Ultrasonic imaging method, system and device and computer equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging method, system and device and computer equipment. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring ultrasonic subgraphs of a scanning part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets; obtaining at least two initial ultrasonic images based on the ultrasonic sub-image corresponding to each receiving channel subset; and fusing the at least two initial ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part. By adopting the method, speckle noise can be reduced, an ultrasonic image with better quality can still be obtained when a scanned part moves, and resolution reduction or image trailing is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical ultrasonic imaging, and in particular to an ultrasonic imaging method, system, device and computer equipment. Background Art

[0002] Affected by the physical properties of ultrasound, medical ultrasound imaging may have speckle noise. Currently, frequency domain compounding or spatial compounding is usually used to reduce speckle noise. Among them, frequency domain compounding is to decompose the ultrasonic echo signal into different frequency bands, or directly emit ultrasound waves of different frequencies, and superimpose the obtained data of different frequency bands to eliminate speckle noise; for spatial compounding, by emitting ultrasonic beams at different angles, the superposition of their echo signals is used to eliminate speckle noise. Since the effectiveness of frequency domain compounding is limited by the signal bandwidth and system bandwidth, spatial compounding can usually eliminate speckle noise more effectively.

[0003] However, the traditional spatial compounding method requires the emission of ultrasonic beams at different angles. When the tissue to be scanned moves, the resolution of the ultrasonic image will be reduced and even image smearing will be caused.

[0004] Therefore, the current ultrasonic imaging technology has the problem of low imaging quality. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an ultrasound imaging method, system, apparatus, computer equipment, computer-readable storage medium and computer program product that can improve imaging quality in response to the above technical problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides an ultrasonic imaging method, comprising:

[0007] Acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0008] Based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images;

[0009] The at least two initial ultrasound images are fused to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0010] In one embodiment, the step of acquiring ultrasound sub-images of the scanned part acquired by at least two subsets of receiving channels includes:

[0011] For each ultrasonic transmission, determining at least two receiving channel subsets according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule;

[0012] collecting ultrasonic echo signals through the at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0013] At least two ultrasonic sub-graphs corresponding to each ultrasonic emission are obtained according to the ultrasonic echo signal.

[0014] In one of the embodiments, obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets includes:

[0015] In the case where the ultrasound transmission is performed at least twice, the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to the ultrasound sub-image is obtained, and at least two ultrasound sub-images with the same number are subjected to coherent composite processing to obtain the at least two initial ultrasound images.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, in at least two of the ultrasound transmissions, there are at least two receiving channel subsets with the same number, corresponding to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasound probe.

[0017] In one embodiment, fusing the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part includes:

[0018] Performing envelope detection processing on each of the initial ultrasonic images to obtain at least two processed ultrasonic images;

[0019] The at least two processed ultrasound images are subjected to incoherent composite processing to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0020] In one embodiment, each of the receiving channel subsets corresponds to a different array element set on the ultrasound probe, or each of the receiving channel subsets corresponds to a different receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe.

[0021] In one of the embodiments, the at least two receiving channel subsets include a first receiving channel subset and a second receiving channel subset. If the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to the same array element set or the same receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe, then the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to different receiving apodization parameters.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application also provides an ultrasound imaging system, including an ultrasound probe, a signal processor, and a display;

[0023] The ultrasound probe is used to acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part through at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0024] The signal processor is used to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, and fuse the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part;

[0025] The display is used to display the target ultrasound image.

[0026] In a third aspect, the present application also provides an ultrasonic imaging device, comprising:

[0027] An acquisition module, used to acquire an ultrasonic sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0028] A processing module, configured to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets;

[0029] The fusion module is used to fuse the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, the present application further provides a computer device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the processor executes the computer program, the following steps are implemented:

[0031] Acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0032] Based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images;

[0033] The at least two initial ultrasound images are fused to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0034] In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are implemented:

[0035] Acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0036] Based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images;

[0037] The at least two initial ultrasound images are fused to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0038] In a sixth aspect, the present application further provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the following steps when executed by a processor:

[0039] Acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0040] Based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images;

[0041] The at least two initial ultrasound images are fused to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0042] The above-mentioned ultrasonic imaging method, system, apparatus, computer equipment, computer-readable storage medium and computer program product obtain at least two initial ultrasonic images based on the ultrasonic subimage corresponding to each receiving channel subset by acquiring ultrasonic subimages of the scanning part collected by at least two receiving channel subsets, and fuse the at least two initial ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanning part; multiple initial ultrasonic images of the scanning part can be obtained through multiple receiving channel subsets during the scanning process. Since each initial ultrasonic image has different speckle characteristics, a target ultrasonic image with reduced speckle noise can be obtained after fusion. Moreover, the ultrasonic subimages used to obtain the multiple initial ultrasonic images can be synchronously acquired at each ultrasonic emission during the scanning process. Even if the scanning part moves, a target ultrasonic image with good quality can be obtained without resolution reduction or image tailing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or related technical descriptions will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic flow chart of an ultrasonic imaging method in one embodiment;

