Ultrasound Brightness Correction via Beam-Spectrum Attenuation Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses face challenges in performing accurate time gain control due to the influence of speckle noise and structural variations in ultrasound images, leading to inconsistent brightness correction.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that analyzes reception beam data to exclude structural regions, estimates attenuation based on frequency spectra, and performs brightness correction to compensate for ultrasound wave attenuation, reducing the influence of speckle and structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automatic TGC is performed by analyzing the brightness of each pixel of the B-mode image, then brightness correction can be automated, but the correction becomes inaccurate due to the influence of speckle noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary information (frequency spectrum characteristics) from the reception beam data while excluding irrelevant or misleading information (speckle noise patterns). By performing frequency spectrum analysis instead of direct brightness analysis, the system extracts attenuation information that is independent of speckle interference, thereby maintaining automation while improving measurement precision.
2Area of stationary object
If TGC is performed using all pixel brightness values in the B-mode image, then the entire image can be corrected, but structural regions with high brightness values cause inaccurate correction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for TGC from spatial domain (pixel brightness values in B-mode image) to frequency domain (frequency spectrum characteristics of reception beam data). This parameter transformation allows the system to estimate attenuation amounts based on frequency-dependent attenuation characteristics, which are not affected by the spatial brightness variations caused by anatomical structures, thereby improving precision while maintaining full image coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
An evaluation range decision unit analyzes reception beam data before detection processing out of reception beam data to decide an evaluation range excluding at least a part of a structure of a subject in a data space of the reception beam data. An attenuation amount estimation unit estimates an attenuation amount of ultrasound waves in the subject based on a frequency spectrum of the reception beam data of each region included in the evaluation range among a plurality of regions arranged in a depth direction defined in advance in the data space of the reception beam data. An image formation unit executes TGC processing as brightness correction processing based on the attenuation amount of the ultrasound waves estimated by the attenuation amount estimation unit.