasound signals as echo signals reflected from a target, the beamforming method comprising:
acquiring the echo signals reflected from the target; projecting the acquired echo signals on a k number of basis vectors obtained from beamforming coefficients of previously-measured echo signals;
calculating weights to be applied to the echo signals reflected from the target, by using the projected echo signals;
applying the weights to the echo signals reflected from the target; and
synthesizing the echo signals to which the weights are applied,
wherein the k number is equal to or greater than 1 and less than a number of reception channels which receive the echo signals reflected from the target.

12. The beamforming method of claim 11 , wherein the synthesizing comprises applying the weights to the projected echo signals, and synthesizing the echo signals to which the weights are applied.

13. The beamforming method of claim 12 , further comprising projecting a steering vector on at least one of the basis vectors,
wherein the calculating the weights comprises calculating the weights by using the projected echo signals and the projected steering vector.

14. The beamforming method of claim 11 , wherein the k number is determined by a user.

15. The beamforming method of claim 11 , wherein the basis vectors are obtained by performing a principal component analysis (PCA) on the beamforming coefficients of the previously-measured echo signals.

16. The beamforming method of claim 11 , wherein the synthesizing comprises applying a weighted sum to the echo signals reflected from the target and synthesizing the echo signals to which the weighted sum is applied,
wherein the weighted sum is determined with respect to at least some of the basis vectors.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the beamforming method of claim 11 .

18. A method of an ultrasound apparatus configured to acquire ultrasound signals as echo signals reflected from a target, the method comprising:
acquiring the echo signals reflected from the target; obtaining basis vectors from beamforming coefficients of previously-measured echo signals;
storing, in a storage, an r number of the obtained basis vectors, the r number being greater than or equal to 1;
determining a k number of the basis vectors, the k number being smaller than the r number of the basis vectors stored in the storage and smaller than an M number of reception channels;
projecting the acquired echo signals reflected from the target on the k basis vectors;
calculating weights based on the echo signals projected on the k basis vectors;
applying the weights to the projected echo signals; and
synthesizing the weighted echo signals.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the calculating comprises:
projecting a steering vector on the k basis vectors; and
calculating the weights by using the projected echo signals and the steering vector, which have been projected on the k basis vectors.

20. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the previously-measured echo signals are obtained by being reflected from a same target as currently reflected echo signals to which the weights are being applied.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Univ Hallym Iacf

Inventors

• Kim Kyu-Hong
• Park Sung-Chan
• Kim Jung-Ho
• Bae Moo-Ho

Classifications

• G01S15/8977

  using special techniques for image reconstruction, e.g. FFT, geometrical transformations, spatial deconvolution, time deconvolution · CPC title

• A61B8/5207

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

• A61B8/14 Primary

  Echo-tomography · CPC title

• G01S7/52047 Primary

  for elimination of side lobes or of grating lobes; for increasing resolving power · CPC title

• G06T1/00

  General purpose image data processing · CPC title