Coherently compounded ultrasound imaging and related systems, methods and apparatus - Patents.com

Abstract

The ultrasound imaging system includes an acoustic element configured to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive associated echoes. The system further includes a processor circuit in communication with the acoustic element. The processor circuit is configured to receive data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the echoes. The set of subframes includes first and second subframes. The processor circuit is configured to coherently combine data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe, both of which include phase information. The processor circuit is configured to generate an image based on the coherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe and output the generated image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The subject matter described herein relates to systems for medical imaging. In particular, the present disclosure describes aspects related to generating an ultrasound image based on coherent combination of a set of subframes associated with the ultrasound image. [Background technology]

[0002] An ultrasound imaging system includes a probe that houses a transducer array operable to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive echoes associated with the transmitted energy. In some cases, a console device (e.g., a host system) of the ultrasound imaging system controls the transmission and reception of such ultrasonic energy at the probe to generate an ultrasound image. For example, the console device addresses (e.g., controls) a set of acoustic elements in the transducer array to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive associated echoes. In particular, the console device interfaces with the probe via a set of data channels and uses the data channels to control the operation of the set of acoustic elements. In some cases, an active aperture associated with the transmission and / or reception of ultrasonic energy is defined by the number and location of acoustic elements addressed by the console device (e.g., utilized in the transducer array) to generate image data. As the number of acoustic elements used to transmit ultrasonic energy increases, the size of the active aperture increases accordingly, and the resolution of the resulting ultrasound image also increases. However, in some cases, the number of data channels in the ultrasound system is fixed, limiting the number of addressable acoustic elements, and therefore the size of the active aperture. Additionally or alternatively, modifications to an ultrasound system to accommodate additional data channels are costly in terms of time, resources, etc. Thus, when the number of acoustic elements in a probe exceeds the number of elements that can be addressed by the console device, a subset of the total number of acoustic elements in the probe is used to generate an ultrasound image. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Disclosed are systems, methods, and apparatuses for generating an ultrasound image based on coherent combination of at least a portion of a set of subframes associated with an image. For example, an ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array having several acoustic elements. The ultrasound imaging system is configured to acquire ultrasound imaging data of an object (e.g., an anatomical object) using different subsets of acoustic elements (e.g., subapertures) and / or different beam steering angles. The acquired ultrasound imaging data corresponds to a set of subframes that, when combined, create an image of the object. In particular, the ultrasound system is configured to address a subset of acoustic elements and / or select a beam steering angle, and then reconstruct an effective aperture that exceeds the size of the subaperture. That is, for example, the ultrasound system is configured to address a subset of acoustic elements and / or select a beam steering angle such that a set of subframes are combined to create an image that corresponds to an image generated (e.g., acquired) by the effective aperture. Moreover, the ultrasound imaging system is configured to coherently combine (e.g., sum) at least a portion of the set of subframes (e.g., with data corresponding to the set of subframes including phase information), thereby improving image resolution and / or penetration compared to images generated by alternative techniques. In some cases, the ultrasound imaging system is configured to sum data corresponding to the set of subframes based on incoherent and coherent data combining. For example, the ultrasound imaging system weights (e.g., masks) the incoherently combined subframes and the coherently combined subframes to generate an ultrasound image having a mixture of incoherent and coherent combining characteristics. In particular, the incoherent combining of data corresponding to the set of subframes reduces speckle in the ultrasound image, the coherent combining of data corresponding to the set of subframes improves the depth and penetration of the ultrasound image, and the combining of the incoherently combined data and the coherently combined data produces an ultrasound image having both reduced speckle and improved resolution and penetration.

[0004] In an exemplary aspect, an ultrasound imaging system includes an array of acoustic elements configured to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy, and a processor circuit in communication with the array of acoustic elements. The processor circuit is configured to receive data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the received echoes. The set of subframes includes a first subframe and a second subframe. The processor circuit is configured to coherently combine data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe. The data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe include phase information. The processor circuit is configured to generate an image based on the coherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe, and output the generated image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

[0005] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic energy includes a first ultrasonic energy and a second ultrasonic energy, and to transmit the ultrasonic energy, the array of acoustic elements is configured to transmit the first ultrasonic energy using a first subset of the array of acoustic elements and to transmit the second ultrasonic energy using a second subset of the array of acoustic elements. In some embodiments, the first subframe corresponds to received echoes associated with the first ultrasonic energy and the second subframe corresponds to received echoes associated with the second ultrasonic energy. In some embodiments, to receive echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy, the array of acoustic elements is configured to receive echoes associated with the first ultrasonic energy using the first subset of the array of acoustic elements and to receive echoes associated with the second ultrasonic energy using the second subset of the array of acoustic elements.

[0006] In some embodiments, the processor circuit is further configured to generate an image based on envelope detection of the coherent combining. In some embodiments, the processor circuit is further configured to generate an image based on log compression of the coherent combining. In some embodiments, the processor circuit is configured to perform scan conversion on the data corresponding to the set of subframes. The processor circuit is further configured to coherently combine data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe based on the scan conversion. In some embodiments, the processor circuit is configured to incoherently combine data corresponding to a second portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a second portion of the second subframe and generate an image further based on the incoherent combination of the second portion of the first subframe and the second portion of the second subframe.

[0007] In some embodiments, the processor circuit is configured to generate an image further based on generating a first image based on a coherent combination of a first portion of the first subframe and a first portion of the second subframe, generating a second image based on an incoherent combination of a first portion of the first subframe and a first portion of the second subframe, and combining the first image and the second image. In some embodiments, the processor circuit is configured to combine the first image and the second image based on a spatial frequency of the first portion of the first subframe. In some embodiments, the processor circuit is configured to combine the first image and the second image based on a location of the first portion of the first subframe within the first subframe.

[0008] In some aspects, the processor circuit is configured to align the first portion of the first subframe with the first portion of the second subframe. The processor circuit is further configured to coherently combine data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe based on the alignment. In some aspects, the processor circuit is configured to align the first portion of the first subframe with the first portion of the second subframe based on identifying a difference between the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of a third subframe of the set of subframes, and adjusting the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe based on the identified difference. In some aspects, the processor circuit includes a graphics processing unit (GPU).

[0009] In an exemplary aspect, the method includes controlling, by a processor circuit, an array of acoustic elements in communication with the processor circuit to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy, and receiving, by the processor circuit, data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the received echoes. The set of subframes includes a first subframe and a second subframe. The method further includes coherently combining, by the processor circuit, data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe. The data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe include phase information. The method further includes generating, by the processor circuit, an image based on the coherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe, and outputting, by the processor circuit, the generated image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

[0010] Additional aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description.

[0011] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagrammatic, schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a processor circuit according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an ultrasound image according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 13A-13C are schematic diagrams of combining a set of sub-apertures to form an effective aperture, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5a-5b] 1 is a schematic diagram of ultrasound imaging using a sub-aperture, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a signal path for generating an ultrasound image using incoherent combining of a set of subframes, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an ultrasound image, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for coherently combining data corresponding to a set of subframes to generate an ultrasound image, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a signal path for generating an ultrasound image using coherent combining of a set of subframes, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates an ultrasound image, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a signal path for generating ultrasound image data based on coherent combining of a set of subframes and incoherent combining of a set of subframes in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a signal path for generating ultrasound image data based on coherent combining of a first portion of a set of subframes and incoherent combining of a second portion of the set of subframes according to an aspect of the disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 illustrates an ultrasound image, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments shown in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the embodiments. It will nevertheless be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited. Any alterations and further modifications to the described apparatus, systems, and methods, and any further applications of the principles of the present disclosure that would normally occur to a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains, are fully contemplated within and included in the present disclosure. In particular, it is fully contemplated that features, components, and / or steps described with respect to one embodiment may be combined with features, components, and / or steps described with respect to other embodiments of the present disclosure. However, for the sake of brevity, numerous iterations of these combinations will not be described separately.

[0014] 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 100 is used to scan an area or volume of a patient's body. The system 100 includes an ultrasound imaging probe 110 in communication with a host 130 via a communication interface or link 120. The probe 110 includes a transducer array 112, a beamformer 114, a processor 116, and a communication interface 118. The host 130 includes a display 132, a processor circuit 134, a communication interface 136, and a memory 138 that stores patient information. The host 130 and / or the processor 134 of the host 130 are additionally in communication with a memory 140.

