Super-resolution imaging method and ultrasonic imaging device

Abstract

The invention discloses a super-resolution imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging device, and the method comprises the steps: controlling an ultrasonic probe to emit a first ultrasonic wave to a target tissue, not containing a contrast agent, of a target object, obtaining first ultrasonic echo data, and generating and displaying a first tissue image; the ultrasonic probe is controlled to emit second ultrasonic waves to the target tissue injected with the contrast agent, second ultrasonic echo data are obtained, and contrast data are obtained according to the second ultrasonic echo data; outputting first prompt information based on the radiography data, wherein the first prompt information is used for reminding the target object to hold breath; the ultrasonic probe is controlled to emit third ultrasonic waves to the target tissue at a preset frame rate, third ultrasonic echo data are obtained, a super-resolution image is generated and displayed according to the third ultrasonic echo data, and the preset frame rate is larger than or equal to 300 frames per second. According to the method, the interference of respiratory movement on super-resolution imaging can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and more specifically to a super-resolution imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging device. Background Art

[0002] As a new technology that can perform real-time dynamic observation of lesions and their tissue blood perfusion, ultrasound contrast imaging plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of malignant diseases such as liver cancer, thyroid cancer and breast cancer, and has become a necessary examination method for clinical evaluation of blood circulation and perfusion.

[0003] Blockage, obstruction and pathological changes of microcirculation are precursors of many diseases. Observation of microvascular changes is helpful for early diagnosis of diseases. Capillaries are located in the epidermis and are an important part of blood microcirculation. They have the smallest diameter of about 6 to 9 μm. Arterioles and venules are located in the dermis with a diameter of about 10 to 100 μm, connected to arteries and veins in the lower skin. Microcirculation refers to the blood circulation between arterioles and venules in the vascular network. It is not only the terminal part of the circulatory system, but also an important component of 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, microcirculation will change to a certain extent. Therefore, microcirculation is closely related to the occurrence and development of diseases, and has important physiological, pathological, pharmacological and clinical significance. It is of great value for the early diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.

[0004] However, due to the diffraction limit of ultrasound in the far field, the ability of conventional clinical ultrasound to display the details of microvascular structures is limited. Although the spatial resolution can be improved by increasing the transmission frequency and near-field imaging, it will inevitably lead to a decrease in imaging depth, and most organs are at a great depth from the probe, making it difficult to apply near-field super-resolution methods. Super-resolution contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SR-CEUS) is a new imaging method with ultra-high spatial resolution. It draws on the principles of fluorescence microscopy positioning technology in optical super-resolution imaging and obtains images with a spatial resolution of tens of microns by locating and tracking isolated microbubbles. Therefore, super-resolution contrast-enhanced ultrasound technology solves the problem of microvascular display and becomes a powerful tool for observing microblood flow. It is currently widely used in preclinical research in the fields of tumors, microblood perfusion of different tissues and organs, and plaque neovascularization.

[0005] At present, super-resolution angiography usually requires the accumulation and tracking of the centroid position of microbubbles in hundreds or even thousands of frames of angiography images. However, due to the influence of respiratory motion, the imaging results of microbubbles after multiple frames of accumulation will show motion artifacts (blood vessels appear misplaced or double images), thus limiting the maximum achievable resolution of super-resolution angiography. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present application is proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems. According to one aspect of the present application, a super-resolution imaging method is provided, the method comprising: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target tissue of a target object that does not contain a contrast agent, receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain first ultrasonic echo data, and generating and displaying a first tissue image according to the first ultrasonic echo data; controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target tissue injected with a contrast agent, receiving an echo of the second ultrasonic wave to obtain second ultrasonic echo data, and obtaining contrast data according to the second ultrasonic echo data; outputting a first prompt message based on the contrast data, the first prompt message being used to remind the target object to hold its breath; controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a third ultrasonic wave to the target tissue at a preset frame rate, receiving an echo of the third ultrasonic wave to obtain third ultrasonic echo data, and generating and displaying a super-resolution image according to the third ultrasonic echo data, wherein the preset frame rate is greater than or equal to 300 frames / second.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present application, an ultrasonic imaging device is provided, which includes a transmitting and receiving circuit, an ultrasonic probe, a processor and a display, wherein: the transmitting and receiving circuit is used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object, receive echoes of the ultrasonic waves, and obtain ultrasonic echo data from the echoes; the processor is used to control the transmitting and receiving circuit, and execute the above-mentioned method to generate tissue images and super-resolution images; and the display is used to display the tissue images and the super-resolution images.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present application, a super-resolution imaging method is provided, the method comprising: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target tissue injected with a contrast agent, receiving echoes of the ultrasonic waves to acquire ultrasonic echo data, and obtaining contrast data based on the ultrasonic echo data; outputting prompt information based on the contrast data, the prompt information being used to remind the target object to hold its breath; and displaying a contrast image obtained based on the contrast data, the contrast agent perfusion condition reflected in the contrast image and the prompt information being used to jointly guide a user to determine a timing for data acquisition for super-resolution imaging.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present application, an ultrasonic imaging device is provided, which includes a transmitting and receiving circuit, an ultrasonic probe, a processor and a display, wherein: the transmitting and receiving circuit is used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object, receive echoes of the ultrasonic waves, and obtain ultrasonic echo data from the echoes; the processor is used to control the transmitting and receiving circuit and execute the above method to generate a contrast image; and the display is used to display the contrast image.

