Super-resolution contrast imaging method and ultrasonic imaging system

Abstract

The invention discloses a super-resolution contrast imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging system. The method comprises the following steps: displaying a super-resolution contrast image in a display interface; in response to a selection operation on a region of interest in the super-resolution contrast image, determining at least one region of interest; in response to an operation on an amplification control displayed on the display interface, determining an amplification factor of the at least one region of interest; according to the magnification times, carrying out magnification processing on the at least one region of interest to obtain a super-resolution magnified image; and displaying the super-resolution magnified image in the display interface. By displaying the amplified image of the region of interest in the super-resolution contrast image, the requirement of a user for emphatically observing the capillary structure of a local region can be met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and more particularly to a super-resolution contrast imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging system. Background Art

[0002] Microcirculation refers to the blood circulation between arterioles and venules in the vascular network. It is not only the peripheral part of the circulatory system, but also an important component of the internal organs. Under normal circumstances, the blood flow of microcirculation is adapted to the metabolic level of human tissues and organs to maintain normal life activities and metabolism of the human body. When the metabolism and function of tissues and organs are abnormal, the microcirculation will change to a certain extent. Therefore, microcirculation is closely related to the occurrence and development of diseases. It has important physiological, pathological, pharmacological and clinical significance, and is of great value for the early diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Blockage, obstruction and lesions of microcirculation are precursors to many diseases. Observing changes in microvessels is conducive to the early diagnosis of diseases.

[0003] Ultrasound has the advantages of real-time, non-invasive, economical and portable. Ultrasound contrast imaging can evaluate the blood perfusion of lesions and their tissues. However, ultrasound faces a basic diffraction limit in the far field, that is, when the wave propagates between two objects, they can only be distinguished when the distance between them exceeds half a wavelength, which limits the imaging of many important tissues including microvessels.

[0004] Super-resolution contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SR-CEUS) is a new imaging method with ultra-high spatial resolution. It draws on the principle of fluorescence microscopy positioning technology in optical super-resolution imaging. It locates and tracks the position of contrast agent microbubbles flowing in microvessels, and after a period of cumulative superposition, it draws microvascular images with a "microscopic" effect. It overcomes the diffraction limit of traditional ultrasound imaging resolution and can obtain micron-level high-resolution images of tiny blood vessels in tissues under non-invasive conditions, which has important clinical value. The current super-resolution contrast images only provide global images and cannot meet the needs of users to focus on observing the microvascular structure in local areas. Summary of the invention

[0005] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the Summary of the Invention, which will be further described in detail in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a super-resolution imaging method, comprising:

[0007] Displaying the super-resolution angiography image in a display interface;

[0008] In response to a selection operation of a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, determining at least one region of interest;

[0009] In response to an operation on a magnification control displayed on the display interface, determining a magnification factor of the at least one region of interest;

[0010] Amplify the at least one region of interest according to the magnification factor to obtain a super-resolution magnified image;

[0011] The super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method further includes: determining the magnification quality of the at least one region of interest in response to an operation of a magnification control displayed on the display interface; and performing quality processing on the at least one region of interest according to the magnification quality before, during or after magnifying the at least one region of interest according to the magnification factor to obtain the super-resolution magnified image.

[0013] In one embodiment, the magnification control includes a magnification control, and the magnification of the at least one region of interest is determined in response to the operation of the magnification control displayed on the display interface, including: determining the magnification of the at least one region of interest in response to the operation of the magnification control displayed on the display interface.

[0014] In one embodiment, the magnification control also includes a magnification quality control, and in response to the operation of the magnification control displayed on the display interface, the magnification quality of the at least one region of interest is determined, including: in response to the operation of the magnification quality control displayed on the display interface, the magnification quality of the at least one region of interest is determined.

[0015] In one embodiment, the magnification quality control includes a first magnification quality control and a second magnification quality control, and the at least one region of interest includes a first region of interest and a second region of interest; determining the magnification quality of the at least one region of interest in response to an operation on the magnification quality control displayed on the display interface includes: determining a first magnification quality of the first region of interest in response to an operation on the first magnification quality control displayed on the display interface, and determining a second magnification quality of the second region of interest in response to an operation on the second magnification quality control displayed on the display interface.

[0016] In one embodiment, the at least one region of interest includes multiple regions of interest. When the magnification control includes a single magnification control and / or a single magnification quality control, the magnification control can simultaneously adjust the magnification and / or magnification quality of the multiple regions of interest. When the magnification control includes multiple sub-magnification controls and / or multiple sub-magnification quality controls, the multiple sub-magnification controls can independently adjust the magnification of the multiple regions of interest, and the multiple sub-magnification quality controls can independently adjust the magnification quality of the multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification control corresponds to at least one region of interest, and each sub-magnification quality control corresponds to at least one region of interest.

[0017] In one embodiment, while the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface, the super-resolution angiography image continues to be displayed in the display interface.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method further includes: when the number of the super-resolution enlarged images is greater than a preset number, displaying a preset number of the super-resolution enlarged images in the display interface according to a predetermined rule, or, based on a user's selection operation, selecting a preset number of the super-resolution enlarged images and displaying the selected super-resolution enlarged images in the display interface.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method further includes: switching display of the super-resolution enlarged image and the super-resolution contrast image based on a user's selection operation.

[0020] In one embodiment, the magnification factor and / or magnification quality is associated with the blood vessel thickness of the at least one region of interest, and the method further includes: determining the blood vessel thickness of the at least one region of interest; determining the magnification factor and / or magnification quality corresponding to the blood vessel thickness, recommending the magnification factor and / or magnification quality corresponding to the blood vessel thickness to a user, or using the magnification factor and / or magnification quality corresponding to the blood vessel thickness as the magnification factor and / or magnification quality of the at least one region of interest.

[0021] In one embodiment, before displaying the super-resolution angiography image in the display interface, the method also includes: controlling the ultrasound probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, and receiving an echo signal of the second ultrasonic wave; performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles; and generating the super-resolution angiography image based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles.

