Ultrasound imaging system using finite impulse response digital clutter filter with forward and reverse coefficients
First Claim
1. A medical ultrasound imaging system comprising:
- means for transmitting ultrasound energy into a target region of a patient;
means for receiving ultrasound energy that was transmitted into the target region of the patient and providing a received signal;
means for converting said received signal to a group of input data samples;
a finite impulse response digital clutter filter for removing low frequency clutter from the input data samples, comprisingmultiplier means for multiplying said group of input data samples by a set of coefficients in a first order to provide first intermediate results and for multiplying said group of input data samples by said set of coefficients in a second order that is the reverse of said first order to provide second intermediate results, andsumming means for summing said first intermediate results to provide a first output sample and for summing said second intermediate results to provide a second output sample, said multiplier means and said summing means processing multiple groups of input samples to provide multiple first and second output samples;
means responsive to said multiple first and second output samples for estimating velocities in said target region; and
means for displaying the velocities in said target region.
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Abstract
An asymmetric finite impulse response digital filter, typically used in an ultrasound imaging system, includes forward and reverse sections. In the forward section, a group of input data samples is multiplied by a set of filter coefficients in a forward order to provide first intermediate results. The first intermediate results are summed to provide a first output sample. In the reverse section, the group of input data samples is multiplied by the set of coefficients in a reverse order as compared with the forward section to provide second intermediate results. The second intermediate results are summed to provide a second output sample. The process is repeated to provide multiple first and second output samples. A signal estimation unit estimates a characteristic of the input data samples, such as the frequency of a Doppler ultrasound signal, based on the first and second output samples. The filter provides twice as many output samples as prior art filters for a given set of input data samples. The filter is preferably used as a clutter filter to remove low frequency clutter from a Doppler ultrasound signal.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A medical ultrasound imaging system comprising:
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means for transmitting ultrasound energy into a target region of a patient; means for receiving ultrasound energy that was transmitted into the target region of the patient and providing a received signal; means for converting said received signal to a group of input data samples; a finite impulse response digital clutter filter for removing low frequency clutter from the input data samples, comprising multiplier means for multiplying said group of input data samples by a set of coefficients in a first order to provide first intermediate results and for multiplying said group of input data samples by said set of coefficients in a second order that is the reverse of said first order to provide second intermediate results, and summing means for summing said first intermediate results to provide a first output sample and for summing said second intermediate results to provide a second output sample, said multiplier means and said summing means processing multiple groups of input samples to provide multiple first and second output samples;
means responsive to said multiple first and second output samples for estimating velocities in said target region; andmeans for displaying the velocities in said target region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A medical ultrasound imaging system comprising:
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means for transmitting ultrasound energy into a target region of a patient; means for receiving ultrasound energy that was transmitted into the target region of the patient and providing a received signal; means for converting said received signal to a group of input data samples; a finite impulse response digital clutter filter for removing low frequency clutter from the input data samples, comprising a plurality of first multipliers for multiplying a group of input data samples representing the signal by a set of coefficients in a first order to provide first intermediate results; a plurality of second multipliers for multiplying said input data samples by said set of coefficients in a second order that is the reverse of said first order to provide second intermediate results; a plurality of first accumulators respectively coupled to said first multipliers for sequentially accumulating the first intermediate results generated by said first multipliers and providing a plurality of first output samples after accumulation of said first intermediate results; a plurality of second accumulators respectively coupled to the outputs of said second multipliers for sequentially accumulating the second intermediate results generated by said second multipliers and providing a plurality of second output samples after accumulation of said second intermediate results; means for supplying selected coefficients of said set of coefficients to said first multipliers and to said second multipliers; means responsive to said first and second output samples for estimating velocities in said target region; and means for displaying the velocities in said target region.
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Specification