[0010] The super-resolution imaging method and ultrasonic imaging device of the present application prompt the target object to hold its breath before collecting super-resolution imaging data, and collect super-resolution imaging data at an ultra-high frame rate. Sufficient super-resolution imaging data can be obtained in a short time, and the interference of respiratory movement on super-resolution imaging can be greatly reduced, thereby improving the reliability of super-resolution imaging data and further improving the reliability of the super-resolution image finally obtained. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] 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.

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart of a super-resolution imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0013] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram showing data processing in a super-resolution imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing data acquisition and processing in a super-resolution imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 A flowchart showing a more specific example of a super-resolution imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Figure 5 A schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of a super-resolution imaging method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0018] Figure 7 A schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] 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.

[0020] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a super-resolution imaging method 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the super-resolution imaging method 100 may include the following steps:

[0021] In step S110 , the ultrasound probe is controlled to transmit a first ultrasound wave to a target tissue of the target object that does not contain a contrast agent, an echo of the first ultrasound wave is received to acquire first ultrasound echo data, and a first tissue image is generated and displayed according to the first ultrasound echo data.

[0022] In step S120, the ultrasound probe is controlled to transmit a second ultrasound wave to the target tissue injected with the contrast agent, an echo of the second ultrasound wave is received to acquire second ultrasound echo data, and contrast data is acquired according to the second ultrasound echo data.

[0023] In step S130, first prompt information is output based on the angiography data, where the first prompt information is used to remind the target object to hold his breath.

[0024] In step S140, the ultrasound probe is controlled to transmit a third ultrasound wave to the target tissue at a preset frame rate, an echo of the third ultrasound wave is received to acquire third ultrasound echo data, and a super-resolution image is generated and displayed based on the third ultrasound echo data, wherein the preset frame rate is greater than or equal to 300 frames / second.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present application, the ultrasound probe is controlled to emit a first ultrasonic wave to the target tissue of the target object that does not contain a contrast agent, in order to generate a tissue image of the target tissue (e.g., a B image, which can be referred to as a first tissue image, and is distinguished from the second tissue image in the following text), so that the user can observe the approximate location of the lesion. Afterwards, conventional contrast imaging can be started (the so-called "conventional contrast imaging" generally refers to a contrast imaging mode that can generate a contrast image in real time, which is different from a super-resolution contrast imaging mode that is usually unable to generate a super-resolution image in real time) to obtain contrast data, thereby determining the acquisition timing of super-resolution imaging data. Specifically, after the contrast agent is injected into the target object, the second ultrasonic wave can be emitted to the target tissue by controlling the ultrasound probe to obtain contrast data according to the echo data. Here, a contrast image can be generated according to the contrast data, and the contrast image can reflect the real-time perfusion of microbubbles. In this way, the user can know whether the contrast agent enters the target tissue by observing the contrast image, and after the contrast agent enters the target tissue, the super-resolution imaging data can be collected. Alternatively, it is also possible not to generate a contrast image, but to determine whether the microbubble concentration has reached a certain value by automatically analyzing the contrast data, so as to determine whether to start collecting super-resolution imaging data. In general, the timing of collecting super-resolution imaging data can be determined based on the contrast data.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present application, based on the contrast data, a first prompt information can be output, and the first prompt information is used to prompt the target object to hold its breath. As mentioned above, since the acquisition timing of super-resolution imaging data can be determined based on the contrast data, when it is determined based on the contrast data that the acquisition of super-resolution imaging data can be started, the target object can be prompted to hold its breath, and then the ultrasound probe is controlled to emit a third ultrasonic wave to the target tissue to acquire super-resolution imaging data, which can make the acquired super-resolution imaging data obtained during the process of the target object holding its breath, thereby avoiding the influence of the target object's respiratory movement causing motion artifacts in the microbubble imaging results, improving the reliability of the super-resolution imaging data, and then improving the reliability of the super-resolution image finally obtained.

