KR102438750B1 - Method and diagnosis apparatus for removing a artifact - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object based on a beam focusing parameter set in the ultrasound imaging apparatus, and a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal generating at least one subframe by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group based on the beam focusing parameter, performing image processing on the at least one generated subframe, and performing image processing on at least one Disclosed is a medical imaging apparatus according to an embodiment, including an image processing unit generating an ultrasound image corresponding to a frame by recombining scan lines in sub-frames of , and a display unit displaying the generated ultrasound image.

Description

Artifact removal method and diagnostic device for same

The present invention relates to a method for removing artifacts from a medical image and an apparatus therefor.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus irradiates an ultrasound signal generated from a transducer of a probe to an object, receives information of an echo signal reflected from the object, and applies it to an internal part (eg, soft tissue or blood flow) of the object. Get at least one image for In particular, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is used for medical purposes, such as observing the inside of an object, detecting a foreign substance, and measuring an injury. Such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has advantages of higher stability than a diagnostic apparatus using X-rays, real-time image display, and safety because there is no radiation exposure. Accordingly, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is widely used together with other imaging apparatuses including a computed tomography (CT) apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, and the like.

Meanwhile, a general ultrasound diagnosis apparatus generates one scan line from one ultrasound transmission/reception signal, and the scan line characteristics are the same for each scan line.

However, recent ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses generate a plurality of scan lines from a single ultrasound transmission/reception signal, and accordingly, scan line characteristics may be different between adjacent scan lines. Since scan line characteristics are different between adjacent scan lines within a frame, artifacts such as streak artifacts may occur when image processing is applied to a frame.

Various embodiments of the present invention are provided for preventing artifacts from occurring on an ultrasound image based on a beam focusing parameter.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, a first aspect of the present disclosure is to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object based on a beam focusing parameter set in an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. The transceiver, based on the received ultrasound echo signal, generates a plurality of scan lines constituting the frame, and generates at least one subframe by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group based on the beam focusing parameter; An image processing unit generating an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by performing image processing on the at least one generated sub-frame and recombining scan lines in the at least one image-processed sub-frame, and a display displaying the generated ultrasound image A medical imaging apparatus including a unit may be provided.

Also, the beam focusing parameter may include at least one of a beam focusing method, a beam direction, a depth of a focal point, a frequency, and a transmission/reception aperture.

Also, the ultrasound signal includes a first ultrasound signal and a second ultrasound signal having focal points at different positions, and the image processing unit generates a first scan line based on the first ultrasound echo signal corresponding to the first ultrasound signal. and generating a second scan line based on a second ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the second ultrasonic signal, interpolating the first scan line and the second scan line to generate at least one additional third scan line, thereby generating a plurality of scan lines can create

Also, the image processor may generate a plurality of scan lines corresponding to the ultrasound signal based on the received ultrasound echo signal.

In addition, the image processing unit obtains a type of a beam focusing method in which a plurality of scan lines are generated based on the beam focusing parameter, and generates scan lines having similar scan line characteristics as a group based on the obtained beam focusing method type At least one sub-frame may be generated by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group.

Also, the image processing unit may generate an ultrasound image by rearranging the scan lines in at least one image-processed sub-frame according to the order of the plurality of scan lines before being divided into at least one group.

In addition, a second aspect of the present disclosure may include transmitting an ultrasound signal to an object based on a beam focusing parameter set in an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object, based on the received ultrasound echo signal, generating a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame; generating at least one sub-frame by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group based on a beam focusing parameter; A method for displaying a medical image, comprising the steps of: performing processing, generating an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by recombining scan lines in at least one image-processed sub-frame, and displaying the generated ultrasound image can do.

Also, the beam focusing parameter may include at least one of a beam focusing method, a beam direction, a depth of a focal point, a frequency, and a transmission/reception aperture.

In addition, the ultrasound signal includes a first ultrasound signal and a second ultrasound signal having focal points at different positions, and the step of generating a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal may include: generating a first scan line based on a first ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the ultrasonic signal, generating a second scan line based on a second ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the second ultrasonic signal, and the first scan line and the second scan line The method may include generating a plurality of scan lines by interpolating the two scan lines to generate at least one additional third scan line.

Also, the generating of the plurality of scan lines constituting the frame based on the received ultrasonic echo signal may include generating a plurality of scan lines corresponding to the ultrasonic signal based on the received ultrasonic echo signal. .

In addition, the generating at least one sub-frame by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group based on the beam focusing parameter may include determining the type of the beam focusing method in which the plurality of scan lines are generated based on the beam focusing parameter. and generating at least one subframe by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group so that scan lines having similar scan line characteristics are generated as one group based on the obtained type of beam focusing method. have.