[0022] In one embodiment, before controlling the ultrasound probe to transmit a second ultrasound wave to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, the method further includes: controlling the probe to transmit a first ultrasound wave to the target tissue, and receiving an echo signal of the first ultrasound wave, and generating and displaying a tissue image and / or a contrast image based on the echo signal.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method further includes: determining a super-resolution imaging area on the tissue image or the contrast image; performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, and generating the super-resolution contrast image based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, including: performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area, and generating the super-resolution contrast image based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area.

[0024] In one embodiment, the imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image is the same as the imaging area of ​​the tissue image or the contrast image, or the imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image is smaller than the imaging area of ​​the tissue image or the contrast image.

[0025] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a super-resolution angiography method, the method comprising:

[0026] Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, and receiving echo signals of the ultrasonic waves;

[0027] Performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles;

[0028] Generating a super-resolution contrast image based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, and displaying the super-resolution contrast image in a display interface;

[0029] In response to a selection operation on a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, enlarging the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image;

[0030] The super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

[0031] In one embodiment, the super-resolution angiography image includes at least two regions of interest, and displaying the super-resolution enlarged image in the display interface includes: displaying the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two regions of interest in the display interface.

[0032] In one embodiment, the super-resolution angiography image is a dynamic image, and the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image is enlarged to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image, and the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface, including: enlarging the region of interest at at least two moments to obtain super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two moments, and displaying the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the at least two moments in the display interface; or enlarging the region of interest in at least two time periods to obtain super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two time periods, and displaying the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the at least two time periods in the display interface.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method further includes: acquiring an ultrasonic image of the target tissue in other imaging modes; enlarging the region of interest of the ultrasonic image in other imaging modes to obtain an enlarged image of the other imaging modes; and displaying the enlarged image of the other imaging modes in the display interface.

[0034] In one embodiment, the ultrasound images of other imaging modes include tissue images and / or contrast images.

[0035] In one embodiment, the super-resolution angiography image and the super-resolution magnified image are displayed simultaneously in the display interface.

[0036] In one embodiment, the method further includes: displaying a magnification quality control in the display interface; determining the magnification quality of the at least one region of interest in response to an operation on the magnification quality control; and performing quality processing on the at least one region of interest according to the magnification quality before, during or after magnification processing of the region of interest to obtain the super-resolution magnified image.

[0037] In one embodiment, when the magnification quality control includes a single magnification quality control, the magnification quality control can simultaneously adjust the magnification quality of the multiple regions of interest; when the magnification quality control includes multiple sub-magnification quality controls, the multiple sub-magnification quality controls can independently adjust the magnification quality of the multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification quality control corresponds to at least one region of interest.

[0038] In one embodiment, the method further includes: displaying a magnification control in the display interface; determining a magnification of the at least one region of interest in response to an operation on the magnification control, and performing the magnification processing according to the magnification.

[0039] In one embodiment, when the magnification control includes a single magnification control, the magnification control can adjust the magnifications of the multiple regions of interest at the same time; when the magnification control includes multiple sub-magnification controls, the multiple sub-magnification controls can independently adjust the magnifications of the multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification control corresponds to at least one region of interest.

[0040] In one embodiment, the enlarging process includes performing image interpolation processing on the region of interest.

[0041] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a super-resolution angiography method, comprising:

[0042] In response to a selection operation of a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, determining at least one region of interest;

[0043] determining the thickness of a blood vessel of at least one of the regions of interest;

[0044] Determining the magnification level of the at least one region of interest according to the thickness of the blood vessel;

[0045] Amplify the at least one region of interest according to the amplification level to obtain a super-resolution amplified image;

[0046] The super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

[0047] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic imaging system, comprising:

[0048] Ultrasound probe;

[0049] A transmitting circuit, used for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles;

[0050] A receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo signal;

[0051] A processor, configured to execute the super-resolution angiography method as described above to generate a super-resolution angiography image;

[0052] A display is used to display the super-resolution angiography image.

[0053] The super-resolution angiography method and ultrasound imaging system of the embodiments of the present invention can display an enlarged image of a region of interest in a super-resolution angiography image, thereby meeting the needs of users to focus on observing the microvascular structure of a local area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] The above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present invention in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0055] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0056] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart showing a super-resolution angiography method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a display interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a display interface according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart showing a super-resolution angiography method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 6 A schematic flow chart showing a super-resolution angiography method according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a display interface according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention more obvious, the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present invention described in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0063] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present invention, some technical features well known in the art are not described.

[0064] It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0065] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. When used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said / the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "consisting of" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0066] In order to fully understand the present invention, a detailed structure will be proposed in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present invention. The optional embodiments of the present invention are described in detail as follows, but in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention may also have other implementations.

[0067] Next, first refer to Figure 1 An ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] like Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 100 includes an ultrasound probe 110, a transmitting circuit 112, a receiving circuit 114, a processor 116, and a display 118. Further, the ultrasound imaging system may also include a transmit / receive selection switch 120 and a beamforming module 122, and the transmitting circuit 112 and the receiving circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 through the transmit / receive selection switch 120.

[0069] The ultrasonic probe 110 includes a plurality of transducer array elements, which are arranged in a two-dimensional array, or a convex array. The transducer array element is used to transmit ultrasonic waves according to an excitation electrical signal, or to convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals, so each transducer array element can be used to realize mutual conversion between electrical pulse signals and ultrasonic waves, thereby transmitting ultrasonic waves to tissues in a target area of ​​the object to be measured, and can also be used to receive ultrasonic echoes reflected by the tissues.

[0070] When performing ultrasonic imaging, the transmitting sequence and receiving sequence can be used to control which transducer array elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves and which transducer array elements are used to receive ultrasonic waves, or control the transducer array elements to transmit ultrasonic waves or receive ultrasonic echoes in time slots. The transducer array elements involved in ultrasonic emission can be excited by electrical signals at the same time, thereby simultaneously transmitting ultrasonic waves; or, the transducer array elements involved in ultrasonic beam emission can also be excited by several electrical signals with a certain time interval, thereby continuously transmitting ultrasonic waves with a certain time interval.