[0027] In addition, since the ultrasound probe transmits the third ultrasound wave to the target tissue at an ultra-high frame rate of greater than or equal to 300 frames / second, thousands of frames of super-resolution imaging data can be collected within a few seconds, and the time resolution is high, which not only helps to separate microbubbles, but also obtains sufficient data for super-resolution imaging processing in a short time. Therefore, the target object only needs to hold its breath for a few seconds, which is very easy for the target object to achieve, which ensures the feasibility and high reliability of breath holding, and the collected super-resolution imaging data will not be affected by the difficulty of holding the breath for a long time.

[0028] Therefore, the super-resolution imaging method according to the embodiment of the present application prompts the target object to hold its breath before collecting super-resolution imaging data, and collects super-resolution imaging data at an ultra-high frame rate. Sufficient super-resolution imaging data can be obtained in a short time, and the interference of respiratory movement on super-resolution imaging is greatly reduced, thereby improving the reliability of super-resolution imaging data, and thereby improving the reliability of the final super-resolution image.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present application, the output of the first prompt information based on the contrast data in step S130 may include: determining whether the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches a preset threshold based on the contrast data; when the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches the preset threshold, outputting the first prompt information. In this embodiment, the acquisition timing of the super-resolution imaging data can be automatically determined based on the contrast data, so that the first prompt information can be automatically output to prompt the target object to hold its breath. In one example, the microbubble concentration information in the contrast data can be calculated in real time, for example, when the microbubble concentration information reaches 50%, the first prompt information can be output.

[0030] In one embodiment, outputting the first prompt information may include: outputting at least one of the first voice prompt information, the first text prompt information, and the first graphic prompt information to prompt the target object to hold its breath. For example, the following voice prompt may be performed: "Please ask the patient to start holding his breath now and hold his breath for xx seconds", and the breath holding countdown may be automatically played at the same time, so that the patient (i.e., the target object) can end the breath holding state as soon as possible after the countdown ends to avoid discomfort. Alternatively, voice prompts may be issued when it is necessary to start holding the breath and when it is possible to end the breath holding. For another example, the following voice prompt may be performed: "Please ask the patient to start holding his breath now until the operator reminds him that he can end the breath holding." For another example, a text prompt information may be displayed on the display screen: "Please remind the patient to start holding his breath now", and the operator may remind the patient to start holding his breath after seeing the text prompt information. For another example, a graphic identification information reminding the patient to hold his breath may be displayed on the display screen, and the operator may remind the patient to start holding his breath after seeing the graphic identification information. And so on, and so forth.

[0031] In another embodiment, the method 100 may further include the following steps (not shown): displaying a contrast image obtained based on the contrast data and / or a microbubble concentration change curve generated based on the contrast data, wherein the contrast image is used to reflect the contrast agent perfusion situation; outputting a first prompt information, including: highlighting the contrast image in which the microbubble concentration reaches a preset threshold in the displayed contrast image, and / or highlighting the curve segment in which the microbubble concentration reaches a preset threshold in the microbubble concentration change curve. For example, displaying each frame of the contrast image (wherein the border of each frame of the image is white), for the contrast image in which the microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold, marking its border in red or yellow, to prompt the user that the acquisition time has arrived, and reminding the user to hold his breath. For another example, displaying the curve of the microbubble concentration changing with time in real time with black lines, and for the curve segment in which the microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold, it can be displayed with red or yellow lines, to prompt the user that the acquisition time has arrived, and reminding the user to hold his breath.

[0032] In this embodiment, instead of outputting specific voice, text or other prompt information as in the previous embodiment, the operator is prompted by changes in the displayed contrast image and / or changes in the microbubble concentration curve, so that the operator can remind the patient to hold his breath. This can also achieve a prompting effect and allow the operator to clearly see the microbubble perfusion situation and / or the microbubble concentration change situation, making it easier for the operator to determine whether the current time is indeed the time to collect super-resolution imaging data, with higher reliability.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present application, method 100 may further include the following steps (not shown): starting a first timing when the contrast agent injection begins. The function of the first timing is to determine the microbubble perfusion time. Accordingly, when the time of the first timing reaches a first preset time and the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches a preset threshold, the aforementioned first prompt information may be output. Among them, the first preset time may be a preset time when the contrast agent can reach the target tissue (i.e., usually set according to the perfusion speed of different organs or target objects). In this embodiment, the super-resolution acquisition timing can be more accurately determined in combination with the microbubble concentration in the contrast data and the contrast agent perfusion time, thereby outputting the first prompt information at a more accurate time, and then acquiring more accurate super-resolution imaging data.

