Ultrasound Motion Correction via Real-Time Frame Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasound imaging systems face challenges in producing high-quality images due to motion artifacts, particularly in spatial compound imaging, where motion between frames results in blurriness and reduced image clarity, especially with extended fields of view.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for real-time motion correction in ultrasound imaging, which involves estimating motion between image frames using cross-correlation or reference point registration, updating motion estimates, and applying affine transformations to align and correct frames, thereby forming a compound image that minimizes motion effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If spatial compound imaging is used to improve image quality by combining multiple frames, then contrast resolution is improved and speckle is reduced, but motion artifacts cause blurriness and image degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs motion estimation and correction on individual frames before they are combined into the compound image. By estimating motion parameters (translation, rotation, scaling) and applying corrective transformations in advance, the system prevents motion-induced blurriness from degrading the final compounded image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from motion estimation algorithms to dynamically adjust frame alignment. Motion parameters are estimated by comparing the current frame with reference frames, and this feedback information is used to apply corrective transformations that compensate for tissue and probe motion, ensuring accurate spatial registration before compounding
2Measurement precision
If multiple frames are collected for spatial compounding, then image quality improves through averaging, but motion between frames causes blurriness and artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
Motion correction is performed as a preliminary step before frame averaging. The system estimates motion parameters for each frame relative to a reference frame and applies corrective transformations to align all frames in the compound set, thereby eliminating motion-induced blurriness before the beneficial averaging process occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces motion estimation and correction algorithms as intermediary processing steps between frame acquisition and frame combination. These intermediary processes analyze motion patterns and apply spatial transformations that mediate the harmful effects of motion, enabling accurate alignment of multiple frames before they are combined into the final compound image
Data Source
AI summary
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for real-time motion correction in compound ultrasound imaging. Certain embodiments include receiving an image frame, estimating motion between the image frame and a previous image frame, updating a previous motion estimate with the estimated motion to form an updated motion estimate, and correcting the image frame and the previous image frame using the updated motion estimate. The method may also include forming a compound image from the image frames. In an embodiment, motion may be estimated between the image frame and a previous frame using cross correlation, reference point registration, and/or other estimation method, for example. The image frame and the previous image frame may be corrected using the updated motion estimate in an affine transformation or other correction method, for example. In an embodiment, the method provides real-time correction as image frames are being received.