[0071] During the ultrasonic imaging process, the transmitting circuit 112 generates a transmission sequence according to the control of the processor 116, and the transmission sequence is used to control some or all of the multiple transducer array elements to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue. The transmission sequence parameters include the number of transducer array element positions used for transmission and the ultrasonic beam transmission parameters, such as amplitude, frequency, number of transmissions, transmission interval, transmission angle, waveform, etc. In some cases, the transmitting circuit 112 is also used to phase delay the transmitted beam so that different transducer array elements transmit ultrasonic waves at different times. The transmission sequence parameters corresponding to different imaging modes may be different. After the ultrasonic echo signal is received by the receiving circuit 114 and processed by subsequent modules and corresponding algorithms, ultrasonic images of different imaging modes can be generated.

[0072] The receiving circuit 114 may include one or more amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, etc. The amplifier is used to amplify the received ultrasonic echo signal after appropriate gain compensation, and the analog-to-digital converter is used to sample the analog echo signal at a predetermined time interval to convert it into a digitized signal. The digitized echo signal still retains amplitude information, frequency information, and phase information. The receiving circuit 114 sends the ultrasonic echo signal to the beamforming module 122 for processing.

[0073] The beamforming module 122 performs focusing delay, weighting and channel summing on the ultrasonic echo signal, and then sends it to the processor 116. The processor 116 performs signal detection, signal enhancement, data conversion, logarithmic compression and other processing on the ultrasonic echo signal to form an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image obtained by the processor 116 can be displayed on the display 118 or stored in the memory 124.

[0074] Optionally, the processor 116 may be implemented as software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof, and may use a single or multiple application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a single or multiple general purpose integrated circuits, a single or multiple microprocessors, a single or multiple programmable logic devices, or any combination of the aforementioned circuits and / or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 116 may control other components in the ultrasound imaging system 100 to perform the corresponding steps of the methods in various embodiments of the present specification.

[0075] The display 118 is connected to the processor 116, and the display 118 may be a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc.; or, the display 118 may be an independent display such as a liquid crystal display, a television, etc., which is independent of the ultrasound imaging system 100; or, the display 118 may be a display screen of an electronic device such as a smart phone or a tablet computer, etc. The number of the display 118 may be one or more.

[0076] The display 118 can display the ultrasound image obtained by the processor 116. In addition, while displaying the ultrasound image, the display 118 can also provide the user with a graphical interface for human-computer interaction. One or more controlled objects are set on the graphical interface, and the user is provided with a human-computer interaction device to input operation instructions to control these controlled objects, thereby performing corresponding control operations. For example, an icon is displayed on the graphical interface, and the icon can be operated by the human-computer interaction device to perform a specific function, such as drawing a region of interest box on the ultrasound image.

[0077] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include other human-machine interaction devices in addition to the display 118, which are connected to the processor 116. For example, the processor 116 may be connected to the human-machine interaction device via an external input / output port, and the external input / output port may be a wireless communication module, or a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input / output port may also be implemented based on USB, bus protocols such as CAN, and / or wired network protocols.

[0078] The human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information, which may be, for example, a control instruction for ultrasonic transmission / reception timing, an operation input instruction for drawing points, lines or frames on an ultrasonic image, or other instruction types. The input device may include a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc., or a combination of multiple thereof. The human-computer interaction device may also include an output device such as a printer.

[0079] The ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include a memory 124 for storing instructions executed by the processor, storing received ultrasound echoes, storing ultrasound images, etc. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, etc. It may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory, a removable memory and / or a non-removable memory, etc.

[0080] It should be understood that Figure 1 The components included in the ultrasonic imaging system 100 are only exemplary, and the ultrasonic imaging system 100 may include more or fewer components, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0081] Next, we will refer to Figure 2 A super-resolution contrast imaging method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 2 2 is a schematic flow chart of a super-resolution angiography method 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] like Figure 2 As shown, a super-resolution angiography method 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0083] In step S210, a super-resolution angiography image is displayed on a display interface;

[0084] In step S220, in response to a selection operation of a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, at least one region of interest is determined;

[0085] In step S230, in response to an operation on a zoom control displayed on the display interface, a magnification factor of the at least one region of interest is determined;

[0086] In step S240, the at least one region of interest is enlarged according to the magnification factor to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image;

[0087] In step S250, the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

[0088] The super-resolution angiography imaging method 200 of the embodiment of the present invention displays an enlarged image of a region of interest in a super-resolution angiography image in response to an operation on a zoom control, thereby meeting the user's need to focus on observing microvascular structures in a local area.

[0089] Specifically, first, a super-resolution angiography image is displayed in a display interface, and the super-resolution angiography image includes a vascular structure of microvessels. The super-resolution angiography image may be a real-time ultrasound image generated in a super-resolution angiography imaging mode, or may be a pre-collected ultrasound image retrieved from a storage medium, or an ultrasound image acquired from the outside through a network connection. There is no restriction on the way to obtain the super-resolution angiography image.

[0090] Specifically, before super-resolution contrast imaging is performed, a contrast agent can be injected into the target tissue. The contrast agent is a solution containing contrast agent microbubbles, which have high echogenicity, that is, have a strong ability to reflect ultrasound. There is a great difference in the echogenicity of the medium in the contrast agent microbubbles and human tissue, so the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles can produce an ultrasound image with high contrast due to the high echo difference.

[0091] For example, before entering the super-resolution contrast imaging mode, the tissue imaging mode (i.e., B mode) or the conventional contrast imaging mode may be entered first, the probe may be controlled to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to the target tissue, and an echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave may be received, and a tissue image and / or a contrast image may be generated and displayed based on the echo signal. A suitable perfusion state may be selected according to the tissue image and / or the contrast image, and the super-resolution contrast imaging mode may be started.