[0034] In other simpler embodiments, the first prompt information may be output only based on the first timing, that is, the first prompt information may be output when the first timing reaches the first preset time, without combining with the microbubble concentration in the angiography data.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present application, the method 100 may further include the following steps (not shown): starting a second timing when the third ultrasonic wave is emitted; when the second timing reaches a second preset time, outputting a second prompt message, the second prompt message is used to prompt the target object to stop holding its breath, wherein the second preset time is less than 1 minute. As described above, since the third ultrasonic wave is emitted (i.e., super-resolution imaging data is collected) at an ultra-high frame rate (greater than or equal to 300 frames / second) in the present application, sufficient super-resolution imaging data can be collected in a short time, such as a few seconds. Therefore, in order to avoid discomfort caused by holding the patient's breath for too long, the timing can be started when the third ultrasonic wave is emitted (to be the second timing to distinguish it from the first timing described above), and when the second timing reaches a second preset time (generally less than 1 minute or even less than half a minute, such as 5 seconds or 10 seconds), the second prompt message is output to prompt the patient to stop holding his breath.

[0036] Outputting the second prompt information may include: outputting at least one of a second voice prompt information, a second text prompt information, and a second graphic prompt information to prompt the target object to stop holding its breath. For example, the following voice prompt may be performed: "Please ask the patient to stop holding his breath." For another example, a text prompt information may be displayed on the display screen: "Now please remind the patient to stop holding his breath." After the operator sees the text prompt information, the operator may remind the patient to stop holding his breath. For another example, a graphic identification information reminding the operator to stop holding his breath may be displayed on the display screen. After the operator sees the graphic identification information, the operator may remind the patient to stop holding his breath. And so on.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, the method 100 may further include the following steps (not shown): after acquiring the third ultrasound echo data, extracting tissue data and microbubble data based on the third ultrasound echo data; performing motion estimation based on the tissue data to obtain a motion estimation result; performing motion correction on the microbubble data based on the motion estimation result to obtain corrected microbubble data, and the corrected microbubble data is used to generate a super-resolution image. In this embodiment, after acquiring the third echo data, tissue data and microbubble data can be extracted from it (for example, a large number of time-continuous images can be filtered by an efficient filtering algorithm to achieve the extraction of tissue signals and microbubble signals), motion estimation is performed based on stable tissue data, and the estimation result is applied to motion correction of microbubble data to obtain corrected microbubble data for generating super-resolution images. That is, in this embodiment, although the super-resolution imaging data is collected under the condition of reminding the patient to hold his breath, in order to avoid incomplete breath holding or other influences of the patient, further motion correction is performed on the microbubble data, which can further reduce the influence of possible respiratory motion, thereby further improving the reliability of the super-resolution imaging results. Since the degree of motion correction is limited, compared with some methods that do not remind patients to hold their breath and only perform motion estimation and correction after acquiring super-resolution imaging data, the method of the embodiment of the present application can fundamentally reduce the impact of respiratory motion on super-resolution imaging.

[0038] Exemplarily, the motion estimation method may use speckle tracking technology for various ultrasound imaging modes. For the corrected microbubble data, super-resolution image processing may be further performed. For each frame of microbubble image data, the microbubble "center of mass" is located, and then the microbubble center of mass positions of multiple consecutive frames are accumulated and tracked to obtain a super-resolution image, such as a microvascular structure image and / or a microhemodynamic image. Figure 2 That is, it shows a schematic diagram of the above-mentioned motion estimation, motion correction, and super-resolution imaging processing. Figure 3 The data collected in the breath-holding state, the effect of motion estimation and correction, and the final super-resolution imaging processing result are shown. Figure 3 As shown, the motion between the corrected data frames almost no longer exists, so that the final super-resolution image has no motion artifacts.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present application, the super-resolution image finally obtained may include a microvascular structure image and / or a microhemodynamic image. Among them, the microvascular structure image may include a super-resolution density map, and the super-resolution density map may present the microbubble density at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area. Different microbubble densities may be reflected in different color shades on the super-resolution density map. For example, the brighter the place, the greater the microbubble density, and the darker the place, the smaller the microbubble density. The microhemodynamic image may include a super-resolution velocity map and a super-resolution direction map. Among them, the super-resolution velocity map may present the blood flow velocity at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area; the super-resolution direction map may present the blood flow direction at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area. Different blood flow velocities may be reflected in different color shades on the super-resolution velocity map. For example, the brighter the place, the greater the blood flow velocity, and the darker the place, the smaller the blood flow velocity. Different blood flow directions may be reflected in different colors on the super-resolution direction map. For example, red represents the direction toward the probe, and blue represents the direction away from the probe. More specifically, different colors may also be used to represent specific angles toward and away from the probe. The above images can be collectively referred to as super-resolution images. In addition, the super-resolution density map, super-resolution velocity map, and super-resolution directional map can also be arbitrarily combined to obtain a new image, also called a super-resolution image. For example, the super-resolution density map and the super-resolution directional map are combined into a super-resolution density directional map, which can reflect both the microbubble density at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area and the blood flow direction at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area.

