An ultrasonic imaging method, apparatus, ultrasonic device and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses an ultrasonic imaging method and device, an ultrasonic equipment and a computer readable storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: sequentially transmitting ultrasonic signals based on a first preset aperture focusing from one end of an ultrasonic probe to another end, and receiving echo signals to obtain a first ultrasonic image; determining an aperture range of a plane wave to be transmitted at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, transmitting the plane wave in the aperture range, and receiving echo signals to obtain a second ultrasonic image; and superimposing the first ultrasonic image and the second ultrasonic image to obtain an output ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic imaging method provided by the application improves the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of the output ultrasonic image near the edges of the ultrasonic probe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ultrasound technology, and more specifically, to an ultrasound imaging method, apparatus, ultrasound device, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, ultrasound equipment employs focused ultrasound imaging. This means that each time the ultrasound probe transmits and receives sound waves, several array elements are grouped together. A group of elements is focused to generate a scanning sound beam and receive the signal. Then, the next group generates the next transmitted sound beam and receives the signal. The received echo signals are amplified and post-processed, then projected onto the z-axis of the display to modulate their brightness. The y-axis represents the echo depth, and the x-axis corresponds to the position of the sound beam scan, resulting in a scan line. These scan lines are then stitched together to form an ultrasound image.

[0003] However, in this approach, the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of the ultrasound images near the edges of the ultrasound probe are lower than those in the middle of the ultrasound images.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution near the edges of the ultrasound probe in ultrasound images is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an ultrasound imaging method, apparatus, ultrasound device, and computer-readable storage medium, which improves the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of ultrasound images near the edges of the ultrasound probe.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an ultrasound imaging method, comprising:

[0007] The ultrasonic probe sequentially emits ultrasonic signals based on a first preset aperture from one end to the other, and receives echo signals to obtain a first ultrasonic image;

[0008] Based on the first preset aperture, the aperture range for emitting plane waves is determined at both ends of the ultrasonic probe. Plane waves are emitted within the aperture range, and echo signals are received to obtain a second ultrasonic image.

[0009] The first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image are superimposed to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0010] The step of determining the aperture range for emitting plane waves at both ends of the ultrasonic probe based on the first preset aperture includes:

[0011] Use half of the first preset aperture as the second preset aperture for emitting plane waves;

[0012] The aperture range of the second preset aperture is determined at both ends of the ultrasonic probe as the aperture range for transmitting plane waves.

[0013] The ultrasound image obtained by superimposing the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image includes:

[0014] A first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter are assigned to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image; wherein the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter is the same for scan lines at different spatial locations;

[0015] The output ultrasound image is obtained by weighting and superimposing scan lines at the same spatial position in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image based on the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter.

[0016] The assignment of a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first and second ultrasound images includes:

[0017] Determine the shortest distance between the scanning line and the endpoint of the ultrasound probe;

[0018] First weighting parameters are assigned to each scan line in a manner positively correlated with the shortest distance, and second weighting parameters are assigned to each scan line in a manner negatively correlated with the shortest distance. The step of sequentially focusing and transmitting ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture includes:

[0019] The ultrasonic probe emits ultrasonic signals sequentially from one end to the other, focusing and transmitting them at a preset frequency based on a first preset aperture.

[0020] Accordingly, emitting plane waves within the aperture range includes:

[0021] A plane wave is emitted at the preset frequency within the aperture range.

[0022] The step of sequentially focusing and emitting ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture includes:

[0023] The transmitting array elements are sequentially determined from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on the first preset aperture, and the first transmission position of the focused scanning signal is determined based on the transmitting array elements.

[0024] The corresponding transmission frequency is determined based on the first transmission position; wherein the transmission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the first transmission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe;

[0025] The transmitting array elements are sequentially controlled to transmit ultrasonic signals at corresponding transmission frequencies to generate scanning signals at the corresponding first transmission positions.

[0026] The emission of plane waves within the aperture range includes:

[0027] A second emission position is determined within the aperture range, and a corresponding emission frequency is determined based on the second emission position; wherein the emission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the second emission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe;

[0028] At each of the second transmission positions, a plane wave is transmitted at the corresponding transmission frequency.