In addition, generating an ultrasound image corresponding to a frame by recombining scan lines in at least one image-processed sub-frame may include, in the order of the plurality of scan lines before being divided into at least one group, the image-processed at least one The method may include generating an ultrasound image by rearranging scan lines in the sub-frame.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating an ultrasound image so that a streak artifact is not generated by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment.
3 is a diagram illustrating a method of generating an ultrasound image by generating more scan lines than the number of times an ultrasound signal is transmitted/received, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining that a streak artifact is generated in an ultrasound image as image processing is applied to scan lines when scan line characteristics are different between adjacent scan lines, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining that a streak artifact is generated on an ultrasound image as image processing is applied to scan lines when scan line characteristics are different between adjacent scan lines, according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram for describing a method of performing image processing so that a streak artifact is not generated by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus performing image processing on scan lines based on scan line characteristics, according to an exemplary embodiment.
7 is a diagram illustrating an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is not generated even after image processing, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram for comparing an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is generated and an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is not generated, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The terms used in the present invention have been selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering the functions in the present invention, but these may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technology, and the like. In addition, in a specific case, there is a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, rather than the name of a simple term.

In the entire specification, when a part “includes” a certain component, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated. In addition, the “… wealth", "… The term “module” means a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

Throughout the specification, an “ultrasound image” refers to an image of an object obtained using ultrasound. Also, a subject may include a human or animal, or a part of a human or animal. For example, the object may include at least one of organs such as liver, heart, uterus, brain, breast, abdomen, and blood vessels. In addition, the object may be a phantom, and the phantom may refer to a material that closely approximates the density and effective atomic number of an organism and closely approximates the volume of the organism. For example, the phantom may be a spherical phantom having characteristics similar to those of a human body.

In addition, throughout the specification, a "user" may be a medical professional, such as a doctor, a nurse, a clinical pathologist, a medical imaging specialist, or a technician repairing a medical device, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, throughout the specification, a beam pattern refers to a characteristic in which an ultrasound beam, which is the basis of a scan line, affects the space at a specific location, and generally has a shape similar to a sink function. Since the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus performs the same focusing operation when the conditions for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals are the same, the beam pattern may be the same if the beam focusing parameters are the same, and the beam patterns may be different as the beam focusing parameters are different. The beam focusing parameter may include at least one of a beam focusing method, a beam direction, a depth of a focal point, a frequency, and a transmission/reception aperture, but is not limited thereto.

Also, throughout the specification, a scan line characteristic may refer to a method by which a scan line is generated, and may also be referred to as a beam pattern.

For example, the scan line characteristics may be different depending on whether the scan line is directly generated from the ultrasound echo signal or is generated by interpolating pre-generated scan lines. Also, even if the scan line is directly generated from the ultrasound echo signal, scan line characteristics may be different depending on whether one scan line or a plurality of scan lines are generated based on one transmission beam. Also, when a plurality of scan lines are generated based on one transmission beam, scan line characteristics among the plurality of generated scan lines may be different.

Also, even if one scan line is generated based on one transmission beam, if the beam focusing parameter is different for each transmission beam, the scan line characteristics between the scan lines may be different.

Also, throughout the specification, a frame may mean a plurality of scan lines constituting one ultrasound image.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may include an ultrasound transceiver 1100 , an image processing unit 1200 , and a display unit 1400 .

The ultrasound transceiver 1100 may transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object.

It may include a transmitter 1110 and a receiver 1120 . Also, the ultrasound transceiver 1100 may include a probe.

The transmitter 1110 may supply a driving signal to the probe so that the probe may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object. The receiver 1120 may receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object and returned from the probe, and may generate ultrasound data. In this case, the ultrasound transceiver 1100 may transmit the ultrasound signal to the object and receive the ultrasound echo signal from the object based on the beam focusing parameter set in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 .

The image processing unit 1200 may generate an ultrasound image through a scan conversion process on the ultrasound data generated by the ultrasound transceiver 1100 . The image processor 1200 may include a data processor 1210 , and the data processor 1210 may include a frame generator 1213 and an image generator 1217 .

The frame generator 1213 may generate a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal. For example, the frame generator 1213 may generate one scan line from one time of transmission/reception ultrasound data, and may generate a plurality of scan lines from one time of transmission/reception ultrasound data. When a plurality of scan lines are generated from one transmission/reception ultrasound data, the scan line characteristics of the plurality of scan lines may not be the same.

