Ultrasonic imaging method and system, and photoacoustic imaging method and system

Abstract

An ultrasonic imaging method (300) and system (200) and a photoacoustic imaging method (900) and system (800) are provided. The ultrasonic imaging method (300) includes: transmitting ultrasonic waves to a target area of a measured object, wherein the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area (S310); receiving ultrasonic echo signals of the ultrasonic waves (S320); performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signals to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data (S330); and compounding the at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data to obtain compound data, and generating an ultrasonic image based on the compound data (S340). Performing different signal processing on each received ultrasonic echo signal or photoacoustic echo signal to obtain compound data, and performing imaging based on the compound data, can improve imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate.

Description

[0001] manual Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of ultrasonic imaging technology, and more specifically to an ultrasonic imaging method and system and a photoacoustic imaging method and system. Background Art

[0003] Ultra-wide beam transmission technologies, such as plane waves and diverging waves, utilize an imaging mode where a single excitation creates a single frame, making them key to achieving high frame rate ultrasound imaging. However, ultra-wide beams require unfocused transmission, which inevitably leads to insufficient lateral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Coherent angular recombination (CAR) is the primary solution to this problem. It requires multi-angle deflection transmission at the front end and coherent recombination processing at the receiver. As the number of angular recombination operations increases, the lateral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the ultrasound image improve, but the frame rate also decreases.

[0004] Therefore, existing high frame rate ultrasound imaging solutions cannot take into account both frame rate and image quality, and have to make trade-offs between the two according to different application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The Summary of the Invention introduces a series of simplified concepts that will be further described in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention is not intended to limit the key features and essential features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0006] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging method, the method comprising:

[0007] transmitting ultrasonic waves to a target area of the object to be measured, wherein the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area;

[0008] receiving an ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave;

[0009] performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data;

[0010] The at least two sets of different ultrasound echo data are compounded to obtain compound data, and an ultrasound image is generated based on the compound data.

[0011] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging method, the method comprising:

[0012] transmitting ultrasonic waves to a target area of the object to be measured, wherein the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area;

[0013] receiving an ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave;

[0014] performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data;

[0015] The at least two sets of different ultrasound echo data are compounded to obtain compound data, and an ultrasound image is generated based on the compound data.

[0016] A second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a photoacoustic imaging method, the method comprising:

[0017] Controlling the laser emitting device to emit laser light toward a target area of the object to be measured;

[0018] receiving a photoacoustic signal generated by the tissue in the target area being irradiated by the laser;

[0019] performing at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data;

[0020] The at least two different sets of photoacoustic data are combined to obtain combined data, and a photoacoustic image is generated based on the combined data.

[0021] A third aspect of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

[0022] Ultrasound probe;

[0023] a transmitting circuit, configured to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward a target area of the object being measured, wherein the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area;

[0024] a receiving circuit, configured to control the ultrasonic probe to receive an ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave;

[0025] a signal processing module, configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data;

[0026] The processor is configured to compound the at least two sets of different ultrasound echo data to obtain compound data, and generate an ultrasound image based on the compound data.

[0027] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a photoacoustic imaging system, the photoacoustic imaging system comprising:

[0028] Ultrasound probe;

[0029] a laser emitting device, for emitting laser light toward a target area of the object to be measured;

[0030] a receiving circuit, configured to control the ultrasound probe to receive a photoacoustic signal generated by the tissue in the target area being irradiated by the laser;

[0031] a signal processing module, configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data;

[0032] The processor is configured to: combine the at least two sets of different photoacoustic data to obtain combined data, and generate a photoacoustic image based on the combined data.

[0033] According to the ultrasound imaging method, ultrasound imaging system, photoacoustic imaging method, and photoacoustic imaging system of the embodiments of the present application, different signal processing is performed on each received ultrasound echo signal or photoacoustic echo signal to obtain composite data, and imaging is performed based on the composite data, which can improve imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0035] In the attached figure:

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a multi-transmit and multi-receive plane wave composite imaging is shown;

[0037] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of an ultrasound imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating ultrasound imaging with single transmission of unfocused ultrasound and multi-angle reception according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 5 A comparison diagram of normalized transverse envelopes between an ultrasound imaging method with single transmission and multi-angle reception and an ultrasound imaging method with single transmission and single reception according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0041] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating ultrasound imaging with single transmission of unfocused ultrasound and multi-frequency reception according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 7A schematic diagram illustrating ultrasound imaging with single transmission of unfocused ultrasound waves and multi-frequency and multi-angle reception according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of a photoacoustic imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0044] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart of a photoacoustic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the following is a detailed description of example embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the example embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present application described in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0046] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, some technical features well known in the art are not described in order to avoid confusion with the present application.

[0047] It should be understood that the present application can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0048] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present application. When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "including", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0049] In order to fully understand the present application, a detailed structure will be provided in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present application. The optional embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application may also have other implementation methods.

[0050] Unfocused ultrasound imaging technology was introduced to improve the frame rate of ultrasound imaging. Assuming that one frame of image has N receiving beams, when imaging using traditional single-beam focused imaging technology, the ultrasound imaging system needs to transmit N transmitting beams, and each transmission is followed by a reception. However, unfocused ultrasound imaging technology only requires one full-array element transmission excitation to perform full-area reception and obtain one frame of ultrasound image, making the number of transmissions using unfocused ultrasound imaging technology 1 / N of that of traditional single-beam focused imaging technology. However, as the transmission depth increases, the transmission sound field intensity of unfocused ultrasound gradually weakens, and the penetration is insufficient. Moreover, since unfocused ultrasound has no transmission focusing, only beam synthesis is performed at the receiving end, resulting in poor lateral resolution of the ultrasound image and insufficient signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, coherent angle compounding technology is introduced to solve the above problems in unfocused ultrasound imaging.

