Ultrasound Spatial Compounding via Virtual Common Point Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound systems face challenges in forming high-quality spatial compound images due to large steering angles, which degrade image quality, especially in the center of the display area, and fail to effectively combine ultrasound images from different steering angles without introducing noise or reducing clinical marker visibility.
Innovation Solution
The ultrasound system sets virtual common points and center lines for multiple ultrasound images, adjusts steering angles, and performs spatial compounding to form an ultrasound spatial compound image, enhancing image quality by aligning scan-lines and maintaining clinical marker visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If spatial compounding is performed using a single virtual common point, then the imaging process is simple, but the steering angles become very large and the compounding effect in the center of the image display area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single virtual common point into multiple virtual common points (first, second, third, etc.). Each virtual common point generates its own set of scan lines with smaller steering angles. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity while improving image quality by combining multiple compounded images from different virtual common points.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple virtual common points are used to improve center area compounding, then image quality improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the same ultrasound probe to acquire multiple sets of scan lines by virtually moving the common point to different positions. The probe performs multiple imaging functions (acquiring images from different virtual common points) without requiring additional hardware, thus improving image quality while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If ultrasound images from different steering angles are combined, then spatial compounding effect is enhanced, but noise and reduced clinical marker visibility occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs spatial compounding locally at each pixel position by combining ultrasound images from multiple scan lines that pass through or near that position. This local compounding approach enhances the compounding effect while preserving the visibility of clinical markers by selectively combining only the relevant scan line data for each location.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments for providing an ultrasound spatial compound image are disclosed. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to acquire ultrasound data by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals; and a processing unit in communication with the ultrasound data acquisition unit, the processing unit being configured to set a plurality of center lines based on a virtual common point corresponding to predetermined scan-lines, move the virtual common point along each of the center lines to set a plurality of scan-lines, form a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to the center lines based on the ultrasound data, and perform spatial compounding upon the ultrasound images to form an ultrasound spatial compound image, wherein the ultrasound data acquisition unit is configured to acquire the ultrasound data based on the plurality of scan-lines.