A multi-channel receiving method, device, storage medium, and electronic device for ultrasound imaging.

Abstract

This invention provides a multi-channel receiving method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device for ultrasound imaging. The method includes: S1, controlling the multi-channel transmission signals on the channel device; S2, controlling each element on the probe to receive signals transmitted by at least two channels on the channel device; S3, filtering noise from the signals transmitted by at least two channels on the channel device received by each element to obtain effective signals; and S4, performing ultrasound imaging based on the effective signals. The multi-channel receiving method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device for ultrasound imaging of this invention utilize multi-channel transmission and single-channel reception, and perform noise filtering to effectively eliminate the influence of noise and improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of computer data processing technology, and in particular to a multi-channel receiving method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device for ultrasound imaging. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, ultrasound imaging technology is a widely used non-invasive diagnostic tool in clinical medicine, offering high real-time performance and safety. The quality of its imaging directly impacts the accuracy of a doctor's diagnosis. The quality of the ultrasound signal primarily depends on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which is the ratio between the effective signal and noise. In clinical applications, a high SNR helps doctors observe internal human structures more clearly, especially in the examination of complex organs such as the heart and blood vessels, significantly improving diagnostic accuracy. However, traditional ultrasound imaging systems have limitations in matching multi-channel equipment with probe elements. Typically, when the number of physical channels in the equipment exceeds the number of probe elements, some physical channels cannot be effectively utilized, which may limit the improvement of the SNR and affect image quality.

[0003] To address this issue, effectively utilizing the advantages of multi-channel equipment and improving the matching between probe array elements and the number of channels has become an important research direction in the field of ultrasound imaging. Especially in high-channel ultrasound equipment, how to utilize underutilized channels to improve signal quality and reduce noise interference is a problem that current technology urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a multi-channel receiving method for ultrasound imaging to solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] This invention provides a multi-channel receiving method for ultrasound imaging, comprising:

[0006] S1, control the multi-channel transmission signals on the control channel equipment;

[0007] S2. Control the signal transmitted by at least two channels on each array element of the control probe;

[0008] S3. Filter the noise of signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element to obtain effective signals;

[0009] S4. Perform ultrasound imaging based on the effective signal.

[0010] Optionally, S2 controls the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device, including:

[0011] Obtain the mapping relationship between the number of channels on the channel device and the number of array elements on the probe;

[0012] Determine the signal reception control strategy corresponding to the number mapping relationship from the signal reception control strategy library;

[0013] Based on the signal reception control strategy, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device on the control probe are controlled.

[0014] Optionally, the number of channels on the channel device is greater than the number of array elements on the probe.

[0015] Optionally, step S3, filtering noise from at least two channels transmitted by each array element to obtain a valid signal, includes:

[0016] The signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element are compared and analyzed to screen out inconsistent noise signals and filter them out.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-channel receiving device for ultrasound imaging, comprising:

[0018] The signal transmission control module is used to control the multi-channel transmission signals on the channel equipment;

[0019] The signal receiving control module is used to control the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array receiving channel device of the probe;

[0020] The signal noise filtering module is used to filter the noise of signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array to obtain effective signals;

[0021] The ultrasound imaging module is used for ultrasound imaging based on valid signals.

[0022] Optionally, the signal receiving control module controls the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device of the probe, including:

[0023] Obtain the mapping relationship between the number of channels on the channel device and the number of array elements on the probe;

[0024] Determine the signal reception control strategy corresponding to the number mapping relationship from the signal reception control strategy library;

[0025] Based on the signal reception control strategy, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device on the control probe are controlled.

[0026] Optionally, the number of channels on the channel device is greater than the number of array elements on the probe.

[0027] Optionally, the signal noise filtering module filters the signals transmitted by at least two channels on the channel device received by each array element to obtain an effective signal, including:

[0028] The signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element are compared and analyzed to screen out inconsistent noise signals and filter them out.