[0092] Exemplarily, before entering the super-resolution contrast imaging mode, a super-resolution imaging area can also be determined on the tissue image or the contrast image, and super-resolution data processing can be performed based on the echo signal corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area to obtain the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area, and a super-resolution contrast image can be generated based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area. Among them, the imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image is the same as the imaging area of ​​the tissue image or the contrast image, or the imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image is smaller than the imaging area of ​​the tissue image or the contrast image. For example, the contrast imaging area can be determined on the tissue image, and the contrast imaging area is used as the imaging area of ​​the contrast image and the imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image. The step of determining the super-resolution imaging area can be performed automatically or manually by the user.

[0093] In the super-resolution contrast imaging mode, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to emit a second ultrasonic wave to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, and the echo signal of the second ultrasonic wave is received; super-resolution data processing is performed based on the echo signal to obtain the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles; and super-resolution contrast imaging images are generated based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles. Super-resolution data processing locates and tracks a large number of contrast agent microbubbles contained in the target tissue one by one, thereby realizing microvascular imaging, which can display the overall situation of microblood flow and microcirculation, and overcome the diffraction limit of traditional ultrasound imaging resolution.

[0094] Specifically, super-resolution data processing mainly includes the following steps: First, extract the microbubble signal generated by the contrast agent microbubble from the second ultrasonic echo signal to separate the microbubble signal from the tissue signal. The signal component generated by the tissue reflection is the linear component in the composite signal, which reflects the characteristics of the tissue structure and is called the tissue signal. The signal component obtained by the contrast agent microbubble reflection is the nonlinear component in the ultrasonic echo signal, which reflects the information of the contrast agent microbubble and is called the microbubble signal. Exemplarily, the extraction methods of microbubble signals mainly include the following categories: the first category is based on the nonlinear scattering characteristics of the contrast agent microbubble, such as pulse reversal (PI), contrast pulse sequence (CPS), superharmonic, etc. to extract microbubble signals; the second category is based on the inter-frame difference caused by the dissolution or rupture of the contrast agent microbubble, such as differential imaging (DI), etc. to extract microbubble signals; the third category is based on the flow characteristics of the contrast agent microbubble, such as using singular value decomposition (SVD) spatiotemporal filtering to extract microbubble signals.

[0095] In order to ensure the positioning accuracy, the spatial distribution of contrast agent microbubbles in each frame of data must be sparse enough. Therefore, after extracting the microbubble signal, the microbubble signal is separated to reduce the spatial overlap of the microbubble signal. Specifically, the microbubble signal can be processed using bandpass filters of different frequencies so that the spatially overlapping microbubbles can be distinguished in the frequency domain; or, the microbubble data can be divided into multiple subsets based on the microbubble velocity to achieve the purpose of reducing the microbubble concentration.

[0096] Afterwards, the position of each contrast agent microbubble is determined based on the separated microbubble signal. Since each contrast agent microbubble covers multiple sampling points, the centroid position of each contrast agent microbubble can be used as the position of the contrast agent microbubble. Specifically, the centroid method can be used to obtain the precise centroid position of each contrast agent microbubble through point spread function deconvolution.

[0097] After obtaining the precise centroid position of each contrast agent microbubble, the centroid position of the same contrast agent microbubble at different times is tracked to obtain the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubble. By obtaining multi-frame pairing and tracking of the centroid position of the contrast agent microbubble, the microbubble trajectory of the contrast agent microbubble flowing with the blood can be obtained, which improves the fault tolerance of microbubble extraction and positioning processing. By tracking the contrast agent microbubble in the multi-frame composite signal, the distance and direction of movement of each contrast agent microbubble can be determined, and then the inter-frame displacement information generated by the microbubble signal in the multi-frame composite signal can be determined.

[0098] By locating and tracking the center of mass of contrast agent microbubbles flowing in the microvessels, and after a period of cumulative superposition, a frame of super-resolution angiography image with a microscopic effect can be drawn, thereby breaking through the original ultrasonic diffraction limit and achieving the purpose of super-resolution imaging that can distinguish micron-level microvessels and their blood flow information, thereby realizing super-resolution angiography imaging of microvessels.

[0099] Based on different information of contrast agent microbubbles, the super-resolution contrast image may include a super-resolution density image, a super-resolution velocity image, a super-resolution angle image, a super-resolution density direction image, etc. The super-resolution contrast image of the embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of the above image types. A plurality of super-resolution contrast images may be displayed simultaneously, or some of the super-resolution contrast images may be selected for display.

[0100] For example, while displaying the super-resolution contrast image, the contrast image, tissue image, etc. of the target tissue can also be displayed simultaneously. By displaying multiple ultrasound images on the same screen, the various ultrasound images can complement each other, make up for the limitations of a single ultrasound image, and provide all-round and multi-angle information of the target tissue. When the super-resolution contrast image and other ultrasound images are displayed on the same screen, the super-resolution contrast image and other ultrasound images of the target tissue can be displayed separately on the same display interface, or the super-resolution contrast image can be superimposed on other ultrasound images of the target tissue.

[0101] Next, in response to the selection operation of a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, at least one region of interest is determined. The region of interest may be a local area that the user focuses on, such as a lesion area, or the region of interest may also include a normal tissue area for comparison with the lesion area.

[0102] For example, when determining the region of interest based on the user's selection operation, the region of interest of a preset shape may be determined based on the user's frame selection operation. The preset shape may be an ellipse, a circle, a rectangle, etc. A plurality of options for preset shapes may be provided on the display interface, and the user may select a desired preset shape from among them. When the region of interest includes multiple regions, the shapes of different regions of interest may be the same or different.

[0103] Alternatively, a region of interest of any shape may be determined based on a user's tracing operation. Similarly, a tracing option may be provided on the display interface, and after the user selects the tracing option, the region of interest may be traced along the lesion boundary so that the shape of the region of interest matches the actual shape of the lesion.