[0040] In addition, in an embodiment of the present application, after acquiring the aforementioned second ultrasonic echo data, method 100 may further include the following steps (not shown): acquiring tissue data based on the second ultrasonic echo data, generating and displaying a second tissue image based on the tissue data, and selecting an imaging area for super-resolution imaging on the second tissue image; and / or, generating and displaying a contrast image based on the contrast data, and selecting an imaging area for super-resolution imaging on the contrast image. In this embodiment, an imaging area for super-resolution imaging may be selected before super-resolution data acquisition, so that the super-resolution image finally displayed is an image corresponding to the imaging area. Of course, the imaging area may not be selected, so that the super-resolution image finally displayed is a super-resolution image corresponding to the entire image area of ​​the contrast image.

[0041] The above exemplary describes the super-resolution imaging method 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 is a more specific example of the super-resolution imaging method 100. Figure 4 The more specific process of the super-resolution imaging method according to the embodiment of the present application can be more clearly defined. Figure 4 As shown, select the probe and inspection mode, scan in real time to determine the area of ​​interest (lesion area), and then enter the super-resolution angiography function. Under the super-resolution angiography function, after determining the target area (lesion area), stabilize the probe, inject the contrast agent, and start the timer to record the microbubble perfusion time information. During the microbubble perfusion process, remind the patient to hold his breath, start the "data acquisition" function, and at the same time enter the ultrafast ultrasound imaging mode (for example, about 500 frames / second). In the super-resolution imaging mode, only a few seconds of acquisition are required to obtain thousands of frames of raw data. Higher temporal resolution helps to separate microbubbles, and the acquisition time is short, and the user can control breath holding, which greatly reduces respiratory motion interference. After the acquisition is completed, the patient can resume free breathing. Further motion estimation and correction of the collected data are performed as needed to reduce motion interference caused by factors such as heart beats, muscle tremors, and probe stability.

[0042] Based on the above description, the super-resolution imaging method 100 according to the embodiment of the present application prompts the target object to hold its breath before collecting super-resolution imaging data, and collects super-resolution imaging data at an ultra-high frame rate. It is possible to obtain sufficient super-resolution imaging data in a short time, and greatly reduce the interference of respiratory movement on super-resolution imaging, thereby improving the reliability of super-resolution imaging data, and thereby improving the reliability of the final super-resolution image.

[0043] Combine the following Figure 5 An ultrasonic imaging device provided according to another aspect of the present application is described. Figure 5 FIG. 5 shows a schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device 500 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the ultrasonic imaging device 500 may include a transmitting and receiving circuit 510, an ultrasonic probe 520, a processor 530 and a display 540. Among them: the transmitting and receiving circuit 510 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 520 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object, receive the echo of the ultrasonic waves, and obtain ultrasonic echo data from the echo; the processor 530 is used to control the transmitting and receiving circuit, and execute the super-resolution imaging method 100 according to the embodiment of the present application described above to generate tissue images and super-resolution images; the display 540 is used to display tissue images and super-resolution images. The super-resolution imaging method 100 according to the embodiment of the present application has been described in detail above. Those skilled in the art can understand the structure and operation of the ultrasonic imaging device 500 in combination with the above description, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0044] Combine the following Figure 6 A super-resolution imaging method 600 according to another embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 6 As shown, the super-resolution imaging method 600 may include the following steps:

[0045] In step S610, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue injected with contrast agent, the ultrasonic echo is received to acquire ultrasonic echo data, and contrast data is acquired according to the ultrasonic echo data.

[0046] In step S620, prompt information is output based on the angiography data, where the prompt information is used to remind the target subject to hold his breath.

