WO2021042299A1

WO2021042299A1 - Method for determining sound speed and ultrasonic device

Info

Publication number: WO2021042299A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/104423
Authority: WO
Inventors: 李双双
Original assignee: 深圳迈瑞生物医疗电子股份有限公司
Priority date: 2019-09-04
Filing date: 2019-09-04
Publication date: 2021-03-11
Also published as: CN114072067A; CN114072067B

Abstract

A method for determining sound speed and an ultrasonic device (10). The method comprises: controlling an ultrasonic probe (110) to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target object and receive a first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object so as to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal (S210); performing signal processing on the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain a first ultrasound image of the target object (S220); determining a first area and a second area of the target object on the basis of the first ultrasound image, the second area being an area through which the first ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area and being an area which has a smaller depth than the first area (S230); determining the sound speed in the second area (S120); and determining the sound speed in the first area on the basis of the sound speed in the second area (S130). In the present method, the sound speed in an area of interest may be determined on the basis of an ultrasound image so that the sound speed in the area of interest is more accurate. Furthermore, the determined sound speed may be used in many aspects, such as ultrasound image generation, tissue type determination and disease diagnosis, and a more accurate reference is provided for doctors.

Description

Method for determining speed of sound and ultrasonic device

Technical field

The embodiment of the present invention relates to the field of ultrasound, and more specifically, to a method for determining the speed of sound and an ultrasound device.

Background technique

The speed of sound refers to the propagation speed of sound waves in a medium. For example, the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves in human tissues is one of the speeds of sound. For different human tissues, the speed of sound propagation of ultrasound is also different. For example, the speed of sound in human soft tissues is about 1540m/s, while the speed of sound in fat is relatively smaller, about 1500m/s, and the speed of sound in muscles is relatively larger, about 1580m/s. It can be seen that when the tissue composition is different, the speed of sound will change.

In the ultrasound imaging process, it is necessary to estimate the information from each target location tissue through the ultrasound echo signal. At this time, the speed of sound is the key influencing factor. On the one hand, if the speed of sound used is inaccurate, the calculated tissue position information will also be inaccurate, resulting in a lower resolution of the resulting image. On the other hand, many clinical studies have also found that the progress of diseases such as fatty liver and thyroid nodules are also accompanied by changes in the speed of sound.

It can be seen that how to accurately determine the speed of sound in human tissue is a problem that needs to be solved urgently.

Summary of the invention

The embodiment of the present invention provides a method and an ultrasonic device for determining the speed of sound, which can accurately determine the sound speed of ultrasonic waves in a target object.

In the first aspect, a method for determining the speed of sound is provided, including:

Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the target object, and receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object, to obtain the first ultrasonic echo signal;

Signal processing on the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain a first ultrasound image of the target object;

The first area and the second area of the target object are determined based on the first ultrasound image, where the second area is the area through which the ultrasound transmitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area Less than the depth of the first area;

Determine the speed of sound in the second zone;

The sound speed of the first region is determined based on the sound speed of the second region.

In the second aspect, a method for determining the speed of sound is provided, including:

Determine the first area and the second area of the target object, where the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic waves emitted to the target object propagate to the first area, and the depth of the second area is less than the depth of the first area ；

Determine the speed of sound in the second zone;

In a third aspect, an ultrasound device is provided, which includes:

Ultrasound probe

A transmitting/receiving controller for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the target object and receiving the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object;

The memory is used to store the program executed by the processor;

Processor for:

Obtaining a first ultrasonic echo signal based on the first ultrasonic echo;

Determine the speed of sound in the second zone;

In a fourth aspect, a device for determining the speed of sound is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein a program is stored in the memory, and when the program is executed by the processor, the device is caused to perform the following steps:

Determine the speed of sound in the second zone;

In a fifth aspect, a computer storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method steps provided in the above-mentioned first aspect or the second aspect.

It can be seen that, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sound velocity of the region of interest can be determined based on the ultrasound image. In this way, it can be determined that different regions have different sound velocities, so that the sound velocity of each region is more accurate. Furthermore, the determined sound velocity can be used in many aspects such as ultrasound image generation, tissue type determination, disease diagnosis, etc., and provides a more accurate reference for doctors.

Description of the drawings

In order to explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention more clearly, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some of the present invention. Embodiments, for those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative labor, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining the speed of sound according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another schematic flowchart of a method for determining the speed of sound according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic diagram of determining the first area and the second area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a device for determining the speed of sound according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

At present, there are two main methods for determining the sound velocity of ultrasound in human tissue: (1) One is to set several sound velocities in advance, switch several sound velocity gears in the process of obtaining ultrasound images, and observe the obtained sound velocity. Multiple images, select the sound speed corresponding to the best image quality. This method is judged by the user's naked eyes, which is highly subjective, and there is no uniform evaluation standard for the quality of the image. Moreover, the gear interval of the speed of sound is usually large, otherwise the difference between image quality cannot be judged by the naked eye. (2) The other is the speed of sound optimization technology, which corrects the average sound speed by analyzing the spatial frequency components of a single two-dimensional image, and determines the sound speed value that can produce the best lateral focus quality and the best image lateral resolution. This method is estimated based on the entire two-dimensional image, that is to say, the sound velocity value obtained is the global average sound velocity in the entire area from the probe surface to the maximum depth of the image, so it is only suitable for relatively uniform tissue composition in the entire image area Case.

The embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic device so as to be able to accurately determine the sound velocity of ultrasonic waves in body tissues. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an ultrasound device. Wherein, the ultrasound device 10 includes an ultrasound probe 110, a transmitting/receiving controller 120, a memory 130, a processor 140, and a display 150. The transmitting/receiving controller 120 may include a transmitting controller and a receiving controller. The transmitting controller is used to excite the ultrasonic probe 110 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object, and the receiving controller is used to receive the ultrasonic echo returned from the target object through the ultrasonic probe 110. The processor 140 may obtain ultrasound echo data based on the ultrasound echo, and process the ultrasound echo data to obtain an ultrasound image of the target object. For example, the ultrasonic echo data undergoes beam synthesis processing through a beam synthesis circuit. The ultrasound image obtained by the processor 140 may be stored in the memory 130. And, the ultrasound image may be displayed on the display 150.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the processor 140 may determine the sound velocity of the ultrasonic wave propagating in the target object based on the ultrasonic echo data. For a more detailed description, please refer to the subsequent embodiments of this specification.

Optionally, the display 150 in the ultrasound device 10 may be a touch display screen, a liquid crystal display screen, etc.; or the display 150 may be an independent display device such as a liquid crystal display or a TV set independent of the ultrasound device 10; or the display 150 may be Displays of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, etc. Wherein, the number of displays 150 may be one or more.

Optionally, the memory 130 in the ultrasound device 10 may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, or the like. It may be volatile memory and/or non-volatile memory, removable memory and/or non-removable memory, etc.

Optionally, the processor 140 in the ultrasound device 10 may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof, and may use a circuit, a single or multiple application specific integrated circuits (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC), a single or multiple A general integrated circuit, a single or multiple microprocessors, a single or multiple programmable logic devices, or any combination of the foregoing circuits and/or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices, so that the processor 140 can execute the instructions in this specification The corresponding steps of the method in the various embodiments.

It should be understood that the components included in the ultrasound device 10 shown in FIG. 1 are only schematic, and it may include more or fewer components. For example, the ultrasound apparatus 10 may also include input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, etc., and/or include an output device such as a printer other than the display 150. The corresponding external input/output port can be a wireless communication module, a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input/output ports can also be implemented based on USB, bus protocols such as CAN, and/or wired network protocols. The present invention is not limited to this.

Fig. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining the speed of sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method shown in Figure 2 includes:

S110. Determine a first area and a second area of the target object, where the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than the first area depth;

S120: Determine the speed of sound in the second area;

S130: Determine the sound speed of the first area based on the sound speed of the second area.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first area may be the area where the sound velocity is to be measured, and may also be referred to as the area of interest. The second area is the area that the ultrasonic wave needs to pass first to reach the first area, and can also be called the superficial area.

As an implementation manner, in S110, the first area and the second area of the target object may be determined according to system presets.

Exemplarily, the system preset may be acquired, and the first area and the second area may be determined according to the acquired system preset. Wherein, the first area may be determined according to the system preset, and then the second area may be determined based on the depth information.

As another implementation manner, in S110, the first area and the second area of the target object may be determined according to the depth range and/or the lateral range specified by the user.

Exemplarily, the user may specify a certain depth range and/or lateral range as the first area, that is, the first area may be determined according to the depth range and/or lateral range specified by the user, and then the first area may be determined based on the depth information. Two areas.

As yet another implementation manner, the first area and the second area may be determined according to the ultrasound image in S110, which may include S210 to S230 as shown in FIG. 3. The method shown in Figure 3 includes:

S210: Control the ultrasonic probe to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the target object, and receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object, to obtain the first ultrasonic echo signal;

S220: Perform signal processing on the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain a first ultrasound image of the target object;

S230: Determine a first area and a second area of the target object based on the first ultrasound image, where the second area is an area through which ultrasonic waves emitted to the target object propagate to the first area, and the second area The depth of is less than the depth of the first region;

S120: Determine the speed of sound in the second area;

With reference to FIG. 1, in S210, the transmitting controller may excite the ultrasonic probe 110 to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the target object, and the receiving controller is configured to receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object through the ultrasonic probe 110. The processor 140 may obtain the first ultrasonic echo signal based on the ultrasonic echo.

With reference to FIG. 1, in S220, the processor 140 may process the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain the first ultrasound image of the target object. For example, the ultrasonic echo signal undergoes beam synthesis processing through a beam synthesis circuit. The first ultrasound image obtained by the processor 140 may be stored in the local memory 130 or sent to an ultrasound workstation for storage.

It should be understood that in S220, a fixed sound velocity may be used to process the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image.

Exemplarily, in S230, the first area of the target object may be determined based on the first ultrasound image, and then the second area of the target object may be determined based on the first area of the target object.

As an embodiment, the first area is a manually selected area of interest or an automatically identified area of interest; the second area is an area from the surface of the ultrasound probe to the top of the area of interest.

As an example, the first area may be determined according to the user's selection. For example, the user can manually select a region of interest on the first ultrasound image, and the region of interest manually selected by the user can be used as the first region. It should be understood that the user can make a manual selection with the aid of an input device (such as a mouse, etc.).

As another example, the first ultrasound image may be processed by image recognition and segmentation technology to determine the first region. For example, the first region in the first ultrasound image can be identified according to the tissue type. For example, if it is desired to determine the sound velocity of ultrasound in a certain body tissue (such as kidney), the body tissue (such as kidney) in the first ultrasound image can be identified through image recognition technology, and then the body tissue (such as kidney) can be determined through image segmentation technology. The area where the tissue (such as the kidney) is located, and this area is determined as the first area.

As an example, after the first area is determined, the area from the probe surface to the top of the first area in the first ultrasound image may be defined as the second area. Referring to Fig. 4, the framed area represents the first area. In addition, Fig. 4 also shows the probe surface and the top of the first area, so the area from the probe surface to the top of the first area is the second area.

As another example, after the first area is determined, the second area may be determined based on the depth. Specifically, an area that is smaller than the depth of the first area and that ultrasonic waves need to pass through to reach the first area may be determined as the second area.

