WO2016204447A1

WO2016204447A1 - Ultrasonic device and operation method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2016204447A1
Application number: PCT/KR2016/006105
Authority: WO
Inventors: 엠 더블유 다프트크리스토퍼; 김형진; 김강식; 이우열
Original assignee: 삼성메디슨 주식회사
Priority date: 2015-06-16
Filing date: 2016-06-09
Publication date: 2016-12-22

Abstract

An ultrasonic image device can comprise: a probe for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to an object on the basis of a first path, and receiving an echo signal reflected from the object; and a processor for generating a first ultrasonic image corresponding to the object on the basis of the reflected echo signal, detecting at least one region having a low image quality among regions in the first ultrasonic image according to a predetermined criterion, focusing a focal point in a predetermined region of the object corresponding to the at least one region so as to control the ultrasonic signal such that the ultrasonic signal is transmitted through a second path, and generating a second ultrasonic image corresponding to the object on the basis of the echo signal of the ultrasonic signal transmitted to the object along the second path.

Description

Ultrasound device and its operation method

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic apparatus and a method of operating the same, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for performing beamforming.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus irradiates an ultrasound signal generated from a transducer of a probe to an object, and receives information of an echo signal reflected from the object to obtain an image of a part inside the object. In particular, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used for medical purposes such as observation inside the subject, foreign matter detection, and injury measurement. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is widely used together with other image diagnosis apparatuses because it has a higher stability, a display of an image in real time, and no radiation exposure and is safer than a diagnostic apparatus using X-rays.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may detect a region having a low image quality in the ultrasound image, and obtain a more precise ultrasound image by supplementing a region having a low image quality.

The present invention also provides a computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing an operation method of an ultrasonic imaging apparatus in a computer.

According to one side, a probe for transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object based on the first path, and receives the echo signal reflected from the object; And generating a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal, detecting at least one region having a low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image, Focusing a focal point in a predetermined area of the object corresponding to one area to transmit the ultrasound signal to a second path, and based on the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path; An ultrasound imaging apparatus including a processor configured to generate a second ultrasound image corresponding to an object is provided.

Here, the first path may be determined based on the position information of the origin of the ultrasonic beam consisting of the ultrasonic signal and the transmission direction information of the ultrasonic beam.

In addition, the probe transmits an ultrasound beam of the ultrasound signal to the object in a plurality of directions, receives echo signals reflected based on each of the plurality of directions from the object, and the processor is configured to At least one region having a low image quality may be detected based on a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image by using echo signals reflected based on each of the plurality of directions.

Here, the predetermined criterion is an area within the first ultrasound image corresponding to the first focusing point when the correlation for the first focusing point obtained by using different apodization functions is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. May be detected as a region having low image quality.

The display apparatus may further include a display configured to display at least one of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

The display may display a map indicating the quality of the first ultrasound image based on the detected at least one region.

The display may display the map by distinguishing the at least one area from an area other than the at least one area.

In addition, the probe may include a transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements, and the plurality of transducer elements may be arranged in one or two dimensions.

The transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam may be angle information formed by the transmission direction of the ultrasound beam and the transducer array.

The ultrasound signal may be transmitted by focusing a first focusing point and the ultrasound signal may be transmitted by focusing a second focusing point.

The processor may be further configured to control the ultrasound signal to be transmitted to the third path based on the at least one area, and to output the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object according to the second path and the third path. A second ultrasound image corresponding to the object may be generated based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object.

The apparatus may further include a user interface configured to receive a user input configured to transmit the ultrasound signal to a second path based on the at least one area, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the second ultrasound signal based on the user input. You can control the transmission by the path.

In addition, the processor may control to perform beamforming by using a sub-aperture obtained by dividing the transducer elements in the probe by a predetermined number.

According to another aspect, a) transmitting an ultrasound signal to an object based on a first path, and receiving an echo signal reflected from the object; b) generating a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal, and detecting at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image; c) controlling focusing points within a predetermined area of the object corresponding to the at least one area to transmit the ultrasound signal through a second path; And d) generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path.

Here, the first path may be determined based on the position information of the origin of the ultrasound beam consisting of the ultrasound signal and the transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam.

The step a) may further include transmitting an ultrasound beam of the ultrasound signal to the object in a plurality of directions, and receiving echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. In step b), at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image is obtained by using echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. Detecting.

The method may further include displaying at least one of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

The method may further include displaying a map representing the quality of the first ultrasound image based on the detected at least one region.

In addition, in step f), the map may be displayed by distinguishing the at least one area from an area other than the at least one area.

In addition, step c) includes controlling to transmit the ultrasound signal to a third path based on the at least one region, and step d) includes transmitting the ultrasound signal to the object according to the second path. And generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the echo signal of the ultrasound signal and the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object according to the third path.

In addition, g) receiving a user input for setting to transmit the ultrasound signal to the second path based on the at least one area, wherein step c), the ultrasound signal based on the user input It may be to control to transmit to the second path.