[0047] In step S630, a contrast image obtained based on the contrast data is displayed, and the contrast agent perfusion situation reflected by the contrast image and the prompt information are used to jointly guide the user to determine the data acquisition timing for super-resolution imaging.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present application, the ultrasound probe is controlled to emit ultrasound to the target tissue injected with the contrast agent in order to perform conventional contrast imaging to obtain contrast data, thereby determining the timing of collecting super-resolution imaging data. Specifically, the contrast data can be automatically analyzed to determine whether the microbubble concentration has reached a certain value, thereby determining whether the super-resolution imaging data can be collected. When it is determined based on the contrast data that the super-resolution imaging data can be collected, a prompt message can be output to prompt the target object to hold its breath. At the same time, a contrast image can also be generated based on the contrast data, and the contrast image can reflect the real-time perfusion of microbubbles. In this way, the user can know whether the contrast agent has entered the target tissue by observing the contrast image, and after the contrast agent enters the target tissue, the super-resolution imaging data can be collected. That is, the above-mentioned prompt information and contrast image can jointly guide the user to determine the timing of data acquisition for super-resolution imaging. Collecting super-resolution imaging data at such a timing can ensure that the collected super-resolution imaging data is obtained during the target object's breath-holding process, thereby avoiding the influence of the target object's respiratory movement causing motion artifacts in the microbubble imaging results, improving the reliability of the super-resolution imaging data, and further improving the reliability of the final super-resolution image.

[0049] Therefore, the super-resolution imaging method according to the embodiment of the present application generates a contrast image based on the contrast data and outputs prompt information to prompt the target object to hold its breath. The contrast image and the prompt information can jointly guide the user to determine the data acquisition timing for super-resolution imaging. The super-resolution imaging data collected at this timing is obtained during the process of the target object holding its breath, thereby avoiding the influence of the target object's respiratory movement causing motion artifacts in the microbubble imaging results, improving the reliability of the super-resolution imaging data, and thereby improving the reliability of the final super-resolution image.

[0050] In an embodiment of the present application, the outputting of prompt information based on the contrast data described in step S620 may include: determining whether the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches a preset threshold based on the contrast data; when the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches the preset threshold, outputting prompt information. In this embodiment, the acquisition timing of super-resolution imaging data can be automatically determined based on the contrast data, so that prompt information can be automatically output to prompt the target object to hold its breath. In one example, the microbubble concentration information in the contrast data can be calculated in real time, for example, when the microbubble concentration information reaches 50%, prompt information can be output.

[0051] In one embodiment, outputting prompt information may include: outputting at least one of voice prompt information, text prompt information, and graphic prompt information to prompt the target object to hold its breath. For example, the following voice prompt may be performed: "Please ask the patient to start holding his breath now." For another example, a text prompt information may be displayed on a display screen: "Now please remind the patient to start holding his breath," and the operator may remind the patient to start holding his breath after seeing the text prompt information. For another example, a graphic identification information reminding the patient to hold his breath may be displayed on a display screen, and the operator may remind the patient to start holding his breath after seeing the graphic identification information. And so on, and so forth.

[0052] In another embodiment, outputting prompt information may include: highlighting the contrast images whose microbubble concentration reaches a preset threshold value in the displayed contrast images. For example, displaying each frame of contrast images (where the border of each frame is white), and marking the border of the contrast images whose microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold value in red or yellow, so as to prompt the user that the acquisition time has arrived and remind the user to hold his breath.

[0053] In another embodiment, the method 600 may further include the following steps (not shown): displaying a microbubble concentration change curve generated based on the angiography data; outputting prompt information, including: highlighting the curve segment in the microbubble concentration change curve where the microbubble concentration reaches a preset threshold. For example, a curve of the microbubble concentration changing over time is displayed in real time with a black line, and the curve segment where the microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold can be displayed with a red or yellow line to prompt the user that the acquisition time has arrived and remind the user to hold his breath.

[0054] In these two embodiments, instead of outputting specific voice, text or other prompt information as in the previous embodiment, the operator is prompted by changes in the displayed contrast image and / or changes in the microbubble concentration curve, so that the operator can remind the patient to hold his breath. This can also achieve a prompting effect and allow the operator to clearly see the microbubble perfusion situation and / or the microbubble concentration change situation, making it easier for the operator to determine whether the current time is indeed the time to collect super-resolution imaging data, with higher reliability.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, method 600 may further include the following steps (not shown): starting a first timing when the contrast agent injection begins. The function of the first timing is to determine the microbubble perfusion time. Accordingly, when the time of the first timing reaches a first preset time and the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches a preset threshold, the aforementioned prompt information may be output. Among them, the first preset time may be a preset time when the contrast agent can reach the target tissue (i.e., usually set according to the perfusion speed of different organs or target objects). In this embodiment, the super-resolution acquisition timing can be more accurately determined in combination with the microbubble concentration in the contrast data and the contrast agent perfusion time, thereby outputting the prompt information at a more accurate time, and then acquiring more accurate super-resolution imaging data.