As another example, after the first area is determined, the second area may be determined based on the tissue type. For example, the first area is kidney, the second area is fat and so on. It is understandable that different tissue types have different forms on the first ultrasound image, and the first area can be determined according to image recognition, and then the second area can be determined.

For the convenience of description, the following embodiments of the present invention assume that the depth of the second region is 0 to h1, and the depth of the first region is h1 to h2, where h2 is greater than h1.

Exemplarily, S120 may include: using a plurality of preset sound velocities to perform signal processing on the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a multi-frame image corresponding to the multiple preset sound velocities one-to-one; Set a conditional second target image; determine the preset sound velocity corresponding to the selected second target image as the sound velocity of the second area.

Specifically, a plurality of preset sound velocities may be preset, and it is assumed that there are M preset sound velocities. Each preset sound velocity can be used to process the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain an ultrasound image corresponding thereto; that is, M frames of ultrasound images corresponding to M preset sound velocities one-to-one can be obtained. Wherein, the method of obtaining a frame of image by using a preset sound speed is similar to the method of S220 described above.

In addition, it can be understood that when different preset sound speeds are used, the signal amount of the processed first ultrasonic echo signal is also different. For example, if the preset sound velocity used is v11, the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h1/v11 needs to be processed; if the preset sound velocity used is v12, it needs to be processed at 2×h1/v11. The first ultrasonic echo signal received within ×h1/v12 is processed.

Specifically, when selecting the second target image, the predetermined condition considered may be one of the highest signal-to-noise ratio, the lowest bit error rate, and the highest resolution. Or, the preset condition may be the maximum value obtained by combining various factors such as signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, resolution, etc., for example, multiplying the signal-to-noise ratio by the first weight, the bit error rate by the second weight, and the resolution by The value obtained by the third weight is used, and the frame image with the largest value is determined as the second target image. Among them, the first weight and the third weight are positive numbers, the second weight is a negative number, and the sum of the absolute values of the first weight, the second weight and the third weight is equal to one. Alternatively, the preset condition may also be set based on other parameters related to image quality, which is not limited in the present invention. In other words, one frame of image with the best quality can be selected as the second target image from among multiple frames of images.

Exemplarily, S120 may include: dividing the second region into at least two sections along the depth direction, where the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance; and determining each of the at least two sections section by section along the depth direction. The speed of sound of one segment; the speed of sound of the second region is determined according to the speed of sound of each of the at least two segments.

Wherein, the second region can be divided into at least two sections uniformly or unevenly in the depth direction, assuming it is p section, and p is an integer greater than 1. The segmentation may be performed with reference to depth or tissue type. For example, two adjacent segments of at least two divided segments are of different tissue types.

Among them, to determine the sound velocity of each segment segment by segment can include: first determining the sound velocity of the segment with a smaller depth, and then determining the sound velocity of the current segment according to the sound velocity of other segments less than the depth of the current segment, thus determining the sound velocity of each segment Speed of sound.

Among them, when determining the sound velocity of a certain segment, multiple preset sound velocities can be used to process the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a one-to-one corresponding multi-frame image, and then the image corresponding to the frame that meets the preset conditions The preset sound speed is determined as the sound speed of this section.

The following is only an example for elaboration. Assuming p=2, that is, the second region is divided into two sections. Then, the sound velocity of a section with a smaller depth can be determined first, and then the sound velocity of the other section with a greater depth can be determined. Suppose the depth of the first segment is 0 to h11, and the depth of the second segment is h11 to h1, where h11<h1. A plurality of first preset sound speeds may be used to determine the sound speed of the first section, and then the sound speeds of the first section and a plurality of second preset sound speeds may be used to determine the sound speed of the second section. Wherein, the first preset sound speed and the second preset sound speed may be multiple discrete values that are the same as the foregoing preset sound speed, or may also be different values, which is not limited in the present invention.

Among them, the process of determining the sound velocity of the second segment is as follows: assuming that the sound velocity of the first segment is v01, the first segment corresponds to the first ultrasonic echo signal received between time 0 and 2×h11/v01 section. If the second preset sound velocity used is v21, the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h11/v01 to 2×h1/v21 needs to be processed; if the second preset sound velocity used is v22 , It is necessary to process the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h11/v01 to 2×h1/v22.

Wherein, determining the sound speed of the second region according to the sound speed of each of the at least two segments may include: taking the average value of the sound speed of each segment (such as arithmetic mean, geometric average, etc.) as the sound speed of the second region; or, The maximum or minimum value of the sound velocity of each segment is taken as the sound velocity of the second region; or the median value of the sound velocity of each segment is taken as the sound velocity of the second region; or, other functions can also be used based on the sound velocity of each segment To calculate the speed of sound in the second region, we will not list them one by one here.

Optionally, after the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments in the second region is obtained, assuming p sound velocities, the standard deviation of at least two sound velocities (such as p sound velocities) can be calculated to determine the obtained at least two sound velocities (Such as p speeds of sound) accuracy.

Exemplarily, S130 may include: using the sound velocity of the second region and multiple candidate sound velocities to perform signal processing on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal, to obtain a comparison with the multiple candidate sound velocities. One-to-one corresponding multi-frame images; select a first target image that meets a preset condition from the multi-frame images; determine the candidate sound velocity corresponding to the selected first target image as the sound velocity of the first region.

As an embodiment, the sound velocity of the second area may be used to determine the ultrasonic echo signal of the first area from the first ultrasonic echo signal; each of the multiple candidate sound velocities may be used to separately compare Signal processing is performed on the ultrasonic echo signal of the first area to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the multiple to-be-selected sound velocities one-to-one.