According to yet another aspect, in a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for executing an operating method of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus, the operating method of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus, a) transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the object based on the first path Receiving an echo signal reflected from the object; b) generating a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal, and detecting at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image; c) controlling focusing points within a predetermined area of the object corresponding to the at least one area to transmit the ultrasound signal through a second path; And d) generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect a region having a low image quality in the ultrasound image, and obtain a more precise ultrasound image by supplementing a region having a low image quality.

The invention can be easily understood by the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which reference numerals refer to structural elements.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound imaging apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound imaging apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an ultrasound imaging apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of detecting a region having a low image quality among regions in an ultrasound image, according to an exemplary embodiment.

6B is a diagram for describing detecting a region having a low image quality from among regions in an ultrasound image, according to another exemplary embodiment.

7A is a diagram for describing a factor of lowering the quality of an ultrasound image, according to an exemplary embodiment.

7B is a diagram for describing a method of improving the quality of an ultrasound image, according to an exemplary embodiment.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an ultrasound imaging apparatus, according to another exemplary embodiment.

9 is a diagram for describing a first ultrasound image and a map indicating the quality of the first ultrasound image, according to an exemplary embodiment.

10 is a diagram for describing a first ultrasound image (before image quality is improved) and a second ultrasound image (after image quality is improved), according to an exemplary embodiment.

11 is a flowchart of a method of operating an ultrasound imaging apparatus, according to another exemplary embodiment.

12 is a diagram for describing a method of controlling an operation of an ultrasound imaging apparatus according to a user input, according to an exemplary embodiment.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may include: a probe configured to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object based on a first path, and receive an echo signal reflected from the object; And generating a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal, detecting at least one region having a low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image, Focusing a focal point in a predetermined area of the object corresponding to one area to transmit the ultrasound signal to a second path, and based on the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path; It may include a processor for generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object.

The terms used in the present invention have been selected as widely used general terms as possible in consideration of the functions in the present invention, but this may vary according to the intention or precedent of the person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technologies and the like. In addition, in certain cases, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the contents throughout the present invention, rather than the names of the simple terms.

When any part of the specification is to "include" any component, this means that it may further include other components, except to exclude other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, the term "part" as used herein refers to a hardware component, such as software, FPGA or ASIC, and "part" plays certain roles. But wealth is not limited to software or hardware. The 'unit' may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to play one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a "part" refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, Subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. The functionality provided within the components and "parts" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts".

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. The term and / or includes a combination of a plurality of related items or any item of a plurality of related items.

Throughout the specification, “image” may mean multi-dimensional data composed of discrete image elements (eg, pixels in a 2D image and voxels in a 3D image).

Throughout the specification, an “ultrasound image” refers to an image of an object obtained using ultrasound. The ultrasound image may refer to an image obtained by irradiating an ultrasound signal generated from a transducer of a probe to an object and receiving information of an echo signal reflected from the object. In addition, the ultrasound image may be implemented in various ways. For example, the ultrasound image may include an A mode image, a B mode brightness image, a C mode image, and a D mode image. The ultrasound image may be a 2D image or a 3D image.

In addition, the subject may comprise a human or animal, or part of a human or animal. For example, the subject may include organs such as the liver, heart, uterus, brain, breast, abdomen, or blood vessels. In addition, the object may include a phantom, and the phantom may refer to a material having a volume very close to the density of the organism and the effective atomic number.

In addition, in the entire specification, the "user" may be a doctor, a nurse, a clinical pathologist, a medical imaging expert, or the like, and may be a technician who repairs a medical device, but is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may include a probe 20, an ultrasound transceiver 115, an image processor 150, a display 160, a communicator 170, a memory 180, and a user input unit ( 190, and a controller 195. In addition, the above-described components may be connected to each other through the bus 185, and the image processor 150 may include an image generator 155, a cross-sectional information detector 130, and a display 160.

Those skilled in the art may understand that other general purpose components may be further included in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented not only in a cart type but also in a portable type. Examples of the portable ultrasound apparatus may include a PACS viewer, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a PDA, a tablet PC, and the like, but are not limited thereto.

The probe 20 transmits an ultrasound signal to the object 10 according to a driving signal applied from the ultrasound transceiver 115, 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 an electrical signal transmitted and generate ultrasonic waves which are acoustic energy. In addition, the probe 20 may be connected to the main body of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 by wire or wirelessly, and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may include a plurality of probes 20 according to an implementation form.

The transmitter 110 supplies a driving signal to the probe 20, and includes a pulse generator 112, a transmission delay unit 114, and a pulser 116. The pulse generator 112 generates a pulse for forming a transmission ultrasonic wave according to a predetermined pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and the transmission delay unit 114 determines a transmission directionality. Apply a delay time 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 116 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 120 processes the echo signal received from the probe 20 to generate ultrasonic data, an amplifier 122, an ADC (Analog Digital Converter) 124, a reception delay unit 126, and The adder 128 may be included. The amplifier 122 amplifies the echo signal for each channel, and the ADC 124 analog-to-digital converts the amplified echo signal. The reception delay unit 126 applies a delay time for determining reception directionality to the digitally converted echo signal, and the adder 128 sums up the echo signals processed by the reception delay unit 126 by Generate ultrasound data.