[0029] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an ultrasound imaging device, comprising:

[0030] The first acquisition module is used to sequentially focus and transmit ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture, and receive echo signals to acquire a first ultrasonic image.

[0031] The second acquisition module is used to determine the aperture range of the emitted plane wave at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, emit the plane wave within the aperture range, and receive the echo signal to acquire the second ultrasonic image.

[0032] The overlay module is used to overlay the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0033] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an ultrasonic device, comprising:

[0034] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0035] A processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the steps of the ultrasound imaging method described above.

[0036] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the ultrasound imaging method described above.

[0037] As can be seen from the above scheme, the ultrasonic imaging method provided in this application includes: sequentially focusing and emitting ultrasonic signals from one end of an ultrasonic probe to the other end based on a first preset aperture, and receiving echo signals to obtain a first ultrasonic image; determining the aperture range for emitting plane waves at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, emitting plane waves within the aperture range, and receiving echo signals to obtain a second ultrasonic image; and superimposing the first ultrasonic image and the second ultrasonic image to obtain an output ultrasonic image.

[0038] The ultrasound imaging method provided in this application acquires a first ultrasound image using focused ultrasound imaging, and acquires a second ultrasound image using plane wave ultrasound imaging at both ends of the ultrasound probe. The first and second ultrasound images are then superimposed to obtain the final output ultrasound image. Therefore, the ultrasound imaging method provided in this application, based on traditional focused ultrasound imaging, superimposes plane wave ultrasound imaging at both ends of the ultrasound probe, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of the output ultrasound image near the edges of the ultrasound probe. This application also discloses an ultrasound imaging device, an ultrasound equipment, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can achieve the same technical effects.

[0039] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0040] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of this disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain this disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation of this disclosure. In the drawings:

[0041] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound imaging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a focused ultrasound imaging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the superposition of a first ultrasound image and a second ultrasound image according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0044] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another ultrasound imaging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0045] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of an ultrasound imaging device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0046] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of an ultrasonic device according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0048] This application discloses an ultrasound imaging method that improves the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of ultrasound images near the edges of the ultrasound probe.

[0049] The ultrasound imaging method disclosed in this application can be applied to application scenarios that include ultrasound equipment. This ultrasound equipment is equipped with at least one ultrasound probe. Furthermore, the ultrasound equipment can be various ultrasound testing devices, ultrasound diagnostic devices, or ultrasound therapeutic devices. In practical applications, the ultrasound equipment controls the ultrasound probe to sequentially focus and emit ultrasound signals from one end to the other based on a first preset aperture, and receives echo signals to obtain a first ultrasound image; based on the first preset aperture, it determines the aperture range for emitting plane waves at both ends of the ultrasound probe, emits plane waves within the aperture range, and receives echo signals to obtain a second ultrasound image; the first and second ultrasound images are superimposed to obtain an output ultrasound image. The ultrasound equipment can then display the ultrasound image on a display screen.

[0050] See Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an ultrasound imaging method according to an exemplary embodiment is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0051] S101: The ultrasonic probe sequentially emits ultrasonic signals based on the first preset aperture from one end to the other and receives echo signals to obtain a first ultrasonic image;

[0052] The execution subject of this embodiment is an ultrasonic device, and the purpose is ultrasonic imaging. In this step, a traditional focused ultrasonic imaging method is used to acquire the first ultrasonic image. In specific implementation, a first preset aperture is set, which can be understood as the number of array elements participating in the transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals in one operation. The more array elements there are, the larger the aperture width, and the higher the resolution of the obtained ultrasonic image. The array elements in the ultrasonic probe are divided into multiple array element groups according to the first preset aperture. From one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other end, each group of array elements is controlled to focus and transmit ultrasonic signals, generating a scanning signal and receiving echo signals. The received echo signals are beamformed to obtain corresponding scanning lines. The corresponding scanning lines are stitched together according to the distribution order of each group of array elements in the ultrasonic probe to form the first ultrasonic image.

[0053] It is understandable that each adjacent scanning signal is staggered by one array element. The position of the scanning signal generated after focusing the ultrasonic signal emitted by each array element group is the middle position of that array element group. Therefore, the array element groups at both ends of the ultrasonic probe contain fewer array elements than the array element group in the middle of the ultrasonic probe.