[0045] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging process in one embodiment;

[0046] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of ultrasonic sub-graphs formed by one ultrasonic emission in one embodiment;

[0047] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a coherent composite image formed by multiple ultrasound sub-images in one embodiment;

[0048] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of ultrasound image generation in one embodiment;

[0049] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an array element of a 1.5D ultrasound probe in one embodiment;

[0050] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a receiving aperture of a 1D ultrasound probe in one embodiment;

[0051] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of symmetrically distributed receiving apertures in one embodiment;

[0052] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of asymmetrically allocated receiving apertures in one embodiment;

[0053] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of receiving apodization with the same receiving aperture in one embodiment;

[0054] FIG11 is a schematic flow chart of an ultrasound imaging method in another embodiment;

[0055] FIG12 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device according to an embodiment;

[0056] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a computer device in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0058] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG1 , an ultrasound imaging method is provided. This embodiment is illustrated by applying the method to a computer device. It is understandable that the computer device may be a terminal or a server, or a system including a terminal and a server, and implemented through the interaction between the terminal and the server. In this embodiment, the method includes the following steps:

[0060] Step S110, obtaining ultrasound sub-images of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets.

[0061] A receiving channel subset may be a set of designated receiving channels on an ultrasound probe, including but not limited to a number of designated array elements on the ultrasound probe or a designated receiving aperture of the ultrasound probe. The scanned part may be a part that needs to be imaged by ultrasound. An ultrasound sub-image may be an image obtained by receiving an ultrasound echo signal formed by an ultrasound transmission from a receiving channel subset.

[0062] In a specific implementation, selection rules for receiving channel subsets can be pre-set. During the scanning process, for each ultrasonic transmission, at least two receiving channel subsets of the ultrasonic probe can be determined according to the pre-set selection rules. The ultrasonic probe collects ultrasonic echo signals of the scanned area through the determined at least two receiving channel subsets, and transmits the collected ultrasonic echo signals to a computer device. The computer device obtains an ultrasonic sub-map of the scanned area based on the received ultrasonic echo signals.

[0063] FIG2 provides a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging process. In practical applications, referring to FIG2, it is possible to pre-set The selection rules of the receiving channel subsets are determined according to the selection rules. After receiving a subset of channels, you can A subset of receiving channels simultaneously acquires the scanned area Ultrasound sub-image , where each ultrasound subgraph corresponds to a subset of receiving channels. Similarly, the second ultrasound emission is determined according to the selection rule After receiving a subset of channels, you can A subset of receiving channels simultaneously acquires ultrasound sub-images of the scanned area , and so on, if the scanning process has a total of ultrasonic emission, until the last ultrasonic emission passes A subset of receiving channels simultaneously acquires ultrasound sub-images of the scanned area It is understandable that FIG. 2 is only an exemplary illustration of the ultrasound imaging process, and therefore does not show the intersections between ultrasound subgraphs. In actual applications, there may be certain intersections between various ultrasound subgraphs.

[0064] It should be noted that for different ultrasonic emissions, the The receiving channel subsets may be different from each other. For example, the receiving channel subset 1 determined by the first ultrasound transmission and the receiving channel subset 1 determined by the second ultrasound transmission may correspond to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasound probe. In addition, the number of receiving channel subsets determined by each ultrasound transmission may also be different, which is not limited in this application.

[0065] Step S120: obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each receiving channel subset.

[0066] The initial ultrasound image may be an ultrasound image initially obtained for each receiving channel subset.

[0067] In a specific implementation, a computer device can obtain an initial ultrasonic image corresponding to each receiving channel subset based on each ultrasonic subgraph corresponding to each receiving channel subset, wherein if there is one ultrasonic subgraph corresponding to a receiving channel subset, the ultrasonic subgraph can be directly determined as the initial ultrasonic image; otherwise, if there are two or more ultrasonic subgraphs corresponding to a receiving channel subset, the two or more ultrasonic subgraphs corresponding to the receiving channel subset can be coherently composited to obtain the initial ultrasonic image corresponding to the receiving channel subset.

[0068] In practical applications, referring to FIG2, for a single ultrasonic emission, the ultrasonic sub-graph obtained can be are respectively determined as the initial ultrasound images. If the ultrasound transmission is two or more times, according to FIG. 2, for the receiving channel subset 1, Ultrasound sub-image Perform coherent compounding to obtain the first initial ultrasound image. For the receiving channel subset 2, Ultrasound sub-image Perform coherent compounding to obtain the second initial ultrasound image, and so on until the receiving channel subset is ,right Ultrasound sub-image Perform coherent recombination to obtain An initial ultrasound image.