The image processor 150 generates an ultrasound image through a scan conversion process on the ultrasound data generated by the ultrasound transceiver 115.

Meanwhile, the ultrasound image is a gray scale ultrasound image of scanning the object according to the A mode, B mode, and M mode, as well as the Doppler image. Can be represented. The Doppler image may include a blood flow Doppler image (or also called a color Doppler image) representing blood flow, a tissue Doppler image representing a tissue movement, and a spectral Doppler image displaying a moving speed of an object as a waveform. have.

The B mode processing unit 141 extracts and processes the B mode component from the ultrasonic data. The image generator 155 may generate an ultrasound image in which the intensity of the signal is expressed as brightness based on the B mode component extracted by the B mode processor 141.

Similarly, the Doppler processor 142 may extract the Doppler component from the ultrasound data, and the image generator 155 may generate a Doppler image representing the movement of the object in color or waveform based on the extracted Doppler component.

The image generator 155 according to an embodiment may generate a 2D ultrasound image or a 3D image of the object, and may also generate an elastic image that images the deformation degree of the object 10 according to the pressure. . In addition, the image generator 155 may express various additional information in text or graphics on the ultrasound image. The generated ultrasound image may be stored in the memory 180.

The display 160 displays and outputs the generated ultrasound image. The display 160 may display and output not only an ultrasound image but also various information processed by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 on a screen through a graphical user interface (GUI). Meanwhile, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may include two or more display units 160 according to an implementation form.

The display unit 160 may include a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, and a three-dimensional display. 3D display, an electrophoretic display.

In addition, when the display unit 160 and the user input unit form a layer structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 160 may be used as an input device capable of inputting information by a user's touch in addition to the output device.

The touch screen may be configured to detect not only the touch input position and the touched area but also the touch pressure. In addition, the touch screen may be configured such that proximity touch as well as real-touch may be detected.

In the present specification, "real-touch" refers to a case in which a pointer is actually touched on the screen, and "proximity-touch" refers to a point in which the pointer is actually touched on the screen. This is not the case, and refers to the case of approaching a distance from the screen. In the present specification, a pointer refers to a touch tool for touching or proximity touching a specific portion of a displayed screen. Examples thereof include electronic pens and fingers.

Although not shown in the drawing, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may include various sensors inside or near the touch screen to detect a direct touch or a proximity touch on the touch screen. An example of a sensor for sensing a touch of a touch screen is a tactile sensor.

The tactile sensor refers to a sensor that senses the contact of a specific object to the extent that a person feels or more. The tactile sensor may sense various information such as the roughness of the contact surface, the rigidity of the contact object, the temperature of the contact point, and the like.

In addition, an example of a sensor for sensing a touch of a touch screen is a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object present in the vicinity without using a mechanical contact by using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

The communication unit 170 is connected to the network 30 by wire or wirelessly to communicate with an external device or server. The communicator 170 may exchange data with a hospital server or another medical device in the hospital connected through a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). In addition, the communicator 170 may perform data communication according to a digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) standard.

The communicator 170 may transmit / receive data related to diagnosis of the object, such as ultrasound image, ultrasound data, and Doppler data of the object through the network 30, and may take a medical image taken by another medical device such as CT, MRI, or X-ray. It can also send and receive. In addition, the communication unit 170 may receive information on a diagnosis history, a treatment schedule, and the like of the patient from the server and use the same to diagnose the object. In addition, the communication unit 170 may perform data communication with a portable terminal of a doctor or a patient, as well as a server or a medical device in a hospital.

The communication unit 170 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 170 may include one or more components that enable communication with an external device, and may include, for example, a short range communication module 171, a wired communication module 172, and a mobile communication module 173. Can be.

The short range communication module 171 refers to a module for short range communication within a predetermined distance. Local area communication technology according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct), UWB (ultra wideband), infrared communication ( IrDA (Infrared Data Association), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like, but are not limited thereto.

The wired communication module 172 refers to a module for communication using an electrical signal or an optical signal. The wired communication technology according to an embodiment includes a pair cable, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber cable, an Ethernet cable, and the like. This may be included.

The mobile communication module 173 transmits and receives a radio signal with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The memory 180 stores various types of information processed by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100. For example, the memory 180 may store medical data related to diagnosis of an object, such as input / output ultrasound data and an ultrasound image, or may store an algorithm or a program performed in the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100.

The memory 180 may be implemented as various types of storage media such as a flash memory, a hard disk, and an EEPROM. Also, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may operate a web storage or a cloud server that performs a storage function of the memory 180 on the web.