[0054] For example, an ultrasound probe contains 128 array elements. The first preset aperture is 9. Each adjacent scan signal is staggered by one array element. The position of the scan signal generated after focusing the ultrasound signals emitted by a group of array elements is the center position of that group of array elements. The array elements participating in the focusing for the first time are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; the array elements participating in the focusing for the second time are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; the array elements participating in the focusing for the third time are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; the array elements participating in the focusing for the fourth time are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; the array elements participating in the focusing for the fifth time are 1, 2, ..., 9; the array elements participating in the focusing for the sixth time are 2, 3, ..., 10; the array elements participating in the focusing for the seventh time are 3, 4, ..., 11, and so on. The positions of the scan signals generated by focusing are 1, 2, ..., 128. It can be seen that the number of array elements involved in focusing by the scan signals at positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 125, 126, 127, and 128 is less than the number of array elements involved in focusing by the scan signals at other positions.

[0055] It is evident that, for focused ultrasound imaging, the emission and receiving apertures corresponding to the scan lines generated at the edge of the ultrasound probe are smaller than those corresponding to the scan lines generated in the middle of the ultrasound probe. Figure 2 As shown, the transmitting aperture C corresponding to the scanning line generated at the edge of the ultrasonic probe is smaller than the transmitting aperture A corresponding to the scanning line generated in the middle of the ultrasonic probe. Figure 2 The dotted line on the left indicates that there is no scan line here, which results in a lower signal-to-noise ratio and resolution near the edges of the ultrasound probe in the ultrasound image compared to the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution in the middle of the ultrasound image.

[0056] S102: Determine the aperture range for emitting plane waves at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, emit plane waves within the aperture range, and receive echo signals to obtain a second ultrasonic image;

[0057] In this step, a second ultrasound image is acquired at both ends of the ultrasound probe using plane wave ultrasound imaging. Specifically, firstly, a second preset aperture for transmitting the plane wave is determined based on a first preset aperture. The second preset aperture is at least half the first preset aperture (i.e., half the diameter of the first preset aperture). The aperture range of the second preset aperture is then determined at both ends of the ultrasound probe as the aperture range for transmitting the plane wave. Optionally, the value of the aperture range can be a maximum integer less than or equal to the second preset aperture.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, half of the first preset aperture is used as the second preset aperture for transmitting the plane wave; the aperture range of the second preset aperture is determined at both ends of the ultrasonic probe as the aperture range for transmitting the plane wave. In the example given in the previous step, the second preset aperture is 4.5, and the aperture range for transmitting the plane wave is array elements 1-4, 125-128.

[0059] Secondly, array elements within the controlled aperture range simultaneously and individually emit plane waves and receive echo signals to acquire a second ultrasonic image. Plane wave ultrasonic imaging reduces the number of ultrasonic signal transmissions and increases the imaging frame rate.

[0060] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the step of sequentially focusing and transmitting ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture includes: sequentially focusing and transmitting ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on the first preset aperture at a preset frequency; correspondingly, transmitting plane waves within the aperture range includes: transmitting plane waves within the aperture range at the preset frequency. In specific implementations, the focused ultrasonic imaging method in step S101 and the plane wave ultrasonic imaging method in step S102 use the same preset frequency to transmit ultrasonic signals, reducing the hardware requirements for the ultrasonic equipment.

[0061] It should be noted that, in order to avoid interference between focused ultrasound imaging and plane wave ultrasound imaging, focused ultrasound imaging and plane wave ultrasound imaging are not performed simultaneously. That is, steps S101 and S102 are not performed simultaneously. The second ultrasound image can be acquired after the first ultrasound image is acquired. Although the user may move the ultrasound probe during the scanning process, the high transmission frequency of the ultrasound signal, such as hundreds of times per second, ensures that the imaging areas of focused ultrasound imaging and plane wave ultrasound imaging are almost the same.

[0062] S103: The first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image are superimposed to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0063] In this step, the first and second ultrasound images are spatially superimposed to obtain the final output ultrasound image. That is, the first ultrasound image from focused ultrasound imaging and the second ultrasound image from plane wave ultrasound imaging are superimposed. Since the second ultrasound image is obtained by plane wave ultrasound imaging at both ends of the ultrasound probe, the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution near the edges of the ultrasound probe in the superimposed ultrasound image can be improved.