[0069] Step S130: fuse at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned area.

[0070] The target ultrasound image may be the ultrasound image of the scanned part finally obtained.

[0071] In a specific implementation, the computer device can fuse the initial ultrasound images corresponding to each receiving channel subset, and specifically can perform incoherent compounding of the initial ultrasound images corresponding to each receiving channel subset after envelope detection to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned area.

[0072] In practical applications, referring to FIG. 2 , the first initial ultrasound image, the second initial ultrasound image, ..., the first The initial ultrasonic images are incoherently compounded after envelope detection to obtain a target ultrasonic image.

[0073] The above-mentioned ultrasonic imaging method obtains ultrasonic sub-images of the scanned part collected by at least two receiving channel subsets, splices the ultrasonic sub-images corresponding to each receiving channel subset to obtain at least two initial ultrasonic images, and fuses the at least two initial ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part; multiple initial ultrasonic images of the scanned part can be obtained through multiple receiving channel subsets during the scanning process. Since each initial ultrasonic image has different speckle characteristics, a target ultrasonic image with reduced speckle noise can be obtained after fusion. Moreover, the ultrasonic sub-images used to obtain the multiple initial ultrasonic images can be synchronously obtained at each ultrasonic emission during the scanning process. Even if the scanned part moves, a target ultrasonic image with good quality can be obtained without resolution reduction or image tailing.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the above step S110 may specifically include: for each ultrasonic transmission, determining at least two receiving channel subsets according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule; collecting ultrasonic echo signals through at least two receiving channel subsets; and obtaining at least two ultrasonic sub-graphs corresponding to each ultrasonic transmission according to the ultrasonic echo signals.

[0075] The receiving channel subset selection rule may be a rule for selecting at least two receiving channel subsets.

[0076] In a specific implementation, in each ultrasonic transmission, the computer device can determine at least two receiving channel subsets of the ultrasonic probe according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule, instruct the ultrasonic probe to collect ultrasonic echo signals through at least two receiving channel subsets, and obtain at least two groups of ultrasonic echo signals at the same time. The ultrasonic probe transmits at least two groups of ultrasonic echo signals to the computer device, and the computer device can convert each group of ultrasonic echo signals into an ultrasonic sub-graph to obtain at least two ultrasonic sub-graphs.

[0077] In practical applications, taking a 1D ultrasound probe as an example, the receiving channel subset selection rule is set as receiving channel subset 1 corresponds to a receiving aperture aligned with the transmission center, receiving channel subset 2 corresponds to a receiving aperture to the left of the transmission center, and receiving channel subset 3 corresponds to a receiving aperture to the right of the transmission center. Referring to FIG2 , for the first ultrasound transmission, after determining the three receiving channel subsets of the ultrasound probe according to the above rules, the ultrasound sub-map can be obtained according to the ultrasound echo signal collected by receiving channel subset 1. , the ultrasonic sub-image is obtained based on the ultrasonic echo signal collected by the receiving channel subset 2 , the ultrasonic sub-image is obtained based on the ultrasonic echo signal collected by the receiving channel subset 3 For the second ultrasonic transmission, the three receiving channel subsets determined according to the above rules may be different from those for the first ultrasonic transmission, but the ultrasonic sub-map can still be obtained. , and so on, until the Ultrasonic sub-images .

[0078] In this embodiment, at least two receiving channel subsets are determined according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule for each ultrasonic transmission, ultrasonic echo signals are collected through the at least two receiving channel subsets, and at least two ultrasonic sub-images corresponding to each ultrasonic transmission are obtained according to the ultrasonic echo signals. Multiple ultrasonic sub-images of the scanned part can be obtained simultaneously during one ultrasonic transmission, thereby avoiding a decrease in imaging quality due to movement of the scanned part.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the above step S120 may specifically include: when the ultrasound transmission is performed at least twice, obtaining the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to the ultrasound sub-image, and coherently compounding at least two ultrasound sub-images with the same number to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images.

[0080] The number may be a number set for each receiving channel subset. Coherent Compounding may be a method for superimposing images.

[0081] In a specific implementation, the computer device may number each receiving channel subset after determining at least two receiving channel subsets according to the receiving channel subset selection rule. The computer device may also number the corresponding ultrasound sub-image according to the number of the receiving channel subset after obtaining at least two ultrasound sub-images in each transmission. When the number of ultrasound transmissions is two or more, the computer device may obtain the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to each ultrasound sub-image after the scanning is completed, and perform coherent composite on two or more ultrasound sub-images with the same number to obtain the initial ultrasound image corresponding to each receiving channel subset.