[0051] Figure 1 An example of cubic coherence angle recombination in linear array plane wave imaging is given. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, plane waves are transmitted at angles #1 (deflection -10 degrees), #2 (deflection 0 degrees), and #3 (deflection 10 degrees). Ultrasonic echo signals returned from the imaging target are received and beamformed. This generates beamformed data for angles #1, #2, and #3, respectively. Finally, the three sets of beamformed data are superimposed to produce coherent angle-composite data for imaging. Specifically, plane waves are transmitted at different deflection angles, echo signals from each plane wave transmission are collected and beamformed, and then the beamformed data from multiple angles are superimposed to produce a composite image. Because the useful signals at each angle are correlated and the noise is independent, coherent angle-composite technology can improve the penetration and lateral resolution of plane wave images. However, as the number of transmissions required to form a single image increases, the frame rate decreases.

[0052] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application propose an ultrasonic imaging method, an ultrasonic imaging system, a photoacoustic imaging method and a photoacoustic imaging system, which perform different signal processing on the ultrasonic echo signal received by each ultrasonic emission or the photoacoustic echo signal received by each laser irradiation to obtain composite data, and perform imaging based on the composite data, which can improve the imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate.

[0053] Next, first refer to Figure 2 An ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 2 A schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 200 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0054] like Figure 1As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 200 includes an ultrasound probe 210, a transmitting circuit 212, a receiving circuit 214, a signal processing module 216, a processor 218, and a display 220. Furthermore, the ultrasound imaging system may further include a transmit / receive selection switch 222 and a memory 224. The transmitting circuit 212 and the receiving circuit 214 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 210 via the transmit / receive selection switch 222.

[0055] Specifically, the ultrasound probe 210 may include multiple transducer elements, which may be arranged in a row to form a linear array, a convex array to form a phased array, or a two-dimensional matrix to form a planar array. The transducer is used to transmit ultrasonic waves based on an excitation electrical signal, or to convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each transducer element can be used to achieve mutual conversion between electrical pulse signals and ultrasonic waves, thereby transmitting ultrasonic waves to the tissue of the target area of the object being tested, and can also be used to receive ultrasonic echoes reflected by the tissue. During ultrasonic testing, the transmit sequence and receive sequence can be used to control which transducer elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves and which transducer elements are used to receive ultrasonic waves, or to control the transducer elements to transmit ultrasonic waves or receive ultrasonic echoes in different time slots.

[0056] During ultrasound imaging, the transmitting circuit 212 sends a transmit pulse to the ultrasound probe 210 via the transmit / receive selector switch 222, simultaneously stimulating the transducer array elements in the ultrasound probe 210 to emit unfocused ultrasound toward the target area of the object being measured. This unfocused ultrasound wave can be a plane wave or a diverging wave. The sound field generated by the unfocused ultrasound wave can cover the entire target area. After being scattered by tissue, the transducer array elements also receive the echo signal and reconvert this ultrasound echo into an electrical signal. Through a single transmission and reception, the resulting ultrasound echo signal can produce a complete ultrasound image of the entire region of interest. The receiving circuit 214 controls the ultrasound probe 210 to receive the ultrasound echo signal and sends it to the signal processing module 216, which can include a beamforming module and / or a dynamic filtering processing module. The signal processing module 216 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasound echo signal before sending it to the processor 218. The processor 218 performs multiplexing, envelope detection, logarithmic compression, spatial smoothing, and other processing on the at least two sets of ultrasound echo data to form an ultrasound image. The ultrasound image obtained by the processor 218 may be displayed on the display 220 or stored in the memory 224 .

[0057] Optionally, the processor 218 may be implemented as software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof, and may use one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more general-purpose integrated circuits, one or more microprocessors, one or more programmable logic devices, or any combination of the aforementioned circuits and / or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 218 may also control other components in the ultrasound imaging system 200 to execute the corresponding steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this specification.

[0058] The display 220 is connected to the processor 218. The display 220 may be a touch screen display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. Alternatively, the display 220 may be an independent display device such as a liquid crystal display or a television, independent of the ultrasound imaging system 200. Alternatively, the display 220 may be a display screen of an electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet computer. The number of displays 220 may be one or more. For example, the display 220 may include a main screen and a touch screen, with the main screen primarily used to display ultrasound images and the touch screen primarily used for human-computer interaction.

[0059] The display 220 can display the ultrasound image generated by the processor 218. In addition to displaying the ultrasound image, the display 220 can also provide a user with a graphical interface for human-computer interaction. One or more controlled objects can be set on the graphical interface, allowing the user to input operating instructions using a human-computer interaction device to control these controlled objects and perform corresponding control operations. For example, icons can be displayed on the graphical interface, and the human-computer interaction device can be used to operate these icons to perform specific functions, such as drawing a region of interest on the ultrasound image.

[0060] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 200 may further include other human-computer interaction devices in addition to the display 220, which are connected to the processor 218. For example, the processor 218 may be connected to the human-computer interaction device via an external input / output port. The external input / output port may be a wireless communication module, a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input / output port may also be implemented based on USB, a bus protocol such as CAN, and / or a wired network protocol.

[0061] The human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information. The input information may be, for example, a control instruction for the timing of ultrasonic transmission / reception, an operation input instruction for drawing a point, line, or frame on an ultrasonic image, or other instruction types. The input device may include one or a combination of a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen display, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc. The human-computer interaction device may also include an output device such as a printer.

[0062] The ultrasound imaging system 200 may further include a memory 224 for storing instructions executed by the processor, storing received ultrasound echoes, storing ultrasound images, and the like. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, or a hard disk. The memory may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory, a removable memory and / or a non-removable memory, and the like.

[0063] It should be understood that Figure 2 The components included in the ultrasound imaging system 200 are merely illustrative, and the system may include more or fewer components, which is not limited in the present application.

[0064] Below, reference Figure 3 The ultrasonic imaging method according to one embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of an ultrasound imaging method 300 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, the ultrasound imaging method 300 of the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0066] In step S310, ultrasonic waves are transmitted to a target area of the object to be measured, where the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area;

[0067] In step S320, an ultrasonic echo signal of an ultrasonic wave is received;

[0068] At step S330, performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data;

[0069] In step S340 , at least two different sets of ultrasound echo data are compounded to obtain compound data, and an ultrasound image is generated based on the compound data.