Specifically, the sound velocity of the second area can be used to remove the part of the ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the second area in the first ultrasonic echo signal, and then a plurality of to-be-selected sound velocities can be used for the remaining first ultrasonic echo signal. Signal processing is performed to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the multiple candidate sound velocities one-to-one.

Assuming that the sound velocity of the second region is V2, the part of the first ultrasonic echo signal reflected by the second region is received within the time 0 to 2×h1/V2. Subsequently, a plurality of to-be-selected sound velocities can be used to perform signal processing on the part of the first ultrasonic echo signal received after the time 2×h1/V2.

Among them, it can be understood that, using different to-be-selected sound velocities, the signal amount of the processed first ultrasonic echo signal is also different. For example, if the to-be-selected sound velocity is v31, the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h1/V2 to 2×h2/v31 needs to be processed; if the to-be-selected sound velocity is v32 , It is necessary to process the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h1/V2 to 2×h2/v32.

Specifically, when selecting the first target image, the predetermined condition considered may be one of the highest signal-to-noise ratio, the lowest bit error rate, and the highest resolution. Or, the preset condition may be the maximum value obtained by combining various factors such as signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, resolution, etc., for example, multiplying the signal-to-noise ratio by the fourth weight, the bit error rate by the fifth weight, and the resolution multiplying The value obtained by using the sixth weight, and the frame with the largest value is determined as the first target image. Among them, the fourth weight and the sixth weight are positive numbers, the fifth weight is negative numbers, and the sum of the absolute values of the fourth weight, the fifth weight and the sixth weight is equal to one. Alternatively, the preset condition may also be set based on other parameters related to image quality, which is not limited in the present invention. In other words, one frame of image with the best quality can be selected as the first target image from among multiple frames of images.

Assume that the preset condition is the highest signal-to-noise ratio. As an example, selecting the first target image that meets the preset conditions may include: performing spectrum analysis on the multi-frame images to obtain the spectrum analysis result corresponding to the multi-frame image; determining from the spectrum analysis result corresponding to the multi-frame image An image with the highest signal-to-noise ratio is used as the first target image. Among them, the spectrum analysis can refer to the specific process of spectrum analysis in the process of processing the signal in the current and possible future, which will not be repeated here.

Exemplarily, S130 may include: dividing the first region into at least two segments along the depth direction, where the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance; along the depth direction, segment by segment based on the sound velocity of the second region Determine the speed of sound of each of the at least two segments; determine the speed of sound of the first region according to the speed of sound of each of the at least two segments.

Wherein, the first region can be divided into at least two sections uniformly or unevenly in the depth direction, assuming it is a p1 section, and p1 is an integer greater than 1. The segmentation may be performed with reference to depth or tissue type. For example, two adjacent segments of at least two divided segments are of different tissue types.

Among them, when determining the sound velocity of a certain segment, multiple candidate sound velocities can be used to process the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a one-to-one corresponding multi-frame image, and then the corresponding frame of the image that meets the preset conditions The speed of sound to be selected is determined as the speed of sound of this section.

The following is only an example for elaboration. Assuming p1=2, that is, the first region is divided into two sections, then the sound velocity of one section with a smaller depth can be determined first, and then the sound velocity of the other section with a greater depth can be determined. Suppose the depth of the first section is h1 to h21, and the depth of the second section is h21 to h2, where h1<h21<h2. The sound velocity of the second region and multiple first candidate sound velocities can be used to determine the sound velocity of the first section, and then the sound velocity of the second region, the sound velocity of the first section and multiple second candidate sound velocities can be used to determine the sound velocity of the second section. Speed of sound. Wherein, the first candidate sound velocity and the second candidate sound velocity may be multiple discrete values that are the same as the foregoing candidate sound velocity, or may also be different values, which is not limited in the present invention.

Among them, the process of determining the sound velocity of the second section is as follows: assuming that the sound velocity of the second region is V2 and the sound velocity of the first section is v41, the first section corresponds to the first ultrasonic echo signal at time 2×h1/V2 The part received between 2×h21/v41. If the second candidate sound velocity used is v51, the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h21/v41 to 2×h2/v51 needs to be processed; if the second candidate sound velocity used is v52 , It is necessary to process the first ultrasonic echo signal received within the time of 2×h21/v41 to 2×h2/v52.

Wherein, determining the sound speed of the first region according to the sound speed of each of the at least two segments may include: taking the average value of the sound speed of each segment (such as arithmetic mean, geometric average, etc.) as the sound speed of the first region; or, The maximum or minimum value of the sound velocity of each segment is taken as the sound velocity of the first region; or, the median value of the sound velocity of each segment is taken as the sound velocity of the first region; or, other functions can also be used based on the sound velocity of each segment To calculate the speed of sound in the first zone, we will not list them one by one here.

Exemplarily, S130 may also include: dividing the first region into M sections along the depth direction, and dividing it into N sections along the transverse direction perpendicular to the depth direction, where the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic wave advances, M and N is a positive integer; the sound speed of each section of the M×N section of the first section is determined section by section based on the sound speed of the second region; the sound speed of the first section is determined according to the sound speed of each section of the M×N section Speed of sound.

This embodiment can be understood as dividing the first region into N columns, and each column includes M rows. For each column, the process of the previous embodiment can be used to determine the sound velocity of each segment one by one. In this way, for the first region, M×N sound velocities corresponding to N columns and M rows can be obtained. In this way, the two-dimensional distribution of the sound velocity in the first region is obtained.

Optionally, the first area can also be divided into N columns, and the number of rows of different columns can be the same or different, for example, the first column has M1 rows, the second column has M2 rows,..., the Nth column has Mn rows, And so on, where, M1 to Mn are all positive integers, and any two can be equal or unequal. Then, for each column, the process of the previous embodiment can be used to determine the sound velocity of each segment one by one. In this way, for the first region, corresponding M1+M2+...+Mn sound velocities can be obtained.