[0082] In practical applications, referring to FIG. 2 , the receiving channel subsets determined according to the selection rule can be numbered in sequence as After the first ultrasound transmission, the ultrasound sub-image obtained by receiving channel subset 1 is recorded as , the ultrasound sub-image obtained by receiving channel subset 2 is recorded as , ..., will be received through the channel subset The obtained ultrasound sub-image is denoted as , and so on, until the The ultrasonic sub-image obtained by receiving channel subset 1 is recorded as , the ultrasound sub-image obtained by receiving channel subset 2 is recorded as , ..., will be received through the channel subset The obtained ultrasound sub-image is denoted as .against After the scan of the ultrasound transmission, the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to the receiving channel subset 1 can be obtained from all ultrasound sub-images. ,right Perform coherent compounding to obtain the first initial ultrasound image and obtain the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to the receiving channel subset 2 ,right Perform coherent compounding to obtain the second initial ultrasound image, and so on, until the corresponding receiving channel subset is obtained. Ultrasound sub-graph ,right Perform coherent recombination to obtain An initial ultrasound image.

[0083] It is understandable that, for a scan with only one ultrasound transmission, the computer device can directly use each ultrasound sub-image as the initial ultrasound image to obtain the initial ultrasound image corresponding to each receiving channel subset. , the ultrasound sub-image can be directly As the first initial ultrasound image, the ultrasound sub-image As the second initial ultrasound image, ..., the ultrasound sub-image As the An initial ultrasound image.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the ultrasound is transmitted at least twice, the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to the ultrasound sub-image is obtained, and at least two ultrasound sub-images with the same number are coherently composited to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images. The multiple ultrasound sub-images obtained during the scanning process can be coherently composited into an ultrasound image with a higher signal-to-noise ratio, thereby improving the quality of ultrasound imaging.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment, in at least two ultrasound transmissions, there are at least two receiving channel subsets with the same number, corresponding to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasound probe.

[0086] The array element set may be a set of multiple array elements. The receiving aperture may be a hole with different center positions and / or radius sizes for receiving ultrasonic echo signals.

[0087] In a specific implementation, the computer device can number the receiving channel subsets determined according to certain selection rules in each ultrasonic transmission. When the number of ultrasonic transmissions is two or more, there can be at least two receiving channel subsets with the same number, corresponding to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasonic probe.

[0088] In practical applications, the receiving channel subsets with the same number corresponding to different ultrasonic transmissions may be different, at least partially different. In the first ultrasonic transmission, receiving channel subset 1, receiving channel subset 2, and receiving channel subset 3 are determined according to the selection rule, and in the second ultrasonic transmission, receiving channel subset 1, receiving channel subset 2, and receiving channel subset 3 are determined according to the selection rule. Then, receiving channel subset 2 in the first ultrasonic transmission and receiving channel subset 2 in the second ultrasonic transmission may correspond to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasonic probe, for example, for a 1D ultrasonic probe, receiving channel subset 2 in the first ultrasonic transmission corresponds to a receiving aperture with a radius of 3 array elements to the left of the transmission center, and receiving channel subset 2 in the second ultrasonic transmission corresponds to a receiving aperture with a radius of 4 array elements to the left of the transmission center.

[0089] In this embodiment, by having at least two receiving channel subsets with the same number in at least two ultrasonic transmissions, corresponding to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasonic probe, the receiving channel subsets determined according to the same rule for each transmission can be associated with the same number, thereby ensuring coherent imaging and improving imaging quality.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, the above step S130 may specifically include: performing envelope detection processing on each initial ultrasound image to obtain at least two processed ultrasound images; performing incoherent composite processing on at least two processed ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned area.

[0091] Among them, non-coherent compounding can be a processing method for superimposing images after envelope detection.

[0092] In a specific implementation, the computer device can perform envelope detection on each initial ultrasonic image to obtain a corresponding processed ultrasonic image, and then perform incoherent compounding on all the processed ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned area.

[0093] In practical applications, referring to FIG2, after the ultrasound sub-images are coherently combined into the initial ultrasound image, we can obtain Initial ultrasound images are obtained by performing envelope detection on each initial ultrasound image. After processing, the ultrasound image By incoherently compounding the processed ultrasound images, a target ultrasound image can be obtained.

[0094] In this embodiment, by performing envelope detection processing on each initial ultrasonic image to obtain at least two processed ultrasonic images, and performing incoherent composite processing on the at least two processed ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part, multiple initial ultrasonic images with different speckle characteristics can be fused to remove speckle noise and improve the quality of ultrasonic imaging.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment, each receiving channel subset corresponds to a different array element set on the ultrasound probe, or each receiving channel subset corresponds to a different receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe.

[0096] In a specific implementation, in one ultrasound transmission, different receiving channel subsets may be composed of different array element sets on the ultrasound probe, or correspond to different receiving apertures on the ultrasound probe.