[0064] As a possible implementation, this step includes: assigning a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter to scan lines at the same spatial position in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image; wherein the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter is the same for scan lines at different spatial positions; and weighting and superimposing the scan lines at the same spatial position in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image based on the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0065] In practical implementation, a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter are assigned to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first and second ultrasound images, respectively. The weighting parameters corresponding to scan lines at different spatial locations in the same ultrasound image can be the same or different; no specific limitation is made here. It is understood that it is necessary to ensure that the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter corresponding to scan lines at different spatial locations is the same. For example, the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter can be set to 1. Figure 3 As shown, Image1 is the first ultrasound image, and Image2 is the second ultrasound image. The ultrasound probe contains 16 array elements, with a first preset aperture of 8 and a second preset aperture of 4. The second weighted parameter w1 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 1 and 16 in Image2, the second weighted parameter w2 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 2 and 15 in Image2, the second weighted parameter w3 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 3 and 14 in Image2, and the second weighted parameter w4 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 4 and 13 in Image2. The first weighted parameter 1-w1 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 1 and 16 in Image1, the first weighted parameter 1-w2 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 2 and 15 in Image1, the first weighted parameter 1-w3 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 3 and 14 in Image1, and the first weighted parameter 1-w4 corresponds to the scan lines at positions 4 and 13 in Image1.

[0066] For example, when the weighting parameters corresponding to scan lines at different spatial locations in the same ultrasound image are the same, the first weighting parameter corresponding to all scan lines in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.4, and the first weighting parameter corresponding to all scan lines in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.6. When the weighting parameters corresponding to scan lines at different spatial locations in the same ultrasound image are different, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 1 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.1, the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 1 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.9, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 2 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.2, the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 2 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.8, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 3 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.3, the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 3 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.7, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 4 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.4, and the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 4 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.6.

[0067] In a preferred embodiment, assigning a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first and second ultrasound images includes: determining the shortest distance between the scan line and the endpoint of the ultrasound probe; assigning the first weighting parameter to each scan line in a manner positively correlated with the shortest distance, and assigning the second weighting parameter to each scan line in a manner negatively correlated with the shortest distance. In a specific implementation, focusing ultrasound imaging is used. The signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of scan lines closer to the endpoint of the ultrasound probe are lower. Therefore, the first weighting parameter of a scan line closer to the endpoint of the ultrasound probe is smaller, and the second weighting parameter is larger. That is, the first weighting parameter of a scan line in the first ultrasound image is positively correlated with the shortest distance between the scan line and the ultrasound probe, and the second weighting parameter of a scan line in the second ultrasound image is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the scan line and the ultrasound probe. For example, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 128 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.1, the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 128 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.9, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 127 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.2, the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 127 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.8, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 126 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.3, the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 126 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.7, the first weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 125 in the first ultrasound image can be set to 0.4, and the second weighting parameter corresponding to the scan line at position 125 in the second ultrasound image can be set to 0.6.

[0068] It should be noted that the number of overlays can be set in this step, meaning the first and second ultrasound images can be overlaid multiple times. For example, if the number of overlays is 3, the first and second ultrasound images are overlaid to obtain the first overlaid ultrasound image. The first and second overlaid ultrasound images are then overlaid again to obtain the second overlaid ultrasound image. The second and second overlaid ultrasound images are then overlaid a third time to obtain the final output ultrasound image. If the above weighted overlay method is used, the first weighting parameter corresponds to the first ultrasound image, the first overlaid ultrasound image, and the second overlaid ultrasound image, and the second weighting parameter corresponds to the second ultrasound image.

[0069] The ultrasound imaging method provided in this application uses focused ultrasound imaging to acquire a first ultrasound image, and plane wave ultrasound imaging is used at both ends of the ultrasound probe to acquire a second ultrasound image. The first and second ultrasound images are then superimposed to obtain the final output ultrasound image. Therefore, the ultrasound imaging method provided in this application, based on traditional focused ultrasound imaging, superimposes plane wave ultrasound imaging at both ends of the ultrasound probe, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of the output ultrasound image near the edges of the ultrasound probe.