After that, the sound speed of the first region can be determined based on the multiple sound speeds (M×N sound speeds or M1+M2+...+Mn sound speeds as above). For example, the average value, maximum value, minimum value, median value, or other value of multiple sound speeds (such as the above M×N sound speeds or M1+M2+...+Mn sound speeds) can be determined as the sound speed of the first region.

Optionally, if the first region is segmented to obtain the sound velocity of each of the multiple segments in the first region, as in the above embodiment, p1 sound velocities or M×N sound velocities or M1+M2+...+Mn sound velocities , The standard deviation of these multiple speeds of sound (such as p1 speed of sound or M×N speed of sound or M1+M2+...+Mn speed of sound) can be calculated to determine the multiple speeds of sound (such as p1 speed of sound or M×N Speed of sound or M1+M2+...+Mn speed of sound) accuracy.

As another embodiment, S230 may include: receiving a target area selection instruction of the first ultrasound image to determine the target area; controlling the ultrasound probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target area, and receiving a return from the target area Obtain a second ultrasonic echo signal; perform signal processing on the second ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a second ultrasonic image of the target area; determine the first area and the second area of the target area, The second area is the area through which the second ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than the depth of the first area. For example, the user can activate the target area selection function through the function keys on the control panel. At this time, the target area can be selected based on the content presented in the first ultrasound image (such as tissue/organ structural characteristics, lesion characteristics). After the target area is selected, the second ultrasonic image of the target area is obtained by transmitting the second ultrasonic wave to the target area again. The content of the second ultrasonic image of the target area can be compared with that of the target area in the first ultrasonic image. More detailed (for example, the image size of the target area presented is larger, but the image resolution of the target area remains the same or higher than that of the first ultrasound image), so that the user can more clearly observe the target area. More details.

Wherein, the transmission parameters of the second ultrasonic wave and the first ultrasonic wave may be the same or different. The transmission parameters include but are not limited to the transmission waveform, the transmission frequency, or the scanning range.

In this embodiment, the front-end magnification function is used. For example, if the depth range displayed in the first ultrasound image is 0 to H, the depth range displayed in the second ultrasound image can be H1 to H2, where 0≤H1< H2≤H.

The process of determining the second area and the first area based on the second ultrasound image in this embodiment is similar to the process of determining the second area and the first area based on the first ultrasound image in the foregoing embodiment. For example, the second ultrasound image can be processed through image recognition and segmentation technology to obtain the second area and the first area. For example, the region of interest selected by the user can be acquired as the first region, and the second region can be determined according to the depth. Among them, when the user selects the region of interest, the selection can be made based on the tissue type, or based on experience, or based on the displayed form of the second ultrasound image.

Subsequently, in S120 and S130, the sound velocity of the second area and the sound velocity of the first area may be determined based on the second ultrasound image. In this process, the depth can be redefined based on the second ultrasound image, assuming that the relative depth of the second region in the second ultrasound image is 0 to h1, and its relative depth in the first ultrasound image is H1 to h1+H1. Assuming that the relative depth of the first region in the second ultrasound image is h1 to h2, the relative depth of the first region in the first ultrasound image is h1+H1 to h2+H1. In this way, based on the second ultrasound image, the sound velocity of the second region where the relative depth is 0 to h1, and the sound velocity of the first region where the relative depth is h1+H1 to h2+H1 can be obtained.

The process of determining the speed of sound in the second region and the speed of sound in the first region based on the second ultrasound image is similar to the process of determining the speed of sound in the second region and the speed of sound in the first region based on the first ultrasound image. Repeat, I won’t repeat it here.

In this way, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sound velocity of the region of interest (such as the first region in the foregoing embodiment) can be determined based on the ultrasonic echo signal. Furthermore, the speed of sound can be used as a reference for various subsequent medical diagnosis.

Exemplarily, after S130, it may further include: using the speed of sound of the first region to perform signal processing on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal to obtain the ultrasonic wave corresponding to the speed of sound of the first region. image. Optionally, an ultrasound image corresponding to the speed of sound of the first region may be further displayed.

Specifically, by adopting the method for determining the speed of sound of the embodiment of the present invention, the speed of sound of the first region obtained is more accurate, which in turn makes the resolution of the obtained ultrasound image higher, which provides a more favorable reference for the doctor’s diagnosis and is more conducive to The doctor makes an accurate diagnosis.

Exemplarily, after S130, it may further include: determining the fat content in the first region and/or a parameter that characterizes the degree of fat in the first region based on the speed of sound in the first region.

As an example, the fat content in the first area can be determined in combination with the speed of sound in the fat, and further suggestions can be provided to the target object. If the fat content exceeds a set threshold, a fat reduction suggestion is given. As another example, a score that reflects the degree of fatty liver (such as a value from 0-100 points, the higher the score, the more severe the degree of fatty liver) or the grade that reflects the degree of fatty liver (such as a value from 0-4) Value, the higher the level, the more severe the degree of fatty liver).

Exemplarily, after S130, it may further include: determining whether there is a lesion in the first area based on the speed of sound of the first area. As an example, an ultrasound image of the first region can be obtained based on the sound velocity of the first region, the ultrasound image has a higher resolution, and the presence of a disease can be analyzed based on the ultrasound image. Specifically, the doctor can view the higher resolution ultrasound image and analyze whether there is a lesion. In this way, accurate lesion information can be provided in a timely manner, so that the patient can be treated in time to prevent delays in the disease. For example, if the first area is the thyroid, it can be determined whether there are nodules or the like.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic device for determining the speed of sound according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasound device 50 includes a memory 130 and a processor 140. The memory 130 stores a program, and when the program is executed by the processor 140, the ultrasound device 50 executes the following steps: determining the first area and the second area of the target object, wherein the second area is directed to the target object The transmitted ultrasonic wave propagates to the area passed by the first area, and the depth of the second area is less than the depth of the first area; the sound velocity of the second area is determined; the sound velocity of the first area is determined based on the sound velocity of the second area Speed of sound.