[0015] In some embodiments, the probe 110 is an external ultrasound imaging device that includes a housing 111 configured for handheld operation by a user. The transducer array 112 can be configured to acquire ultrasound data while a user grasps the housing 111 of the probe 110 so as to be positioned adjacent to or in contact with the patient's skin. The probe 110 is configured to acquire ultrasound data of anatomy inside the patient's body while located outside the patient's body. In some embodiments, the probe 110 can be a patch-based external ultrasound probe.

[0016] In other embodiments, the probe 110 can be an internal ultrasound imaging device and includes a housing 111 configured for positioning within a lumen or cavity of a patient's body, including the patient's coronary vasculature, peripheral vasculature, esophagus, heart chambers, or other body cavities. In some embodiments, the probe 110 is an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging catheter or an intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter. In other embodiments, the probe 110 is a transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe. The probe 110 can be of any suitable form for any suitable ultrasound imaging application, including both external and internal ultrasound imaging.

[0017] In some embodiments, aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented with medical images of a patient acquired using any suitable medical imaging device and / or modality. Examples of medical images and medical imaging devices include X-ray images (angiograms, fluoroscopy images, images with or without contrast) acquired by an X-ray imaging device, computed tomography (CT) images acquired by a CT imaging device, positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) images acquired by a PET-CT imaging device, magnetic resonance images (MRI) acquired by an MRI device, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images acquired by a SPECT imaging device, optical coherence tomography (OCT) images acquired by an OCT imaging device, and intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) images acquired by an IVPA imaging device. The medical imaging device can acquire medical images while located outside, spaced apart from, adjacent to, in contact with, and / or inside the patient's body.

[0018] A transducer array 112 for an ultrasound imaging device emits ultrasound signals toward an anatomical object 105 of a patient and receives echo signals that reflect off the object 105 and return to the transducer array 112. The transducer array 112 can include any suitable number of acoustic elements, including one or more acoustic elements and / or multiple acoustic elements. In some cases, the transducer array 112 includes a single acoustic element. In some cases, the transducer array 112 includes an array of acoustic elements including any number of acoustic elements in any suitable configuration. For example, the transducer array 112 can include between 1 and 10,000 acoustic elements, including values ​​such as 2 acoustic elements, 4 acoustic elements, 36 acoustic elements, 64 acoustic elements, 128 acoustic elements, 500 acoustic elements, 812 acoustic elements, 1000 acoustic elements, 1920 acoustic elements, 3000 acoustic elements, 8000 acoustic elements, and / or other values ​​greater or less. In some cases, the transducer array 112 includes an array of acoustic elements including any number of acoustic elements in any suitable configuration, such as a linear array, a planar array, a curvilinear array, a curvilinear array, a circumferential array, an annular array, a phased array, a matrix array, a one-dimensional (1D) array, a 1.x-dimensional array (e.g., a 1.5D array), or a two-dimensional (2D) array. The array of acoustic elements (e.g., one or more rows, one or more columns, and / or one or more orientations) can be controlled and activated uniformly or separately. The transducer array 112 can be configured to acquire one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and / or three-dimensional images of the patient's anatomy. In some embodiments, the transducer array 112 includes piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (PMUTs), capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs), single crystal, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), PZT composites, other suitable transducer types, and / or combinations thereof.

[0019] The object 105 includes any anatomical tissue or anatomical feature, such as a diaphragm, blood vessel, nerve fiber, airway, mitral valve, cardiac structure, abdominal tissue structure, appendix, large intestine (or colon), small intestine, kidney, liver, and / or any other anatomical tissue of a patient. In some aspects, the object 105 includes at least a portion of a patient's large intestine, small intestine, cecal pouch, appendix, terminal ileum, liver, epigastric, and / or psoas muscle. The present disclosure can be implemented in the context of any number of anatomical locations and tissue types, including, without limitation, organs including liver, heart, kidney, gallbladder, pancreas, lungs, ducts, intestines, brain, dural sac, nervous system structures including spinal cord and peripheral nerves, urinary tract, and valves in blood vessels, blood, heart chambers or other parts of the heart, abdominal organs, and / or other systems of the body. In some embodiments, the object 105 includes a malignant condition, such as a tumor, cyst, trauma, hemorrhage, or blood pool within any part of the human anatomy. The anatomical structure may be an arterial or venous vessel of the patient's vascular system, including the cardiovasculature, peripheral vasculature, neurovasculature, renal vasculature, and / or any other suitable lumen within the body. In addition to natural structures, the present disclosure may be implemented in the context of artificial structures, such as, but not limited to, heart valves, stents, shunts, filters, implants, and other devices.

[0020] The beamformer 114 is coupled to the transducer array 112. The beamformer 114 controls the transducer array 112, for example, for transmitting ultrasound signals and for receiving ultrasound echo signals. In some embodiments, the beamformer 114 applies time delays to signals sent to individual acoustic transducers in the array in the transducer array 112 so that the acoustic signals propagate out of the probe 110 and can be steered in any suitable direction. The beamformer 114 further provides image signals to the processor 116 based on the response of the received ultrasound echo signals. The beamformer 114 includes multiple stages of beamforming. Beamforming can reduce the number of signal lines for coupling to the processor 116. In some embodiments, the transducer array 112 in combination with the beamformer 114 is referred to as an ultrasound imaging component.

[0021] The processor 116 is coupled to the beamformer 114. The processor 116 is further described as a processor circuit that may include other components, such as a memory, the beamformer 114, a communication interface 118, and / or other suitable components in communication with the processor 116. The processor 116 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphical processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. The processor 116 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. The processor 116 is configured to process the beamformed image signal. For example, the processor 116 performs filtering and / or quadrature demodulation to condition the image signal. Processors 116 and / or 134 may be configured to control array 112 to acquire ultrasound data associated with object 105 .

[0022] The communications interface 118 is coupled to the processor 116. The communications interface 118 includes one or more transmitters, one or more receivers, one or more transceivers, and / or circuitry for transmitting and / or receiving communication signals. The communications interface 118 may include hardware and / or software components that implement a particular communications protocol suitable for conveying signals to the host 130 over the communications link 120. The communications interface 118 may be referred to as a communications device or a communications interface module.

[0023] Communications link 120 may be any suitable communications link. For example, communications link 120 may be a wired link, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link or an Ethernet link. Alternatively, communications link 120 may be a wireless link, such as an Ultra Wideband (UWB) link, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WiFi link, or a Bluetooth link.

[0024] In the host 130, a communication interface 136 receives the image signal. The communication interface 136 is substantially similar to the communication interface 118. The host 130 is any suitable computing and display device, such as a workstation, a personal computer (PC), a laptop, a tablet, or a mobile phone.

[0025] The processor 134 is coupled to the communication interface 136. The processor 134 is further described as a processor circuit that may include other components, such as a memory 138, the communication interface 136, and / or other suitable components, in communication with the processor 134. The processor 134 is implemented as a combination of software and hardware components. The processor 134 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, an FPGA device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. The processor 134 is also implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. The processor 134 can be configured to generate image data from image signals received from the probe 110. The processor 134 can perform advanced signal processing and / or image processing techniques on the image signals. An example of image processing includes performing pixel-level analysis to evaluate whether there is a change in pixel color that corresponds to an edge of the object (e.g., an edge of an anatomical feature). In some embodiments, the processor 134 can form a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric image from the image data. In some embodiments, the processor 134 can perform real-time processing on the image data to provide a streaming video of the ultrasound image of the object 105.

[0026] Memory 138 is coupled to processor 134. Memory 138 may be any suitable storage device, such as cache memory (e.g., cache memory of processor 134), random access memory (RAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid state memory devices, hard disk drives, solid state drives, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or a combination of different types of memory.

[0027] Memory 138 can be configured to store patient information, measurements, data, or files relating to the patient's medical history, history of procedures performed, anatomical or biological features, characteristics, or medical conditions associated with the patient, and computer readable instructions such as code, software, or other applications, as well as any other suitable information or data. Memory 138 is located within host 130. Patient information includes, but is not limited to, measurements, data, files, other forms of medical history, such as ultrasound images, ultrasound videos, and / or any imaging information relating to the patient's anatomy.

[0028] Any or all of the previously mentioned computer readable media, such as patient information, code, software, or other applications, or any other suitable information or data, are further stored in memory 140. Memory 140 serves a substantially similar purpose as memory 138 but is not located within host 130. For example, in some embodiments, the memory is a cloud-based server, an external storage device, or any other device for memory storage. Host 130 communicates with memory 140 by any suitable means as described. Host 130 communicates with memory 140 continuously or intermittently upon request of host 130 or upon request of a user of ultrasound system 100.