[0070] This application discloses an ultrasound imaging method. Compared with the previous embodiment, this embodiment further explains and optimizes the technical solution. Specifically:

[0071] See Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating another ultrasound imaging method according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, it includes:

[0072] S201: Determine the transmitting array elements sequentially from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on the first preset aperture, and determine the first transmission position of the focused scanning signal based on the transmitting array elements;

[0073] S202: Determine the corresponding transmission frequency based on the first transmission position; wherein the transmission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the first transmission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe;

[0074] Optionally, S202 can be implemented by obtaining the shortest distance between the first transmission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe, and determining the corresponding transmission frequency in a manner that is negatively correlated with the shortest distance.

[0075] S203: Sequentially control the transmitting array elements to transmit ultrasonic signals at corresponding transmission frequencies to generate scanning signals at corresponding first transmission positions and receive echo signals to obtain a first ultrasonic image;

[0076] In this embodiment, the array elements in different array element groups emit ultrasonic signals at different transmission frequencies. The basic principle is that the transmission frequency of the array elements in the array element group that is closer to both ends of the ultrasonic probe is higher. Since the resolution of the ultrasonic image is related to the transmission frequency of the array elements, increasing the transmission frequency of the array elements at both ends of the ultrasonic probe can further improve the resolution of the output ultrasonic image near the edge of the ultrasonic probe.

[0077] In practice, the degree to which the array elements are close to both ends of the ultrasound probe can be characterized by the shortest distance between the first emission position of the focused scanning signal and the endpoint of the ultrasound probe. For example, the first array element group includes array elements 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; the second array element group includes array elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; the third array element group includes array elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; the fourth array element group includes array elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8; the fifth array element group includes array elements 1, 2, ..., 9; the sixth array element group includes array elements 2, 3, ..., 10; the seventh array element group includes array elements 3, 4, ..., 11, and so on. The corresponding first transmission positions are 1, 2, ..., 128. The transmission frequency of the first array element group can be set to 800Hz, the transmission frequency of the second array element group to 700Hz, the transmission frequency of the third array element group to 600Hz, the transmission frequency of the fourth array element group to 500Hz, and the transmission frequencies of the fifth, sixth, and seventh array element groups to 400Hz.

[0078] S204: Use half of the first preset aperture as the second preset aperture for transmitting plane waves, and determine the aperture range of the second preset aperture at both ends of the ultrasonic probe as the aperture range for transmitting plane waves.

[0079] S205: Determine a second emission position within the aperture range, and determine the corresponding emission frequency based on the second emission position; wherein the emission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the second emission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe;

[0080] S206: At each of the second transmission positions, a plane wave is transmitted at the corresponding transmission frequency and the echo signal is received to obtain a second ultrasound image;

[0081] For plane wave ultrasound imaging, different array elements also use different transmission frequencies to transmit ultrasound signals. The basic principle is that the transmission frequency of array elements closer to the ends of the ultrasound probe is higher. For example, the transmission frequency of array elements 1 and 128 is 800Hz, the transmission frequency of array elements 2 and 127 is 700Hz, the transmission frequency of array elements 3 and 126 is 600Hz, and the transmission frequency of array elements 4 and 125 is 500Hz.

[0082] S207: The first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image are superimposed to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0083] Therefore, this example demonstrates that by increasing the emission frequency of the array elements at both ends of the ultrasound probe, the resolution of the output ultrasound image near the edges of the ultrasound probe is further improved.

[0084] The following describes an ultrasonic imaging device provided in an embodiment of this application. The ultrasonic imaging device described below and the ultrasonic imaging method described above can be referred to each other.

[0085] See Figure 5 A structural diagram of an ultrasound imaging device according to an exemplary embodiment is shown, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, it includes:

[0086] The first acquisition module 501 is used to sequentially focus and transmit ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture, and receive echo signals to acquire a first ultrasonic image.

[0087] The second acquisition module 502 is used to determine the aperture range of the emitted plane wave at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, emit the plane wave within the aperture range, and receive the echo signal to acquire the second ultrasonic image.