[0029] The present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein a processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0030] An electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0031] This application has achieved the following beneficial effects:

[0032] Using a multi-channel transmitter and a single-channel receiver, along with noise filtering, effectively eliminates the influence of noise and improves the signal-to-noise ratio. This significantly enhances the image quality of ultrasound imaging systems, especially in imaging complex structures (such as the heart and blood vessels), where it significantly improves the presentation of details.

[0033] When the number of physical channels in an ultrasound imaging system is greater than the number of probe array elements, traditional techniques often cannot make full use of these channels. However, this invention avoids the waste of channel resources and improves the system's working efficiency by receiving the signal of one array element through multiple channels.

[0034] Through targeted signal reception control strategies, the quantity and intensity of received signals can be flexibly adjusted according to different array element and channel configurations. This flexibility allows the system to dynamically adjust according to actual needs, maximizing signal quality and minimizing noise interference.

[0035] The improved signal-to-noise ratio results in clearer ultrasound images, allowing doctors to observe internal structures more accurately, especially details in complex areas. This leads to more precise diagnoses of vital organs such as the heart and blood vessels, facilitating early disease detection and improving patient treatment outcomes.

[0036] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel receiving method for ultrasound imaging according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a channel device and probe with a number mapping relationship in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a channel device and probe with another number mapping relationship in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the probe receiving signals in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of the probe receiving signals in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a comparative diagram of the probe receiving signals in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the probe receiving signal filtering in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a channel device and probe with another number mapping relationship in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 This is another schematic diagram illustrating the head-received signal filtering in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 10 This is another schematic diagram illustrating the head-received signal filtering in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel receiving device for ultrasound imaging according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0051] This invention provides a multi-channel receiving method for ultrasound imaging, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0052] S1, control the multi-channel transmission signals on the control channel equipment;

[0053] S2. Control the signal transmitted by at least two channels on each array element of the control probe;

[0054] S3. Filter the noise of signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element to obtain effective signals;

[0055] S4. Perform ultrasound imaging based on the effective signal.

[0056] Wherein, S2, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device of the control probe, include:

[0057] Obtain the mapping relationship between the number of channels on the channel device and the number of array elements on the probe;

[0058] Determine the signal reception control strategy corresponding to the number mapping relationship from the signal reception control strategy library;

[0059] Based on the signal reception control strategy, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device on the control probe are controlled.

[0060] Among them, the number of channels on the channel device is greater than the number of array elements on the probe.

[0061] S3, wherein filtering noise on the signals transmitted by at least two channels of the receiving channel device for each array element to obtain an effective signal, includes:

[0062] The signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element are compared and analyzed to screen out inconsistent noise signals and filter them out.

[0063] In the above technical solution, the channel device is an ultrasound device; when controlling each array element on the probe to receive signals emitted by at least two channels on the channel device, a signal reception control strategy corresponding to the numerical mapping relationship between the number of channels and the number of array elements on the probe is determined from the signal reception control strategy library. The signal reception control strategy indicates how to control each array element on the probe to receive signals emitted by at least two channels on the channel device under this numerical mapping relationship. Specifically, for example: Figure 2 As shown, a 192-channel device connects to a 96-element probe, with a 192-to-96 mapping. The corresponding signal reception control strategy is that two channels receive signals from one probe element. Of course, only one channel needs to control the element's transmission during transmission. For example: Figure 3As shown, the number of channels in the channel device is not an integer multiple of the probe array element number. After determining the mapping relationship, the corresponding signal reception control strategy is that some array elements receive signals through two physical channels, while others receive signals through one physical channel. This is controlled by a track-changing coefficient. The signal superposition weight of each channel is adjusted (because it is a probe with 128 array elements, if 128 channels are connected twice or more in a 192 device, there will inevitably be overlapping parts. The overlapping parts need to be controlled by the track-changing coefficient to control the order of their overlap). The channel superposition method is as follows.

[0064] Assume channels A1 and A2 simultaneously receive signals from array element B at the same time. Assume the signal received by channel A1 is S1 and the signal received by channel A2 is S2. Signal extraction is performed by calculating their similarity coefficients segment by segment. Assume that n points are taken as an interval, and the signal can be divided into p intervals, that is, length(S1) = n*p; where length(S1) is the length of signal S1.