[0070] The ultrasonic imaging method 300 of the embodiment of the present application performs different signal processing on the ultrasonic echo signal received after each ultrasonic wave transmission to obtain composite data, and performs imaging based on the composite data, which can significantly reduce the transmission cost and improve the imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate.

[0071] Specifically, in step S310, the unfocused ultrasonic wave emitted toward the target area of the measured object can be a plane wave or a diverging wave. When emitting the unfocused ultrasonic wave, the transducer elements in the ultrasonic probe are excited, and the generated ultrasonic wave propagates toward the target area in the form of a wavefront. The measured object can be a human body, and the target area can be a human tissue region such as the heart, uterus, liver, or kidney, although these are not specifically limited herein.

[0072] The transmitted waveform of the plane wave is flat. In one embodiment, the plane wave has a deflection angle of zero, i.e., vertical transmission. When the ultrasound probe is controlled to transmit a plane wave with a deflection angle of zero toward the target area, the transducer array elements in the ultrasound probe are synchronously excited to generate ultrasound waves parallel to the transducer array plane. In other embodiments, the plane wave may also have a certain deflection angle. When the plane wave has a certain deflection angle, the transducer array elements can be set to be excited sequentially with a delay time calculated based on the deflection angle.

[0073] A diverging wave has one or more virtual focal points behind the ultrasound probe. The transmitted waveform is centered at the virtual focal point. Setting a transmit delay creates an arc-shaped waveform. The diverging wave gradually diverges with increasing depth, thereby achieving a larger field of view with a smaller aperture. In one embodiment, the virtual focal points can be located behind the ultrasound probe, parallel to the probe. In another embodiment, the virtual focal points can be distributed in an arc-like shape with a fixed radius and centered at the center of the ultrasound probe.

[0074] In one embodiment, transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object under test may include transmitting an ultrasonic wave at least once to the target area. Since the ultrasonic echo signal is subsequently subjected to at least two different signal processings, thereby obtaining at least two sets of different ultrasonic echo data, in step S310, transmitting at least an ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object under test may be transmitting the ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object under test at the same angle, without the need for deflected transmission at multiple angles. Specifically, the ultrasonic probe may transmit an ultrasonic wave one or more times to the target area of the object under test at the same fixed angle, that is, it may be vertical transmission or deflected transmission at a fixed angle. Of course, in other embodiments, transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object under test may also be transmitting the ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object under test at different angles.

[0075] Next, in step S320, the ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave is received. Figure 2After each transmission, the receiving circuit 214 controls the transducer array elements in the ultrasonic probe 210 to receive the reflected echoes from each receiving point in the target area in response to the ultrasonic wave transmitted in step S210, and converts them into electrical signals to obtain ultrasonic echo signals. For example, the electrical signals may be amplified by a time gain compensation amplifier to compensate for ultrasonic wave attenuation at different depths, and then transmitted to the beamforming module for subsequent steps.

[0076] In step S330, the ultrasound echo signal is processed at least twice to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasound echo data. Because the at least two different sets of ultrasound echo data are processed differently, they contain different tissue information, achieving an effect similar to multiple transmissions. Subsequently, the information from the at least two different sets of ultrasound echo data can be combined for imaging to improve imaging quality.

[0077] In one embodiment, at least two different signal processings may use different receiving angles. Specifically, the ultrasonic echo signal obtained in step S320 is sent to the beam synthesis module in the signal processing module, and the beam synthesis module uses different receiving angles to perform beam synthesis processing on the ultrasonic echo signal. Beam synthesis is to delay the ultrasonic echo signals received by each transducer array element in the ultrasonic probe accordingly and then superimpose them, and the superimposed ultrasonic echo signal obtained is the synthesized beam. Using different receiving angles for signal processing means that in each beam synthesis process, the delay is calculated based on different receiving angles to obtain different ultrasonic echo data. In an embodiment of the present application, different receiving angles are used to perform beam synthesis processing on the ultrasonic echo signal, thereby achieving an effect similar to multiple deflection transmissions through the algorithm, while avoiding the disadvantage of multiple transmissions and reducing the frame rate.

[0078] For example, see Figure 4 This paper uses a linear array plane wave as an example to illustrate the ultrasound imaging process with single transmission and multi-angle deflection reception. In this example, a single vertical plane wave is transmitted during the transmission phase. During the reception phase, the ultrasound echo data is processed at three angles (i.e., reception angle #1: -10° deflection, reception angle #2: 0° deflection, and reception angle #3: 10° deflection). The ultrasound echo data from reception angles #1, #2, and #3 are then combined to produce composite data, ultimately generating a single ultrasound image frame based on the composite data.

[0079] Figure 5 The following figure shows the normalized transverse envelope comparison of the single-shot, multi-angle reception ultrasound imaging method according to the embodiment of the present application and the conventional single-shot, single-reception ultrasound imaging method. The solid line and the dotted line are the envelope curves of the single-shot, single-reception and the single-shot, multi-angle reception, respectively. Figure 5 It can be seen that the lateral resolution of the latter is significantly improved compared with the former.

[0080] In another embodiment, at least two different signal processing steps utilize different frequencies, i.e., different frequencies are used to filter the beamformed ultrasonic echo signals to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Exemplarily, the filtering process may include dynamic filtering, such as a dynamic filtering module within the signal processing module that dynamically filters the ultrasonic echo signals using different frequencies. The frequency and frequency band of the filter used in the dynamic filtering process vary with the echo depth. Since high-frequency echo components have high longitudinal resolution in the image but experience greater attenuation with depth, low-frequency echo components have lower longitudinal resolution in the image but experience slower attenuation with depth, enabling detection at greater depths, dynamic filtering selects high-frequency components of the signal at shallower depths and low-frequency components at deeper depths, thereby filtering out noise signals outside the frequency band of interest. Exemplarily, utilizing different frequencies for dynamic filtering may include utilizing different filter center frequencies.