[0029] The host 130 communicates with the memory 140 by any suitable communication method. For example, the host 130 communicates with the memory 140 via a wired link, such as a USB link or an Ethernet link. Alternatively, the host 130 communicates with the memory 140 via a wireless link, such as a UWB link, an IEEE 802.11 WiFi link, or a Bluetooth link.

[0030] The display 132 is coupled to the processor circuitry 134. The display 132 may be a monitor or any suitable display. The display 132 is configured to display an ultrasound image, image video, and / or any imaging information of the object 105.

[0031] The system 100 is used to assist a sonographer in performing an ultrasound scan. The scan is performed in or at the point-of-care environment. In some cases, the host 130 is a console or a mobile cart. In some cases, the host 130 is a handheld device such as a tablet, cell phone, or portable computer.

[0032] 2 is a schematic diagram of a processor circuit 210 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The processor circuit 210 may be implemented in the probe 110, the host system 130 of FIG. 1, or any other suitable location. One or more processor circuits may be configured to perform the operations described herein. The processor circuit 210 may be part of the circuitry 116 and / or the circuitry 134, or may be a separate circuitry. In an example, the processor circuit 210 communicates with the transducer array 112, the beamformer 114, the communication interface 118, the communication interface 136, the memory 138, the memory 140, and / or the display 132, as well as any other suitable components or circuits in the ultrasound system 100. As shown, the processor circuit 210 includes a processor 260, a memory 264, and a communication module 268. These elements communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0033] Processor 260 may include a CPU, GPU, DSP, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), controller, FPGA, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 260 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Processor 260 may also implement various deep learning networks, including hardware or software implementations.

[0034] The memory 264 may include cache memory (e.g., cache memory of the processor 260), random access memory (RAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid state memory devices, hard disk drives, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or a combination of different types of memory. In an embodiment, the memory 264 includes a non-transitory computer readable medium. The memory 264 stores instructions 266. The instructions 266 include instructions that, when executed by the processor 260, cause the processor 260 to perform the operations described herein with reference to the probe 110 and / or the host 130 (FIG. 1). The instructions 266 may also be referred to as code. The terms "instructions" and "code" should be interpreted broadly to include any type of computer readable statements. For example, the terms "instructions" and "code" refer to one or more programs, routines, subroutines, functions, procedures, etc. "Instructions" and "code" include a single computer readable statement or many computer readable statements. Instructions 266 include various aspects of image generation, such as coherent combining of multiple subframes of an image, or various other instructions or code.

[0035] The communications module 268 may include any electronic and / or logical circuitry for facilitating direct or indirect communication of data between the processor circuit 210, the probe 110, and / or the display 132. In that regard, the communications module 268 may be an input / output (I / O) device. In some instances, the communications module 268 facilitates direct or indirect communication between various elements of the processor circuit 210, the probe 110 (FIG. 1), and / or the host 130 (FIG. 1).

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary ultrasound image 300 (e.g., a B-mode ultrasound image) acquired without transmitting beam steering (e.g., at a beam steering angle of 0°). In particular, FIG. 3 illustrates an ultrasound image acquired by transmitting ultrasound energy along a straight path (e.g., vertically) from a transducer array, such as the transducer array 112 (FIG. 1). To that end, the ultrasound image 300 is created based on echoes associated with the ultrasound energy reflected by the imaged object. As further shown, the ultrasound image 300 is illustrated with respect to an axial distance representing a distance (e.g., depth) from the transducer array, and a lateral distance corresponding to a position along the transducer array (e.g., a position of an acoustic element of the transducer array), with the axial distance shown in centimeters (cm). The intensity of the ultrasound imaging data (e.g., received echoes) is further illustrated in decibels (dB) by a color-coded scale 302.

[0037] In some cases, ultrasound images include distortions, such as noise and / or lack of resolution, that limit the accuracy, reliability, and / or usefulness of ultrasound imaging for clinical purposes. For example, ultrasound images include speckle, which manifests as noise and / or distortion and results from irregular scattering of ultrasound energy and / or echoes. As an illustrative example, within region 310 (e.g., near-field region) of ultrasound image 300, speckle appears as a grainy or noisy appearance. Thus, within region 310, ultrasound image 300 includes a non-uniform background due to speckle. Furthermore, the resolution of ultrasound images varies across the depth of the image (with respect to the axial distance imaged). For example, compared to points within region 310 encompassing a relatively shallow depth, points within region 320 (e.g., far-field region) encompassing a relatively large depth appear less resolved. In particular, the contour of object 330 appears spread out and blurred, instead of appearing as a relatively resolved (e.g., sharp) circle. Thus, distortions in ultrasound images, as illustrated by the respective speckle and lack of resolution in ultrasound image 300 (for regions 310 and 320, respectively), can obscure the features of the imaged object, which can affect a clinician's ability to interpret the image and / or make an accurate diagnosis.

[0038] FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the generation of an effective aperture 410 from a set of sub-apertures 420. In particular, FIG. 4 illustrates the use of different subsets of acoustic elements of a transducer array (e.g., transducer array 112) to reconstruct (e.g., create) an effective aperture 410 that spans the open aperture of the transducer array (e.g., an aperture using each of the acoustic elements of the transducer array). For example, each of the sub-apertures 422a-d is created by activating a subset of the acoustic elements of the transducer array. More specifically, the shaded portions of each of the sub-apertures 422a-d represent the acoustic elements of the transducer array that are used to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive echoes associated with the transmitted ultrasonic energy, while the unshaded portions of each of the sub-apertures 422a-d represent the remaining acoustic elements in the transducer array. In some embodiments, the first sub-aperture 422a of the transducer array is used at a first time to acquire first ultrasonic data, the second sub-aperture 422b of the transducer array is used at a second time to acquire second ultrasonic data, the third sub-aperture 422c of the transducer array is used at a third time to acquire third ultrasonic data, and the fourth sub-aperture 422d of the transducer array is used at a fourth time to acquire fourth ultrasonic data. For example, acoustic elements corresponding to the set of sub-apertures are successively activated (e.g., used to transmit ultrasonic energy). Furthermore, the first, second, third, and fourth ultrasonic data correspond to sub-frames of an ultrasound image. That is, for example, an image (e.g., an image frame) is generated based on a combination of sub-frames corresponding to each of the set of sub-apertures 420. Furthermore, the generated image corresponds to an image generated using the effective aperture 410. For example, the width of the generated image corresponds to the width of an image generated using the open aperture of the transducer array.

[0039] 5A and 5B further illustrate the use of sub-apertures to generate an image. In particular, FIG. 5A illustrates the use of a first sub-aperture 510a of the transducer array 520 to image an object 530, which is substantially similar to the sub-apertures 422a-d, and the transducer array 520 is substantially similar to the transducer array 112. FIG. 5B illustrates the use of a second sub-aperture 510b of the transducer array 520 to image an object 530. As further illustrated, each of the sub-apertures 510a-b is used to transmit ultrasonic energy using multiple angles 540 (e.g., multiple beam steering angles). That is, for example, beam steering transmissions are used for transmission of ultrasonic energy from the sub-apertures 510a-d. In some embodiments, for example, beam steering angles of 0°, 5°, −5°, 10°, −10°, or any other suitable angle are used to transmit ultrasonic energy.

[0040] In some embodiments, ultrasound image data resulting from the transmission of ultrasound energy at different combinations of sub-apertures (510a-b) and angles among the plurality of angles 540 correspond to respective sub-frames of a set of sub-frames that are combined (e.g., combined) to generate an image of the object 530. As an illustrative example, ultrasound image data acquired through a first sub-aperture 510a using a first angle 540a corresponds to a first sub-frame of the image of the object 530, and ultrasound image data acquired through a second sub-aperture 510b using a second angle 540b corresponds to a second sub-frame of the image of the object 530. Thus, both the first and second sub-frames capture features of the same object (e.g., object 530) from their respective sub-apertures and angles. Moreover, the combination of the first and second sub-frames reduces distortion in the resulting image compared to an image generated using a single aperture and / or a single angle to transmit ultrasound energy. Examples of image data compounding are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,317,712, entitled "Retrospective Dynamic Transmit Focusing for Spatial Compounding," filed April 17, 2017, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Mechanisms for combining (e.g., compositing) sub-frames of images are described in more detail herein.