The user input unit 190 generates input data input by a user for controlling the operation of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 50. The user input unit 190 may include, but is not limited to, a hardware configuration such as a keypad, a mouse, a touch pad, a trackball, a jog switch, an ECG measurement module, a respiration measurement module, a voice recognition sensor, a gesture recognition sensor, and a fingerprint recognition. The sensor may further include various components such as an iris recognition sensor, a depth sensor, and a distance sensor.

In particular, the touch pad may also include a touch screen having a mutual layer structure with the display unit 160 described above.

In this case, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may display an ultrasound image and a control panel of the ultrasound image in a predetermined mode on the touch screen. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may detect a user's touch gesture on the ultrasound image through the touch screen.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention physically includes some buttons frequently used by a user among buttons included in a control panel of a general ultrasound apparatus, and the remaining buttons are GUI (Graphical User Interface). ) Can be provided through a touch screen.

The controller 195 generally controls the operation of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100. That is, the controller 195 controls operations between the probe 20, the ultrasonic transceiver 100, the image processor 150, the communicator 170, the memory 180, and the user input 190 illustrated in FIG. 1. can do.

Some or all of the probe 20, the ultrasonic transceiver 115, the image processor 150, the communicator 170, the memory 180, the user input 190, and the controller 195 may be operated by a software module. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and some of the above-described configurations may be operated by hardware. In addition, at least some of the ultrasound transceiver 115, the image processor 150, and the communicator 170 may be included in the controller 195, but are not limited thereto.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless probe 2000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the wireless probe 2000 may include a plurality of transducers, and may include some or all of the configuration of the ultrasound transceiver 100 of FIG. 1 according to an implementation form.

The wireless probe 2000 according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a transmitter 2100, a transducer 2200, and a receiver 2300, and the detailed descriptions thereof are omitted since they have been described in FIG. 1. do. Meanwhile, the wireless probe 2000 may optionally include a reception delay unit 2330 and an adder 2340 according to its implementation.

The wireless probe 2000 may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object 10, receive an echo signal, generate ultrasound data, and wirelessly transmit the ultrasound signal to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1.

The wireless probe 2000 may be a smart device capable of ultrasonic scanning, including a transducer array. In detail, the wireless probe 2000 is a smart device that acquires ultrasound data by scanning an object using a transducer array. Thereafter, the wireless probe 2000 may generate and / or display an ultrasound image by using the acquired ultrasound data. The wireless probe 2000 may include a display and display a screen including a user interface screen for controlling at least one ultrasound image and / or a scan operation of an object through the display.

The wireless probe 2000 and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may continuously transmit and receive predetermined data through the wireless network while the user scans a predetermined body part of the patient who is the object using the wireless probe 2000. In detail, while the user scans a predetermined body part of the patient who is the object using the wireless probe 2000, the wireless probe 2000 may transmit ultrasound data to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 in real time through a wireless network. . The ultrasound data may be updated in real time as the ultrasound scan continues, and may be transmitted from the wireless probe 2000 to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may include a probe 310 and a processor 320. However, not all illustrated components are essential components. The ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, and the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may be implemented by fewer components. Hereinafter, the components will be described.

The probe 310 may include a plurality of transducer elements for mutually converting an ultrasonic signaled electrical signal. That is, the probe 310 may include a transducer array composed of a plurality of transducer elements, and the plurality of transducer elements may be arranged in one or two dimensions. Each of the plurality of transducer elements may separately generate an ultrasonic signal, and the plurality of transducer elements may simultaneously generate an ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic signal transmitted from each transducer element is reflected at the discontinuous surface of the impedance inside the object. Each transducer element may convert the received reflected echo signal into an electrical received signal.

The probe 310 may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object based on the first path and receive an echo signal reflected from the object. Here, the first path may be determined based on the position information of the origin of the ultrasonic beam made of the ultrasonic signal and the transmission direction information of the ultrasonic beam. In addition, the transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam may be angle information between the transmission direction of the ultrasound beam and the transducer array.

The processor 320 may obtain first ultrasound data corresponding to the object from the reflected echo signal and generate a first ultrasound image by using the first ultrasound data. The processor 320 may detect at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image.

For example, the predetermined criterion may be to detect a region having low image quality of the first ultrasound image by using DAX correlation (Dual Apodization with cross (X) -correlation). In detail, when the correlation for the first focusing point obtained by using different apodization functions is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the region in the first ultrasound image corresponding to the first focusing point may be a region having low image quality. It may be to detect. In addition, one point for obtaining ultrasound image information is called a focus point.

In more detail, the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may generate RX1 and RX2 lines by applying different apodization functions to echo signals. The ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may calculate the DAX correlation by calculating the RX1 and RX2 lines according to Equation 1.

Where i indicates a sample and j indicates a beam.

The predetermined criterion may be to detect a region having low image quality in the first ultrasound image according to a degree of a ratio value indicating consistency. The ratio value may be calculated according to Equation 2.

Where is delayed ultrasound data for channel n.

The above-mentioned predetermined criteria is one example, and it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can detect a region having low image quality in the first ultrasound image according to another criterion.