[0081] See also Figure 6 In this example, a single vertical transmission is performed, and the ultrasonic echo signal is dynamically filtered using N different frequencies to obtain ultrasonic echo data at each frequency. Since higher frequencies can obtain better resolution and lower frequencies can obtain stronger penetration, the ultrasonic echo data corresponding to the N different frequencies can be subsequently compounded to integrate the tissue information obtained at different frequencies and generate an ultrasonic image based on the compound data.

[0082] In another embodiment, different signal processing can use different receiving angles and different frequencies. That is, first, different receiving angles are used for beamforming in the beamforming stage, and then different frequencies are used for filtering in the dynamic filtering stage. Figure 7 In this example, a single vertical transmission is performed, and the ultrasonic echo signal is processed N times in different ways. In each signal processing process, a different angle is used for beamforming, and a different frequency is used for dynamic filtering. For example, the first signal processing uses frequency 1 and angle 1, the (N-1) / 2th signal processing uses frequency (N-1) / 2 and angle (N-1) / 2, the Nth signal processing uses frequency N and angle N, and so on. As a result, the ultrasonic echo data contains more information, further improving the subsequent imaging quality.

[0083] For example, in step S310, when transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward a target area of the subject, at least one ultrasonic wave is transmitted toward the target area of the subject. In step S330, when performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic echo signal obtained by transmitting the at least one ultrasonic wave is subjected to at least two signal processing operations to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data. Specifically, in step S330, at least two different signal processing operations may be performed on the ultrasonic echo signal obtained by transmitting the at least one ultrasonic wave to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data. Subsequently, one frame of ultrasonic image may be generated based on the obtained at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data. That is, one frame of ultrasonic image may be generated for each ultrasonic wave transmitted. Alternatively, if at least two ultrasonic waves are transmitted in step S310, at least two different signal processing operations may be performed on the ultrasonic echo signal obtained by transmitting the at least two ultrasonic waves in step S330 to obtain two or more different sets of ultrasonic echo data. Subsequently, one frame of ultrasonic image may be generated based on the obtained two or more different sets of ultrasonic echo data. That is, one frame of ultrasonic image may be generated for each at least two ultrasonic waves transmitted.

[0084] In step S330, due to the at least two different signal processing operations, different ultrasonic echo data can be obtained based on the ultrasonic echo signals of the ultrasonic waves transmitted at the same angle. Therefore, performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signals may mean performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signals of the ultrasonic waves transmitted at the same angle. Of course, in other embodiments, when transmitting ultrasonic waves at different angles toward the target area of the object under test, performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signals may mean performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signals of the ultrasonic waves transmitted at each angle.

[0085] In step S340 , the at least two different sets of ultrasound echo data obtained in step S330 are compounded to obtain compound data, and an ultrasound image is generated based on the compound data.

[0086] In one embodiment, the composite processing is coherent composite, that is, the ultrasonic echo data before envelope detection is coherently composited. Coherent composite is to perform weighted superposition processing on the ultrasonic echo data obtained at each receiving angle with the phase, and the superposition process does not require envelope taking or other nonlinear processing. The weighted superposition processing can use adaptive weights, and the adaptive weights include but are not limited to coherence factors and / or minimum variance. Among them, the coherence factor is the ratio of the coherent sum to the incoherent sum between the array element signals after the delay. Coherent composite can enhance the axial signal and suppress the off-axis signal, thereby improving the imaging contrast. Unfocused ultrasound does not perform transmit focusing, but the coherent superposition process is equivalent to the effect of transmit-receive hybrid focusing.

[0087] Exemplarily, coherent compounding is a compounding process performed on a complex analytical signal that contains both phase and amplitude information. The data after coherent compounding is still a complex analytical signal, and envelope detection is required to obtain the envelope of the echo signal. Exemplarily, the Hilbert transform method can be used to obtain the complex analytical signal to be processed. The original signal is Hilbert transformed to obtain the orthogonal signal of the original signal. The complex analytical signal is constructed with the original signal as the real part and the orthogonal signal obtained by the Hilbert transform as the imaginary part. The modulus of this signal is the envelope of the original signal. Alternatively, IQ demodulation can be performed to obtain the complex analytical signal to be processed. The main difference between the two is that IQ demodulation is frequency selective, and specific frequency components can be selected for final imaging, and it has strong anti-interference ability.

[0088] In another embodiment, the composite processing may also include incoherent composite processing, that is, instead of performing coherent composite processing before envelope detection, incoherent composite processing is performed on the ultrasonic echo data after envelope detection. The main difference between incoherent composite processing and coherent composite processing is that coherent composite processing superimposes both amplitude and phase information, while incoherent composite processing superimposes only amplitude information. In the data processing flow, this is manifested as whether composite processing is performed before or after envelope detection. Incoherent composite processing can suppress speckle noise in the image and thereby improve image contrast.

[0089] After obtaining the composite data, it can be subjected to logarithmic compression, spatial smoothing, and other signal processing steps to produce an ultrasound image. Spatial smoothing can be performed at any stage after beamforming. This allows a single ultrasound transmission to generate a single ultrasound image based on the composite data, significantly improving the frame rate compared to ultrasound imaging methods that require multiple transmissions and receptions.

[0090] In other embodiments, a single frame of ultrasound image can be generated based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by transmitting at least two ultrasonic waves. The ultrasound can be transmitted at least twice at different transmission angles. For each ultrasonic wave transmission, the received ultrasonic echo signal undergoes at least two different signal processing steps to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data. These data are then coherently or incoherently combined to obtain composite data. Finally, the composite data obtained from each transmission is further combined to obtain final composite data, and a single frame of ultrasound image is generated based on the final composite data. This imaging method of multiple transmissions and multiple receptions per transmission can significantly improve imaging quality.

[0091] The present application also provides an ultrasound imaging system, which can be used to implement the ultrasound imaging method 300. Figure 2The ultrasound imaging system 200 may include some or all of the following components: an ultrasound probe 210, a transmitting circuit 212, a receiving circuit 214, a signal processing module 216, a processor 218, a display 220, a transmit / receive selection switch 222, and a memory 224. For descriptions of each component, please refer to the above. The following only describes the main functions of the ultrasound imaging system 200, omitting the details already described above.