[0104] Next, in response to the operation of the zoom control displayed on the display interface, the zoom factor of at least one region of interest is determined, and the at least one region of interest is zoomed in according to the determined zoom factor to obtain a super-resolution zoomed image. The zooming process includes interpolating the image data of the region of interest, that is, using existing pixels to calculate other pixels to achieve pixel expansion. In addition, the zooming process may also include image processing such as filtering, smoothing, and sharpening to improve image quality.

[0105] After obtaining the super-resolution enlarged image, the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, while the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface, the super-resolution angiography image can also continue to be displayed in the same display interface. The super-resolution angiography image displays the identification of each region of interest. Displaying the super-resolution angiography image and the super-resolution enlarged image on the same screen helps the user to determine the position of each super-resolution enlarged image corresponding to the original super-resolution angiography image, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the global microvascular structural features and local microvascular local features. Optionally, in other embodiments, the super-resolution enlarged image and the super-resolution angiography image can also be switched based on the user's selection operation, that is, the user can choose to display only the super-resolution enlarged image or only the super-resolution angiography image in the display interface to increase the display area of ​​a single image.

[0106] Continue to refer to Figure 3 The display interface may include a first display area and a second display area, wherein the first display area is used to display the super-resolution angiography image, and the second display area is used to display the super-resolution magnified image. The second display area includes a plurality of sub-areas, each of which is used to display a super-resolution magnified image corresponding to a region of interest.

[0107] Since the total area of ​​the display interface is limited, when the number of super-resolution enlarged images is greater than a preset number, the preset number of super-resolution enlarged images may be displayed in the display interface according to a predetermined rule. For example, a preset number of super-resolution enlarged images may be displayed cyclically in the display interface. Alternatively, a preset number of super-resolution enlarged images may be selected based on a user's selection operation and the selected super-resolution enlarged images may be displayed in the display interface.

[0108] Optionally, the number of super-resolution magnified images displayed in the second display area may be limited by limiting the number of regions of interest. For example, if the preset number of super-resolution magnified images that can be displayed in the second display area is four, the user may be allowed to select up to four regions of interest. If the user needs to view magnified images of other regions of interest, the previously selected region of interest may be deleted and reselected.

[0109] In some embodiments, the number of sub-regions in the second display area is consistent with the number of regions of interest, and the size of the sub-region changes dynamically with the size of the region of interest. For example, when there is one region of interest, the second display area includes only one sub-region, whose area is close to the area of ​​the second display area; when there are four regions of interest, the second display area includes four sub-regions, and the area of ​​each sub-region is close to one quarter of the area of ​​the second display area. This ensures that the super-resolution magnified images corresponding to all regions of interest are displayed.

[0110] Alternatively, the number and size of the sub-regions are fixed, and when the number of regions of interest is large, the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the multiple regions of interest can be displayed in the form of page turning. For example, the second display area displays four sub-regions by default. If there are six regions of interest, the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the four regions of interest can be displayed in the first page, and the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the remaining two regions of interest can be displayed in the second page. In this way, the display area of ​​each super-resolution enlarged image can be guaranteed while ensuring that the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to all regions of interest are displayed.

[0111] In some embodiments, the super-resolution angiography image is a dynamic image, which displays the accumulation process of contrast agent microbubbles over a period of time in the form of a dynamic video. When performing the magnification process, the region of interest at at least two moments can be magnified to obtain super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two moments, and the super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two moments are displayed in the same display area of ​​the display interface, so that the user can observe the perfusion characteristics of the microvessels in the region of interest at different times. Among them, at least two moments can be set or adjusted by the user. Figure 4 As shown, in the second display area of ​​the display interface, super-resolution magnified images corresponding to the region of interest ROI#3 at the 2nd second, the 4th second, the 6th second and the 8th second are displayed.

[0112] Alternatively, the super-resolution enlarged image itself may also be a dynamic image. Specifically, the region of interest of at least two time periods may be enlarged to obtain super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two time periods, and the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two time periods may be displayed in the same display area of ​​the display interface. The at least two time periods may be set or adjusted by the user.

[0113] In order to perform a magnification process according to user needs, an embodiment of the present invention displays a magnification control in the display interface for adjusting the parameters of the magnification process. Exemplarily, the magnification control includes a magnification control, and in response to the operation of the magnification control displayed on the display interface, the magnification of at least one region of interest is determined, including: in response to the operation of the magnification control displayed on the display interface, the magnification of at least one region of interest is determined. The user can select a suitable magnification as needed. For example, if the blood vessels in the region of interest are thicker, a smaller magnification can be selected to reduce the amount of calculation and shorten the time of the magnification process; if the blood vessels in the region of interest are thinner, a larger magnification can be selected so that the super-resolution magnified image can clearly present the microvascular structure.

[0114] When there are multiple regions of interest, the magnification control can coordinately adjust the magnifications of multiple regions of interest, or independently adjust the magnification of a single region of interest. Specifically, when the magnification control includes a single magnification control, the magnification control can adjust the magnifications of multiple regions of interest at the same time, and the user can adjust the magnifications of multiple regions of interest with one click to increase the adjustment speed. When the magnification control includes multiple sub-magnification controls, the multiple sub-magnification controls can independently adjust the magnifications of multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification control corresponds to at least one region of interest. The user can adjust the magnification of each region of interest individually through the sub-magnification control, making the magnification process more targeted and flexible.

[0115] In addition to being able to adjust the magnification, in some embodiments, the user can also be allowed to adjust the magnification quality as needed. Specifically, in response to the operation of the magnification control displayed on the display interface, the magnification quality of at least one region of interest is determined; before, during or after the at least one region of interest is magnified according to the magnification, the at least one region of interest is quality processed according to the magnification quality to obtain a super-resolution magnified image. Among them, the higher the magnification quality, the higher the clarity of the obtained super-resolution magnified image. When the user needs to observe a clearer microvascular structure in the region of interest, a higher magnification quality can be selected.

[0116] Exemplarily, the magnification control further includes a magnification quality control, which can determine the magnification quality of at least one region of interest in response to an operation on the magnification quality control displayed on the display interface. The magnification quality control can include multiple magnification quality gears, such as high, medium, and low, and the user can select one of the magnification quality gears to select the magnification quality corresponding to the gear for magnification processing.