[0041] 6 is a block diagram of a signal path 600 for generating an ultrasound image using incoherent combining of a set of subframes, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal path 600 is associated with a method or process for image generation. It will be understood that the elements of the signal path 600 comprise computer program code or instructions executable by a processor circuit, such as the processor circuit 210 shown in FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, the elements of the signal path 600 comprise different processing (e.g., software) modules. In some embodiments, the elements of the signal path 600 comprise different hardware components.

[0042] In some embodiments, the components and / or operations of the signal path 600 are implemented by the probe 110 and / or the host 130 shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the components of the signal path 600 are implemented by the beamformer 114, the processor 116, the communication interface 118, the communication interface 136, and / or the processor 134. In some embodiments, for example, the components of the signal path 600 are distributed between the probe 110 and the host 130. Moreover, the components of the signal path 600 are implemented through a combination of hardware and software components and performed by the processor circuitry 210 described above with respect to FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, one or more components and / or operations of the signal path 600 can be performed by a GPU.

[0043] In some embodiments, ultrasound data is received (e.g., input) to signal path 600. For example, signal path 600 receives data corresponding to a set of subframes based on received echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by an array of acoustic elements (e.g., transducer array 112). In particular, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is associated with echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by a set of subapertures and / or at a set of different angles as described herein. The data corresponding to the set of subframes includes analog data or digital data. For example, in some cases, signal path 600 receives raw analog electrical signals from the array of acoustic elements. In such cases, one or more of the operations of signal path 600 are performed on the analog signals. Additionally or alternatively, signal path 600 includes or is in communication with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that samples the analog signals to provide digital subframe data.

[0044] As illustrated, the signal path 600 includes a beamformer 610. The beamformer 610 is substantially similar to the beamformer 114 of FIG. 1. Thus, in some embodiments, the beamformer 610 is included in an ultrasound probe (e.g., the probe 110). In some cases, data corresponding to the set of subframes is beamformed in the beamformer 610. For example, the beamformer 610 performs a coherent delay-and-sum operation on the data to provide a beamformed signal. In some embodiments, the beamformer 610 includes multiple stages of beamforming. Furthermore, in some embodiments, beamforming can reduce the number of signal lines associated with the data corresponding to the set of subframes for coupling to a host (e.g., the host 130). Moreover, as described above, the data corresponding to the set of subframes includes analog or digital signals. Thus, the beamformer 610 performs beamforming on data in one or both of the analog or digital domains.

[0045] After the data corresponding to the set of subframes has been beamformed, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is output to an envelope detection module 620. The envelope detection module 620 is implemented as an envelope detector (e.g., a rectifier, a filter, etc.) that outputs an envelope of the data corresponding to the set of subframes. Because the envelope of the data corresponding to the set of subframes corresponds to the amplitude but not the phase information associated with the data, the envelope detection module 620 suppresses or removes the phase information associated with the data corresponding to the set of subframes.

[0046] In addition to or in place of the ultrasound imaging system 100 including an envelope detector for the envelope detection module 620, the beamformer 114 performs baseband conversion and / or demodulation on the data corresponding to the set of subframes. In some embodiments, the beamformer 114 includes a rectifier configured to convert real-valued RF samples in the image signal to a baseband (BB) signal or to data including a complex in-phase, quadrature-phase (IQ) pair. The rectifier performs down-conversion, low-pass filtering, and / or decimation. The down-conversion converts the RF output signal data from RF to BB, for example, by down-mixing the RF signal with two sinusoidal signals having a phase difference of 90 degrees. Therefore, the envelope detection is performed in the beamformer 114. Additionally or alternatively, a GPU (e.g., the processor circuit 210) is implemented to perform envelope detection or a portion of envelope detection on the data corresponding to the set of subframes.

[0047] Signal path 600 further includes a log compression module 630 configured to perform log compression on the data corresponding to the set of subframes. More specifically, log compression module 630 performs log compression on the data corresponding to the set of subframes after envelope detection has been performed (e.g., by envelope detection module 620). To do so, log compression is applied to the envelope of the data corresponding to the set of subframes to capture amplitude but not phase information associated with the data corresponding to the set of subframes. In some embodiments, a processor circuit such as processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2 implements log compression module 630. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU performs log compression on the data corresponding to the set of subframes.

[0048] Scan conversion module 640 is coupled to log compression module 630 and performs scan conversion on image data output by log compression module 630 (e.g., data corresponding to the set of sub-frames) to a suitable display format. In an example, the image data is in polar coordinates and scan conversion module 640 converts the image data to Cartesian coordinates for display. In some embodiments, a processor circuit such as processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2 implements scan conversion module 640. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU performs scan conversion on the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames.

[0049] The signal path 600 further includes an incoherent combining module 650. The incoherent combining module 650 is configured to incoherently combine (e.g., combine) data corresponding to the set of subframes. For example, the incoherent combining module 650 may sum (e.g., average) data corresponding to a first subframe of the set of subframes and data corresponding to a second subframe of the set of subframes to incoherently combine the data corresponding to the set of subframes. Moreover, the incoherent combining of the image data corresponds to the summation (e.g., averaging) of data corresponding to the set of subframes that lacks phase information. To that end, although the illustrated incoherent combining module is located at an end of the signal path, the incoherent combining module may additionally or alternatively be located in any portion of the signal path 600, such as any portion of the signal path 600 following envelope detection (e.g., in the envelope detection module 620) where data corresponding to the set of subframes lacks phase information.

[0050] In some embodiments, the incoherent combining module 650 is implemented as a summer, such as a digital or analog summer. Additionally or alternatively, a processor circuit, such as the processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2, implements the incoherent combining module 650. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU incoherently combines data corresponding to a set of subframes.

[0051] Although signal path 600 is illustrated and described herein as including a particular set of components and / or engaging in certain operations, embodiments are not so limited. To that end, additional components and / or operations may be included and / or components and / or operations may be omitted. For example, signal path 600 may additionally or alternatively include an ADC (e.g., including analog-to-digital conversion), any suitable filters (e.g., low-pass, high-pass, and / or band-pass filters, etc.), buffers and / or memory devices for temporarily storing and / or duplicating data, etc. In some embodiments, for example, image data is buffered in a buffer until data corresponding to each of a set of sub-frames is received at signal path 600 and / or at a particular portion of signal path 600. Moreover, although signal path 600 is illustrated in a particular order, one or more of the components and / or operations may be performed in a different order or in parallel.

[0052] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary ultrasound image 700 (e.g., a B-mode ultrasound image) generated based on incoherent combination of data corresponding to a set of subframes according to the techniques described herein with respect to FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B, and 6. In particular, the ultrasound image 700 is generated using one or more subapertures and / or beam steering angles and incoherent combination of the resulting subframes. To this end, the ultrasound image 700 is produced by the signal path 600 of FIG. 6. As further shown, the ultrasound image 700 is illustrated with respect to an axial distance representing a distance (e.g., depth) from the transducer array and a lateral distance corresponding to a position along the transducer array (e.g., a position of an acoustic element of the transducer array), with the axial distance illustrated in centimeters (cm). The intensity of the ultrasound imaging data (e.g., received echoes) is further illustrated in decibels (dB) by a color-coded scale 702.

[0053] Compared to ultrasound image 300 of Figure 3, speckle present in ultrasound image 700 has been reduced. In particular, region 710 (e.g., near-field region) of ultrasound image 700 is less distorted than region 310 of ultrasound image 300. This improvement in image quality results from incoherent combining of data corresponding to subframes of ultrasound image 700. More specifically, because multiple subframes contain data associated with specific locations in the imaging field (e.g., as shown in Figures 5A, 5B), combining the subframes smooths (averages) noise, such as speckle, from the resulting combined image.

[0054] Although speckle is reduced in the near-field portion of the ultrasound image 700, as the depth of the ultrasound image 700 increases, the resolution decreases in a similar manner as described above with reference to FIG. 3. Therefore, in some embodiments, additional or alternative techniques are utilized to improve the resolution of the ultrasound image. For example, the resolution of an ultrasound image depends in part on the phase interference between the subframes combined in the image. To that end, since the incoherent combining is performed without phase information regarding the subframes, a mechanism is described herein for coherently combining data corresponding to the subframes to generate a better resolved ultrasound image.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method 800 of coherently combining data corresponding to a set of subframes to generate an ultrasound image (e.g., a composite ultrasound image) according to aspects of the disclosure. As illustrated, the method 800 includes several enumerated steps, but embodiments of the method 800 include additional steps before, after, or between the enumerated steps. In some embodiments, one or more of the enumerated steps are omitted, performed in a different order, or performed simultaneously. The steps of the method 800 can be performed by any suitable component in the ultrasound imaging system 100, and all steps need not be performed by the same component. In some embodiments, one or more steps of the method 800 can be performed by or at the direction of a processor circuit of the ultrasound imaging system 100, including, for example, the processor 260 (FIG. 2) or any other component.