[0092] Specifically, the transmitting circuit 212 is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe 210 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target area of the object under test, and the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area; the receiving circuit 214 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 210 to receive the ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic waves; the signal processing module 216 is used to perform at least two different signal processing on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two sets of different ultrasonic echo data; the processor 218 is used to compound the at least two sets of different ultrasonic echo data to obtain compound data, and generate an ultrasonic image based on the compound data.

[0093] Exemplarily, the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic probe 210 are plane waves or diverging waves.

[0094] In one embodiment, the signal processing module 216 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal using different receiving angles and / or different frequencies. The signal processing module 216 may include a beamforming module and a dynamic filtering processing module. The beamforming module is configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal using different receiving angles, specifically by using different receiving angles during beamforming of the ultrasonic echo signal. The dynamic filtering processing module is configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal using different frequencies, specifically by using different frequencies during dynamic filtering of the ultrasonic echo signal.

[0095] In one embodiment, compounding the at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data includes: coherently compounding the ultrasonic echo data before envelope detection, or incoherently compounding the ultrasonic echo data after envelope detection.

[0096] In one embodiment, the processor 218 generates a frame of ultrasound image based on a set of composite data obtained by transmitting ultrasound once, or the processor 218 generates a frame of ultrasound image based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by transmitting ultrasound at least twice.

[0097] In one embodiment, when the transmitting circuit 212 stimulates the ultrasonic probe 210 to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object to be measured, the ultrasonic probe 210 is stimulated to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object to be measured at least once; when the signal processing module 216 performs at least two different signal processings on the ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic echo signal obtained by transmitting at least one ultrasonic wave is subjected to at least two signal processings to obtain at least two sets of different ultrasonic echo data.

[0098] In one embodiment, the transmitting circuit 212 excites the ultrasonic probe 210 to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object under test, including: the transmitting circuit 212 excites the ultrasonic probe 210 to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object under test at the same angle.

[0099] In one embodiment, the signal processing module 216 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal, including: the signal processing module 216 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave emitted at the same angle.

[0100] Based on the above description, the ultrasonic imaging method 300 and the ultrasonic imaging system of the embodiment of the present application perform different signal processing on the ultrasonic echo signals received after each ultrasonic emission to obtain different ultrasonic echo data, and perform coherent compounding or incoherent compounding on the different ultrasonic echo data to obtain composite data, and finally perform imaging based on the composite data, which can greatly reduce the transmission cost and improve the imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate.

[0101] Another aspect of the present invention provides a photoacoustic imaging method and a photoacoustic imaging system. Figure 8 Describe a photoacoustic imaging system according to one embodiment of the present application, Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a schematic structural block diagram of a photoacoustic imaging system 800 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0102] like Figure 8 As shown, the photoacoustic imaging system 800 includes an ultrasound probe 810, a laser emitting device 812, a transmitting circuit 814, a signal processing module 816, a processor 818, and a display 820. In one embodiment, the photoacoustic imaging system 800 can be a simple photoacoustic imaging system, that is, it only works in the photoacoustic imaging mode. In another embodiment, the photoacoustic imaging system 800 can also be a photoacoustic-ultrasound dual-modality imaging system, that is, the imaging system can work in two imaging modes, photoacoustic imaging mode and ultrasound imaging mode, and the processor controls the imaging in the two imaging modes. The photoacoustic image obtained by photoacoustic imaging can reflect the functional information of the target area tissue, and the ultrasound image obtained by ultrasound imaging can reflect the structural information of the target area tissue.

[0103] Specifically, the laser emitting device 812 may include at least one laser. After receiving the control signal sent by the processor 818, the laser emits a laser. The tissue in the target area located in the optical path of the laser irradiation is irradiated by the laser. After the substance with strong optical absorption properties in the tissue (such as blood) absorbs the light energy, it causes local heating and thermal expansion, thereby generating a photoacoustic signal and propagating outward. The photoacoustic signal is received by the ultrasound probe 810.

[0104] The ultrasound probe 810 includes multiple transducer elements, which can be arranged in a row to form a linear array, a convex array to form a phased array, or a two-dimensional matrix to form a planar array. The transducers convert received ultrasound waves into electrical signals. During photoacoustic imaging, the ultrasound probe 810 only performs a receiving function and does not transmit ultrasound waves to excite the target. Photoacoustic signals propagate isotropically, so the signals generated by photoacoustic imaging must be received using an ultra-wide beam. The receiving circuit 816 controls the ultrasound probe 810 to receive the photoacoustic signals and transmits them to the signal processing module 816, which may include a beamforming module and a dynamic filtering module. The signal processing module 816 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signals before transmitting them to the processor 818. The processor 818 performs multiplexing, envelope detection, logarithmic compression, spatial smoothing, and other processing on the at least two sets of photoacoustic data to form a complete photoacoustic image encompassing the entire region of interest. The photoacoustic image obtained by the processor 818 may be displayed on the display 820 or stored in the memory 822 .

[0105] Optionally, the processor 818 may be implemented as software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof, and may use one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more general-purpose integrated circuits, one or more microprocessors, one or more programmable logic devices, or any combination of the aforementioned circuits and / or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 818 may control other components in the photoacoustic imaging system 800 to execute the corresponding steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this specification.

[0106] The display 820 is connected to the processor 818. The display 820 may be a touch screen display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. Alternatively, the display 820 may be an independent display device such as a liquid crystal display or a television, independent of the photoacoustic imaging system 800. Alternatively, the display 820 may be the display screen of an electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet computer. The number of displays 820 may be one or more. For example, the display 820 may include a main screen and a touch screen, with the main screen primarily used to display photoacoustic images and the touch screen primarily used for human-computer interaction.

[0107] The display 820 can display the photoacoustic image generated by the processor 818. In addition to displaying the photoacoustic image, the display 820 can also provide a user with a graphical interface for human-computer interaction. One or more controlled objects can be set on the graphical interface, allowing the user to input operating instructions using a human-computer interaction device to control these controlled objects and perform corresponding control operations. For example, icons can be displayed on the graphical interface, and the human-computer interaction device can be used to operate these icons to perform specific functions, such as drawing a region of interest box on the photoacoustic image.

