ULTRASOUND COLOR DOPPLER IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILTERING CLUTTER SIGNAL OF THE SAME

• US 20110137174A1
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Medison Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: PARK, Sung Bae, Kim, Tae Yun, Bae, Moo Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,758,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/454
• 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

Disclosed is an ultrasound color Doppler image system. The ultrasound color Doppler image system includes a calculation unit that calculates a mean value associated with an I/Q signal corresponding to a pixel of a color image in an ultrasound image and generates a multiplication value using the calculated mean value; a comparison unit that compares the generated multiplication value with the mean value; and a masking unit that performs masking of the pixel based on a comparison result, and, the calculation unit calculates the mean value of the I/Q signal for each frame, selects a reference mean value based on scales of the calculated mean values, and generates the multiplication value by multiplying the selected reference mean value and a scale factor.

Claims

1. An ultrasound color Doppler image system, the system comprising:

a calculation unit to calculate, for each frame, a mean value associated with an I/Q signal corresponding to a pixel of a color image in an ultrasound image, and to generate a multiplication value using the calculated mean value;

a comparison unit to compare the generated multiplication value with the mean value; and

a masking unit to perform masking of the pixel based on a comparison result,

wherein the calculation unit calculates the mean value of the I/Q signal for each frame, selects a reference mean value based on scales of the calculated mean values, and generates the multiplication value by multiplying the selected reference mean value and a scale factor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates a mean phase and a mean magnitude as the mean value, generates a first multiplication value associated with the mean phase, and generates a second multiplication value associated with the mean magnitude.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the comparison unit performs:

comparing the first multiplication value with a mean phase calculated for a frame that is a target of the masking; and

comparing the second multiplication value with a mean magnitude calculated for the frame that is the target of the masking.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the masking unit performs the masking of the pixel for the frame that is the target of the masking, when a case corresponds to one of a case:

(1) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude;

(2) where the first multiplication value is greater than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude as a result of the comparison; and

(3) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase and the second multiplication value is less that the mean magnitude.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the calculation unit calculates the mean phase and the mean magnitude based on the I/Q signal and another I/Q signal having a temporal continuity with the I/Q signal.

6. A method of filtering a clutter signal in an ultrasound color Doppler image system, the method comprising:

calculating, for each frame, a mean value associated with I/Q signal corresponding to a pixel of a color image in an ultrasound image;

generating a multiplication value using the calculated mean value;

comparing the generated multiplication value with the mean value; and

performing a masking of the pixel based on a comparison result,

wherein the generating of the multiplication value performs;

selecting a reference mean value based on scales of calculated mean values; and

generating the multiplication value by multiplying the selected reference mean value and a scale factor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, when a mean phase and a mean magnitude are calculated as the mean value, the generating further comprises:

generating a first multiplication value associated with the mean phase and a second multiplication value associated with the mean magnitude.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparing comprises:

comparing the first multiplication value with a mean phase for a frame that is a target of the masking; and

comparing the second multiplication value with a mean magnitude for the frame that is the target of the masking.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the masking performs the masking of the pixel for the frame that is the target of the masking, when a case corresponds to one of a case:

(1) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude;

(2) where the first multiplication value is greater than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude as a result of the comparison; and

(3) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase and the second multiplication value is less that the mean magnitude.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the calculating of the mean value calculates the mean phase and the mean magnitude based on the I/Q signal and another I/Q signal having a temporal continuity with the I/Q signal.

11. A computer readable recording medium storing a program implementing the method of claim 6.