Power Doppler Imaging Flash Suppression With Adaptive Spatiotemporal Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ultrasound imaging systems struggle to adequately suppress tissue clutter, particularly in low-velocity blood flow states, leading to flash artifacts in power Doppler imaging.

Innovation Solution

An additional flash suppression processing circuit is included in the power Doppler signal path, utilizing spatiotemporal processing to identify and suppress flash artifacts by adaptively adjusting persistence coefficients based on spatial and temporal characteristics of the signal, employing an infinite impulse response filter to blend frames and minimize tissue flash components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional wall filters are used to suppress tissue clutter, then high-velocity blood flow can be imaged, but low-velocity blood flow states cannot be adequately imaged due to insufficient clutter suppression

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblood flow detection accuracyVSAvoidtissue clutter interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The clutter suppression is divided into two independent stages: wall filter processing for high-velocity flow and flash suppression processing for low-velocity flow. Each stage targets specific velocity ranges and clutter characteristics, allowing optimized suppression without compromising blood flow detection in either regime.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flash suppression processor dynamically adjusts persistence coefficients based on spatial and temporal signal characteristics. The processor adapts to varying clutter conditions in real-time, modifying suppression strength according to the detected signal properties to maintain optimal performance across different flow states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If aggressive wall filtering is applied to suppress tissue flash, then clutter is reduced, but blood flow information is also attenuated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue flash suppressionVSAvoidblood flow signal loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Different suppression strategies are applied to different signal characteristics. The flash suppression processor analyzes spatial and temporal properties of each signal component and applies targeted suppression only to clutter-like signals while preserving blood flow signals through adaptive persistence coefficient adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The flash suppression processor uses feedback from spatial and temporal signal analysis to dynamically control suppression strength. By continuously monitoring signal characteristics and adjusting persistence coefficients accordingly, the system maintains blood flow information while suppressing tissue flash artifacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Object-affected harmful factors

If additional flash suppression processing is added to the power Doppler signal path, then clutter suppression is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflash artifact suppressionVSAvoidsignal processing circuit complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flash suppression processor is integrated into the existing power Doppler signal processing architecture. By combining clutter suppression functions into a unified processing pipeline that leverages existing computational resources and signal paths, the system achieves enhanced clutter suppression without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively reduces flash artifacts while preserving blood flow information, resulting in higher-quality power Doppler images with improved clarity and accuracy.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing spatiotemporal processing to identify and suppress flash artifacts by adaptively adjusting persistence coefficients based on spatial and temporal characteristics of the signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpatiotemporal processing:

Implementation Method 2

employing an infinite impulse response filter to blend frames and minimize tissue flash components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfinite impulse response filtering: Filter (electronic)

Implementation Method 3

extracts blood flow information, such as phase and velocity information and power information, based on the Doppler effect

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDoppler effect: Doppler Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3615958B1Power doppler imaging system and method with improved clutter suppression

Publication Date: 2025.07.16 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

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AI summary

A method of power Doppler imaging may include receiving a plurality of temporally sequential frames of wall-filtered power Doppler signals, wherein the plurality of temporally sequential frames includes at least one previously adjusted output frame. The method may further include adjusting at least one of the plurality of temporally sequential frames to produce an adjusted output frame and generating a power Doppler image based, at least in part, on the adjusted output frame. The adjusting may involve filtering the plurality of temporally sequential frames to suppress the high spatial frequency and high temporal frequency content to produce the adjusted output frame.