KR101120691B1 - Method of Compounding an Ultrasound Image Using a Spatial Compounding - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasound image synthesis method for improving a frame rate by spatially synthesizing a plurality of scanline groups to form a frame, the method comprising: obtaining a first scanline group in a first direction and a second scanline group in a second direction Acquiring a, a third scanline group in a third direction, and synthesizing the first to third scanline groups to form one frame, wherein the second scanline group A method of synthesizing an ultrasound image is provided in which the first and third scanline groups, which do not overlap with the region of, are not transmitted or received.

Ultrasound, spatial synthesis, transducer arrays, elements, scanlines.

Description

Method of Compounding an Ultrasound Image Using a Spatial Compounding}

1 schematically shows an ultrasound image display apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a method of spatially synthesizing an ultrasound image by using the ultrasound image display apparatus of FIG. 1.

The present invention relates to an ultrasound image synthesis method using spatial synthesis, and more particularly, to an ultrasound image synthesis method for improving the frame rate of an ultrasound image by applying a spatial synthesis method.

In general, spatial synthesis is an image processing technique, in which a plurality of ultrasound images obtained from multiple points or angles are combined by combining data received from each point of a composite image object received from each angle. Image processing technology that combines images. Real-time spatial synthesis is performed by quickly obtaining sequential component image frames that partially overlap in a substantially independent direction, and an ultrasonic transducer array for performing electronic beam control or electronic decoding of component image frames. ). The component image frames are combined into a composite image by summation, mean, peak detection or other combination means. The acquisition order and shape of the composite image is repeated continuously at a rate defined by the acquisition frame rate, i.e., the time required to acquire the full complement of the scanline over the width and depth of the selected image.

Here, conventionally, a region outside the region obtained at a right angle with the ultrasonic transducer array among regions obtained at an angle is present, which takes an unnecessary time for obtaining an image of an area that is not actually represented, and thus the entire image. There is a problem that also affects the frame rate obtained.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound image synthesis method for providing a synthesized ultrasound image by applying spatial synthesis.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a method for synthesizing an ultrasound image, the method comprising: acquiring a first scanline group in a first direction, acquiring a second scanline group in a second direction, and Obtaining a third scanline group in a direction; and synthesizing the first to third scanline groups to form a frame, wherein the first scanline group does not overlap with an area of the second scanline group. The first and third scanline groups are not transmitted or received.

Preferably, the first direction and the third direction are substantially symmetrical with respect to the second direction. The frame is a frame of an ultrasound image.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the present invention.

1 schematically shows an ultrasound image display apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ultrasound image display apparatus 100 includes a scan header 101 having a transducer array 113, a T / R switch 102, a transmitter 111, a system controller 112, and a digital beam. The former (103), the gain controller (104), the B-mode processor (105), the frame memory (106), the synthesis controller (107), the scan converter (108), the video processor (109), and the display (110). Include.

The scan header 101 with the transducer array 113 irradiates ultrasound at different angles across the image field, which is shown as a rectangle with substantially cut portions of the rectangle and parallelogram. . Each scanline group is formed in a direction different from that of the scanhead 101.

The T / R switch (Transmit / Receive Switch) 102 serves as a switch for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic signal in the same transducer array 113.

Transmitter 111 controls the phase and operating time for each element 113a of transducer array 113 to sequentially transmit beams along transducer array 113 at a predetermined angle. Here, echoes returned from each scanline are received by each element 113a of the transducer array 113, digitized by an A / D converter (not shown), and the digital beam former 103 Are combined in. In addition, the transmitter 111 operates under the control of the system controller 112.

The system controller 112 controls the transmitter 111 to transmit a predetermined number, energy, frequency, steer angle, and amplitude of the scanline group at a predetermined angle. The system controller 112 also controls the digital beam former 103 to delay and combine the received echo signals for the depth and gap of the ultrasound image used. In other words, the transmitter 111 is an ultrasonic transmitter, and the system controller 112 sets the frequency, the steer angle, and the amplitude of the ultrasonic wave. The system controller 112 also transmits information about the setting of the ultrasonic transmission to the compound controller 107.

