METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING ULTRASOUND DATA

• US 20110002518A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ziv-Ari, Morris, Sokulin, Alexander, Sakran, Henry, Sokulin, Elina
• Application Number:
  US12/496,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002518A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8977 using special techniques for image reconstruction, e.g. FFT, geometrical transformations, spatial deconvolution, time deconvolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8981 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds, e.g. wall clutter filter

Abstract

A method and system for processing ultrasound data is provided. The method includes acquiring ultrasound data and generating an image based on the ultrasound data. The method includes identifying an anatomical region of the image and automatically modifying the anatomical region for the purpose of reducing a clutter artifact. The method includes generating a modified image including at least a portion of the modified anatomical region and displaying the modified image.

Claims

1. A method for processing ultrasound data comprising:

acquiring ultrasound data;

generating an image based on the ultrasound data;

identifying an anatomical region of the image;

automatically modifying the anatomical region for the purpose of reducing a clutter artifact;

generating a modified image comprising at least a portion of the modified anatomical region; and

displaying the modified image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical region comprises a vessel region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said identifying the anatomical region of the image comprises using Doppler ultrasound data to identify the vessel region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifying the anatomical region of the image further comprises using Color Doppler ultrasound data to identify the vessel region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical region comprises a heart region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound data comprises RF ultrasound data or raw ultrasound data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the anatomical region comprises identifying the anatomical region based on the image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically modifying the anatomical region comprises reducing a gain in the anatomical region.

9. A method for processing ultrasound data comprising:

acquiring RF ultrasound data;

demodulating the RF ultrasound data to generate raw ultrasound data;

differentiating the raw ultrasound data to generate differentiated raw ultrasound data;

identifying global maxima and global minima in the differentiated raw ultrasound data;

generating an image based on the raw ultrasound data;

identifying an anatomical region of the image based on the global maxima and the global minima;

automatically modifying the anatomical region for the purpose of reducing a clutter artifact;

generating a modified image comprising at least a portion of the modified anatomical region; and

displaying the modified image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said identifying the anatomical region comprises fitting a first curve to the global maxima.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises fitting a second curve to the global minima.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises identifying the anatomical region based on the first curve and the second curve.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises using the first curve to identify a local maximum.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises adjusting the fit of the first curve based on the local maximum and identifying the anatomical region based on the adjusted first curve.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises using the second curve to identify a local minimum.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said identifying the anatomical region further comprises adjusting the fit of the second curve based on the local minimum and identifying the anatomical region based on the adjusted second curve.

17. An ultrasound system comprising:

a transducer;

a beam-former connected to the transducer; and

a processor connected to the beam-former, said processor configured to;

demodulate and smooth RF ultrasound data from the beam-former to generate raw ultrasound data;

differentiate the raw ultrasound data to generate differentiated raw ultrasound data;

identify global maxima and global minima in the differentiated raw ultrasound data;

identify an anatomical region based on the global maxima and the global minima;

generate an image based on the raw ultrasound data; and

modify the anatomical region of the image to generate a modified image.

18. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to fit a first curve to the global maxima.

19. The ultrasound system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to fit a second curve to the global minima.

20. The ultrasound system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to identify at least one of a first boundary of the anatomical region based on the first curve and a second boundary of the anatomical region based on the second curve.

21. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the modified image in real-time.

22. The ultrasound system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to display the modified image.