[0056] In step 802, the method 800 includes controlling an array of acoustic elements to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy. In some embodiments, for example, the ultrasound imaging system 100 controls the transducer array 112 of the probe 110 to transmit a first ultrasonic energy using a first subset (e.g., a first sub-aperture) of the array of acoustic elements and transmit a second ultrasonic energy using a second subset (e.g., a second sub-aperture) of the array of acoustic elements. The first subset is different from the second subset. In some cases, the first subset and the second subset are completely separate (e.g., spaced apart from each other) or overlapping (e.g., sharing an acoustic element). Additionally, step 802 involves receiving echoes associated with the first ultrasonic energy and echoes associated with the second ultrasonic energy corresponding to the first sub-frame and the second sub-frame, respectively. For example, a first portion of the received echoes (e.g., received echoes associated with an ultrasonic energy) corresponds to the first ultrasonic energy and a second portion of the received echoes corresponds to the second ultrasonic energy. Moreover, in some embodiments, the array of acoustic elements is controlled to receive echoes associated with the first ultrasonic energy using a first subset of acoustic elements and to receive echoes associated with the second ultrasonic energy using a second subset of acoustic elements.

[0057] At step 804, the method 800 involves receiving data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the received echoes. The data corresponding to the set of subframes includes data corresponding to a first subframe and a second subframe, as described above, where the first subframe and the second subframe correspond to echoes associated with a first ultrasonic energy and echoes associated with a second ultrasonic energy, respectively. Moreover, the data corresponding to the first and second subframes correspond to image data corresponding to the same object (e.g., an anatomical object) collected via respective sub-apertures and / or beam steering angles, as described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5A-5B. In some embodiments, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is analog data, such as an analog electrical signal from an array of acoustic elements. In some embodiments, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is digital data. For example, in such embodiments, the analog electrical signal from the array of acoustic elements is sampled by an ADC into a digital signal (e.g., a digital data signal). Moreover, in some cases, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is in the form of radio frequency (RF) data. Moreover, the data corresponding to the set of subframes includes both phase and amplitude information.

[0058] In step 806, the method 800 involves coherently combining a first portion of the first subframe and a first portion of the second subframe. More specifically, step 806 involves coherently combining data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe. Both the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe include phase information. That is, for example, to coherently combine the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe, the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe are combined, and then envelope detection is performed on the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe, and / or phase information is removed from the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe. In some embodiments, the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe are coherently combined, for example, by a GPU included in the host 130 and / or the probe 110. Furthermore, it will be understood that the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe may refer to the entire first and second subframes, or a subset of pixels of the first and second subframes, respectively.

[0059] At step 808, the method 800 involves generating an image (e.g., a synthesized ultrasound image) based on a coherent combination of the first and second sub-frames. In some embodiments, the image is generated based on beamforming, envelope detection, log compression, and / or scan conversion of data corresponding to the first and second sub-frames, etc. For example, the image is generated according to a signal path within the ultrasound imaging system 100, described with reference to FIG.

[0060] Turning now to FIG. 9, a signal path 900 is shown that is included in an ultrasound imaging system (e.g., ultrasound imaging system 100) and used to generate ultrasound image data and / or an ultrasound image. In particular, signal path 900 is used to generate an ultrasound image based on coherent combination of a set of subframes. Signal path 900 is associated with a method or process for image generation. It will be appreciated that the elements of signal path 900 comprise computer program code or instructions executable by a processor circuit, such as processor circuit 210 shown in FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, the elements of signal path 900 comprise different processing (e.g., software) modules. In some embodiments, the elements of signal path 900 comprise different hardware components.

[0061] In some embodiments, the components and / or operations of the signal path 900 are implemented by the probe 110 and / or the host 130 shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the components of the signal path 900 are implemented by the beamformer 114, the processor 116, the communication interface 118, the communication interface 136, and / or the processor 134. In some embodiments, for example, the components of the signal path 900 are distributed between the probe 110 and the host 130. Moreover, the components of the signal path 900 are implemented through a combination of hardware and software components and performed by the processor circuitry 210 described above with respect to FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, one or more components and / or operations of the signal path 900 can be performed by a GPU.

[0062] In some embodiments, ultrasound data is received (e.g., input) to signal path 900. For example, signal path 900 receives data corresponding to a set of subframes based on received echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by an array of acoustic elements (e.g., transducer array 112). In particular, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is associated with echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by a set of sub-apertures and / or at a set of different angles as described herein. The data corresponding to the set of subframes includes analog data or digital data. For example, in some cases, signal path 900 receives raw analog electrical signals from the array of acoustic elements. In such cases, one or more of the operations of signal path 900 are performed on the analog signals. Additionally or alternatively, signal path 900 includes or is in communication with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that samples the analog signals to provide digital subframe data.

[0063] As illustrated, signal path 900 includes a beamformer 610. As described with reference to Figure 6, beamformer 610 is substantially similar to beamformer 114 of Figure 1. To this end, data corresponding to a set of subframes is beamformed in beamformer 610. For example, beamformer 610 performs a coherent delay-and-sum operation on the data to provide a beamformed signal.

[0064] After the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames has been beamformed, the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames is output to a scan conversion module 640. The scan conversion module 640 performs scan conversion on the image data output by the beamformer 610 (e.g., the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames) to a suitable format for coherent combining and / or alignment. For example, the scan conversion module 640 converts the image data to a format used by a processor circuit (e.g., the processor circuit 210) to sum and / or align the sub-frames. Additionally or alternatively, the scan conversion module 640 performs scan conversion on the image data to a suitable display format. For example, the image data is in polar coordinates and the scan conversion module 640 converts the image data to Cartesian coordinates for display. In some embodiments, a processor circuit such as the processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2 implements the log compression module 630. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU performs scan conversion on the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames.

[0065] Following scan conversion, the signal path 900 includes an alignment module 910. As indicated by the dashed boundary, the alignment module 910 is optionally included in the signal path 900. The alignment module 910 is implemented by a processor circuit such as a GPU (e.g., the processor circuit 210) to precisely align the subframes before summation (e.g., coherent combining). More specifically, the alignment module 910 spatially aligns a set of subframes to one another. This alignment involves identifying common and / or reference features across different subframes and correlating data points associated with these features across different subframes. In some embodiments, the alignment involves correlating subframes acquired with the same subaperture and the same beam steering angle to one another. Additionally or alternatively, the alignment of the subframes to one another involves the use of data from another sensor or device, such as a position tracking system (e.g., an electromagnetic tracking system and / or an optical tracking system), that can identify the position of the ultrasound probe when each of the subframes is acquired. For example, the sets of subframes are associated with each other based on a determined position of the ultrasound probe.

[0066] In some embodiments, misalignment exists between subframes capturing the same feature. In the illustrated example, two subframes of the same object acquired using the same subaperture and the same beam steering angle vary from each other due to patient and / or probe motion or other sources of error (e.g., systematic and / or random errors). Such misalignment limits the effectiveness of coherent combining of subframes, since coherent combining is highly sensitive to registration errors. That is, for example, misalignment between coherently combined subframes affects the interaction (e.g., interference) of phase information corresponding to different subframes, which results in the generation of an ultrasound image that is different from that which would otherwise be produced. In some embodiments, the misalignment is reduced by calibrating the ultrasound imaging system 100. For example, by imaging phantom points, errors introduced by the probe 110 and / or the host 130 are identified and calibration corrections are applied for future imaging applications. To further correct the misalignment, after the subframes are aligned with respect to each other and / or with respect to location, the alignment module 910 adjusts data corresponding to the set of subframes to align the set of subframes with each other based on the alignment. For example, the alignment module 910 is configured to correct for misalignment resulting from motion in the set of subframes. In some embodiments, the alignment module 910 is configured to determine an adjustment (e.g., a correction factor) to correct for such misalignment based on consecutively acquired subframes collected using the same subaperture and beam steering angle. An example of motion detection and compensation (e.g., misalignment adjustment) is described in U.S. Patent No. 9,345,455, entitled "Ultrasonic Synthetic Transmit Focusing with Motion Compensation," filed on October 29, 2015, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0067] The signal path 900 further includes a coherent combining module 920. The coherent combining module 920 is configured to coherently combine (combine) data corresponding to a set of subframes. For example, the coherent combining module 920 sums (e.g., averages) data corresponding to a first subframe of the set of subframes and data corresponding to a second subframe of the set of subframes to coherently combine the data corresponding to the set of subframes. Moreover, the coherent combining of image data corresponds to the summation (e.g., averaging) of data including phase information corresponding to the set of subframes. Thus, when combined, the phase information from the first subframe interacts (e.g., interferes) with the phase information from the second subframe. Further, while the illustrated coherent combining module 920 is located at a particular point within the signal path 900, the coherent combining module 920 may additionally or alternatively be located within any portion of the signal path 900 where data corresponding to a set of subframes includes phase information, such as any portion of the signal path 900 prior to envelope detection (e.g., envelope detection module 620).