[0065] Divide signal S1 into segments S1(1), S1(2), ..., S1(p), and divide S2 into segments in the same way to obtain S2(1), S2(2), ..., S2(p). Calculate the cross-correlation coefficient Score_S1S2(p) for the two segments:

[0066] Score_S1S2(p)=corr(S1(p),S2(p))

[0067] Here, `corr` is used to calculate the normalized cross-correlation coefficient. After obtaining the normalized correlation coefficient, a correlation threshold `abs(threshold)` can be set. The signal segment where `abs(Score_S1S2(p)) ≤ abs(threshold)` is filtered by subtracting the mean signal of that segment to remove DC noise; where `abs(Score_S1S2(p))` is the absolute value of `Score_S1S2(p)`. The specific operation for reducing the noise level is as follows:

[0068] If abs(Score_S1S2(p))≤abs(threshold)

[0069] denoise_S1(p)=S1(p)-mean(S1(p));

[0070] Else

[0071] denoise_S1(p) = S1(p);

[0072] Where denoise_S1(p) is the coordinate of the interval, mean(S1(p)) is the mean of S1(P), and P is the number of intervals.

[0073] After obtaining the final signal, the two signals denoise_S1 and denoise_S2, after noise subtraction, are superimposed with weight 'a'. The final signal obtained by array element B is final_signal = a*denoise_S1 + (1-a)*denoise_S2, where a is the weight of the superposition, 0. <a<1。

[0074] For example, there are 192 channels for transmitting and 128 channels for receiving, with the 64 array elements in the middle connecting to two physical channels.

[0075] One array element receives signals from two channels. Because two channels transmit signals, it will also receive two sets of valid signals and noise, such as... Figure 4 As shown and Figure 5 As shown, the two sets of signals obtained are identical except for irregular noise. Figure 6 As shown. Because a single array element receives multiple signals, the signal content is consistent except for irregular and invalid noise. The inconsistent parts (noise) are filtered out, leaving only the effective signal, thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Figure 7 As shown.

[0076] In a pen-type probe, there are only two array elements. Each array element connects to multiple channels. When determining the data mapping relationship, the corresponding signal reception control strategy is to only receive the channel at the very center of the device (for channel devices, only the 16 channels at the very center are needed, because a pen-type probe only has two array elements, and each array element receives 8 channels). For example, a device with an array element 192 only connects to the 16th channel at the very center, therefore it only receives signals from the very center channel (of the device). For example, one array element receives signals from 8 channels. Figure 8 As shown. Simultaneously receiving eight groups of signals more effectively filters out noise signals, improving the signal-to-noise ratio (because among multiple signals, those that are consistent are definitely signals and can overlap; only noise is inconsistent, so filtering out all inconsistent signals improves the signal-to-noise ratio), thus significantly enhancing image quality, such as... Figure 9 as well as Figure 10 As shown.

[0077] This application has achieved the following beneficial effects:

[0078] Using a multi-channel transmitter and a single-channel receiver, along with noise filtering, effectively eliminates the influence of noise and improves the signal-to-noise ratio. This significantly enhances the image quality of ultrasound imaging systems, especially in imaging complex structures (such as the heart and blood vessels), where it significantly improves the presentation of details.

[0079] When the number of physical channels in an ultrasound imaging system is greater than the number of probe array elements, traditional techniques often cannot make full use of these channels. However, this invention avoids the waste of channel resources and improves the system's working efficiency by receiving the signal of one array element through multiple channels.

[0080] Through targeted signal reception control strategies, the quantity and intensity of received signals can be flexibly adjusted according to different array element and channel configurations. This flexibility allows the system to dynamically adjust according to actual needs, maximizing signal quality and minimizing noise interference.

[0081] The improved signal-to-noise ratio results in clearer ultrasound images, allowing doctors to observe internal structures more accurately, especially details in complex areas. This leads to more precise diagnoses of vital organs such as the heart and blood vessels, facilitating early disease detection and improving patient treatment outcomes.