[0088] The overlay module 503 is used to overlay the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0089] The ultrasound imaging device provided in this application uses focused ultrasound imaging to acquire a first ultrasound image, and uses plane wave ultrasound imaging at both ends of the ultrasound probe to acquire a second ultrasound image. The first and second ultrasound images are then superimposed to obtain the final output ultrasound image. Therefore, the ultrasound imaging device provided in this application, based on traditional focused ultrasound imaging, superimposes plane wave ultrasound imaging at both ends of the ultrasound probe, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of the output ultrasound image near the edges of the ultrasound probe.

[0090] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred embodiment, the second acquisition module 502 includes:

[0091] The determining unit is used to take half of the first preset aperture as the second preset aperture for transmitting plane waves, and to determine the aperture range of the second preset aperture at both ends of the ultrasonic probe as the aperture range for transmitting plane waves.

[0092] An acquisition unit is used to emit a plane wave within the aperture range and receive the echo signal to acquire a second ultrasound image.

[0093] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred embodiment, the overlay module 503 includes:

[0094] The allocation unit is used to allocate a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image; wherein the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter corresponding to scan lines at different spatial locations is the same;

[0095] The overlay unit is used to weight and overlay scan lines at the same spatial position in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image based on the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter to obtain the output ultrasound image.

[0096] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred implementation, the allocation unit is specifically used to: determine the shortest distance between the scanning line and the endpoint of the ultrasound probe; assign a first weighting parameter to each scanning line in a manner positively correlated with the shortest distance, and assign a second weighting parameter to each scanning line in a manner negatively correlated with the shortest distance.

[0097] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred implementation, the first acquisition module 501 is specifically used to: sequentially focus and transmit ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other end according to a first preset aperture and a preset frequency, and receive echo signals to acquire a first ultrasonic image;

[0098] Accordingly, the second acquisition module 502 is specifically used to: determine the aperture range for emitting plane waves at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, emit plane waves at the preset frequency within the aperture range, and receive echo signals to acquire a second ultrasonic image.

[0099] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred implementation, the first acquisition module 501 is specifically used to: sequentially determine the transmitting array elements from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture, and determine the first transmission position of the focused scanning signal based on the transmitting array elements; determine the corresponding transmission frequency based on the first transmission position; wherein the transmission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the first transmission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe; sequentially control the transmitting array elements to transmit ultrasonic signals according to the corresponding transmission frequency, so as to generate a scanning signal at the corresponding first transmission position and receive the echo signal to acquire a first ultrasonic image.

[0100] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred implementation, the second acquisition module 502 is specifically used to: determine the aperture range of the emitted plane wave at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, determine the second emission position within the aperture range, and determine the corresponding emission frequency based on the second emission position; wherein, the emission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the second emission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe; emit a plane wave at each second emission position according to the corresponding emission frequency, and receive the echo signal to acquire a second ultrasonic image.

[0101] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0102] Based on the hardware implementation of the above program modules, and in order to implement the method of the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application also provide an ultrasonic device. Figure 6 This is a structural diagram illustrating an ultrasonic device according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the ultrasound equipment includes:

[0103] Communication interface 1 enables information exchange with other devices, such as network devices;

[0104] Processor 2 is connected to communication interface 1 to enable information exchange with other devices and to execute the ultrasound imaging method provided by one or more of the above-mentioned technical solutions when running a computer program. The computer program is stored in memory 3.

[0105] Of course, in practical applications, the various components of the ultrasonic equipment are coupled together through bus system 4. It can be understood that bus system 4 is used to achieve communication and connection between these components. In addition to the data bus, bus system 4 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, in... Figure 5 The general will label all buses as Bus System 4.

[0106] The memory 3 in this embodiment is used to store various types of data to support the operation of the ultrasound device. Examples of such data include any computer program used to operate the ultrasound device.

[0107] It is understood that memory 3 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), ferromagnetic random access memory (FRAM), flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); magnetic surface memory can be disk storage or magnetic tape storage. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Synchronous Static Random Access Memory (SSRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (ESDRAM), SyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus Random Access Memory (DRRAM).The memory 3 described in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0108] The methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be applied to processor 2, or implemented by processor 2. Processor 2 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in processor 2 or by instructions in the form of software. The processor 2 may be a general-purpose processor, DSP, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Processor 2 can implement or execute the methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules may be located in a storage medium, which is located in memory 3. Processor 2 reads the program in memory 3 and completes the steps of the aforementioned method in combination with its hardware.