[0068] In some embodiments, the coherent combining module 920 is implemented as a summer, such as a digital summer or an analog summer. Additionally or alternatively, a processor circuit, such as the processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2, implements the coherent combining module 920. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU coherently combines data corresponding to a set of subframes.

[0069] Following the coherent combining of the data corresponding to the set of subframes, envelope detection is performed on the data corresponding to the set of subframes by envelope detection module 620. As described above with reference to Figure 6, the envelope detection module is implemented as an envelope detector (e.g., a rectifier, and / or a filter, etc.) that outputs an envelope of the data corresponding to the set of subframes. Additionally or alternatively, the envelope detection is performed by a beamformer (e.g., beamformer 114) and / or a processor circuit (e.g., processor circuit 210), such as a GPU.

[0070] The signal path 900 further includes a log compression module 630 configured to perform log compression on the data corresponding to the set of subframes. More specifically, the log compression module 630 performs log compression on the data corresponding to the set of subframes after envelope detection is performed (e.g., by the envelope detection module 620). In some embodiments, a processor circuit such as the processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2 implements the log compression module 630. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU performs log compression on the data corresponding to the set of subframes.

[0071] As further illustrated, signal path 900 optionally includes an additional scan conversion module 930 coupled to log compression module 630. Scan conversion module 930 may be the same as or different from scan conversion module 640. In some embodiments, scan conversion module 930 performs additional scan conversion on the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames to optimize a format of the image data and / or to complete scan conversion of the image data. For example, in some embodiments, scan conversion module 640 performs partial scan conversion (e.g., partial conversion, conversion to an intermediate format, conversion of a portion of the set of sub-frames), and scan conversion module 930 completes scan conversion of the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames to a suitable format for display. In some embodiments, a processor circuit, such as processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2, implements scan conversion module 930. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU performs scan conversion on the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames.

[0072] Although signal path 900 is illustrated and described herein as including a particular set of components and / or engaging in certain operations, embodiments are not so limited. To that end, additional components and / or operations may be included and / or components and / or operations may be omitted. For example, signal path 900 may additionally or alternatively include an ADC (e.g., including analog-to-digital conversion), any suitable filters (e.g., low-pass, high-pass, and / or band-pass filters, etc.), buffers and / or memory devices for temporarily storing and / or duplicating data, etc. In some embodiments, for example, image data is buffered in a buffer until data corresponding to each of a set of subframes is received at signal path 900 and / or at a particular portion of signal path 900. Moreover, while signal path 900 is illustrated in a particular order, one or more of the components and / or operations may be performed in a different order or in parallel.

[0073] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary ultrasound image 1000 (e.g., a B-mode ultrasound image) generated based on coherent combination of data corresponding to a set of subframes according to the techniques described herein with respect to FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B, 8, and 9. In particular, the ultrasound image 1000 is generated using one or more subapertures and / or beam steering angles and coherent combination of the resulting subframes. To this end, the ultrasound image 1000 is produced by the signal path 900 of FIG. 9. As further shown, the ultrasound image 1000 is illustrated with respect to an axial distance representing a distance (e.g., depth) from the transducer array and a lateral distance corresponding to a position along the transducer array (e.g., a position of an acoustic element of the transducer array), with the axial distance illustrated in centimeters (cm). The intensity of the ultrasound imaging data (e.g., received echoes) is further illustrated in decibels (dB) by a color-coded scale 1002. Compared to the ultrasound image 300 of FIG. 3, the resolution of the ultrasound image 1000 is improved. In particular, the resolution in region 1020 (e.g., the far-field region) of ultrasound image 1000 is higher than the resolution in corresponding regions 320 and 720 of ultrasound image 300 and ultrasound image 700 (FIG. 7), respectively. For example, the contours of object 1030 are much sharper and more distinct than the contours of objects 330 and 730. In other words, the point spread of object 1030 in ultrasound image 1000 is minimized compared to the point spread of objects 330 and 730. More specifically, because multiple subframes contain data associated with specific locations in the imaging field (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B), coherent combining of the subframes averages out the point spread (e.g., resolution distortion) from the resulting combined image.

[0074] While the resolution of ultrasound image 1000 is visibly improved, particularly in the far-field regions (e.g., region 1020), speckle remains present and evident in the near-field portion of ultrasound image 1000 (e.g., region 1010). That is, for example, the speckle (e.g., noise) in region 1010 is greater than the speckle in region 710 of ultrasound image 700, but is substantially unchanged from the speckle in region 310 of ultrasound image 300. Thus, in some embodiments, a combination of the techniques described herein is utilized to both improve the resolution and reduce the speckle present in the ultrasound image.

[0075] Returning now to FIG. 8, in some embodiments, generation of an image (e.g., in step 808) is performed based on coherent combination of data corresponding to the subframes and incoherent combination of data corresponding to the subframes. For example, in some embodiments, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11, a first image is generated based on coherent combination of data corresponding to the subframes, a second image is generated based on incoherent combination of data corresponding to the subframes, and an image (e.g., a third image) is based on a combination of the first and second images. The first and second images are used to form a third image, for example, based on applying pixel-level weighting (e.g., masking) to the first and second images and summing the weighted images. Additionally or alternatively, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 12, an image is generated based on coherently summing a first portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes, incoherently summing a second portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes, and combining the first and second portions to form the image. For example, each of the portions corresponds to a respective subset of the set of subframes and / or to a subset of data corresponding to a particular subframe (e.g., data corresponding to a region or set of pixels within the subframes). As an illustrative example, five of the ten subframes are coherently summed and the remaining five subframes are incoherently summed, and an image is formed based on the sum of the two. As an additional illustrative example, the top halves of two subframes are incoherently summed, while the bottom halves of two subframes are coherently summed, and an image is formed from the sum of the two.

[0076] 11 is a block diagram of a signal path 1100 included in an ultrasound imaging system (e.g., ultrasound imaging system 100) and used to generate ultrasound image data and / or an ultrasound image. In particular, signal path 1100 is used to generate an ultrasound image based on coherent combining of a set of subframes and incoherent combining of a set of subframes. Signal path 1100 is associated with a method or process for image generation. It will be appreciated that the elements of signal path 1100 comprise computer program code or instructions executable by a processor circuit, such as processor circuit 210 shown in FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, the elements of signal path 1100 comprise different processing (e.g., software) modules. In some embodiments, the elements of signal path 1100 comprise different hardware components.

[0077] In some embodiments, the components and / or operations of the signal path 1100 are implemented by the probe 110 and / or the host 130 shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the components of the signal path 1100 are implemented by the beamformer 114, the processor 116, the communication interface 118, the communication interface 136, and / or the processor 134. In some embodiments, for example, the components of the signal path 1100 are distributed between the probe 110 and the host 130. Moreover, the components of the signal path 1100 are implemented through a combination of hardware and software components and performed by the processor circuitry 210 described above with respect to FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, one or more components and / or operations of the signal path 1100 can be performed by a GPU.

[0078] In some embodiments, ultrasound data is received (e.g., input to) signal path 1100. For example, signal path 1100 receives data corresponding to a set of subframes based on received echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by an array of acoustic elements (e.g., transducer array 112). In particular, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is associated with echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by a set of sub-apertures and / or at a set of different angles as described herein. The data corresponding to the set of subframes includes analog data or digital data. For example, in some cases, signal path 1100 receives raw analog electrical signals from the array of acoustic elements. In such cases, one or more of the operations of signal path 1100 are performed on the analog signals. Additionally or alternatively, signal path 1100 includes or is in communication with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that samples the analog signals to provide digital subframe data.