As an implementation manner, the processor 140 executes the program, so that: the first area and the second area of the target object are determined according to the system preset; or, the depth range and/or lateral range specified by the user are determined according to the user-specified depth range and/or lateral range. The first area and the second area of the target object.

As another implementation manner, the processor 140 may determine the first area and the second area based on the ultrasound image.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the ultrasound apparatus 10 includes an ultrasound probe 110, a transmission/reception controller 120, a memory 130, a processor 140 and a display 150.

The transmitting/receiving controller 120 is used to excite the ultrasonic probe to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the target object and receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object. The memory 130 is used to store programs executed by the processor. The processor 140 is configured to: obtain a first ultrasound echo signal based on the first ultrasound echo; perform signal processing on the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain a first ultrasound image of the target object; based on the first ultrasound The image determines the first area and the second area of the target object, where the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than the first area Determine the speed of sound in the second region; determine the speed of sound in the first region based on the speed of sound in the second region.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so that: the first area of the target object is determined based on the first ultrasound image; the second area of the target object is determined based on the first area of the target object.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so that: the second area of the target object is determined based on the depth of the first area; or the second area of the target object is determined based on the tissue type of the first area.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so as to: receive a target region selection instruction of the first ultrasound image to determine the target region; control the ultrasound probe to transmit a second ultrasound to the target region, and receive the second ultrasound from the target region. The second ultrasonic echo returned from the target area obtains the second ultrasonic echo signal; signal processing is performed on the second ultrasonic echo signal to obtain the second ultrasonic image of the target area; the first area and the second ultrasonic image of the target area are determined Two areas, where the second area is the area through which the second ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than the depth of the first area.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, so that the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal is processed by using the sound velocity of the second region and a plurality of to-be-selected sound velocities, to obtain and The multiple frames of images with one-to-one correspondence of the multiple candidate sound speeds; select a first target image that meets a preset condition from the multiple frames of images; determine the candidate sound velocity corresponding to the selected first target image as the first The speed of sound in an area.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, so that: using the speed of sound of the second area, determine the ultrasonic echo signal of the first area from the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal; Using each of the plurality of candidate sound velocities, signal processing is performed on the ultrasonic echo signal of the first region, respectively, to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the plurality of candidate sound velocities one-to-one.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, so that: perform spectrum analysis on the multi-frame images respectively to obtain the spectrum analysis result corresponding to the multi-frame image; determine the signal-to-noise ratio from the spectrum analysis result corresponding to the multi-frame image The highest frame of image is used as the first target image.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so as to perform signal processing on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal using a plurality of preset sound velocities to obtain a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of preset sound velocities. Corresponding multi-frame images; selecting a second target image that meets a preset condition from the multi-frame images; determining the preset sound velocity corresponding to the selected second target image as the sound velocity of the second area.

Exemplarily, the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the highest signal-to-noise ratio, the lowest bit error rate, and the highest resolution.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so that: the second region is divided into at least two segments along the depth direction, where the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance; along the depth direction, it is determined segment by segment The speed of sound of each of the at least two segments; the speed of sound of the second area is determined according to the speed of sound of each of the at least two segments.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, so that the average, median, minimum, or maximum value of the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments is determined as the sound velocity of the second region.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so that: the first region is divided into at least two segments along the depth direction, where the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic wave advances; along the depth direction, based on the second The sound velocity of the area determines the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments section by section; the sound velocity of the first area is determined according to the sound velocity of each of the at least two sections.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program so that: the first region is divided into M sections along the depth direction, and N sections along the transverse direction perpendicular to the depth direction, where the depth direction is the direction of the ultrasonic wave. Direction, M and N are both positive integers; the sound speed of each section of the M×N section of the first region is determined section by section based on the sound speed of the second region; the sound speed of each section of the M×N section is determined according to the sound speed of the M×N section The speed of sound in the first zone.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, so that: the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal is processed by using the sound velocity of the first area to obtain the sound velocity of the first area. Corresponding ultrasound image. Further, the ultrasound image can also be displayed by the display 150. Since the speed of sound in the first region obtained is more accurate, the resolution of the displayed ultrasound image is higher, which is more conducive to doctors to make accurate diagnosis based on it.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, and further causes: based on the speed of sound of the first area, determine the fat content in the first area and/or a parameter that characterizes the degree of fat in the first area.

Exemplarily, the processor 140 executes the program, and further causes: based on the speed of sound of the first area, it is determined whether there is a lesion in the first area. As an example, an ultrasound image can be displayed on the display 150, and then the doctor can view the ultrasound image with a higher resolution and analyze whether there is a lesion. In this way, accurate lesion information can be provided in a timely manner, so that the patient can be treated in time to prevent delay in the disease.

Exemplarily, the first area is a manually selected area of interest or an automatically identified area of interest; the second area is an area from the surface of the ultrasound probe to the top of the area of interest.

It can be understood that the ultrasonic device 50 shown in FIG. 5 and the ultrasonic device 10 shown in FIG. 1 can be used to implement the steps of the method shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, respectively. To avoid repetition, I won’t repeat it here.

A person of ordinary skill in the art may realize that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed by hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraint conditions of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods for each specific application to implement the described functions, but such implementation should not be considered as going beyond the scope of the present invention.

In addition, the embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a computer or a processor, the steps of the method for determining the speed of sound shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 can be implemented. For example, the computer storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium.

