Ultrasonic Image Processing Speckle Reduction Morphology
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic image processing technologies face challenges in improving image quality and reducing speckle noise while preserving original image characteristics, often resulting in artifacts due to scan format conversion and morphology processing.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus and method that performs speckle reduction and scan format conversion using morphology processing with weighted factors, applying dilation and erosion operations based on pixel values within a mask area to enhance image quality without generating artifacts, and includes frequency band division processing to refine image characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If morphology processing is performed on ultrasonic image data after scan format conversion, then image quality can be improved through speckle reduction, but artifacts are generated due to the conversion process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies morphology processing to ultrasonic image data before scan format conversion occurs. By performing speckle reduction processing on the raw image data in the probe coordinate system before it is converted to display coordinates, the processing operates on the original data structure without the distortion and artifacts that would be introduced by coordinate transformation. This preliminary action preserves image quality while avoiding artifact generation.
2Manufacturing precision
If speckle reduction processing is applied to ultrasonic images, then noise is reduced and image quality improves, but original image characteristics may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs adaptive morphology processing where the structure element size and shape are adjusted based on local image characteristics. The processing dynamically adapts to different regions of the ultrasonic image, applying appropriate speckle reduction while preserving important structural features and boundaries. This local adaptation ensures that original image characteristics are maintained while still achieving noise reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The morphology processing parameters are made dynamic rather than fixed. The structure elements and processing intensity are adjusted based on local image properties such as edge detection and texture analysis. This dynamic adaptation allows the processing to be aggressive in homogeneous regions for noise reduction while being conservative near boundaries to preserve original characteristics.
3Productivity
If standard morphology processing is used for speckle reduction, then processing is simple and fast, but artifacts appear due to mask size effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic structure elements that adapt their size and shape based on local image characteristics rather than using a fixed mask. This dynamic adaptation allows the processing to be efficient (maintaining productivity) while avoiding the artifacts that result from using inappropriate fixed mask sizes. The processing speed is preserved through optimized algorithms while artifact generation is minimized through adaptive parameter selection.
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus in which image quality of ultrasonic images can be improved by performing image processing that utilizes image characteristics of the original image. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus processes image data generated based on a signal obtained by scanning an object to be inspected by using an ultrasonic beam and respectively representing pixel values of the plurality of pixels within the ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus includes a morphology processing unit for processing the image data to reduce speckles appearing in the ultrasonic image, and a DSC for converting a scan format of the image data processed by the morphology processing unit.