[0097] For example, for a 1.5D ultrasound probe, receiving channel subset 1 may correspond to the array elements on the upper and lower sides of the ultrasound probe, receiving channel subset 2 may correspond to the array elements in the middle row of the ultrasound probe, and receiving channel subset 3 may correspond to all array elements of the ultrasound probe; for a 1D ultrasound probe, receiving channel subset 1 may be a receiving aperture aligned with the transmission center, receiving channel subset 2 may be a receiving aperture to the left of the transmission center, and receiving channel subset 3 may be a receiving aperture to the right of the transmission center.

[0098] In this embodiment, by respectively corresponding each receiving channel subset to a different array element set on the ultrasound probe, or respectively corresponding each receiving channel subset to a different receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe, a plurality of different receiving channel subsets can be formed, and during the scanning process, a plurality of ultrasound images are obtained through the plurality of receiving channel subsets, and the plurality of ultrasound images are used to eliminate speckle noise.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least two receiving channel subsets include a first receiving channel subset and a second receiving channel subset. If the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to the same array element set or the same receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe, the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to different receiving apodization parameters.

[0100] The receiving apodization parameter may be a control parameter of the receiving signal.

[0101] In a specific implementation, in an ultrasonic transmission, if any two different receiving channel subsets: a first receiving channel subset and a second receiving channel subset, are composed of the same array element set on the ultrasonic probe, or correspond to the same receiving aperture on the ultrasonic probe, different receiving apodization parameters can be set for the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset, so that the two receiving channel subsets receive ultrasonic echo signals through different receiving trajectories.

[0102] In this embodiment, if the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to the same array element set or the same receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe, the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to different receiving apodization parameters, so that when the array element set or the receiving aperture of each receiving channel subset is the same, multiple ultrasound images can be obtained by changing the receiving trajectory, thereby ensuring the removal of speckle noise.

[0103] In order to facilitate those skilled in the art to have a deeper understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a specific example will be described below.

[0104] The present application proposes a method for improving the quality of ultrasonic imaging. First, for each ultrasonic transmission, a part or all of the receiving channels are selected to form several receiving channel subsets, and the number of receiving channel subsets is greater than or equal to 2. Secondly, each receiving channel subset performs coherent beam synthesis, so that several ultrasonic sub-images are formed for each transmission. Thirdly, the ultrasonic sub-images corresponding to the first receiving channel subset in all transmissions are selected for coherent compounding to form the first coherent composite image (ultrasound full image), and the ultrasonic sub-images corresponding to the second receiving channel subset in all transmissions are selected for coherent compounding to form the second coherent composite image, and so on, to form several coherent composite images. Finally, these coherent composite images are incoherently compounded to form a high-quality ultrasonic image. It should be noted that each receiving channel subset can be combined with different receiving apodization schemes when performing coherent beam synthesis. When the receiving channel subsets are different, different or the same receiving apodization schemes can be used, but when the receiving channel subsets are the same, different receiving apodization schemes must be used.

[0105] The above method for improving the quality of ultrasonic imaging may include the following steps:

[0106] Step S1, determining all receiving channel subsets corresponding to one ultrasound transmission, and creating several different receiving channel subsets;

[0107] Step S2, using different receiving channel subsets to perform coherent beam synthesis to obtain a number of different ultrasonic sub-graphs. Referring to FIG3 , the different receiving channel subsets may be receiving aperture 1, receiving aperture 2, ..., receiving aperture n-1, receiving aperture n, and the corresponding ultrasonic sub-graphs may be ultrasonic sub-graph 1, ultrasonic sub-graph 2, ..., ultrasonic sub-graph n-1, and ultrasonic sub-graph n, respectively.

[0108] Step S3, in the designated receiving channel subset, all ultrasonic sub-images collected by ultrasonic transmission are coherently compounded to obtain a full ultrasonic image. Referring to FIG4 , for receiving aperture 1, the ultrasonic sub-images collected by each ultrasonic transmission may be respectively transmitting 1 ultrasonic sub-image 1, transmitting 2 ultrasonic sub-image 1, ..., transmitting m-1 ultrasonic sub-image 1, transmitting m ultrasonic sub-image 1. After coherent compounding of these ultrasonic sub-images, a coherent compound image 1 corresponding to receiving aperture 1 can be obtained. The coherent compound image 1 is a full ultrasonic image. In this way, each transmission is divided into n receiving channel subsets to obtain n coherent compound images (full ultrasonic image).

[0109] Step S4, performing incoherent compounding on the n coherent compound images after envelope detection to obtain a final ultrasound image as a result of spatial compounding, as shown in FIG5 .