[0117] When there are multiple regions of interest, the magnification quality control can coordinately adjust the magnification quality of multiple regions of interest, or independently adjust the magnification quality of a single region of interest. Specifically, when the magnification control includes a single magnification quality control, the magnification quality control can adjust the magnification quality of multiple regions of interest at the same time, and the user can adjust the magnification quality of multiple regions of interest with one click to increase the adjustment speed. When the magnification control includes multiple sub-magnification quality controls, the multiple sub-magnification quality controls can independently adjust the magnification quality of multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification quality control corresponds to at least one region of interest. The user can adjust the magnification quality of each region of interest individually through the sub-magnification quality control, for example, only use a higher magnification quality for key regions of interest to reduce unnecessary calculations.

[0118] In a specific example, the magnification quality control includes a first magnification quality control and a second magnification quality control, and the at least one region of interest includes a first region of interest and a second region of interest. In response to an operation on the first magnification quality control displayed on the display interface, a first magnification quality of the first region of interest is determined, and in response to an operation on the second magnification quality control displayed on the display interface, a second magnification quality of the second region of interest is determined. That is, the user can adjust the magnification quality of the first region of interest and the second region of interest separately.

[0119] Exemplarily, when the zoom control is displayed in the display interface, a sub-magnification control and / or a sub-magnification quality control may be displayed at the edge of the sub-region corresponding to each region of interest in the second display region, for adjusting the magnification and / or the magnification quality of the region of interest corresponding to the sub-region, so that the magnification and / or the magnification quality can still be adjusted according to the display effect during viewing the super-resolution magnified image. Alternatively, after each region of interest is selected, a sub-magnification control and / or a sub-magnification quality control may be popped up, for adjusting the magnification and / or the magnification quality of the currently selected region of interest, so that the zoom process is performed according to the adjustment result of the magnification and / or the magnification quality.

[0120] In some embodiments, the functions of the magnification control and the magnification quality control can be integrated into the same magnification control, or can be independent controls. If integrated into the same magnification control, magnification processing and quality processing can be performed through the magnification control.

[0121] In some embodiments, the magnification and / or magnification quality of the super-resolution magnified image is associated with the thickness of the blood vessels in at least one region of interest. When the blood vessels are thicker, the blood vessel structure can be clearly seen with a lower magnification and / or magnification quality, while when the blood vessels are thinner, a higher magnification and / or magnification quality can be used to see a clearer blood vessel structure. Therefore, in order to facilitate the user to select a suitable magnification, the thickness of the blood vessels in at least one region of interest can be determined; the magnification and / or magnification quality corresponding to the blood vessel thickness is determined, and the magnification and / or magnification quality corresponding to the blood vessel thickness is recommended to the user, or the magnification and / or magnification quality corresponding to the blood vessel thickness is automatically determined as the magnification and / or magnification quality of at least one region of interest.

[0122] In summary, the super-resolution angiography method 200 of the embodiment of the present invention displays an enlarged image of a region of interest in a super-resolution angiography image in response to an operation on a zoom control, which can meet the needs of users to focus on observing microvascular structures in a local area.

[0123] Next, we will refer to Figure 5 A super-resolution angiography method according to another embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 5 4 is a schematic flow chart of a super-resolution angiography method 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] like Figure 5 As shown, a super-resolution angiography method 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0125] In step S510, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, and an echo signal of the ultrasonic waves is received;

[0126] In step S520, super-resolution data processing is performed based on the echo signal to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles;

[0127] In step S530, a super-resolution angiography image is generated based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, and the super-resolution angiography image is displayed in a display interface;

[0128] In step S540, in response to the selection operation of the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image is enlarged to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image;

[0129] In step S550, the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

[0130] First, super-resolution contrast imaging is performed on the target tissue to generate and display a super-resolution contrast image. Then, the region of interest selected by the user in the super-resolution contrast image is enlarged to generate and display a super-resolution enlarged image. The enlargement process includes but is not limited to image interpolation, and the super-resolution enlarged image and the super-resolution contrast image can be displayed in the display interface at the same time, or can be switched based on the user's selection operation.

[0131] In one embodiment, the super-resolution angiography image includes at least two regions of interest, and super-resolution magnified images corresponding to the at least two regions of interest can be simultaneously displayed in the display interface to perform comparative analysis on the microvascular structures of the at least two regions of interest.

[0132] In one embodiment, the super-resolution angiography image is a dynamic image, and the region of interest at at least two moments can be magnified to obtain super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two moments, and the super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two moments can be displayed simultaneously in the display interface; or, the region of interest at at least two time periods can be magnified to obtain super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two time periods, and the super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two time periods can be displayed simultaneously in the display interface. Simultaneously displaying super-resolution magnified images at different moments or time periods can facilitate users to observe the perfusion characteristics of microvessels in the region of interest at different times.

[0133] In one embodiment, ultrasound images of other imaging modes of the target tissue can also be acquired, and the region of interest of the ultrasound images of other imaging modes can be enlarged to obtain the enlarged image of the other imaging mode, and the super-resolution enlarged image and the enlarged image of the other imaging mode can be simultaneously displayed in the display interface, so that the user can observe the display effect of the region of interest in different imaging modes. Exemplarily, the ultrasound images of other imaging modes include tissue images and / or contrast images.

[0134] like Figure 7 As shown, the display interface may include a first display area and a second display area, the first display area is used to display super-resolution angiography images, and the second display area is used to display super-resolution magnified images and magnified images in other imaging modes.

[0135] In one embodiment, a magnification quality control may be displayed in a display interface; in response to an operation on the magnification quality control, the magnification quality of at least one region of interest is determined; before, during, or after the region of interest is magnified, quality processing is performed on at least one region of interest according to the magnification quality to obtain a super-resolution magnified image.

[0136] Among them, when the magnification quality control includes a single magnification quality control, the magnification quality control can simultaneously adjust the magnification quality of multiple regions of interest; when the magnification quality control includes multiple sub-magnification quality controls, the multiple sub-magnification quality controls can independently adjust the magnification quality of multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification quality control corresponds to at least one region of interest.