When one scan line is generated from one time transmission/reception ultrasound data to form a frame, the scan line characteristics of the scan lines may be almost similar, but a new scan line is generated by interpolating previously generated scan lines, or ultrasound transmission is performed from one time transmission/reception ultrasound data. When a plurality of scan lines are generated at positions different from the positions of the beams, scan line characteristics of the scan lines may not be the same. Also, when a new scan line is generated by interpolating the previously generated scan line, scan line characteristics may be different according to interpolation parameters. The fact that the scan line characteristics are different according to the positions of the scan lines in the frame may be expressed as non-uniformity of the beam pattern of the scan lines.

When image processing is performed on a frame in which a beam pattern of a scan line is non-uniform, a streak artifact may occur. In the case of an adaptive filter (eg, Wiener filter, Kalman filter, Blind Deconvolution, LMS and RLS algorithms, etc.) that extracts filter parameters from an image and performs filtering on an ultrasound image among filters for image processing, a streak artifact There is a high probability of occurrence of a streak artifact, particularly in the case of an image operation or an image filter that affects the direction perpendicular to the scan line direction.

The frame generator 1213 may generate scan lines having similar scan line characteristics among a plurality of scan lines as one sub-frame in order to make a beam pattern of the scan lines uniform. For example, the frame generator 1213 may generate at least one sub-frame by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group among scan lines having similar scan line characteristics.

In this case, the frame generator 1213 may determine the beam pattern of the scan lines based on the beam focusing method set in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 . For example, when the beam focusing method is the RF interpolation method, the frame generator 1213 may analyze that the scan line characteristics of the pre-generated scan line and the interpolated scan line are different from each other. Also, according to an exemplary embodiment, it may be analyzed that scan line characteristics between the interpolated and generated scan lines are different.

The image generator 1217 may generate an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by performing image processing on the at least one generated sub-frame and recombining scan lines in the at least one image-processed sub-frame. In this case, since the beam pattern of the scan lines in the sub-frame is uniform, that is, since the scan line characteristics of the scan lines in the sub-frame are similar, even if image processing is performed on the sub-frame, no streak artifact is generated and the scan lines in the sub-frame are one By recombination into an ultrasound image of

The display unit 1400 may display the generated ultrasound image.

Accordingly, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is not generated by reflecting a characteristic in which a beam pattern of a scan line becomes non-uniform by an RF interpolation method or a multi-beamforming method to image processing. Also, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may improve image processing performance. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may improve the accuracy of filter kernel estimation.

Also, when the filter for image processing is a 2D filter as well as a 3D filter, a streak artifact may not occur.

In addition, the technology of the present invention can be applied not only to ultrasound images but also to medical images such as X-ray images, CT images, and MR images in which streak artifacts occur.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating an ultrasound image so that a streak artifact is not generated by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In operation S210 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object based on the beam focusing parameter set in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 .

The beam focusing parameter may include, but is not limited to, a beamforming method, a beam steering direction, a depth of a focal point, a frequency and an aperture of an ultrasound signal. In addition, the beam focusing method may include analog beamforming, digital beamforming, page rotation beamforming, multi-beamforming, RF interpolation, and the like.

In operation S220 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a plurality of scan lines from one time transmission/reception ultrasound data.

For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a plurality of scan lines constituting one frame based on the RF interpolation method. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a first scan line based on a first ultrasound echo signal corresponding to the first ultrasound signal, and generate a second ultrasound echo signal corresponding to the second ultrasound signal. A plurality of scan lines may be generated by generating the second scan line, interpolating the first scan line and the second scan line to generate at least one additional third scan line.

Also, for example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a plurality of scan lines constituting one frame based on the multi-beamforming method. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may transmit an ultrasound signal to an object, and generate a plurality of scan lines based on the ultrasound echo signal reflected according to one transmission of the ultrasound signal.

The RF interpolation method and the multi-beamforming method are beam focusing methods that generate more scan lines than the number of times an ultrasound signal is transmitted/received, and may have an effect of increasing the density of scan lines in an ultrasound image.

Also, scan lines generated by the RF interpolation method and the multi-beamforming method may have different scan line characteristics between adjacent scan lines. Also, the scan line characteristics of the scan lines generated by the RF interpolation method and the multi-beamforming method may appear as a pattern. For example, scan line characteristics of odd-numbered scan lines in one frame may be the same, scan line characteristics of even-numbered scan lines may be the same, and scan line characteristics of odd-numbered scan lines and even-numbered scan lines may be different from each other. Also, for example, 1, 5, 9, 13..th scanlines, 2, 6, 10, 14..th scanlines, 3, 7, 11, 15..th scanlines, and The 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th scan lines may have similar scan line characteristics.

In operation S230 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate at least one subframe by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group based on the beam focusing parameter.

For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 obtains a type of a beam focusing method in which a plurality of scan lines are generated based on the beam focusing parameter, and selects scan lines having similar scan line characteristics based on the obtained beam focusing method type. At least one subframe may be generated by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group to be generated as one group.