In one embodiment, the computer program instructions, when run by the computer or processor, cause the computer or processor to perform the following steps: transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target object, and receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object to obtain A first ultrasonic echo signal; signal processing is performed on the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain a first ultrasonic image of the target object; the first area and the second area of the target object are determined based on the first ultrasonic image, wherein the The second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is less than the depth of the first area; the sound velocity of the second area is determined; based on the second area The speed of sound determines the speed of sound in the first zone.

The computer storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read-only memory ( CD-ROM), USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer program product, which contains instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the steps of the method for determining the speed of sound shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 above.

Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and conciseness of description, the specific working process of the system, device and unit described above can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device, and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other divisions in actual implementation, for example, multiple units or components may be combined or It can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may be in electrical, mechanical or other forms.

The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments.

In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including Several instructions are used to make a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage media include: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk and other media that can store program code .

The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention. It should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

A method for determining the speed of sound, characterized in that it comprises:

Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the target object, and receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object, to obtain the first ultrasonic echo signal;

Signal processing on the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain a first ultrasound image of the target object;

The first area and the second area of the target object are determined based on the first ultrasound image, wherein the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and The depth of the second area is less than the depth of the first area;

Determining the speed of sound in the second area;

The sound speed of the first area is determined based on the sound speed of the second area.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the first area and the second area of the target object based on the first ultrasound image comprises:

Determining a first region of the target object based on the first ultrasound image;

The second area of the target object is determined based on the first area of the target object, wherein the second area is the area through which the first ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area, and the second area of the second area The depth is smaller than the depth of the first region.
The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining the second area of the target object based on the first area of the target object comprises:

Determine the second area of the target object based on the depth of the first area; or,

The second area of the target object is determined based on the tissue type of the first area.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the first area and the second area of the target object based on the first ultrasound image comprises:

Receiving an instruction for selecting a target area of the first ultrasound image to determine the target area;

Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target area, and receive a second ultrasonic echo returning from the target area, to obtain a second ultrasonic echo signal;

Signal processing on the second ultrasound echo signal to obtain a second ultrasound image of the target area;

The first area and the second area of the target area are determined, wherein the second area is the area through which the second ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than that of the first area. The depth of an area.
The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the determining the sound speed of the first area based on the sound speed of the second area comprises:

Signal processing is performed on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using the sound velocity of the second region and multiple candidate sound velocities to obtain a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple candidate sound velocities Multi-frame images;

Selecting a first target image that meets a preset condition from the multiple frames of images;

The candidate sound velocity corresponding to the selected first target image is determined as the sound velocity of the first region.
The method according to claim 5, wherein the use of the sound velocity of the second region and a plurality of to-be-selected sound velocities is used to signal the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal The processing to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the multiple to-be-selected sound velocities one-to-one includes:

Determine the ultrasonic echo signal of the first area from the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using the sound velocity of the second area;

Using each of the plurality of candidate sound velocities, signal processing is performed on the ultrasonic echo signal of the first region, respectively, to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the plurality of candidate sound velocities one-to-one.
The method according to claim 5, wherein the selecting a first target image that meets a preset condition from the multiple frames of images comprises:

Performing spectrum analysis on the multiple frames of images respectively to obtain a spectrum analysis result corresponding to the multiple frames of images;

A frame of image with the highest signal-to-noise ratio is determined as the first target image from the spectrum analysis results corresponding to the multiple frames of images.
The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein determining the sound velocity of the second region comprises:

Signal processing on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using a plurality of preset sound velocities to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the plurality of preset sound velocities one-to-one;

Selecting a second target image that meets a preset condition from the multiple frames of images;

The preset sound velocity corresponding to the selected second target image is determined as the sound velocity of the second area.
The method according to claim 5 or 8, wherein the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the highest signal-to-noise ratio, the lowest bit error rate, and the highest resolution.
The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein determining the sound velocity of the second zone comprises:

Dividing the second region into at least two sections along the depth direction, wherein the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance;

Along the depth direction, determine the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments section by section;

The sound speed of the second region is determined according to the sound speed of each of the at least two segments.
The method according to claim 10, wherein determining the sound velocity of the second region according to the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments comprises:

The average value, median value, minimum value or maximum value of the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments is determined as the sound velocity of the second region.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the sound speed of the first region based on the sound speed of the second region comprises:

Dividing the first area into at least two sections along the depth direction, wherein the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance;

Along the depth direction, determining the speed of sound of each of the at least two sections section by section based on the speed of sound of the second region;

The sound speed of the first region is determined according to the sound speed of each of the at least two segments.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the sound velocity of the first region comprises:

The first region is divided into M sections along the depth direction, and N sections along the transverse direction perpendicular to the depth direction, wherein the depth direction is the direction of the ultrasonic wave, and both M and N are positive integers;

Determining the speed of sound of each of the M×N segments of the first area segment by segment based on the speed of sound of the second area;

The sound speed of the first region is determined according to the sound speed of each of the M×N segments.
The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the method further comprises:

Signal processing is performed on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using the sound velocity of the first area to obtain an ultrasonic image corresponding to the sound velocity of the first area.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the method further comprises:

Based on the speed of sound in the first region, the fat content in the first region and/or a parameter that characterizes the degree of fat in the first region is determined.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the method further comprises:

Based on the speed of sound of the first area, it is determined whether there is a lesion in the first area.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first area is a manually selected area of interest or an automatically recognized area of interest; the second area is the ultrasound The area from the probe surface to the top of the region of interest.
A method for determining the speed of sound, characterized in that it comprises:

Determine the first area and the second area of the target object, wherein the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than the depth of the second area. The depth of the first area;