[0108] Optionally, the photoacoustic imaging system 800 may further include other human-computer interaction devices in addition to the display 820, which are connected to the processor 818. For example, the processor 818 may be connected to the human-computer interaction device via an external input / output port. The external input / output port may be a wireless communication module, a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input / output port may also be implemented based on USB, bus protocols such as CAN, and / or wired network protocols.

[0109] The human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information. The input information may be, for example, a control instruction for the timing of ultrasonic transmission / reception, an operation input instruction for drawing a point, line, or frame on a photoacoustic image, or other instruction types. The input device may include one or a combination of a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen display, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc. The human-computer interaction device may also include an output device such as a printer.

[0110] The photoacoustic imaging system 800 may further include a memory 822 for storing instructions executed by the processor, storing received ultrasound echoes, storing photoacoustic images, and the like. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, or the like. It may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory, a removable memory and / or a non-removable memory, and the like.

[0111] It should be understood that Figure 8 The components included in the photoacoustic imaging system 800 are merely illustrative, and the system may include more or fewer components, which is not limited in the present application.

[0112] Below, reference Figure 9 Describe a photoacoustic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application, Figure 9 FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a photoacoustic imaging method 300 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0113] like Figure 9 As shown, a photoacoustic imaging method 900 according to an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0114] In step S910, a laser emitting device is controlled to emit laser light toward a target area of the object to be measured;

[0115] In step S920, a photoacoustic signal generated by laser irradiation of tissue in a target area is received;

[0116] At step S930, performing at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data;

[0117] In step S940 , at least two different sets of photoacoustic data are combined to obtain combined data, and a photoacoustic image is generated based on the combined data.

[0118] The ultrasonic imaging method 900 of the embodiment of the present application performs different signal processing on the photoacoustic signal received after each laser emission to obtain composite data, and performs imaging based on the composite data, which can significantly reduce the emission cost and improve the imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate.

[0119] Specifically, in step S910, referring to Figure 8 Processor 818 can control laser emitting device 812 to emit laser light toward the target area of the subject. When the tissue in the target area is irradiated by short-pulse laser light on the order of nanoseconds, substances with strong optical absorption properties (such as blood) in the tissue absorb the light energy, causing localized heating and thermal expansion. This generates ultrasonic waves that propagate outward and are detected by ultrasound probe 810. By detecting the ultrasonic signal and then using appropriate reconstruction algorithms for photoacoustic imaging, the position and morphology of the absorbing substances within the tissue can be reconstructed with high resolution.

[0120] Next, in step S920, the photoacoustic signal generated by the tissue in the target area being irradiated by the laser is received. Figure 8 The receiving circuit 814 controls the transducer array elements in the ultrasonic probe 810 to simultaneously receive the ultrasonic waves generated by the laser irradiation at each receiving point in the target area, and converts them into electrical signals to obtain photoacoustic signals, and transmits them to the signal processing module 816 to execute subsequent steps.

[0121] In step S930, the photoacoustic signal is processed at least twice to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data. Because the at least two sets of photoacoustic data utilize different signal processing techniques, they contain different tissue information, creating an effect similar to multiple shots. Subsequently, the information from the at least two different sets of photoacoustic data can be combined for imaging to improve imaging quality.

[0122] In one embodiment, at least two different signal processing operations use different receiving angles. Specifically, the photoacoustic signal obtained in step S920 is sent to the beamforming module in the signal processing module 816, and the beamforming module uses different receiving angles to perform beamforming processing on the photoacoustic signal. Beamforming is to delay the photoacoustic signals received by each transducer array element in the ultrasound probe and then superimpose them accordingly. The superimposed photoacoustic signal obtained is the synthesized beam. Using different receiving angles for signal processing means that in each beamforming process, the delay is calculated based on different receiving angles to obtain different photoacoustic data.

[0123] In another embodiment, at least two different signal processing steps utilize different frequencies, i.e., different frequencies are used to filter the beamformed photoacoustic signal to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Exemplarily, the filtering process may include dynamic filtering. For example, a dynamic filtering module within the signal processing module may dynamically filter the ultrasonic echo signal using different frequencies. The frequency and frequency band of the filter used in the dynamic filtering process vary with the echo depth. Since high-frequency components in the photoacoustic signal have high longitudinal resolution in the image but experience greater attenuation with depth, low-frequency components in the photoacoustic signal have lower longitudinal resolution in the image but experience slower attenuation with depth, enabling detection at greater depths, dynamic filtering selects high-frequency components of the signal at shallower detection depths and low-frequency components at deeper detection depths, thereby filtering out noise signals outside the frequency band of interest. Exemplarily, utilizing different frequencies for dynamic filtering may include utilizing different filter center frequencies.

[0124] In another embodiment, different signal processing methods can utilize both different receiving angles and different frequencies. Specifically, different receiving angles are first used for beamforming during the beamforming phase, and then different frequencies are used for filtering during the dynamic filtering phase. This allows the photoacoustic data to contain more information, further improving subsequent imaging quality.

[0125] For example, in step S910, when controlling the laser emitting device to emit laser light toward a target area of the measured object, the laser emitting device is controlled to emit laser light toward the target area of the measured object at least once. In step S930, when performing at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal, the photoacoustic signal obtained by emitting the laser light at least twice is processed to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data. Specifically, in step S930, the photoacoustic signal obtained by emitting the laser light once can be processed at least twice to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data. Subsequently, a frame of image can be generated based on the obtained at least two different sets of photoacoustic data. That is, a frame of photoacoustic image can be obtained for each laser emission. Alternatively, if the laser light is emitted at least twice in step S910, the photoacoustic signal obtained by emitting the laser light at least twice can be processed at least twice in step S930 to obtain two or more different sets of photoacoustic data. Subsequently, a frame of photoacoustic image can be generated based on the obtained two or more different sets of photoacoustic data. That is, a frame of photoacoustic image can be obtained for each laser emission.

[0126] In step S940 , the at least two different sets of photoacoustic data obtained in step S930 are combined to obtain combined data, and a photoacoustic image is generated based on the combined data.