For example, when the beam focusing method is the RF interpolation method, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may determine that the scan line characteristics of the pre-generated scan line and the interpolated scan line are different from each other. Accordingly, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a first sub-frame composed of pre-generated scan lines and generate a second sub-frame composed of interpolated and generated scan lines.

Also, for example, when the beam focusing method is the 4 multi-beamforming method, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may perform 1, 5, 9, 13..th scan lines, 2, 6, 10, and 14 in one frame. It is determined that the scan line characteristics of the ..th scan lines, 3, 7, 11, 15.. th scan lines and the 4, 8, 12, 16.. th scan lines are similar, and 1+4n(n=0, 1, 2..) generate a first sub-frame composed of th scan lines, generate a second sub-frame composed of 2+4n-th scan lines, generate a third sub-frame composed of 3+4n-th scan lines, and 4 A fourth sub-frame including +4n-th scan lines may be generated.

In operation S240, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may perform image processing on at least one generated sub-frame.

The image processing may include, for example, sharpening, resolution control filtering, and brightness control filtering, but is not limited thereto. Image processing may be performed on scan line data in a sub-frame.

The scan line data may be IQ data (complex data) having image information, or may be pixel data (real data) in an ultrasound image.

In operation S250 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by recombining scan lines in at least one image-processed sub-frame.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate an ultrasound image by rearranging the scan lines in at least one image-processed sub-frame according to the order of the plurality of scan lines before being divided into at least one group.

In operation S260, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may display the generated ultrasound image.

The generated ultrasound image may not include streak artifacts. On the other hand, a streak artifact may be generated in an ultrasound image that is directly image-processed with respect to the original scan lines.

Also, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may display an indicator indicating that the streak artifact of the ultrasound image has been removed together with the ultrasound image.

Also, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 first displays an ultrasound image that has been directly image-processed with respect to original scan lines, and receives a user input for selecting a button for removing the streak artifact from which the streak artifact is removed. An ultrasound image may be displayed.

3 is a diagram illustrating a method of generating an ultrasound image by generating more scan lines than the number of times an ultrasound signal is transmitted/received, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3A , the RF interpolation method may include a method of generating a new scan line by interpolating the scan lines. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate at least one additional third scan line 310 by interpolating the first scan line 300 and the second scan line 320 . For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 interpolates the first point 301 of the first scan line 300 and the first point 303 of the second scan line 320 to form at least one additional third scan line ( A first point 302 of 310 may be created. In this case, the first point 301 of the first scan line 300 , the first point 303 of the second scan line 320 , and the first point 302 of the third scan line 310 generated by interpolation are virtual The distance from the vertex Apex may be the same.

In this case, the first scan line 300 and the second scan line 320 may be scan lines generated based on the ultrasound echo signal. The at least one additional third scan line 310 may not be a scan line directly generated from the ultrasound echo signal, but may be a scan line generated by interpolating previously generated scan lines. Accordingly, the interpolated and generated third scan line 310 may have different scan line characteristics from the first scan line 300 and the second scan line 320 , and scan lines generated in advance within one frame ( FIG. 3 ). The scan line characteristics between odd-numbered scan lines in (a) may be the same, and scan line characteristics between scan lines generated by interpolation (even-numbered scan lines in FIG. 3(b)) may be the same. Also, according to an embodiment, scan line characteristics between the interpolated and generated scan lines may be different.

Referring to FIG. 3B , the multi-beamforming method may include a method of generating a plurality of scan lines based on one transmission beam 340 .

For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate scan lines using two multi-beamforming methods. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 transmits one beam 340 to the object by focusing the ultrasound signal generated from the transducer 330, and two scan lines ( 350 and 360) can be created. In this case, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate the first scan line 350 on the right side of the ultrasound transmission beam 340 and generate the second scan line 360 on the left side of the ultrasound transmission beam 340 . In this case, the first scan line 350 and the second scan line 360 may have different scan line characteristics, and the scan line characteristics between odd-numbered scan lines in one frame may be the same and scan line characteristics between even-numbered scan lines may be the same. can

Also, for example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate scan lines using three multi-beamforming methods. For example, one beam 340 may be transmitted to an object by focusing an ultrasound signal generated from the transducer 330 , and three scan lines may be generated based on the ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate one scan line on the right side of the ultrasound transmission beam 340 , and one scan line on the left side of the ultrasound transmission beam 340 , and the transmission beam 340 . One scan line can be created at the position of . In this case, the scan line characteristics of each of the three scan lines may be different, and the scan line characteristics between the 1+3n (n=0, 1, 2..)-th scan lines within one frame are the same, and the 2+3n-th scan line has the same scan line characteristics. The scan line characteristics may be the same between the two groups, and the scan line characteristics between the 3+3n-th scan lines may be the same.