[0110] The above method can be applied to the imaging of 1.5D ultrasound probes. FIG6 provides a schematic diagram of an array element of a 1.5D ultrasound probe. Referring to FIG6, the 1.5D ultrasound probe includes three rows of array elements, and the array elements on both sides are connected in pairs. 1 in FIG6 represents the signal obtained from the array elements on the upper and lower sides, and 2 represents the signal obtained from the middle row of array elements. The array elements on the upper and lower sides can be divided into receiving aperture 1, the array elements in the middle row can be divided into receiving aperture 2, and all array elements can be assigned to receiving aperture 3. Coherent composite imaging is performed for the ultrasound sub-images collected by receiving aperture 1, receiving aperture 2, and receiving aperture 3, respectively, to obtain coherent composite image 1, coherent composite image 2, and coherent composite image 3. After the three coherent composite images are subjected to envelope detection, they are incoherently composited to form the final ultrasound image.

[0111] The above method can also be applied to the imaging of 1D ultrasonic probes. FIG7 provides a schematic diagram of the receiving aperture of a 1D ultrasonic probe. Referring to FIG7, the receiving aperture of each transmission can be divided into three parts to obtain three receiving apertures. The center of the first receiving aperture is aligned with the transmission center, i.e., receiving aperture 1 in FIG7. The center of the second receiving aperture is offset to the left of the transmission center, i.e., receiving aperture 2 in FIG7. The center of the third receiving aperture is offset to the right of the transmission center, i.e., receiving aperture 3 in FIG7. The receiving aperture 1 corresponding to each transmission forms an ultrasonic sub-image. The ultrasonic sub-images formed by all receiving apertures 1 corresponding to all transmissions are coherently compounded to obtain a coherent composite image 1. Similarly, the ultrasonic sub-images formed by all receiving apertures 2 corresponding to all transmissions are coherently compounded to obtain a coherent composite image 2. The ultrasonic sub-images formed by all receiving apertures 3 corresponding to all transmissions are coherently compounded to obtain a coherent composite image 3. After envelope detection, the three coherent composite images are incoherently compounded to form the final ultrasonic image.

[0112] It is understandable that the number of receiving channel subsets or receiving apertures may not be limited to 3, and the centers of the receiving apertures will not all be located on the left (or right) side of the transmitting center array element. For example, when the number of receiving apertures is 2, the receiving apertures 1 and 2 may be symmetrically allocated based on the transmitting center as shown in FIG8 , or may be asymmetrically allocated to the receiving apertures 1 and 2 as shown in FIG9 . In addition, when the receiving apertures 1 and 2 are the same, different receiving apodization schemes may be used for the receiving apertures 1 and 2, as specifically shown in FIG10 .

[0113] The above method for improving the quality of ultrasonic imaging can form multiple images in one transmission. Different images have different speckle characteristics. By performing compounding after envelope detection, the speckle noise in the ultrasonic image can be removed, making the obtained ultrasonic image more uniform and delicate. In addition, the traditional spatial compounding scheme requires the emission of ultrasonic waves at different angles to generate multiple images. Tissue movement can easily lead to reduced resolution and the introduction of motion artifacts. The present application can generate multiple images in one transmission, solving the potential hazards of reduced resolution and image artifacts. Furthermore, by making the image come from the coherent compounding of several transmissions, the image can also maintain a high resolution and signal-to-noise ratio.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG11 , an ultrasound imaging method is provided, which is described by taking the method applied to a computer device as an example, and includes the following steps:

[0115] Step S201, for each ultrasonic emission, according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule, at least two receiving channel subsets are determined, ultrasonic echo signals are collected through the at least two receiving channel subsets, and at least two ultrasonic sub-graphs corresponding to each ultrasonic emission are obtained according to the ultrasonic echo signals;

[0116] Step S202, when the ultrasound transmission is performed at least twice, obtaining the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to the ultrasound sub-image, and performing coherent composite processing on at least two ultrasound sub-images with the same number to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images;

[0117] Step S203, performing envelope detection processing on each initial ultrasonic image to obtain at least two processed ultrasonic images, and performing incoherent composite processing on the at least two processed ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part.

[0118] In a specific implementation, for each ultrasonic transmission, two or more receiving channel subsets can be set for the ultrasonic probe according to the receiving channel subset selection rule, and ultrasonic echo signals are collected through the two or more receiving channel subsets and transmitted to the computer device, and the computer device forms two or more ultrasonic sub-graphs according to the received ultrasonic echo signals. For one ultrasonic transmission, the computer device can use each ultrasonic sub-graph as an initial ultrasonic image to obtain two or more initial ultrasonic images corresponding to the receiving channel subset; for two or more ultrasonic transmissions, the computer device can obtain the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to each ultrasonic sub-graph, perform coherent compounding on the ultrasonic sub-graphs with the same number, and obtain two or more initial ultrasonic images corresponding to the receiving channel subset. The computer device can also perform incoherent compounding on the two or more initial ultrasonic images after envelope detection to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part.