The probe 310 may transmit an ultrasound beam of an ultrasound signal to the object in a plurality of directions, and receive echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. The processor 320 may detect at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image by using echo signals reflected from the object.

The processor 320 may control to transmit the ultrasound signal to the second path based on at least one area detected as an area having low image quality. Here, the second path is a path different from the first path. In addition, the ultrasonic transmission according to the first path may be transmitted by focusing the first focusing point, and the ultrasonic transmission according to the second path may be transmitted by focusing the second focusing point.

The processor 320 may generate a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path.

The processor 320 may control the ultrasound signal to be transmitted through the third path based on at least one area detected as an area having low image quality. The processor 320 may generate a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path and an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the third path. .

The processor 320 may control the probe 310 to perform beamforming by using a subaperture obtained by dividing the transducer elements in the probe 310 by a predetermined number. Here, beamforming means to strengthen the intensity of the ultrasonic signals by superimposing when transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic signals using a plurality of transducer elements.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may acquire an ultrasound image by using another spatial path of the ultrasound signal in order to improve an area of low quality of the ultrasound image.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 may include a central computing processor to collectively control operations of the probe 310 and the processor 320. The central computing processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that may be executed on the microprocessor. In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present embodiment may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus 400 may include a probe 410, a processor 420, a display 430, and a user interface 440.

In FIG. 4, the probe 410 and the processor 420 of the ultrasound imaging apparatus 400 correspond to the probe 310 and the processor 320 of the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 described above with reference to FIG. 3, respectively. Duplicate descriptions from and will be omitted. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may be implemented by more components than those illustrated in FIG. 4, and the ultrasound imaging apparatus may be implemented by fewer components. Hereinafter, the components will be described.

The display 430 displays a predetermined screen 430. In detail, the display 430 displays the predetermined screen 430 under the control of the processor 420. The display 430 may include a display panel (not shown), and may display a user interface 440 screen, a medical image screen, and the like on the display panel.

The display 430 may display at least one image of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image. Here, the first ultrasound image is an image generated based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the first path. The second ultrasound image is an image generated based on the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path. The second path is a path set to improve an area of low image quality of the first ultrasound image.

The processor 420 may detect at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image. The display 430 may display a map indicating the quality of the first ultrasound image based on the detected at least one region.

The display 430 may display the map by distinguishing at least one area from areas other than the at least one area. For example, the display 430 may display an area having low image quality in red and an area having good image quality in green. In addition, the display 430 may display a boundary of an area having low image quality by a dotted line or a thick solid line to distinguish the area from an area having good image quality.

The user interface 440 refers to a device that receives data for controlling the ultrasound imaging apparatus 400 from a user. The user interface 440 may include a hardware configuration such as a keypad, a mouse, a touch panel, a touch screen, a trackball, a jog switch, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the user interface 440 may further include various input means such as a voice recognition sensor, a gesture recognition sensor, a fingerprint recognition sensor, an iris recognition sensor, a depth sensor, and a distance sensor.

The user interface 440 may receive a user input for setting an ultrasound signal to be transmitted through a second path based on a region having low image quality. The processor 420 may control to transmit the ultrasound signal to the second path based on the user input.

The user interface 440 may generate and output a user interface screen for receiving a predetermined command or data from a user. For example, the user interface 440 may display a screen for setting at least one of an input for setting the position of the origin of the ultrasound beam on the map representing the quality of the first ultrasound image and an input for setting transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam. Can be generated and printed.

Also, the ultrasound imaging apparatus 400 may further include a storage unit (not shown) and a communication unit (not shown). The storage unit (not shown) may correspond to the memory 180 of FIG. 1, and the communication unit (not shown) may correspond to the communication unit 170 of FIG. 1. The storage unit (not shown) stores data related to the ultrasound image (for example, ultrasound image, ultrasound data, scan-related data, patient diagnosis data, etc.) and data transmitted from an external device to the ultrasound imaging apparatus 400. Can be. The data transmitted from the external device may include patient related information, data necessary for diagnosis and medical treatment of the patient, a previous medical history of the patient, a medical work list corresponding to the diagnostic instruction for the patient, and the like.

The communication unit (not shown) may receive data from an external device and / or transmit data to the external device. For example, the communication unit (not shown) may be connected to a wireless probe or an external device through a communication network based on Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct. Specifically, the wireless communication network that can be connected to the communication unit is a wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WFD (Wifi-direct), UWB (ultra wideband), Infrared communication (IrDA, Infrared Data Association), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like, but are not limited thereto.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus 400 includes a central computing processor to perform operations of the probe 410, the processor 420, the display 430, the user interface 440, the storage unit (not shown), and the communication unit (not shown). Can be controlled collectively. The central computing processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that may be executed on the microprocessor. In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present embodiment may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

Hereinafter, various operations or applications performed by the

ultrasound imaging apparatus

300 or 400 will be described. The

probes

310 and 410, the

processors

320 and 420, the display 430, the user interface 440, and the storage unit ( Although not illustrated in any configuration of the communication unit (not shown) and the communication unit (not shown), the contents to the extent that a person skilled in the art can clearly understand and anticipate can be understood as a typical implementation, and the present invention. The scope of the right of a person is not limited by the name or physical / logical structure of a particular construct.