Also, for example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate scan lines using 4 multi-beamforming methods. For example, one beam 340 may be transmitted to an object by focusing an ultrasound signal generated from the transducer 330 , and four scan lines may be generated based on the ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object. For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate two scan lines on the right side of the ultrasound transmission beam 340 and generate two scan lines on the left side of the ultrasound transmission beam 340 . In this case, the scan line characteristics of each of the four scan lines may be different, and the scan line characteristics between the 1+4n (n=0, 1, 2..)-th scan lines within one frame are the same, and the 2+4n-th scan line has the same scan line characteristics. The scan line characteristics may be the same between the 3+4n-th scan lines, and the 4+4n-th scan lines may have the same scan line characteristics.

4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining that a streak artifact is generated on an ultrasound image as image processing is applied to scan lines when scan line characteristics are different between adjacent scan lines, according to an embodiment of the present invention; .

4A is a diagram illustrating an original ultrasound image 410 before image processing. The beam focusing method of the original ultrasound image 410 may be a multi-beamforming method or an RF interpolation method. When the beam focusing method is a multi-beamforming method or an RF interpolation method, scan line characteristics may be different between adjacent scan lines.

4B is a diagram illustrating an ultrasound image 420 after image processing. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may perform image processing on the original ultrasound image 410 . The image processing may include, for example, sharpening, resolution filtering, and brightness control filtering, but is not limited thereto.

As image processing is performed on the original ultrasound image 410 having different scan line characteristics between adjacent scan lines, a streak artifact 422 may be generated in the ultrasound image 420 as a whole. The streak artifact 422 may be an elongated stripe generated in the scan line direction.

Comparing the original ultrasound image 410 before image processing of FIG. 4A and the ultrasound image 420 after image processing of FIG. 4B , the ultrasound image 420 after image processing is clearer and higher in resolution than the original ultrasound image 410 . On the other hand, it can be seen that a streak artifact 422 that is not present in the original ultrasound image 410 is generated in the ultrasound image 420 after image processing. It can be seen that the streak artifact does not exist in the region 412 in the original ultrasound image 410 that corresponds to the region where the streak artifact 422 is generated.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining that a streak artifact is generated on an ultrasound image as image processing is applied to scan lines when scan line characteristics are different between adjacent scan lines, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a differential ultrasound image 510 may be an image representing a difference between an ultrasound image 420 after image processing and an original ultrasound image 410 . Due to the streak artifact present in the ultrasound image 420 after image processing, the differential ultrasound image 510 may include long and thin stripes 520 in the scan line direction.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of performing image processing so that a streak artifact is not generated by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 performing image processing on scan lines based on scan line characteristics, according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 generates and generates at least one subframe 620 and 630 by dividing a plurality of scan lines in a frame 610 into at least one group based on a beam focusing parameter. An ultrasound image 660 that does not include a streak artifact may be generated by performing image processing on at least one sub-frame that has been processed and recombining scan lines in at least one of the sub-frames 640 and 650 subjected to image processing. .

The beam focusing parameter may include, but is not limited to, a beam focusing method, a beam steering direction, a depth of a focal point, and a frequency and aperture of an ultrasound signal. In addition, the beam focusing method may include analog beamforming, digital beamforming, page rotation beamforming, multi-beamforming, RF interpolation, and the like.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a plurality of scan lines constituting one frame 610 based on a beam focusing method. When the beam focusing method is a multi-beamforming or RF interpolation method, scan line characteristics of a plurality of scan lines may be different between adjacent scan lines. For example, when the beam focusing method is an RF interpolation method in which one scan line is interpolated and additionally generated, the first scan line 612 and the third scan line 616 may be scan lines generated by directly decoding an ultrasound echo signal. In addition, the second scan line 614 may be a scan line generated by interpolating the first scan line 612 and the third scan line 616 . Accordingly, the scan line characteristics of the first scan line 612 and the third scan line 616 may be similar, and the scan line characteristics of the second scan line 614 and the fourth scan line 618 may be similar.

In addition, when the beam focusing method is the two multi-beamforming method, the first scan line 612 and the second scan line 614 transmit one ultrasound in which a focal point is located between the first scan line 612 and the second scan line 614 . After the beam is transmitted to the object, it may be two scan lines generated based on the ultrasound echo signal received from the object. Accordingly, the scan line characteristics of the first scan line 612 and the third scan line 616 may be similar, and the scan line characteristics of the second scan line 614 and the fourth scan line 618 may be similar.