[0109] When processor 2 executes the program, it implements the corresponding processes in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, these will not be described in detail here.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a storage medium, namely a computer storage medium, specifically a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory 3 that stores a computer program, which can be executed by a processor 2 to complete the steps described in the aforementioned method. The computer-readable storage medium may be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or CD-ROM.

[0111] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0112] Alternatively, if the integrated units described above are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause an ultrasound device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0113] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasound imaging method, characterized in that, include: The ultrasonic probe sequentially emits ultrasonic signals based on a first preset aperture from one end to the other, and receives echo signals to obtain a first ultrasonic image; Based on the first preset aperture, the aperture range for emitting plane waves is determined at both ends of the ultrasonic probe. Plane waves are emitted within the aperture range, and echo signals are received to obtain a second ultrasonic image. The first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image are superimposed to obtain the output ultrasound image; The ultrasound image obtained by superimposing the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image includes: A first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter are assigned to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image; wherein the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter is the same for scan lines at different spatial locations; The ultrasound image is obtained by weighting and superimposing the scan lines at the same spatial position in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image based on the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter. The assignment of a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image includes: Determine the shortest distance between the scanning line and the endpoint of the ultrasound probe; Each scan line is assigned a first weighting parameter in a manner that is positively correlated with the shortest distance, and a second weighting parameter is assigned in a manner that is negatively correlated with the shortest distance.

2. The ultrasound imaging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the aperture range for emitting plane waves at both ends of the ultrasonic probe based on the first preset aperture includes: Use half of the first preset aperture as the second preset aperture for emitting plane waves; The aperture range of the second preset aperture is determined at both ends of the ultrasonic probe as the aperture range for transmitting plane waves.

3. The ultrasound imaging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of sequentially focusing and emitting ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture includes: The ultrasonic probe emits ultrasonic signals sequentially from one end to the other, focusing and transmitting them at a preset frequency based on a first preset aperture. Accordingly, emitting plane waves within the aperture range includes: A plane wave is emitted at the preset frequency within the aperture range.

4. The ultrasound imaging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of sequentially focusing and emitting ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture includes: The transmitting array elements are sequentially determined from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on the first preset aperture, and the first transmission position of the focused scanning signal is determined based on the transmitting array elements. The corresponding transmission frequency is determined based on the first transmission position; wherein the transmission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the first transmission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe; The transmitting array elements are sequentially controlled to transmit ultrasonic signals at corresponding transmission frequencies to generate scanning signals at the corresponding first transmission positions.

5. The ultrasound imaging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Emitting plane waves within the aperture range includes: A second emission position is determined within the aperture range, and a corresponding emission frequency is determined based on the second emission position; wherein the emission frequency is negatively correlated with the shortest distance between the second emission position and the endpoint of the ultrasonic probe; At each of the second transmission positions, a plane wave is transmitted at the corresponding transmission frequency.

6. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that, include: The first acquisition module is used to sequentially focus and transmit ultrasonic signals from one end of the ultrasonic probe to the other based on a first preset aperture, and receive echo signals to acquire a first ultrasonic image. The second acquisition module is used to determine the aperture range of the emitted plane wave at both ends of the ultrasonic probe according to the first preset aperture, emit the plane wave within the aperture range, and receive the echo signal to acquire the second ultrasonic image. The overlay module is used to overlay the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image to obtain the output ultrasound image; The superposition module includes: The allocation unit is used to allocate a first weighting parameter and a second weighting parameter to scan lines at the same spatial location in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image; wherein the sum of the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter corresponding to scan lines at different spatial locations is the same; The superposition unit is used to perform weighted superposition of scan lines at the same spatial position in the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image based on the first weighting parameter and the second weighting parameter to obtain the output ultrasound image; Specifically, the allocation unit is used to: determine the shortest distance between the scanning line and the endpoint of the ultrasound probe; assign a first weighting parameter to each scanning line in a manner that is positively correlated with the shortest distance; and assign a second weighting parameter to each scanning line in a manner that is negatively correlated with the shortest distance.

7. An ultrasonic device, characterized in that, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A processor for executing the computer program to implement the steps of the ultrasound imaging method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the ultrasound imaging method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images