[0079] Briefly, the signal path 1100 includes a first signal path 1102 implemented to generate first image data based on a coherent combination of data corresponding to a set of subframes, and a second signal path 1104 implemented to generate second image data based on an incoherent combination of data corresponding to a set of subframes. The signal path 1100 is further implemented to generate an ultrasound image (e.g., via an image generation module 1150) based on the first and second image data. As illustrated, the first signal path 1102, together with the beamformer 610, is substantially similar to the signal path 900 shown in FIG. 9, and the second signal path 1104 is substantially similar to the signal path 600 shown in FIG. 6. Thus, for brevity, details of the components of the first signal path 1102 and the second signal path 1104 described above with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 6, respectively, will not be repeated.

[0080] In some embodiments, the signal path 1100 includes a buffer 1110. The buffer 1110 includes a memory device configured to temporarily store beamformed image data (e.g., received from the beamformer 610) for further processing. The buffer 1110 includes a volatile memory resource accessible from either a single processing unit (e.g., a CPU core or an FPGA) or a shared memory accessible from multiple processors (e.g., multiple cores, GPUs, and / or multiple paths in an FPGA). In some embodiments, the buffer 1110 includes a duplicator configured to duplicate image data to be processed along different processing paths, such as the first signal path 1102 and the second signal path 1104.

[0081] After receiving the respective image data from the buffer 1110, the first signal path 1102 produces first image data based on a coherent combination of the data corresponding to the set of subframes, and the second signal path 1104 produces second image data based on an incoherent combination of the data corresponding to the set of subframes. In this manner, the first signal path 1102 produces image data substantially similar to the ultrasound image 1000 of Figure 10, and the second signal path produces image data substantially similar to the ultrasound image 700 of Figure 7. In some embodiments, the processing paths are configured to perform operations on their respective image data simultaneously (e.g., in parallel) or at different times.

[0082] The first and second image data are received at the image generation module 1150, which combines the first and second image data to generate a combined ultrasound image. In some embodiments, the image generation module 1150 combines the first and second image data by summing them together to form the ultrasound image. In some embodiments, the image generation module 1150 weights (masks) the data of the first and / or second image data and performs a weighted sum of the data sets. As an illustrative example, pixel-level weighting, such as linear or non-linear weighting, is applied to data corresponding to pixels in the first and / or second image data. In particular, the first and / or second image data are weighted based on the spatial frequency of the pixel in the image data, the location (e.g., depth) of the pixel in the data, etc.

[0083] For spatial frequency based weighting, pixels associated with relatively lower spatial frequencies are weighted such that the second image data (e.g., incoherently summed image data) has a greater contribution in the image than the first image data (e.g., coherently summed image data), while pixels associated with relatively higher spatial frequencies are weighted such that the first image data (e.g., coherently summed image data) has a greater contribution in the image than the second image data (e.g., incoherently summed data). Pixels associated with lower spatial frequencies correspond to the background of the ultrasound image, while pixels associated with higher spatial frequencies correspond to edges (e.g., borders) in the ultrasound image. In some embodiments, the spatial frequency of a pixel is determined based on a filter (e.g., high and / or low pass filter) applied to the pixel data and / or other image processing techniques, such as pixel level analysis to assess whether there is a change in pixel color (e.g., corresponding to an edge of an object). As described above, by weighting the first and second image data, speckle is smoothed from the image background through incoherent combination of the sub-frame data, and point spread at the boundary of the imaged object is minimized (e.g., resolution of the imaged object is improved) through coherent combination of the sub-frame data.

[0084] With respect to weighting based on location (e.g., axial depth), pixels at relatively shallower depths (e.g., nearer field) are weighted such that the second image data (e.g., incoherently summed image data) has a greater contribution in the image than the first image data (e.g., coherently summed image data), while pixels at relatively greater depths (e.g., farer field) are weighted such that the first image data (e.g., coherently summed image data) has a greater contribution in the image than the second image data (e.g., incoherently summed data). In some cases, speckle is more evident in the near field (e.g., relatively shallower depths) of an ultrasound image and relatively less evident in the far field (e.g., relatively greater depths) of the image. For example, ultrasound energy propagating through a medium (e.g., an anatomical object) has relatively high energy in the near field region of the medium, and this energy attenuates (e.g., decreases) as the ultrasound energy travels farther (e.g., far field region of the medium). The near field contains more speckle than the far field because higher energy levels result in more irregular scattering. Moreover, the resolution of an ultrasound image decreases as the depth of the image increases (e.g., as the distance from the aperture used to acquire the ultrasound image increases). Therefore, the resolution of the image in the far field is lower than the resolution of the image in the near field. Therefore, by weighting the first and second image data as described above, speckle is smoothed from the near field of the image through incoherent combination of the subframe data, and the resolution of the imaged object is improved in the far field through coherent combination of the subframe data.

[0085] In some embodiments, the image generation module 1150 is implemented as a summer, such as a digital or analog summer. Additionally or alternatively, a processor circuit, such as the processor circuit 210 of FIG. 2, implements the image generation module 1150. In some embodiments, for example, a GPU determines weights for the first and / or second image data and then combines the weighted first and / or second image data to generate the image.

[0086] Although signal path 1100 is illustrated and described herein as including a certain set of components and / or engaging in certain operations, embodiments are not so limited. To that end, additional components and / or operations may be included and / or components and / or operations may be omitted. For example, signal path 1100 may additionally or alternatively include an ADC (e.g., including analog-to-digital conversion), any suitable filters (e.g., low-pass filters, high-pass filters, and / or band-pass filters, etc.). Furthermore, while certain components and / or operations of signal path 1100 are shown duplicated across first signal path 1102 and second signal path 1104, it will be understood that first signal path 1102 and second signal path 1104 share one or more components and / or operations in common. Instead of including scan conversion module 640 and / or scan conversion module 930 in first signal path 1102 and scan conversion module 640 in second signal path 1104 as in the illustrated example, a common scan conversion module is used, such as before buffer 1110 and / or on the output of image generation module 1150. Moreover, while signal path 1100 is illustrated in a particular order, one or more of the components and / or operations are performed in a different order or in parallel. Furthermore, signal path 1100 may additionally or alternatively be utilized to coherently sum a first portion along first signal path 1102 and incoherently sum a second portion of data corresponding to a set of sub-frames along second signal path 1104, and generate an image based on the first and second portions in image generation module 1150.

[0087] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a signal path 1200 included in an ultrasound imaging system (e.g., ultrasound imaging system 100) and used to generate ultrasound image data and / or an ultrasound image. In particular, signal path 1200 is used to generate an ultrasound image based on coherent combining of a first portion of a set of subframes and incoherent combining of a second portion of the set of subframes. Signal path 1200 is associated with a method or process for image generation. It will be appreciated that the elements of signal path 1200 comprise computer program code or instructions executable by a processor circuit, such as processor circuit 210 shown in FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, the elements of signal path 1200 comprise different processing (e.g., software) modules. In some embodiments, the elements of signal path 1200 comprise different hardware components.

[0088] In some embodiments, the components and / or operations of the signal path 1200 are implemented by the probe 110 and / or the host 130 shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the components of the signal path 1200 are implemented by the beamformer 114, the processor 116, the communication interface 118, the communication interface 136, and / or the processor 134. In some embodiments, for example, the components of the signal path 1200 are distributed between the probe 110 and the host 130. Moreover, the components of the signal path 1200 are implemented through a combination of hardware and software components and performed by the processor circuitry 210 described above with respect to FIG. 2. For example, in some embodiments, one or more components and / or operations of the signal path 1200 can be performed by a GPU.

[0089] In some embodiments, ultrasound data is received (e.g., input) to signal path 1200. For example, signal path 1200 receives data corresponding to a set of subframes based on received echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by an array of acoustic elements (e.g., transducer array 112). In particular, the data corresponding to the set of subframes is associated with echoes associated with ultrasonic energy transmitted by a set of subapertures and / or at a set of different angles as described herein. The data corresponding to the set of subframes includes analog data or digital data. For example, in some cases, signal path 1200 receives raw analog electrical signals from the array of acoustic elements. In such cases, one or more of the operations of signal path 1200 are performed on the analog signals. Additionally or alternatively, signal path 1200 includes or is in communication with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that samples the analog signals to provide digital subframe data.