[0082] This invention provides a multi-channel receiving device for ultrasound imaging, such as... Figure 11 As shown, it includes:

[0083] Signal transmission control module 1 is used to control the multi-channel transmission signals on the channel equipment;

[0084] Signal receiving control module 2 is used to control the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device of the probe;

[0085] The signal noise filtering module 3 is used to filter the noise of signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element to obtain an effective signal;

[0086] Ultrasonic imaging module 4 is used for ultrasonic imaging based on effective signals.

[0087] The signal receiving control module controls each element on the probe to receive signals transmitted from at least two channels on the receiving channel device, including:

[0088] Obtain the mapping relationship between the number of channels on the channel device and the number of array elements on the probe;

[0089] Determine the signal reception control strategy corresponding to the number mapping relationship from the signal reception control strategy library;

[0090] Based on the signal reception control strategy, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device on the control probe are controlled.

[0091] The number of channels on the channel device is greater than the number of array elements on the probe.

[0092] The signal noise filtering module filters the signals transmitted by at least two channels on the channel device received by each array element to obtain a valid signal, including:

[0093] The signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element are compared and analyzed to screen out inconsistent noise signals and filter them out.

[0094] This invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which is executed by a processor to implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0095] This invention provides an electronic device, which includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0096] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A multi-channel receiving method for ultrasonic imaging, characterized in that, include: S1, control the multi-channel transmission signals on the control channel equipment; S2. Control the signal transmitted by at least two channels on each array element of the control probe; S3. Compare and analyze the signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element, and filter out inconsistent noise signals. S3 specifically includes: The signals transmitted by the at least two channels are segmented respectively; Calculate the cross-correlation coefficients of the signals transmitted from the at least two channels after segmentation; If the absolute value of the cross-correlation coefficient is less than the absolute value of the correlation threshold, the mean signal of the segment is subtracted from the segment to obtain the denoised signal segment; if the absolute value of the cross-correlation coefficient is not less than the absolute value of the correlation threshold, the segment remains unchanged. The signals emitted by the at least two channels after denoising are superimposed with a preset superposition weight to obtain the final effective signal; S4. Perform ultrasound imaging based on the effective signal.

2. The method of multi-channel reception of ultrasound imaging of claim 1, wherein, The S2 control probe receives signals transmitted from at least two channels on each element receiving channel device, including: Obtain the mapping relationship between the number of channels on the channel device and the number of array elements on the probe; Determine the signal reception control strategy corresponding to the number mapping relationship from the signal reception control strategy library; Based on the signal reception control strategy, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device on the control probe are controlled.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The number of channels on the channel device is greater than the number of array elements on the probe.

4. A multi-channel receiving device for ultrasound imaging, characterized in that, include: The signal transmission control module is used to control the multi-channel transmission signals on the channel equipment; The signal receiving control module is used to control the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array receiving channel device of the probe; The signal noise filtering module is used to compare and analyze the signals transmitted by at least two channels on the receiving channel device of each array element, filter out inconsistent noise signals, and specifically includes: The signals transmitted by the at least two channels are segmented respectively; Calculate the cross-correlation coefficients of the signals transmitted from the at least two channels after segmentation; If the absolute value of the cross-correlation coefficient is less than the absolute value of the correlation threshold, the mean signal of the segment is subtracted from the segment to obtain the denoised signal segment; if the absolute value of the cross-correlation coefficient is not less than the absolute value of the correlation threshold, the segment remains unchanged. The signals emitted by the at least two channels after denoising are superimposed with a preset superposition weight to obtain the final effective signal; The ultrasound imaging module is used for ultrasound imaging based on valid signals.

5. The multi-channel receiving device for ultrasound imaging as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The signal receiving control module controls each element on the probe to receive signals transmitted from at least two channels on the receiving channel device, including: Obtain the mapping relationship between the number of channels on the channel device and the number of array elements on the probe; Determine the signal reception control strategy corresponding to the number mapping relationship from the signal reception control strategy library; Based on the signal reception control strategy, the signals transmitted by at least two channels on each array element receiving channel device on the control probe are controlled.

6. The multi-channel receiving device for ultrasound imaging as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The number of channels on the channel device is greater than the number of array elements on the probe.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-3.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-3.

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