The digital beamformer 103 focuses the signals received from each element 113a of each transducer array 113, ie delays and sums echoes from the transducer array element 113a, A coherent digital echo sample is formed along the sequence and each scanline.

The gain controller 104 compensates for the gain of the received signal.

The B-mode processor 105 receives and focuses the ultrasonic waves. Here, the B-mode (Brigtness mode) is a mode that displays the size of the echo coming into the human body on the screen, the bright point means that there is a strong reflector inside the human body, the dark point is the hypo-echoic Shows that there is one part.

The frame memory 106 is a memory space required for synthesizing an image on a frame basis and stores N frame data.

The compound controller 107 performs spatial synthesis on a frame basis.

The scan conversion 108 stores the focused data received from a predetermined point on the scan line and converts the data into a data format used in the display 110 of the horizontal scan line display format. In other words, it converts the B-mode video signal into the form displayed on the actual monitor.

The video processor 109 converts the ultrasound image into a format suitable for displaying.

The display 110 displays an ultrasound image processed by the video processor 109.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a method of spatially synthesizing an ultrasound image using the ultrasound image display apparatus of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, a scan header 101 having a transducer array 113 comprising each element 113a and each scanline group A, B, C are illustrated in detail. The ultrasound image synthesis method according to the present embodiment includes obtaining a first scanline group in a first direction, obtaining a second scanline group in a second direction, and a third scanline group in a third direction. Acquiring a, and synthesizing the first to third scanline groups to form one frame. Also, the first and third scanline groups that do not overlap with the area of the second scanline group are not transmitted or received.

In more detail, beams are sequentially transmitted along the transducer array 113 from each element 113a of the transducer array 113 at a predetermined angle. The echoes returned from each scanline are then received by each element 113a of the transducer array 113.

In the A scanline group substantially facing the first direction, at least one element 113a of the elements 113a of the transducer array 113 does not transmit and receive ultrasonic waves and thus leads to an area a1 where no scanline is formed. There is an area a2 in which scan lines are formed by transmitting and receiving ultrasound from each element 113a except for the element 113a. Here, the element 113a is configured not to transmit or receive an ultrasonic wave while varying the PRF period. On the other hand, PRF refers to the repetition frequency of the pulse and is determined by the width and depth of the ultrasound image to be obtained. In general, the sound velocity of the human body is 1540m / s, and if the depth of the human body to be viewed is 10cm, a pulse of 130us time period is required to obtain one scan line. The pulse of this period refers to the frequency that is repeatedly generated to generate the required number of scan lines as wide as the image width.

The group of B scanlines substantially facing the second direction consists of a plurality of scanlines b formed substantially in the longitudinal direction of the scan header by each of the elements 113a of the transducer array 113.

In the C scanline group substantially facing the third direction, at least one element 113a of the elements 113a of the transducer array 113 does not transmit and receive ultrasonic waves so that the scan line is not formed. There is an area c2 in which scan lines are formed by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves from each element 113a except for the above-described element 113a.

Preferably, the first and third directions are substantially symmetrical to one another with respect to the second direction.

Thus, the frames synthesized by the A, B, and C scanline groups improve the frame rate of image acquisition.

According to the present invention, a frame rate can be improved in forming a frame by spatially combining scan line groups having different angles.

Claims (3)

Obtaining a first scanline group in a first direction; Obtaining a second scanline group in a second direction; Obtaining a third scanline group in a third direction; Synthesizing the first to third scanline groups to form a frame; The first to third directions have different steer angles, And the first and third scanline groups that do not overlap the area of the second scanline group are not transmitted or received. The method of claim 1, And the first direction and the third direction are substantially symmetrical with respect to the second direction. The method of claim 1, And the frame is a frame of an ultrasound image.

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