In operation S510 of FIG. 5, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object based on the first path and receive an echo signal reflected from the object. Here, the first path may be determined based on the position information of the origin of the ultrasonic beam made of the ultrasonic signal and the transmission direction information of the ultrasonic beam. In addition, the transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam may be angle information between the transmission direction of the ultrasound beam and the transducer array.

In operation S520, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect at least one region having low image quality from among regions in the first ultrasound based on a predetermined criterion.

Here, the predetermined criterion is an image quality of an area in the first ultrasound image corresponding to the first focusing point when the correlation degree for the first focusing point obtained by using different apodization functions is smaller than a predetermined threshold. This may be a low area detection.

Also, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound beam to the object in a plurality of directions and receive echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image by using echo signals.

In operation S530, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may control to transmit the ultrasound signal through the second path based on the detected at least one area. In addition, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may control to transmit the ultrasound signal to a third path different from the second path based on the at least one area detected to improve the image quality of the area having low image quality.

In operation S540, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path and an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the third path.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate the first ultrasound image based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the first path. If there is a factor that lowers the quality of the first ultrasound image inside the object, it is necessary to improve the quality of the first ultrasound image. Factors that lower the quality of the ultrasound image may be bone, fibrous tissue, adipose tissue, and the like, but are not limited thereto. Since the factors existing inside the object cannot be directly removed, an ultrasound image needs to be generated while being less affected by the factors. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect a region having a low image quality among regions within the first ultrasound image, and generate a map indicating the image quality of the first ultrasound image based on the region having a low detected image quality.

FIG. 6A is a diagram for describing a process of generating a map representing the image quality of an ultrasound image by detecting a region having low image quality among regions in the ultrasound image.

Referring to 610 of FIG. 6A, the transducer 611 of the ultrasound imaging apparatus transmits an ultrasound signal to an object according to the first path 613 and focuses on the first focal point F1 in the image area 612. The received echo signal can be received using the aperture of L1 to R1. Also, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may receive an echo signal focused on the second focal point F2 in the image area 612 by using an aperture of L2 to R2.

In detail, for example, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect a region having low image quality of the first ultrasound image using DAX correlation (Dual Apodization with cross (X) -correlation). The ultrasound imaging apparatus may calculate the DAX correlation for the first focal point F1 and the DAX correlation for the second focal point F2 using different apodization functions. When the DAX correlation at the first focal point F1 is close to 1 or less than 1 by a predetermined size, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may determine the area 614 as an area having good image quality. In addition, when the DAX correlation at the second focal point F2 is close to zero or negative, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may determine the region 615 as a region having low image quality.

Referring to 620 of FIG. 6B, the transducer 611 of the ultrasound imaging apparatus transmits an ultrasound signal to an object according to a path 621 different from the first path 613 and generates a third focal point in the image area 612. Echo signals focused at (F3) can be received using the apertures from L3 to R3. When the DAX correlation at the third focal point F3 is close to 1 or smaller than 1 by a predetermined size, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may determine the area 622 as an area having good image quality. In addition, when the DAX correlation at the focal point F3 is close to zero or negative, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may determine the region 623 as a region having low image quality.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound beam formed of an ultrasound signal to the object in a plurality of directions, and receive echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect a region having a low image quality among regions in the first ultrasound image by using reflected echo signals. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may more accurately and efficiently detect a region having low image quality of the ultrasound image by transmitting an ultrasound beam in a plurality of directions and receiving a reflected echo signal.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the transducer 711 of the ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an echo signal reflected from the object. If there are elements 713 such as bone, fibrous tissue, and fat inside the object, the ultrasound signal does not reach the inner end of the object. Therefore, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may not receive the echo signal reflected from the area 714 in the imaging area 712. When the ultrasound imaging apparatus generates the first ultrasound image 710 of the object without receiving the echo signal reflected from the area 714, the image quality of the area 714 may be degraded. Therefore, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may acquire the position of the element 713 that degrades the image quality by using the DAX correlation. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound signal to the object in consideration of the position of the element 713.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound beam to a region of interest of the object in a plurality of directions, and receive echo signals reflected based on each of the plurality of directions from the region of interest of the object. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect a region having a low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image by using echo signals reflected from the object.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when the ultrasound imaging apparatus transmits an ultrasound beam to the object in a direction perpendicular to the transducer 711, the area within the imaging area 712 may be due to an obstacle 713 inside the object. It is not possible to receive the echo signal reflected from 714. The ultrasound imaging apparatus generates a first ultrasound image based on an echo signal reflected from the remaining areas except for the area 714, and selects an area 714 having a low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image. Can be detected.

