Aberration correction using channel data in ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9901323-B2
Application number	US-201414337008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 22, 2005
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an ultrasound scanner equipped with an image data processing unit that can perform adaptive parameter optimization during image formation and processing. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises a channel data memory to store channel data obtained by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an image scan; an image data processor configured to process the stored channel data in the memory to reconstruct an ultrasound image for each of a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized; and a parameter optimization unit configured to evaluate an image quality of the reconstructed ultrasound image for each trial value of the at least one parameter, and to determine the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing data for generating an ultrasound image, the method comprising:
obtaining a single set of channel data by digitizing ultrasound image data produced by an ultrasound scanner in performing an image scan;
storing the single set of channel data in a memory;
reconstructing an ultrasound image for each of a plurality of trial values of at least one parameter to be optimized using the stored single set of channel data in the memory;
evaluating an image quality of the reconstructed ultrasound image for each trial value of the at least one parameter;
determining the optimized value of the at least one parameter based on the evaluated image quality; and
controlling a digital display to display the reconstructed ultrasound image corresponding to the optimized value of the at least one parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating the image quality comprises computing a figure of merit for the reconstructed ultrasound image for each trial value of the at least one parameter.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing actual imaging using the optimized value of the at least one parameter to produce an image frame.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the obtaining, storing, reconstructing, evaluating, and determining for a portion of the stored single set of channel data corresponding to an image frame are performed within a frame time for the image frame.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one parameter includes one or more of:
a sound speed through an object being scanned, the sound speed being used to process the channel data to produce an image frame from the image scan;
transmit control parameters for a transmitter of the ultrasound scanner to specify at least one of transmit waveform, aperture function, delay profile, and pulsed repetition frequency for one or more imaging modes;
electronic array focusing parameters for a receiver of the ultrasound scanner to specify at least one of front end filter, front end gain, and receive aperture function as a function of time/depth and the time delay profiles for image reconstruction; or
image processing parameters for an image data processor of the ultrasound scanner to specify at least one of display dynamic range, gray or color maps, and spatial/temporal filtering.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating the image quality comprises selecting an image region for evaluation.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein evaluating the image quality comprises computing one or more image focus quality parameters; and wherein determining the optimized value comprises determining the optimal value of the at least one parameter to be optimized by comparing the one or more image focus quality parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more image focus quality parameters are used to maximize an overall lateral spatial resolution of the selected image region due to improved focusing.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein computing one or more image focus quality parameters comprises providing a focus quality spectrum.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the focus quality spectrum Q f (s,c) is selected from one of:

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Assignees

• Zonare Medical Systems Inc
• Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Napolitano David J
• Chou Ching Hua
• Ji Ting Lan
• Debusschere Brian Derek
• Mclaughlin Glen W
• Mo Larry Y L
• Steins Robert W

Classifications

• A61B8/469

  for selection of a region of interest · CPC title

• A61B8/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B8/4483

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title

• A61B8/145

  characterised by scanning multiple planes · CPC title

• G06T12/10

  Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction · CPC title