[0056] In other simpler embodiments, the prompt information may be output based only on the first timing, that is, the prompt information may be output when the first timing reaches the first preset time, without combining with the microbubble concentration in the angiography data.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present application, method 600 may further include the following steps (not shown): after acquiring ultrasound echo data, acquiring tissue data based on the ultrasound echo data, generating a tissue image based on the tissue data, and selecting an imaging area for super-resolution imaging on the tissue image; or, generating a contrast image based on contrast data, and selecting an imaging area for super-resolution imaging on the contrast image. In this embodiment, an imaging area for super-resolution imaging may be selected before super-resolution data acquisition, so that the super-resolution image finally displayed is the image corresponding to the imaging area. Of course, the imaging area may not be selected, so that the super-resolution image finally displayed is the super-resolution image corresponding to the entire image area of ​​the contrast image.

[0058] Based on the above description, the super-resolution imaging method 600 according to the embodiment of the present application generates a contrast image based on the contrast data and outputs prompt information to prompt the target object to hold its breath. The contrast image and the prompt information can jointly guide the user to determine the data acquisition timing for super-resolution imaging. The super-resolution imaging data collected at this timing is obtained during the process of the target object holding its breath, thereby avoiding the influence of the target object's respiratory movement causing motion artifacts in the microbubble imaging results, improving the reliability of the super-resolution imaging data, and thereby improving the reliability of the final super-resolution image.

[0059] Combine the following Figure 7 An ultrasonic imaging device provided according to another aspect of the present application is described. Figure 7 FIG. 7 shows a schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7As shown, the ultrasonic imaging device 700 may include a transmitting and receiving circuit 710, an ultrasonic probe 720, a processor 730 and a display 740. Among them: the transmitting and receiving circuit 710 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 720 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object, receive the echo of the ultrasonic waves, and obtain ultrasonic echo data from the echo; the processor 730 is used to control the transmitting and receiving circuit, and execute the super-resolution imaging method 600 according to the embodiment of the present application described above to generate a contrast image; the display 740 is used to display the contrast image. The super-resolution imaging method 600 according to the embodiment of the present application has been described in detail above. Those skilled in the art can understand the structure and operation of the ultrasonic imaging device 700 in combination with the above description. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0060] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present application, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored, and when the program instructions are executed by a computer or a processor, the corresponding steps of the super-resolution imaging method 100 or 600 of the embodiment of the present application are executed. The storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0061] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present application, a computer program is also provided, which can be stored in a cloud or local storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a computer or a processor, it is used to execute the corresponding steps of the super-resolution imaging method 100 or 600 of the embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Based on the above description, the super-resolution imaging method and ultrasonic imaging device according to the embodiments of the present application prompt the target object to hold its breath before collecting super-resolution imaging data, which can greatly reduce the interference of respiratory movement on super-resolution imaging, improve the reliability of super-resolution imaging data, and thereby improve the reliability of the final super-resolution image.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although some embodiments 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.

[0070] The various component embodiments of the present invention may 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) may be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules in the article analysis device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention may 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 may be stored on a computer-readable medium, or may be in the form of one or more signals. Such a signal may be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0071] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate the present invention rather than limit it, 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 word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "one" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present 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 devices, several of these devices 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.