[0127] In one embodiment, the composite processing is coherent composite, i.e., coherent composite is performed on the photoacoustic data before envelope detection. Coherent composite involves weighted superposition of the photoacoustic data obtained at various receiving angles with their phases. The superposition process does not require envelope extraction or other nonlinear processing. The weighted superposition process can employ adaptive weights, including but not limited to coherence factors and / or minimum variance. The coherence factor is the ratio of the coherent sum to the incoherent sum between the array element signals after a delay. Coherent composite can enhance axial signals and suppress off-axis signals, thereby improving imaging contrast.

[0128] Exemplarily, coherent compounding is a compounding process performed on a complex analytical signal that contains both phase and amplitude information. The data after coherent compounding is still a complex analytical signal, and envelope detection is required to obtain the envelope of the echo signal. Exemplarily, the Hilbert transform method can be used to obtain the complex analytical signal to be processed. The original signal is Hilbert transformed to obtain the orthogonal signal of the original signal. The complex analytical signal is constructed with the original signal as the real part and the orthogonal signal obtained by the Hilbert transform as the imaginary part. The modulus of this signal is the envelope of the original signal. Alternatively, IQ demodulation can be performed to obtain the complex analytical signal to be processed. The main difference between the two is that IQ demodulation is frequency selective, and specific frequency components can be selected for final imaging, and it has strong anti-interference ability.

[0129] In another embodiment, the composite processing may also include incoherent composite processing, that is, instead of performing coherent composite processing before detection, incoherent composite processing is performed on the photoacoustic data after envelope detection. The main difference between incoherent composite processing and coherent composite processing is that coherent composite processing superimposes both amplitude and phase information, while incoherent composite processing superimposes only amplitude information. In the data processing flow, this is manifested as whether composite processing is performed before or after envelope detection. Incoherent composite processing can suppress speckle noise in the image and thereby improve image contrast.

[0130] After obtaining the composite data, it can be subjected to logarithmic compression, spatial smoothing, and other signal processing steps to produce a photoacoustic image. This allows a single laser shot to generate a single photoacoustic image based on the composite data, significantly improving the frame rate compared to photoacoustic imaging methods that require multiple shots and multiple receptions.

[0131] In other embodiments, a single frame of photoacoustic image can be generated based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by emitting laser light at least twice. Each time a laser is emitted, at least two different signal processing steps are performed on the received photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data. These data are then coherently or incoherently combined to obtain composite data. Finally, the composite data obtained from each emission is further combined to obtain final composite data, and a single frame of photoacoustic image is generated based on the final composite data. Using an imaging method that emits laser light multiple times and receives data multiple times per emission can significantly improve imaging quality.

[0132] The present application also provides a photoacoustic imaging system, which can be used to implement the above-mentioned photoacoustic imaging method 900. Figure 8 The photoacoustic imaging system 800 may include some or all of the following components: an ultrasound probe 810, a laser emitting device 812, a receiving circuit 814, a signal processing module 816, a processor 818, a display 820, and a memory 822. For details on each component, please refer to the above. The following describes only the main functions of the photoacoustic imaging system 800, omitting the details already described above.

[0133] Specifically, the laser emitting device 812 is used to emit laser light toward the target area of the object under test; the receiving circuit 814 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 810 to receive the photoacoustic signal generated by the tissue in the target area being irradiated by the laser; the signal processing module 816 is used to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two sets of different photoacoustic data; the processor 818 is used to compound the at least two sets of different photoacoustic data to obtain compound data, and to generate a photoacoustic image based on the compound data.

[0134] In one embodiment, the signal processing module 816 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal using different receiving angles and / or different frequencies. The signal processing module 816 may include a beamforming module and a dynamic filtering processing module. The beamforming module is configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal using different receiving angles, specifically by using different receiving angles during beamforming of the photoacoustic signal. The dynamic filtering processing module is configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal using different frequencies, specifically by using different frequencies during dynamic filtering of the photoacoustic signal.

[0135] In one embodiment, combining at least two different sets of photoacoustic data includes: coherently combining the photoacoustic data before envelope detection, or incoherently combining the photoacoustic data after envelope detection.

[0136] In one embodiment, the processor 818 generates a frame of photoacoustic image based on a set of composite data obtained by emitting laser light once, or generates a frame of photoacoustic image based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by emitting laser light at least twice.

[0137] In one embodiment, when the laser emitting device 812 emits a laser toward a target area of the object to be measured, the laser is emitted toward the target area of the object to be measured at least once; when the signal processing module 816 performs at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal, the signal processing is performed at least twice based on the photoacoustic signal obtained by emitting the laser at least once to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data.

[0138] Based on the above description, the photoacoustic imaging method 800 and the photoacoustic imaging system of the embodiment of the present application perform different signal processing on the photoacoustic signal received after each laser emission to obtain different photoacoustic data, and perform coherent recombination or incoherent recombination on the different photoacoustic data to obtain composite data. Finally, imaging is performed based on the composite data, which can significantly reduce the emission cost and improve the imaging quality while ensuring a high frame rate.

[0139] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0140] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0141] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units described is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used, such as combining or integrating multiple units or components into another device, or ignoring or not performing some features.

[0142] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0143] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the method of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: that the application claimed for protection requires more features than the features explicitly recited in each claim. More precisely, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with features that are less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0144] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except where mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus disclosed herein may be combined in any combination. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature providing the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0145] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0146] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in a software module running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules according to the embodiments of the present application. The application can also be implemented as a part or all of a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for performing the method described herein. Such a program implementing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0147] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbols placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0148] The above description is merely a specific embodiment or illustration of a specific embodiment of the present application, and the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: transmitting ultrasonic waves to a target area of the object to be measured, wherein the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area; receiving an ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave; performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data, wherein the at least two different signal processing operations include filtering the ultrasonic echo signal using different filters to obtain ultrasonic echo signals of different frequencies; The at least two sets of different ultrasound echo data are compounded to obtain compound data, and an ultrasound image is generated based on the compound data.