[0090] As illustrated, signal path 1200 includes a single processing path. In some embodiments, signal path 1200 is implemented to coherently sum a first portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes and incoherently sum a second portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes. As described herein, the first portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes and the second portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes correspond to a first subset of the set of subframes and a second subset of the set of subframes, respectively. Additionally or alternatively, the first portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes and the second portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes correspond to a first region (e.g., pixel region) of the set of subframes and a second region of the set of subframes, respectively. For example, the first and second regions correspond to respective groups of pixels, such as pixels included in a top half or a bottom half of the subframes, pixels having a certain characteristic (e.g., location, and / or spatial frequency, etc.).

[0091] One or more components and / or operations associated with signal path 1200 may be applicable to a first portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes, a second portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes, or both. For example, signal path 1200 includes a coherent portion 1202 that includes components and operations associated with coherent combining of the first portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes, and an incoherent portion 1204 associated with incoherent combining of the second portion of data corresponding to the set of subframes, as illustrated. Signal path 1200 also includes components and / or operations associated with both the first and second portions of data corresponding to the set of subframes, such as beamformer 610, envelope detection module 620, log compression module 630, and scan conversion module 640. More specifically, the components in the coherent portion 1202 are configured to perform an operation on a first portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes and not to perform the operation on a second portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes, the components in the incoherent portion 1204 are configured to perform an operation on the second portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes and not to perform the operation on the first portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes, and the remaining components of the signal path 1200 are configured to perform the operation on both the first and second portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes.

[0092] As illustrated, after the data corresponding to the set of subframes (e.g., both the first and second portions of the data) are beamformed in the beamformer 610 as described above with reference to Figures 6 and 9, the first portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes are coherently combined via the coherent portion 1202 of the signal path 1200. In particular, the first portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes are coherently combined via the coherent combining module 920, and in preparation for the coherent combining, the first portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes are scan converted and / or corrected for alignment errors (e.g., wobble) via the scan conversion module 640 and / or alignment module 910, respectively, as described with reference to Figure 9.

[0093] In some embodiments, envelope detection is performed on the second portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes and on the coherently combined first portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes in envelope detection module 620. Similarly, log compression is performed on each of these data sets in log compression module 630. Scan conversion is then performed on the second portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes, and optionally on the coherently combined first portion of the data corresponding to the set of subframes, in scan conversion module 640.

[0094] In the incoherent portion 1204 of the signal path 1200, the second portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes are incoherently combined via the incoherent combining module 650. A combined ultrasound image is generated in the image generation module 1210 using the incoherently combined second portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes and the coherently combined first portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes. In some embodiments, for example, the image generation module 1210 sums and / or combines the incoherently combined second portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes and the coherently combined first portions of the data corresponding to the set of subframes into a single data set to generate an image.

[0095] FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary ultrasound image 1300 (e.g., a B-mode ultrasound image) generated based on both coherent and incoherent combining of data corresponding to a set of subframes according to the techniques described herein with respect to FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12. In particular, the ultrasound image 1300 is generated by mixing (e.g., combining) coherently combined image data and incoherently combined image data acquired using one or more subapertures and / or beam steering angles. To this end, the ultrasound image 1300 is produced by the signal path 1100 of FIG. 11 and / or the signal path 1200 of FIG. 12. As further illustrated, the ultrasound image 1300 is illustrated with respect to an axial distance representing a distance (e.g., depth) from the transducer array, and a lateral distance corresponding to a position along the transducer array (e.g., a position of an acoustic element of the transducer array), with the axial distance illustrated in centimeters (cm). The intensity of the ultrasound imaging data (eg, received echoes) is further indicated in decibels (dB) by a color-coded scale 1302 .

[0096] 3, both speckles present in ultrasound image 1300 are reduced and the resolution of ultrasound image 1300 is improved. In particular, region 1310 (e.g., near-field region) of ultrasound image 1300 is less distorted than region 310 of ultrasound image 300, and region 1320 (e.g., far-field region) of ultrasound image 1300 is better resolved. These improvements in image quality may result, for example, from incoherent combining of data corresponding to region 1310 and coherent combining of data corresponding to region 1320. Additionally or alternatively, the improvements may result, for example, from greater weighting of incoherent combining of data associated with region 1310 and / or background of image 1300, and greater weighting of coherent combining of data associated with region 1320 and / or edges included in image 1300. As an illustrative example, ultrasound image 700 of Figure 7 and ultrasound image 1000 of Figure 10 are combined to generate ultrasound image 1300. That is, for example, the speckle reduction produced by the generation of ultrasound image 700 (e.g., via incoherent combining) is combined with the resolution improvement affected by the generation of ultrasound image 1000 (e.g., via coherent combining) to generate ultrasound image 1300.

[0097] Returning to Figure 8, at step 810, method 800 includes outputting for display the image generated at step 808. For example, the image is output to a display in communication with host 130, such as display 132. At step 808, outputting the image includes outputting an image having the characteristics described above with reference to Figures 7, 10, and / or 13, since the image is generated based on coherent combining, or a weighting between coherent and incoherent combining. That is, for example, step 810 includes outputting a synthesized ultrasound image based on coherent combining, incoherent combining, or both.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described devices, systems, and methods can be modified in various ways. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments encompassed by the present disclosure are not limited to the specific exemplary embodiments described above. In that regard, while exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, a wide range of modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure. It will be understood that such variations may be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the present disclosure.

Claims

1. an array of acoustic elements for transmitting ultrasonic energy and receiving echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy; a processor circuit in communication with the array of acoustic elements, the processor circuit comprising: receiving data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the received echoes, the set of subframes including a first subframe and a second subframe; coherently combining data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe, wherein the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe include phase information; generating a first image based on a coherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe; generating a second image based on an incoherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe; combining the first image and the second image; and outputting the combined image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

2. the ultrasonic energy comprises a first ultrasonic energy and a second ultrasonic energy; To transmit the ultrasonic energy, the array of acoustic elements transmitting the first ultrasonic energy using a first subset of the array of acoustic elements; and transmitting the second ultrasonic energy using a second subset of the array of acoustic elements.

3. 3. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 2, wherein the first subframe corresponds to the received echoes associated with the first ultrasound energy and the second subframe corresponds to the received echoes associated with the second ultrasound energy.

4. the array of acoustic elements for receiving the echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy; receiving echoes associated with the first ultrasonic energy using the first subset of the array of acoustic elements; 3. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 2, further comprising: a first sub-array of said first and second acoustic elements arranged to receive echoes associated with said second ultrasonic energy using said second subset of said array of acoustic elements.

5. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuit generates the image further based on envelope detection of the coherent combining.

6. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry generates the image further based on a log compression of the coherent combining.

7. The processor circuitry comprises: performing scan conversion on the data corresponding to the set of sub-frames; 2. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry coherently combines the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe based further on the scan conversion.

8. The processor circuitry comprises: incoherently combining data corresponding to a second portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a second portion of the second subframe; 2. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising: generating the image further based on the incoherent combination of the second portion of the first subframe and the second portion of the second subframe.

9. 2. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor circuit combines the first image and the second image by a weighted sum, weights being determined based on spatial frequencies of pixels of the first portion of the first subframe.

10. 2. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor circuit combines the first image and the second image based on a location of the first portion of the first subframe within the first subframe.

11. The processor circuitry comprises: aligning the first portion of the first sub-frame with the first portion of the second sub-frame; 2. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry coherently combines the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe based further on the alignment.

12. The processor circuitry comprises: determining a difference between the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of a third subframe of the set of subframes; 12. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 11, further comprising: aligning the first portion of the first subframe with the first portion of the second subframe based on the identified difference and adjusting the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe based on the identified difference.

13. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry comprises a graphics processing unit.

14. controlling, by a processor circuit, an array of acoustic elements in communication with the processor circuit to transmit ultrasonic energy and receive echoes associated with the ultrasonic energy; receiving, by the processor circuit, data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the received echoes, the set of subframes comprising a first subframe and a second subframe; coherently combining, by the processor circuitry, data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe, wherein the data corresponding to the first portion of the first subframe and the data corresponding to the first portion of the second subframe include phase information; generating, by the processor circuitry, a first image based on a coherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe; generating, by the processor circuitry, a second image based on an incoherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe; combining, by the processor circuitry, the first image and the second image; and outputting, by the processor circuit, the combined image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

Images