[0137] In one embodiment, a magnification control may be displayed in a display interface; in response to an operation on the magnification control, the magnification of at least one region of interest is determined, and a magnification process is performed according to the magnification.

[0138] Among them, when the magnification control includes a single magnification control, the magnification control can adjust the magnification of multiple regions of interest at the same time; when the magnification control includes multiple sub-magnification controls, the multiple sub-magnification controls can independently adjust the magnification of multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification control corresponds to at least one region of interest.

[0139] Similar to the super-resolution angiography method 200, the super-resolution angiography method 500 displays an enlarged image of the region of interest in response to a selection operation of the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, which can meet the user's need to focus on observing the microvascular structure of the local area. More specific details of the super-resolution angiography method 500 can be referred to the relevant description above, and will not be repeated here.

[0140] like Figure 6 As shown, the embodiment of the present invention further provides a super-resolution angiography method 600, comprising the following steps:

[0141] In step S610, in response to a selection operation of a region of interest in a super-resolution angiography image, at least one region of interest is determined;

[0142] In step S620, the thickness of a blood vessel of at least one of the regions of interest is determined;

[0143] In step S630, the magnification level of the at least one region of interest is determined according to the thickness of the blood vessel;

[0144] In step S640, the at least one region of interest is enlarged according to the enlargement level to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image;

[0145] In step S650, the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

[0146] Exemplarily, the magnification level includes a magnification level and / or a magnification quality level. The appropriate magnification level and / or magnification quality of the super-resolution magnified image is associated with the thickness of blood vessels in at least one region of interest. When the blood vessels are thicker, a lower magnification level and / or magnification quality can be used to see the blood vessel structure clearly, while when the blood vessels are thinner, a higher magnification level and / or magnification quality is required to see a clearer blood vessel structure. Therefore, in this embodiment, the magnification level of the magnification processing is selected according to the thickness of the blood vessels in the region of interest, and the appropriate magnification level can be automatically selected to magnify the region of interest, meeting the user's need to focus on observing the microvascular structure in the local area.

[0147] The embodiment of the present invention further provides an ultrasound imaging system for implementing the above-mentioned super-resolution contrast imaging method. Figure 1 , the ultrasound imaging system can be implemented as follows Figure 1 The ultrasound imaging system 100 shown may include an ultrasound probe 110 , a transmitting circuit 112 , a receiving circuit 114 , a processor 116 , and a display 118 .

[0148] Among them, the ultrasonic probe 110 is used to transmit ultrasonic waves; the transmitting circuit 112 is used to excite the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles; the receiving circuit 114 is used to control the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo signal of the ultrasonic wave; the processor is used to execute the steps of the super-resolution contrast imaging method 200, the super-resolution contrast imaging method 500 or the super-resolution contrast imaging method 600 to obtain a super-resolution contrast image and a super-resolution enlarged image; the display 118 is used to display the super-resolution contrast image and / or the super-resolution enlarged image.

[0149] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include a transmit / receive selection switch 120 and a beamforming module 122. The transmit circuit 112 and the receive circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 via the transmit / receive selection switch 120. The relevant description of each component may refer to the relevant description above and will not be repeated here.

[0150] The above only describes the main functions of the components of the ultrasound imaging system. For more details, see the related description of the super-resolution contrast imaging method. The ultrasound imaging system of the embodiment of the present invention can display an enlarged image of the region of interest in the super-resolution contrast image, thereby meeting the needs of users to focus on observing the microvascular structure of the local area.

[0151] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as required by the appended claims.

[0152] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0153] In the several embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0154] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0155] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present invention and help understand one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various features of the present invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the method of the present invention should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: the claimed invention requires more features than the features explicitly stated in each claim. More specifically, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the specific embodiment are hereby expressly incorporated into the specific embodiment, wherein each claim itself serves as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

[0156] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except for mutually exclusive features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0157] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0158] The various component embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules according to embodiments of the present invention. The present invention can also be implemented as a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for executing part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present invention can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0159] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbol between brackets shall not be construed as a limitation on the claims. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising a number of different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating a number of means, several of these means may be embodied by the same hardware item. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0160] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention or an explanation of a specific embodiment. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A super-resolution imaging method, characterized in that: include: Displaying the super-resolution angiography image in a display interface; In response to a selection operation of a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, determining at least one region of interest; In response to an operation on a magnification control displayed on the display interface, determining a magnification factor of the at least one region of interest; Amplify the at least one region of interest according to the magnification factor to obtain a super-resolution magnified image; The super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

2. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: In response to an operation of a magnification control displayed on the display interface, determining a magnification quality of the at least one region of interest; Before, during or after enlarging the at least one region of interest according to the magnification factor, quality processing is performed on the at least one region of interest according to the enlargement quality to obtain the super-resolution enlarged image.

3. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The magnification control includes a magnification control, In response to an operation on a magnification control displayed on the display interface, determining a magnification factor of the at least one region of interest includes: The magnification of the at least one region of interest is determined in response to an operation on a magnification control displayed on the display interface.

4. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The amplification control also includes an amplification quality control, In response to an operation on a magnification control displayed on the display interface, determining a magnification quality of the at least one region of interest includes: The magnification quality of the at least one region of interest is determined in response to an operation on a magnification quality control displayed on the display interface.

5. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The amplification quality control includes a first amplification quality control and a second amplification quality control, and the at least one region of interest includes a first region of interest and a second region of interest; The determining the magnification quality of the at least one region of interest in response to an operation on a magnification quality control displayed on the display interface comprises: In response to an operation on the first magnification quality control displayed on the display interface, a first magnification quality of the first region of interest is determined; in response to an operation on the second magnification quality control displayed on the display interface, a second magnification quality of the second region of interest is determined.

6. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one region of interest comprises a plurality of regions of interest, When the magnification control includes a single magnification control and / or a single magnification quality control, the magnification control can adjust the magnification and / or magnification quality of the multiple regions of interest at the same time. When the magnification control includes multiple sub-magnification controls and / or multiple sub-magnification quality controls, the multiple sub-magnification controls can independently adjust the magnification of the multiple regions of interest, and the multiple sub-magnification quality controls can independently adjust the magnification quality of the multiple regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification control corresponds to at least one region of interest, and each sub-magnification quality control corresponds to at least one region of interest.

7. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 1, characterized in that: While the super-resolution magnified image is displayed in the display interface, the super-resolution angiography image continues to be displayed in the display interface.

8. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: When the number of the super-resolution enlarged images is greater than a preset number, the preset number of the super-resolution enlarged images are displayed in the display interface according to a predetermined rule, or, based on a user's selection operation, a preset number of the super-resolution enlarged images are selected and the selected super-resolution enlarged images are displayed in the display interface.

9. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The super-resolution enlarged image and the super-resolution contrast image are switched and displayed based on a selection operation of a user.

10. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnification factor and / or magnification quality is associated with the thickness of blood vessels of the at least one region of interest, and the method further includes: determining the thickness of a blood vessel of the at least one region of interest; Determine a magnification factor and / or a magnification quality corresponding to the thickness of the blood vessel, recommend the magnification factor and / or amplification quality corresponding to the thickness of the blood vessel to a user, or use the magnification factor and / or amplification quality corresponding to the thickness of the blood vessel as the magnification factor and / or amplification quality of the at least one region of interest.

11. The super-resolution angiography method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: Before displaying the super-resolution angiography image in the display interface, the method further includes: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, and receiving an echo signal of the second ultrasonic wave; Performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles; The super-resolution contrast image is generated based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles.

12. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 11, characterized in that: Before controlling the ultrasound probe to transmit a second ultrasound wave to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, the method further includes: The probe is controlled to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to the target tissue, and an echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave is received, and a tissue image and / or an angiography image is generated and displayed based on the echo signal.

13. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Determining a super-resolution imaging area on the tissue image or the contrast image; The super-resolution data processing is performed based on the echo signal to obtain the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, and the super-resolution angiography image is generated based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, including: performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area to obtain the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area, and generating the super-resolution angiography image based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles corresponding to the super-resolution imaging area.

14. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image is the same as the imaging area of ​​the tissue image or the contrast image, or the imaging area of ​​the super-resolution image is smaller than the imaging area of ​​the tissue image or the contrast image.

15. A super-resolution imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles, and receiving echo signals of the ultrasonic waves; Performing super-resolution data processing based on the echo signal to obtain positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles; Generating a super-resolution contrast image based on the positioning information of the contrast agent microbubbles, and displaying the super-resolution contrast image in a display interface; In response to a selection operation on a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, enlarging the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image; The super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

16. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The super-resolution angiography image includes at least two regions of interest, The displaying the super-resolution magnified image in the display interface comprises: The super-resolution magnified images corresponding to at least two of the regions of interest are displayed in the display interface.

17. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The super-resolution angiography image is a dynamic image, and the region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image is enlarged to obtain a super-resolution enlarged image, and the super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface, including: Amplifying the region of interest at at least two moments to obtain super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two moments, and displaying the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to at least two moments in the display interface; Alternatively, the regions of interest of at least two time periods are enlarged to obtain super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the at least two time periods, and the super-resolution enlarged images corresponding to the at least two time periods are displayed in the display interface.

18. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Acquiring an ultrasound image of the target tissue in other imaging modes; Amplifying the region of interest of the ultrasound image of the other imaging mode to obtain an amplified image of the other imaging mode; The enlarged image of the other imaging mode is displayed in the display interface.

19. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 18, characterized in that: The ultrasound images of other imaging modes include tissue images and / or contrast images.

20. The super-resolution angiography method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that: The super-resolution angiography image and the super-resolution magnified image are displayed simultaneously in the display interface.

21. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Displaying a magnification quality control in the display interface; determining a quality of enlargement of the at least one region of interest in response to manipulation of the enlargement quality control; Before, during or after the enlargement process of the region of interest, quality processing is performed on the at least one region of interest according to the enlargement quality to obtain the super-resolution enlarged image.

22. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 21, characterized in that: When the magnification quality control comprises a single magnification quality control, the magnification quality control may simultaneously adjust the magnification quality of the plurality of regions of interest; When the magnification quality control includes a plurality of sub-magnification quality controls, the plurality of sub-magnification quality controls may independently adjust the magnification quality of the plurality of regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification quality control corresponds to at least one of the regions of interest.

23. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Displaying a magnification control in the display interface; In response to the operation of the magnification control, the magnification of the at least one region of interest is determined, and the magnification process is performed according to the magnification.

24. The super-resolution angiography method according to claim 23, characterized in that: When the magnification control comprises a single magnification control, the magnification control can adjust the magnification of the multiple regions of interest simultaneously; When the magnification control includes a plurality of sub-magnification controls, the plurality of sub-magnification controls can independently adjust the magnifications of the plurality of regions of interest, wherein each sub-magnification control corresponds to at least one of the regions of interest.

25. The super-resolution angiography method according to any one of claims 15 to 24, characterized in that: The enlarging process includes performing image interpolation processing on the region of interest.

26. A super-resolution imaging method, characterized in that: include: In response to a selection operation of a region of interest in the super-resolution angiography image, determining at least one region of interest; determining the thickness of a blood vessel of at least one of the regions of interest; Determining the magnification level of the at least one region of interest according to the thickness of the blood vessel; Amplify the at least one region of interest according to the amplification level to obtain a super-resolution amplified image; The super-resolution enlarged image is displayed in the display interface.

27. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: include: Ultrasound probe; A transmitting circuit, used for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target tissue containing contrast agent microbubbles; A receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo signal; A processor, configured to execute the super-resolution angiography method according to any one of claims 1 to 26 to generate a super-resolution angiography image; A display is used to display the super-resolution angiography image.

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