Also, when the beam focusing method is the 4 multi-beamforming method, four scan lines may be generated corresponding to one ultrasound transmission beam. In this case, the scan line characteristics of the first scan line and the fifth scan line are similar, and the second scan line The scan line characteristics of the scan line and the sixth scan line may be similar.

Accordingly, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may group scan lines having similar scan line characteristics into one group based on the beam focusing parameter set in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 .

For example, when the beam focusing method is an RF interpolation method or two multi-beam forming methods for additionally generating one scan line by interpolating one scan line, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may perform a first scan line that is an odd-numbered scan line based on the order of the scan lines. The first scan line 612 and the third scan line 616 may be divided into a first group, and the second scan line 614 and the fourth scan line 618 that are even-numbered scan lines may be divided into a second group.

As the plurality of scan lines in the frame are divided into a first group and a second group, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 generates a first sub-frame 620 based on the scan lines of the first group, and generates the scan lines of the second group. Based on , the second subframe 630 may be generated.

After generating the first sub-frame 620 and the second sub-frame 630 by grouping a plurality of scan lines in the frame 610 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 does not perform image processing on the frame 610 . Instead, image processing may be performed on each of the first sub-frame 620 and the second sub-frame 630 . The image processing may include any filtering applied to the image to improve the quality of the image, and may include, for example, sharpening filtering, resolution adjustment filtering, and brightness adjustment filtering, but is not limited thereto.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate an ultrasound image 660 corresponding to the frame 610 by recombining scan lines in the image-processed first sub-frame 640 and the second sub-frame 650 .

For example, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 selects the scan lines in the at least one sub-frame 640 and 650 that have been image-processed according to the order of the plurality of scan lines in the frame 610 before being divided into at least one group. By rearranging, the ultrasound image 660 corresponding to the frame 610 may be generated.

7 is a diagram illustrating an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is not generated even after image processing, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 groups a plurality of scan lines in the original ultrasound image 410 of FIG. 4A based on a beam focusing method set in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 by grouping at least one scan line. By generating a sub-frame and performing image processing on the generated sub-frame, an ultrasound image 710 in which a streak artifact is not generated may be generated.

The ultrasound image 710 of FIG. 7 is sharpened and has a higher resolution like the ultrasound image 420 after image processing of FIG. It can be seen that the streak artifact does not occur in the region 712 in the ultrasound image 710 of FIG. 7 corresponding to the region in which ?

8 is a diagram for comparing an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is generated and an ultrasound image in which a streak artifact is not generated, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may generate a plurality of scan lines based on a multi-beamforming method or an RF interpolation method, and may generate an original ultrasound image 810 based on the generated scan lines.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may perform image processing on the original ultrasound image 810 . In the case of scan lines generated according to the multi-beamforming method or the RF interpolation method, scan line characteristics may be different between adjacent scan lines. Accordingly, a streak artifact may be generated in the ultrasound image 820 after image processing is performed. For example, it can be seen that the streak artifact is not present in the lower right region 812 of the original ultrasound image, but the streak artifact is generated in the lower right region 822 of the ultrasound image 820 after image processing is performed. .

When the beam focusing method is set to the multi-beamforming method or the RF interpolation method, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 groups a plurality of scan lines in the original ultrasound image 810 into at least one subframe based on the set beam focusing method. Then, an ultrasound image 830 that does not include a streak artifact may be generated by performing image processing on at least one sub-frame.

It can be seen that the streak artifact is not included in the lower right region 832 of the image 830 on which image processing is performed on the sub-frame.

9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment includes a probe 20 , an ultrasound transceiver 1100 , an image processing unit 1200 , a communication unit 1300 , a display 1400 , a memory 1500 , and an input device 1600 . , and a control unit 1700 , and the various components described above may be connected to each other through the bus 1800 .

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may be implemented not only as a cart type but also as a portable type. Examples of the portable ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may include, but are not limited to, a picture archiving and communication system viewer (PACS), a smart phone, a laptop computer, a PDA, and a tablet PC.

The probe 20 transmits an ultrasound signal to the object 10 according to a driving signal applied from the ultrasound transceiver 1100 , and receives an echo signal reflected from the object 10 . The probe 20 includes a plurality of transducers, and the plurality of transducers vibrate according to a transmitted electrical signal and generate ultrasonic waves, which are acoustic energy. Also, the probe 20 may be connected to the main body of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 by wire or wirelessly, and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may include a plurality of probes 20 according to an implementation form.

The transmitter 1110 supplies a driving signal to the probe 20 , and includes a pulse generator 1112 , a transmission delay unit 1114 , and a pulser 1116 . The pulse generator 1112 generates a pulse for forming a transmission ultrasound according to a predetermined pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and the transmission delay unit 1114 determines the transmission directionality. A delay time is applied to the pulse. Each pulse to which the delay time is applied corresponds to a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators included in the probe 20 , respectively. The pulser 1116 applies a driving signal (or a driving pulse) to the probe 20 at a timing corresponding to each pulse to which a delay time is applied.