As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may determine the

second paths

721 and 722 to reach the region 714 without being disturbed by the element 713 that degrades the image quality. In detail, the ultrasound imaging apparatus transmits an ultrasound signal by focusing on a focusing point in the region 714 having low image quality, and sets the range of the aperture so that the echo signal may be received without being disturbed by the element 713 that degrades the image quality. You can decide. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound signal to the area 714 based on the

second paths

721 and 722 and receive an echo signal. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate the second ultrasound image 720 using the ultrasound data acquired from the echo signal.

In operation S810 of FIG. 8, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may display at least one image of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image. Here, the first ultrasound image is an image generated based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the first path. The second ultrasound image is an image generated based on the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path. The second path is a path set to improve an area of low image quality of the first ultrasound image.

In operation S820, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may display a map representing the quality of the first ultrasound image based on an area detected as an area having low image quality. According to an exemplary embodiment, after performing the operation S540, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may perform the operation S820 without performing the operation S810.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may distinguish an area having low image quality from an area having good image quality and display the same on a map. For example, an area having low image quality and an area having good image quality may be represented by different colors. In addition, the boundary line of the region having low image quality may be represented by at least one of a solid line, a thick solid line, a dotted line, and a thick dotted line, but is not limited thereto.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may also display a map indicating the quality of the first ultrasound image and the first ultrasound image. Also, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may display at least one of a map representing the quality of the first ultrasound image, the second ultrasound image, and the first ultrasound image.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus generates an ultrasound image by using ultrasound data. The mode for providing a plurality of ultrasound images (hereinafter, referred to as a composite mode) may include a B-mode (Brightness Mode) for providing a B-mode image, a C-Mode (Color Doppler Mode) for providing a color flow image, or P-mode (Power Doppler Mode), and D-mode (Doppler Mode) for providing the Doppler spectrum, the ultrasound imaging apparatus displays the ultrasound image on the screen of the display according to any one of the plurality of modes can do.

Referring to FIG. 9, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit ultrasound signals to a uterus region of a woman according to a first path, and may receive ultrasound signals by receiving echo signals reflected from the uterus region. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate the first ultrasound image 910 using the acquired ultrasound data. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may display the first ultrasound image 910 on the screen of the display. Here, the first ultrasound image 910 is a B-mode image including a myometrium and an endometrium of the uterine region. On the other hand, due to the calcification of the endometrium and the myometrium of the uterus, the image quality may be lower in the area away from the calcification.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may detect a region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the regions in the first ultrasound image 910. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may display a map 920 indicating the quality of the first ultrasound image 910 by distinguishing an area having low image quality from an area having low image quality.

For example, in displaying the map 920, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may display a region 921 having a low image quality in a dark color and a region 923 having a good image quality in a light color. Also, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may represent the boundary line 922 of the region 921 having low image quality as any one of a solid line, a thick solid line, a dotted line, and a thick dotted line. Also, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may display the boundary line 922 of the region 921 having low image quality in red. When the ultrasound imaging apparatus displays a map, it is possible to distinguish between the region 921 having a low image quality and the region 923 having a good image quality by other methods in addition to the examples mentioned above. If you have it, you can understand it.

If there is an element in the object that obstructs the path of the ultrasound signal, the image quality of the ultrasound image may be deteriorated. The image 1010 of FIG. 10 is an ultrasound image obtained from the reflected echo signal without considering the path of the ultrasound signal.

On the other hand, the image 1020 of FIG. 10 is an ultrasound image obtained from the reflected echo signal to allow the ultrasound signal to be transmitted to the entire area of the object by avoiding the interference factor in consideration of an element that obstructs the path of the ultrasound signal. .

Comparing the image 1010 and the image 1020, the area 1021 is sharper than the area 1011, the number of black dots present in the area 1022 is the number of black dots present in the area 1012 It can be seen that the decrease.

In operation S1110 of FIG. 11, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may receive a user input configured to transmit an ultrasound signal through a second path based on at least one area. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may receive a user input for setting at least one of position information of the origin of the ultrasound beam, transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam, and size information of the aperture. The user input may be input from a control panel, a track ball, a mouse, a keyboard, and the like.

In detail, the user may determine and display the second path on the screen by using a keypad, a mouse, a touch panel, a touch screen, a trackball, a jog switch, and the like.

In operation S1120, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may control to transmit the ultrasound signal to the second path based on the user input.

Referring to FIG. 12B, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate and output a user interface screen 1200 configured to transmit an ultrasound signal through a second path based on a region having low image quality.

The user interface may receive a predetermined command or data from the user through the user interface screen 1200. For example, at least one of a position of the origin of the ultrasound beam and a transmission direction of the ultrasound beam may be received. The user interface screen 1200 may receive an operation signal by a user's touch input by various input tools. The user interface screen 1200 may receive an input for adjusting the origin position of the ultrasound beam, the transmission direction of the ultrasound beam, the size of the aperture, and the like displayed by the user's hand or a physical tool.