2. The ultrasonic imaging method according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrasonic wave is a plane wave or a diverging wave.

3. The ultrasonic imaging method according to claim 1, wherein: The at least two different signal processing steps further include performing beamforming processing on the ultrasonic echo signal using different receiving angles.

4. The ultrasonic imaging method according to claim 1, wherein: The compounding of the at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data comprises: The ultrasonic echo data before envelope detection is coherently compounded, or the ultrasonic echo data after envelope detection is incoherently compounded.

5. The ultrasonic imaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Generating an ultrasound image based on the composite data includes: One frame of ultrasound image is generated based on a set of the composite data obtained by transmitting the ultrasound wave once, or one frame of ultrasound image is generated based on at least two sets of the composite data obtained by transmitting the ultrasound wave at least twice.

6. The ultrasonic imaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: When transmitting the ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object to be measured, transmitting the ultrasonic wave to the target area of the object to be measured at least once; When performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal, the ultrasonic echo signal obtained by transmitting the ultrasonic wave at least once is subjected to at least two signal processing operations to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data.

7. The ultrasonic imaging method according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitting of ultrasonic waves to the target area of the object to be measured includes transmitting ultrasonic waves to the target area of the object to be measured at the same angle.

8. The ultrasonic imaging method according to claim 1, wherein: The performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal includes performing at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave emitted at the same angle.

9. A photoacoustic imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Controlling the laser emitting device to emit laser light toward a target area of the object to be measured; receiving a photoacoustic signal generated by the tissue in the target area being irradiated by the laser; performing at least two different signal processing steps on the photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data, wherein the at least two different signal processing steps include filtering the photoacoustic signal using different filters to obtain photoacoustic signals of different frequencies; The at least two different sets of photoacoustic data are combined to obtain combined data, and a photoacoustic image is generated based on the combined data.

10. The photoacoustic imaging method according to claim 9, wherein: The at least two different signal processing steps further include performing beamforming processing on the photoacoustic signal using different receiving angles.

11. The photoacoustic imaging method according to claim 9, wherein: The combining of the at least two different sets of photoacoustic data comprises: The photoacoustic data before envelope detection is coherently combined, or the photoacoustic data after envelope detection is incoherently combined.

12. The photoacoustic imaging method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: Generating a photoacoustic image based on the composite data includes: A frame of photoacoustic image is generated based on a set of composite data obtained by emitting the laser once, or a frame of photoacoustic image is generated based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by emitting the laser at least twice.

13. The photoacoustic imaging method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: When controlling the laser emitting device to emit laser light toward the target area of the measured object, controlling the laser emitting device to emit laser light toward the target area of the measured object at least once; When performing at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal, the photoacoustic signal is processed at least twice based on the photoacoustic signal obtained by emitting the laser at least once, so as to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data.

14. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: include: Ultrasound probe; a transmitting circuit, configured to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward a target area of the object being measured, wherein the ultrasonic waves are non-focused ultrasonic waves covering the target area; a receiving circuit, configured to control the ultrasonic probe to receive an ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave; a signal processing module, configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data, wherein the at least two different signal processing operations include filtering the ultrasonic echo signal using different filters to obtain ultrasonic echo signals of different frequencies; The processor is configured to compound the at least two sets of different ultrasound echo data to obtain compound data, and generate an ultrasound image based on the compound data.

15. The ultrasonic imaging system according to claim 14, wherein: The ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic probe are plane waves or diverging waves.

16. The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 14, wherein: The signal processing module further performs the at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal using different receiving angles.

17. The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 14, wherein: The compounding of the at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data comprises: The ultrasonic echo data before envelope detection is coherently compounded, or the ultrasonic echo data after envelope detection is incoherently compounded.

18. The ultrasound imaging system according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein: The processor generates a frame of ultrasound image based on a set of composite data obtained by transmitting the ultrasound wave once, or the processor generates a frame of ultrasound image based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by transmitting the ultrasound wave at least twice.

19. The ultrasound imaging system according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein: When the transmitting circuit stimulates the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object to be measured, the transmitting circuit stimulates the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object to be measured at least once; When the signal processing module performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal, the signal processing module performs at least two signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal obtained by transmitting the ultrasonic wave at least once, so as to obtain at least two different sets of ultrasonic echo data.

20. The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 14, wherein: The transmitting circuit excites the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object to be measured, including: the transmitting circuit excites the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target area of the object to be measured at the same angle.

21. The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 14, wherein: The signal processing module performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal, including: the signal processing module performs at least two different signal processing operations on the ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave emitted at the same angle.

22. A photoacoustic imaging system, characterized in that: include: Ultrasound probe; a laser emitting device for emitting laser light toward a target area of the object to be measured; a receiving circuit, configured to control the ultrasound probe to receive a photoacoustic signal generated by the tissue in the target area being irradiated by the laser; a signal processing module, configured to perform at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data, wherein the at least two different signal processing operations include filtering the photoacoustic signal using different filters to obtain photoacoustic signals of different frequencies; The processor is configured to: combine the at least two sets of different photoacoustic data to obtain combined data, and generate a photoacoustic image based on the combined data.

23. The photoacoustic imaging system according to claim 22, wherein: The signal processing module further performs the at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal using different receiving angles.

24. The photoacoustic imaging system according to claim 22, wherein: The combining of the at least two different sets of photoacoustic data comprises: The photoacoustic data before envelope detection is coherently combined, or the photoacoustic data after envelope detection is incoherently combined.

25. The photoacoustic imaging system according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that: The processor generates a frame of photoacoustic image based on a set of composite data obtained by emitting the laser once, or generates a frame of photoacoustic image based on at least two sets of composite data obtained by emitting the laser at least twice.

26. The photoacoustic imaging system according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that: When the laser emitting device emits laser light toward the target area of the object to be measured, the laser emitting device emits laser light toward the target area of the object to be measured at least once; When the signal processing module performs at least two different signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal, the signal processing module performs at least two signal processing operations on the photoacoustic signal obtained by emitting the laser at least once, so as to obtain at least two different sets of photoacoustic data.

Images