[0072] The above is only a specific embodiment or description of a specific embodiment of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field 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: The method comprises: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target tissue of the target object that does not contain a contrast agent, receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave to acquire first ultrasonic echo data, and generating and displaying a first tissue image according to the first ultrasonic echo data; Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target tissue injected with contrast agent, receiving an echo of the second ultrasonic wave to acquire second ultrasonic echo data, and obtaining contrast data according to the second ultrasonic echo data; outputting first prompt information based on the angiography data, wherein the first prompt information is used to remind the target object to hold its breath; The ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit a third ultrasonic wave to the target tissue at a preset frame rate, an echo of the third ultrasonic wave is received to acquire third ultrasonic echo data, and a super-resolution image is generated and displayed according to the third ultrasonic echo data, wherein the preset frame rate is greater than or equal to 300 frames / second.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The outputting first prompt information based on the angiography data comprises: determining, based on the angiography data, whether a concentration of microbubbles in the angiography data reaches a preset threshold; When the microbubble concentration in the angiography data reaches the preset threshold, a first prompt message is output.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The outputting of the first prompt information includes any one of the following: At least one of first voice prompt information, first text prompt information and first graphic prompt information is output to prompt the target object to hold its breath.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The method further includes: displaying a contrast image obtained based on the contrast data and / or a microbubble concentration change curve generated based on the contrast data, wherein the contrast image is used to reflect the contrast agent perfusion situation; The outputting of the first prompt information includes: highlighting the contrast image whose microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold value in the displayed contrast image, and / or highlighting the curve segment whose microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold value in the microbubble concentration change curve.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A first timer is started when the contrast agent is injected, and when the first timer reaches a first preset time and the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches a preset threshold, the first prompt information is output.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Starting the second timing when the emission of the third ultrasonic wave begins; When the second timer reaches a second preset time, a second prompt message is output, wherein the second prompt message is used to prompt the target object to stop holding its breath, wherein the second preset time is less than 1 minute.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The outputting of the second prompt information includes: At least one of a second voice prompt message, a second text prompt message, and a second graphic prompt message is output to prompt the target object to stop holding its breath.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After acquiring the third ultrasonic echo data, extracting tissue data and microbubble data based on the third ultrasonic echo data; Perform motion estimation based on the tissue data to obtain a motion estimation result; The microbubble data is motion corrected based on the motion estimation result to obtain corrected microbubble data, and the corrected microbubble data is used to generate the super-resolution image.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The super-resolution image includes at least one of the following: A super-resolution density map, a super-resolution velocity map, a super-resolution directional map, or an image obtained by combining at least two of the super-resolution density map, the super-resolution velocity map, and the super-resolution directional map; wherein the super-resolution density map presents the microbubble density at different positions within the super-resolution imaging area; The super-resolution velocity map presents the blood flow velocity at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area; The super-resolution direction map presents the blood flow directions at different positions in the super-resolution imaging area.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: After acquiring the second ultrasonic echo data, the method further includes: Acquire tissue data based on the second ultrasound echo data, generate and display a second tissue image based on the tissue data, and select an imaging area for super-resolution imaging on the second tissue image; and / or generate and display a contrast image based on the contrast data, and select an imaging area for super-resolution imaging on the contrast image.

11. A super-resolution imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue injected with contrast agent, receiving the echo of the ultrasonic waves to obtain ultrasonic echo data, and obtaining contrast data according to the ultrasonic echo data; outputting prompt information based on the angiography data, wherein the prompt information is used to remind the target subject to hold his breath; A contrast image obtained based on the contrast data is displayed, and the contrast agent perfusion situation reflected by the contrast image and the prompt information are used to jointly guide the user to determine the data acquisition timing for super-resolution imaging.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The outputting prompt information based on the angiography data comprises: determining, based on the angiography data, whether a concentration of microbubbles in the angiography data reaches a preset threshold; When the microbubble concentration in the angiography data reaches the preset threshold, a prompt message is output.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The output prompt information includes any one of the following: At least one of voice prompt information, text prompt information and graphic prompt information is output to prompt the target object to hold its breath.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The outputting of prompt information includes: highlighting the contrast images whose microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold value in the displayed contrast images.

15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method further includes: displaying a microbubble concentration variation curve generated based on the angiography data; The outputting of prompt information includes: highlighting a curve segment in the microbubble concentration variation curve where the microbubble concentration reaches the preset threshold value.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: A first timer is started when the contrast agent is injected, and when the first timer reaches a first preset time and the microbubble concentration in the contrast data reaches a preset threshold, the prompt information is output.

17. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that After acquiring the ultrasonic echo data, the method further includes: Acquire tissue data based on the ultrasound echo data, generate a tissue image based on the tissue data, and select an imaging area on the tissue image for performing the super-resolution imaging; or generate a contrast image based on the contrast data, and select an imaging area on the contrast image for performing the super-resolution imaging.

18. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: The device comprises a transmitting and receiving circuit, an ultrasound probe, a processor and a display, wherein: The transmitting and receiving circuit is used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object, receive echoes of the ultrasonic waves, and obtain ultrasonic echo data from the echoes; The processor is used to control the transmitting and receiving circuits, and execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 to generate a tissue image and a super-resolution image; The display is used to display the tissue image and the super-resolution image.

19. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: The device comprises a transmitting and receiving circuit, an ultrasound probe, a processor and a display, wherein: The transmitting and receiving circuit is used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object, receive echoes of the ultrasonic waves, and obtain ultrasonic echo data from the echoes; The processor is used to control the transmitting and receiving circuit, and execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17 to generate an angiographic image; The display is used for displaying the angiography image.

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