[0119] The ultrasonic imaging method determines at least two receiving channel subsets according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule for each ultrasonic transmission, collects ultrasonic echo signals through the at least two receiving channel subsets, obtains at least two ultrasonic sub-graphs corresponding to each ultrasonic transmission according to the ultrasonic echo signals, obtains the numbers of the receiving channel subsets corresponding to the ultrasonic sub-graphs when the ultrasonic transmission is at least twice, performs coherent composite processing on at least two ultrasonic sub-graphs with the same numbers to obtain at least two initial ultrasonic images, performs envelope detection processing on each initial ultrasonic image to obtain at least two processed ultrasonic images, and performs incoherent composite processing on the at least two processed ultrasonic images to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part; multiple initial ultrasonic images of the scanned part can be obtained through multiple receiving channel subsets during the scanning process, and since each initial ultrasonic image has different speckle characteristics, a target ultrasonic image with reduced speckle noise can be obtained after fusion, and the ultrasonic sub-graphs used to obtain the multiple initial ultrasonic images can be synchronously obtained at each ultrasonic transmission during the scanning process, so that even if the scanned part moves, a target ultrasonic image with good quality can be obtained without resolution reduction or image tailing.

[0120] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the flowcharts involved in the above-mentioned embodiments are displayed in sequence according to the indication of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in sequence according to the order indicated by the arrows. Unless there is a clear explanation in this article, the execution of these steps does not have a strict order restriction, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a part of the steps in the flowcharts involved in the above-mentioned embodiments can include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily to be carried out in sequence, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a part of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0121] In an exemplary embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system is provided, comprising:

[0122] An ultrasound probe, used for acquiring an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part through at least two subsets of receiving channels;

[0123] A signal processor, configured to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each receiving channel subset, and fuse the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part;

[0124] The display is used to display the target ultrasound image.

[0125] In a specific implementation, two or more receiving channel subsets can be set for the ultrasonic probe for each ultrasonic transmission, and ultrasonic echo signals are collected through two or more receiving channel subsets and transmitted to the computer device, and the computer device forms two or more ultrasonic sub-graphs according to the received ultrasonic echo signals. For one ultrasonic transmission, the computer device can use each ultrasonic sub-graph as an initial ultrasonic image to obtain two or more initial ultrasonic images corresponding to the receiving channel subset; for two or more ultrasonic transmissions, the computer device can obtain the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to each ultrasonic sub-graph, perform coherent compounding on the ultrasonic sub-graphs with the same number, and obtain two or more initial ultrasonic images corresponding to the receiving channel subset. The computer device can also perform incoherent compounding on the two or more initial ultrasonic images after envelope detection to obtain a target ultrasonic image of the scanned part.

[0126] The above-mentioned ultrasound imaging system obtains ultrasound sub-images of the scanned part collected by at least two receiving channel subsets, obtains at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-images corresponding to each receiving channel subset, and fuses the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part; multiple initial ultrasound images of the scanned part can be obtained through multiple receiving channel subsets during the scanning process, and since each initial ultrasound image has different speckle characteristics, a target ultrasound image with reduced speckle noise can be obtained after fusion, and the ultrasound sub-images used to obtain the multiple initial ultrasound images can be synchronously acquired at each ultrasound emission during the scanning process, so that even if the scanned part moves, a target ultrasound image with good quality can be obtained without resolution reduction or image tailing.

[0127] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides an ultrasonic imaging device for implementing the ultrasonic imaging method involved above. The implementation scheme for solving the problem provided by the device is similar to the implementation scheme recorded in the above method, so the specific limitations in one or more ultrasonic imaging device embodiments provided below can refer to the limitations on the ultrasonic imaging method above, and will not be repeated here.

[0128] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 , an ultrasonic imaging device is provided, comprising: an acquisition module 310, a processing module 320 and a fusion module 330, wherein:

[0129] An acquisition module 310 is used to acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets;

[0130] A processing module 320, configured to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets;

[0131] The fusion module 330 is used to fuse the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

[0132] In an exemplary embodiment, the acquisition module 310 is also used to determine at least two receiving channel subsets for each ultrasonic emission according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule; collect ultrasonic echo signals through the at least two receiving channel subsets; and obtain at least two ultrasonic sub-graphs corresponding to each ultrasonic emission according to the ultrasonic echo signals.

[0133] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing module 320 is further used to obtain the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to the ultrasound sub-image when the ultrasound transmission is at least twice, and to perform coherent composite processing on at least two ultrasound sub-images with the same number to obtain the at least two initial ultrasound images.

[0134] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing module 320 is further configured to: in at least two ultrasound transmissions, there are at least two receiving channel subsets with the same number, corresponding to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasound probe.