Determining the speed of sound in the second area;

The sound speed of the first area is determined based on the sound speed of the second area.
The method according to claim 18, wherein the determining the first area and the second area of the target object comprises:

Determine the first area and the second area of the target object according to system presets; or,

The first area and the second area of the target object are determined according to the depth range and/or the lateral range specified by the user.
An ultrasonic device, characterized in that the device comprises:

Ultrasound probe

A transmitting/receiving controller, used to excite the ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target object, and receive the first ultrasonic echo returned from the target object;

A memory for storing programs executed by the processor;

Processor for:

Obtaining a first ultrasonic echo signal based on the first ultrasonic echo;

Signal processing on the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain a first ultrasound image of the target object;

The first area and the second area of the target object are determined based on the first ultrasound image, wherein the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and The depth of the second area is less than the depth of the first area;

Determining the speed of sound in the second area;

The sound speed of the first area is determined based on the sound speed of the second area.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Determining a first region of the target object based on the first ultrasound image;

The second area of the target object is determined based on the first area of the target object, wherein the second area is the area through which the first ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area, and the second area of the second area The depth is smaller than the depth of the first region.
The ultrasound device according to claim 21, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Determine the second area of the target object based on the depth of the first area; or,

The second area of the target object is determined based on the tissue type of the first area.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Receiving an instruction for selecting a target area of the first ultrasound image to determine the target area;

Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the target area, and receive a second ultrasonic echo returning from the target area, to obtain a second ultrasonic echo signal;

Signal processing on the second ultrasound echo signal to obtain a second ultrasound image of the target area;

The first area and the second area of the target area are determined, wherein the second area is the area through which the second ultrasonic wave propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than that of the first area. The depth of an area.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20 or 23, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Signal processing is performed on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using the sound velocity of the second region and multiple candidate sound velocities to obtain a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple candidate sound velocities Multi-frame images;

Selecting a first target image that meets a preset condition from the multiple frames of images;

The candidate sound velocity corresponding to the selected first target image is determined as the sound velocity of the first region.
The ultrasound device according to claim 24, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Determine the ultrasonic echo signal of the first area from the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using the sound velocity of the second area;

Using each of the plurality of candidate sound velocities, signal processing is performed on the ultrasonic echo signal of the first region, respectively, to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the plurality of candidate sound velocities one-to-one.
The ultrasound device according to claim 24, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Performing spectrum analysis on the multiple frames of images respectively to obtain a spectrum analysis result corresponding to the multiple frames of images;

A frame of image with the highest signal-to-noise ratio is determined as the first target image from the spectrum analysis results corresponding to the multiple frames of images.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20 or 23, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Signal processing on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using a plurality of preset sound velocities to obtain multiple frames of images corresponding to the plurality of preset sound velocities one-to-one;

Selecting a second target image that meets a preset condition from the multiple frames of images;

The preset sound velocity corresponding to the selected second target image is determined as the sound velocity of the second area.
The ultrasound device according to claim 24 or 27, wherein the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the highest signal-to-noise ratio, the lowest bit error rate, and the highest resolution.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20 or 23, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Dividing the second region into at least two sections along the depth direction, wherein the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance;

Along the depth direction, determine the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments section by section;

The sound speed of the second region is determined according to the sound speed of each of the at least two segments.
The ultrasound device according to claim 29, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

The average value, median value, minimum value or maximum value of the sound velocity of each of the at least two segments is determined as the sound velocity of the second region.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Dividing the first area into at least two sections along the depth direction, wherein the depth direction is the direction in which the ultrasonic waves advance;

Along the depth direction, determining the speed of sound of each of the at least two sections section by section based on the speed of sound of the second region;

The sound speed of the first region is determined according to the sound speed of each of the at least two segments.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

The first region is divided into M sections along the depth direction, and N sections along the transverse direction perpendicular to the depth direction, wherein the depth direction is the direction of the ultrasonic wave, and both M and N are positive integers;

Determining the speed of sound of each of the M×N segments of the first area segment by segment based on the speed of sound of the second area;

The sound speed of the first region is determined according to the sound speed of each of the M×N segments.
The ultrasound device according to claim 20 or 23, wherein the processor executes the program and further causes:

Signal processing is performed on the first ultrasonic echo signal or the second ultrasonic echo signal by using the sound velocity of the first area to obtain an ultrasonic image corresponding to the sound velocity of the first area.
The ultrasound device according to any one of claims 20 to 33, wherein the processor executes the program and further causes:

Based on the speed of sound in the first region, the fat content in the first region and/or a parameter that characterizes the degree of fat in the first region is determined.
The ultrasound device according to any one of claims 20 to 33, wherein the processor executes the program and further causes:

Based on the speed of sound of the first area, it is determined whether there is a lesion in the first area.
The ultrasound device according to any one of claims 20 to 33, wherein the first area is a manually selected area of interest or an automatically recognized area of interest; the second area is the The area from the surface of the ultrasound probe to the top of the region of interest.
An ultrasound device, characterized by comprising a memory and a processor, wherein a program is stored in the memory, and when the program is executed by the processor, the device is caused to perform the following steps:

Determine the first area and the second area of the target object, wherein the second area is the area through which the ultrasonic wave emitted to the target object propagates to the first area, and the depth of the second area is smaller than the depth of the second area. The depth of the first area;

Determining the speed of sound in the second area;

The sound speed of the first area is determined based on the sound speed of the second area.
The ultrasound device according to claim 37, wherein the processor executes the program so that:

Determine the first area and the second area of the target object according to system presets; or,

The first area and the second area of the target object are determined according to the depth range and/or the lateral range specified by the user.
A computer storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program implements the steps of any one of claims 1 to 19 when the computer program is executed by a processor.