Specifically, the user may use the touch pen 1205 to prevent the ultrasound signal from reaching the area 1204 without being disturbed by the element 1203 that degrades the image quality of the imaging area 1202. You can input a drag and drop signal to determine). The transducer 1201 of the ultrasound imaging apparatus may transmit an ultrasound signal to the area 1204 based on the

second paths

1206 and 1207 and receive an echo signal. The ultrasound imaging apparatus may generate a second ultrasound image by using ultrasound data obtained from the echo signal.

The apparatus described above may be implemented as a hardware component, a software component, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices and components described in the embodiments may be, for example, processors, controllers, arithmetic logic units (ALUs), digital signal processors, microcomputers, field programmable arrays (FPAs), It may be implemented using one or more general purpose or special purpose computers, such as a programmable logic unit (PLU), microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions.

The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software.

For convenience of explanation, one processing device may be described as being used, but one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processing device includes a plurality of processing elements and / or a plurality of types of processing elements. It can be seen that it may include. For example, the processing device may include a plurality of processors or one processor and one controller. In addition, other processing configurations are possible, such as parallel processors.

The software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of the above, and configure the processing device to operate as desired, or process it independently or collectively. You can command the device.

Software and / or data may be any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device in order to be interpreted by or to provide instructions or data to the processing device. Or may be permanently or temporarily embodied in a signal wave to be transmitted. The software may be distributed over networked computer systems so that they may be stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more computer readable recording media.

The method according to the embodiment may be embodied in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means and recorded in a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the embodiments, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts.

Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic disks, such as floppy disks. Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like.

Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

Although the embodiments have been described by the limited embodiments and the drawings as described above, various modifications and variations are possible to those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, the described techniques may be performed in a different order than the described method, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components. Or even if replaced or substituted by equivalents, an appropriate result can be achieved.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the claims below but also by the equivalents of the claims.

Claims

A probe for transmitting an ultrasound signal to an object based on a first path and receiving an echo signal reflected from the object; And

Generates a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal, detects at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image, and at least one Focusing a focal point in a predetermined area of the object corresponding to an area of the object to control the ultrasound signal to be transmitted to a second path, and based on the echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object according to the second path Ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprising a processor for generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to.
The method of claim 1,

The first path is,

And the position information of the origin of the ultrasonic beam made of the ultrasonic signal and the transmission direction information of the ultrasonic beam.
The method of claim 1,

The probe transmits an ultrasound beam of the ultrasound signal to the object in a plurality of directions, receives echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions,

The processor may detect at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image by using echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. Device.
The method of claim 1,

The predetermined criterion is

If the correlation for the first focusing point obtained by using different apodization functions is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the area in the first ultrasound image corresponding to the first focusing point is an area having low image quality. Ultrasonic imaging apparatus characterized by detecting.
The method of claim 1,

The display apparatus may further include a display configured to display at least one image of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image, wherein the display may include a map indicating the quality of the first ultrasound image based on the detected at least one region. Displaying ultrasonic imaging device.
The method of claim 2,

The probe may include a transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements, and the transmission direction information of the ultrasound beam may be angle information between the transmission direction of the ultrasound beam and the transducer array. Device.
The method of claim 1,

The ultrasound imaging apparatus according to the first path is transmitted by focusing a first focusing point, and the ultrasound signal transmission according to the second path is performed by focusing and transmitting a second focusing point. .
The method of claim 1,

The processor,

Control to transmit the ultrasonic signal to a third path based on the at least one region,

An ultrasound signal generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the second path and an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object along the third path Imaging device.
The method of claim 1,

A user interface configured to receive a user input configured to transmit the ultrasound signal to a second path based on the at least one region,

The processor,

And control to transmit the ultrasonic signal to a second path based on the user input.
The method of claim 1,

The processor,

And performing beamforming by using a subaperture obtained by dividing the transducer elements in the probe by a predetermined number.
a) transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object based on the first path and receiving an echo signal reflected from the object;

b) generating a first ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on the reflected echo signal, and detecting at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among the areas in the first ultrasound image;

c) controlling focusing points within a predetermined area of the object corresponding to the at least one area to transmit the ultrasound signal through a second path; And

d) generating a second ultrasound image corresponding to the object based on an echo signal of the ultrasound signal transmitted to the object according to the second path.
The method of claim 11,

The first path is,

And the position information of the origin of the ultrasonic beam made of the ultrasonic signal and the transmission direction information of the ultrasonic beam.
The method of claim 11,

Step a) is

Transmitting an ultrasound beam of the ultrasound signal to the object in a plurality of directions, and receiving echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions,

Step b),

And detecting at least one region having low image quality according to a predetermined criterion among regions in the first ultrasound image by using echo signals reflected from the object based on each of the plurality of directions. Method of operation of the imaging device.
The method of claim 11,

The predetermined criterion is

If the correlation for the first focusing point obtained by using different apodization functions is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the area in the first ultrasound image corresponding to the first focusing point is an area having low image quality. Method of operation of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus, characterized in that for detecting.
The method of claim 11,

and e) displaying at least one image of the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.