[0135] In an exemplary embodiment, the fusion module 330 is further used to perform envelope detection processing on each of the initial ultrasound images to obtain at least two processed ultrasound images; and perform incoherent composite processing on the at least two processed ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned area.

[0136] In an exemplary embodiment, each of the receiving channel subsets corresponds to a different array element set on the ultrasound probe, or each of the receiving channel subsets corresponds to a different receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe.

[0137] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least two receiving channel subsets include a first receiving channel subset and a second receiving channel subset. If the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to the same array element set or the same receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe, the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to different receiving apodization parameters.

[0138] Each module in the above-mentioned ultrasonic imaging device can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware or a combination thereof. Each of the above-mentioned modules can be embedded in or independent of a processor in a computer device in the form of hardware, or can be stored in a memory in a computer device in the form of software, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each of the above modules.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer device is provided, which may be a terminal, and its internal structure diagram may be shown in FIG13. The computer device includes a processor, a memory, an input / output interface, a communication interface, a display unit, and an input device. The processor, the memory, and the input / output interface are connected via a system bus, and the communication interface, the display unit, and the input device are connected to the system bus via the input / output interface. The processor of the computer device is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the computer device includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system and a computer program. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and the computer program in the non-volatile storage medium. The input / output interface of the computer device is used to exchange information between the processor and an external device. The communication interface of the computer device is used to communicate with an external terminal in a wired or wireless manner, and the wireless manner may be implemented through WIFI, a mobile cellular network, near field communication (NFC) or other technologies. When the computer program is executed by the processor, an ultrasonic imaging method is implemented. The display unit of the computer device is used to form a visually visible picture, which may be a display screen, a projection device, or a virtual reality imaging device. The display screen can be a liquid crystal display screen or an electronic ink display screen, and the input device of the computer device can be a touch layer covering the display screen, or a button, trackball or touchpad set on the computer device shell, or an external keyboard, touchpad or mouse.

[0140] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in FIG. 13 is merely a block diagram of a partial structure related to the scheme of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the scheme of the present application is applied. The specific computer device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different arrangement of components.

[0141] In one embodiment, a computer device is further provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor implements the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments when executing the computer program.

[0142] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented.

[0143] In one embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program, which implements the steps in the above method embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0144] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with relevant regulations.

[0145] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to the memory, database or other medium used in the embodiments provided in the present application can include at least one of non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. As an illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The database involved in each embodiment provided in this application may include at least one of a relational database and a non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include distributed databases based on blockchains, etc., but are not limited to this. The processor involved in each embodiment provided in this application may be a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device, a data processing logic device based on quantum computing, an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, etc., but are not limited to this.

[0146] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this application.

[0147] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets; Based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, obtaining at least two initial ultrasound images; The at least two initial ultrasound images are fused to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of obtaining an ultrasonic sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets includes: For each ultrasonic transmission, determining at least two receiving channel subsets according to a preset receiving channel subset selection rule; collecting ultrasonic echo signals through the at least two receiving channel subsets; At least two ultrasonic sub-graphs corresponding to each ultrasonic emission are obtained according to the ultrasonic echo signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The obtaining of at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets comprises: In the case where the ultrasound transmission is performed at least twice, the number of the receiving channel subset corresponding to the ultrasound sub-image is obtained, and at least two ultrasound sub-images with the same number are subjected to coherent composite processing to obtain the at least two initial ultrasound images.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that In at least two of the ultrasound transmissions, there are at least two receiving channel subsets with the same number, corresponding to different array element sets or different receiving apertures on the ultrasound probe.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of fusing the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part includes: Performing envelope detection processing on each of the initial ultrasonic images to obtain at least two processed ultrasonic images; The at least two processed ultrasound images are subjected to incoherent composite processing to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the receiving channel subsets corresponds to a different array element set on the ultrasound probe, or each of the receiving channel subsets corresponds to a different receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least two receiving channel subsets include a first receiving channel subset and a second receiving channel subset. If the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to the same array element set or the same receiving aperture on the ultrasound probe, the first receiving channel subset and the second receiving channel subset correspond to different receiving apodization parameters.

8. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: The system includes an ultrasound probe, a signal processor and a display; The ultrasound probe is used to acquire an ultrasound sub-image of the scanned part through at least two receiving channel subsets; The signal processor is used to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets, and fuse the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part; The display is used to display the target ultrasound image.

9. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: The device comprises: An acquisition module, used to acquire an ultrasonic sub-image of the scanned part acquired by at least two receiving channel subsets; A processing module, configured to obtain at least two initial ultrasound images based on the ultrasound sub-image corresponding to each of the receiving channel subsets; The fusion module is used to fuse the at least two initial ultrasound images to obtain a target ultrasound image of the scanned part.

10. A computer device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented.

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