The receiver 1120 generates ultrasonic data by processing the echo signal received from the probe 20 , and an amplifier 1122 , an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 1124 , a reception delay unit 1126 , and A summation unit 1128 may be included. The amplifier 1122 amplifies the echo signal for each channel, and the ADC 1124 analog-digitizes the amplified echo signal. The reception delay unit 1126 applies a delay time for determining reception directionality to the digitally converted echo signal, and the summing unit 1128 sums the echo signals processed by the reception delay unit 1166. Generate ultrasound data. Meanwhile, the receiver 1120 may not include the amplifier 1122 depending on its implementation form. That is, when the sensitivity of the probe 20 is improved or the number of processing bits of the ADC 1124 is improved, the amplifier 1122 may be omitted.

The image processing unit 1200 generates an ultrasound image through a scan conversion process on the ultrasound data generated by the ultrasound transceiver 1100 . Meanwhile, the ultrasound image is a gray scale image obtained by scanning an object in A mode (amplitude mode), B mode (brightness mode), and M mode (motion mode), as well as a Doppler effect. It may be a Doppler image expressing a moving object by using it. The Doppler image may be a blood flow Doppler image (or also referred to as a color Doppler image) indicating blood flow, a tissue Doppler image indicating tissue movement, or a spectral Doppler image indicating a movement speed of an object as a waveform.

The B-mode processing unit 1212 included in the data processing unit 1210 extracts and processes the B-mode component from the ultrasound data. The image generator 1220 may generate an ultrasound image in which signal intensity is expressed as brightness based on the B mode component extracted by the B mode processor 1212 .

Similarly, the Doppler processing unit 1214 included in the data processing unit 1210 extracts a Doppler component from the ultrasound data, and the image generator 1220 expresses the movement of the object in color or waveform based on the extracted Doppler component. A Doppler image can be generated.

The image generator 1220 according to an embodiment may generate a 3D ultrasound image through a volume rendering process on volume data, and may generate an elastic image obtained by imaging the degree of deformation of the object 10 according to pressure. may be Furthermore, the image generator 1220 may express various types of additional information as text or graphics on the ultrasound image. Meanwhile, the generated ultrasound image may be stored in the memory 1500 .

The display unit 1400 displays and outputs the generated ultrasound image. The display unit 1400 may display not only an ultrasound image but also various information processed by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 on a screen through a graphical user interface (GUI). Meanwhile, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may include two or more display units 1400 according to an implementation form.

The communication unit 1300 is connected to the network 30 by wire or wirelessly and communicates with an external device or server. The communication unit 1300 may exchange data with a hospital server connected through a medical image information system (PACS) or other medical devices in the hospital. Also, the communication unit 1300 may perform data communication according to a digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) standard.

The communication unit 1300 may transmit/receive data related to diagnosis of an object, such as an ultrasound image, ultrasound data, and Doppler data, of the object 10 through the network 30 , and may include other medical devices such as a CT apparatus, an MRI apparatus, and an X-ray apparatus. Medical images captured by the device can also be transmitted and received. Furthermore, the communication unit 1300 may receive information about a patient's diagnosis history or treatment schedule from the server and use it for diagnosis of the object 10 . Furthermore, the communication unit 1300 may perform data communication with a portable terminal of a doctor or a patient as well as a server or medical device in a hospital.

The communication unit 1300 may be connected to the network 30 by wire or wirelessly to exchange data with the server 32 , the medical device 34 , or the portable terminal 36 . The communication unit 1300 may include one or more components that enable communication with an external device, and may include, for example, a short-range communication module 1310 , a wired communication module 1320 , and a mobile communication module 1330 . can

The short-range communication module 1310 refers to a module for short-range communication within a predetermined distance. Short-range communication technology according to an embodiment of the present invention includes wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), ultra wideband (UWB), infrared communication ( IrDA, infrared Data Association), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC (Near Field Communication), etc. may be included, but is not limited thereto.

The wired communication module 1320 refers to a module for communication using an electrical signal or an optical signal, and in wired communication technology according to an embodiment, a twisted pair cable, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber cable, and Ethernet (ethernet) There may be cables, etc.

The mobile communication module 1330 transmits and receives a wireless signal to and from at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may be a voice call signal, a video call call signal, or various types of data according to text/multimedia message transmission/reception.

The memory 1500 stores various pieces of information processed by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 . For example, the memory 1500 may store medical data related to diagnosis of an object, such as input/output ultrasound data and ultrasound images, and may also store an algorithm or program executed in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 .

The memory 1500 may be implemented with various types of storage media, such as flash memory, hard disk, and EEPROM. Also, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 may operate a web storage or a cloud server that performs a storage function of the memory 1500 on the web.

The input device 1600 refers to a means for receiving data for controlling the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 from a user. Examples of the input device 1600 include, but are not limited to, hardware components such as a keypad, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch screen, a track ball, and a jog switch, and are not limited thereto, and include an electrocardiogram measurement module, a respiration measurement module, a voice recognition sensor, and a gesture. It may further include various input means such as a recognition sensor, a fingerprint recognition sensor, an iris recognition sensor, a depth sensor, and a distance sensor.

The controller 1700 controls the overall operation of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 . That is, the control unit 1700 includes the probe 20, the ultrasound transceiver 1100, the image processing unit 1200, the communication unit 1300, the display unit 1400, the memory 1500, and the input device ( 1600) can be controlled.

Some or all of the probe 20 , the ultrasound transceiver 1100 , the image processing unit 1200 , the communication unit 1300 , the display unit 1400 , the memory 1500 , the input device 1600 , and the control unit 1700 are software It may operate by a module, but is not limited thereto, and some of the above-described components may be operated by hardware. In addition, at least some of the ultrasound transceiver 1100 , the image processing unit 1200 , and the communication unit 1300 may be included in the control unit 1600 , but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

A person of ordinary skill in the art related to the embodiments of the present invention will understand that it may be implemented in a modified form within a range that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed methods are to be considered in an illustrative and not a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than in the detailed description of the invention, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object based on a beam focusing parameter set in the ultrasound imaging apparatus; and
generating a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal;
obtaining a type of a beam focusing scheme in which the plurality of scan lines are generated based on the beam focusing parameter;
generating at least one subframe by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group such that scan lines having similar scan line characteristics are generated as one group based on the obtained type of beam focusing method;
image processing is performed on the generated at least one sub-frame;
an image processing unit configured to generate an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by recombining scan lines in at least one of the image-processed sub-frames; comprising, a medical imaging device. The method of claim 1,
The medical imaging device,
The medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display unit configured to display the generated ultrasound image. The method of claim 1,
The beam focusing parameter includes at least one of a beam focusing method, a depth of a focal point, a frequency, and a transmission/reception aperture. The method of claim 1,
The ultrasound signal includes a first ultrasound signal and a second ultrasound signal having focal points at different positions,
The image processing unit,
generating a first scan line based on a first ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the first ultrasonic signal, generating a second scan line based on a second ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the second ultrasonic signal, and generating the first scan line and generating the plurality of scan lines by interpolating the second scan line to generate at least one additional third scan line. The method of claim 1,
The image processing unit,
A medical imaging apparatus generating a plurality of scan lines corresponding to the ultrasound signal based on the received ultrasound echo signal. delete The method of claim 1,
The image processing unit,
The ultrasound image is generated by rearranging the scan lines in the at least one image-processed sub-frame according to an order of the plurality of scan lines before being divided into the at least one group. transmitting an ultrasound signal to an object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object based on a beam focusing parameter set in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus;
generating a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal;
acquiring a type of beam focusing scheme in which the plurality of scan lines are generated, based on the beam focusing parameter;
generating at least one sub-frame by dividing the plurality of scan lines into at least one group such that scan lines having similar scan line characteristics are generated as one group based on the obtained type of the beam focusing method;
performing image processing on the generated at least one sub-frame; and
generating an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by recombining scan lines within the at least one sub-frame that has been image-processed;
A method for displaying medical images, comprising: 9. The method of claim 8,
The medical image display method,
The method further comprising the step of displaying the generated ultrasound image. 9. The method of claim 8,
The beam focusing parameter includes at least one of a beam focusing method, a depth of a focal point, a frequency, and a transmission/reception aperture. 9. The method of claim 8,
The ultrasound signal includes a first ultrasound signal and a second ultrasound signal having focal points at different positions,
generating a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal,
generating a first scan line based on a first ultrasound echo signal corresponding to the first ultrasound signal;
generating a second scan line based on a second ultrasound echo signal corresponding to the second ultrasound signal; and
generating the plurality of scan lines by interpolating the first scan line and the second scan line to generate at least one additional third scan line. 9. The method of claim 8,
generating a plurality of scan lines constituting a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal,
and generating a plurality of scan lines corresponding to the ultrasound signal based on the received ultrasound echo signal. delete 9. The method of claim 8,
generating an ultrasound image corresponding to the frame by recombining scan lines in the at least one sub-frame that has been image-processed,
generating the ultrasound image by rearranging the scan lines in the at least one image-processed sub-frame according to the order of the plurality of scan lines before being divided into the at least one group.

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