Method and apparatus for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging by projecting filtered pixel data
First Claim
1. A system for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound scatterers in an object volume, comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer array for transmitting ultrasound beams and detecting ultrasound echoes reflected from said object volume at a multiplicity of focal positions in a scan plane;
means coupled to said ultrasound transducer array for acquiring imaging data derived from ultrasound echoes reflected from each one of a multiplicity of scan planes through said object volume;
means for converting the acquired imaging data for each scan plane into a respective image frame of pixel data;
memory means for storing pixel data for each of a multiplicity of image frames corresponding to said multiplicity of scan planes;
means for retrieving a volume of pixel data from said memory means corresponding to a volume of interest in the object volume;
means for three-dimensional filtering said volume of pixel data by applying a set of filter coefficients to pixel data of n image frames during each filtering operation, where n≧
2, to form a three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume;
means for projecting said three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume onto a first image plane, thereby forming a first projected data set representing a first projected image;
a display monitor; and
means for displaying said first projected image on said display monitor.
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound data by reducing speckle artifact data before the acquired data from a volume of interest is projected onto an image plane. An ultrasound scanner collects B-mode or color flow mode images in a cine memory, i.e., for a multiplicity of slices. The data from a respective region of interest for each slice is sent to a master controller, such data forming a volume of interest. The master controller performs an algorithm that iteratively projects the pixel data in the volume of interest onto a plurality of rotated image planes using a ray-casting technique. Prior to projection, the master controller smooths the speckle contained in the pixel data filtering using a convolution filter having a nine-point kernel. Convolution filtering of image data is carried out by defining a desired area of the image, such as an area represented by an array of pixels, by weighting each of the pixels in the array with a respective weighting coefficient, and then by summing the weighted pixels to produce a filtered pixel value which is substituted for the central pixel in the array. The filtered pixel data forms a new data volume which is then projected onto each successive image plane.
100 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound scatterers in an object volume, comprising:
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an ultrasound transducer array for transmitting ultrasound beams and detecting ultrasound echoes reflected from said object volume at a multiplicity of focal positions in a scan plane; means coupled to said ultrasound transducer array for acquiring imaging data derived from ultrasound echoes reflected from each one of a multiplicity of scan planes through said object volume; means for converting the acquired imaging data for each scan plane into a respective image frame of pixel data; memory means for storing pixel data for each of a multiplicity of image frames corresponding to said multiplicity of scan planes; means for retrieving a volume of pixel data from said memory means corresponding to a volume of interest in the object volume; means for three-dimensional filtering said volume of pixel data by applying a set of filter coefficients to pixel data of n image frames during each filtering operation, where n≧
2, to form a three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume;means for projecting said three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume onto a first image plane, thereby forming a first projected data set representing a first projected image; a display monitor; and means for displaying said first projected image on said display monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound scatterers in an object volume, comprising:
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an ultrasound transducer array for transmitting ultrasound beams and detecting ultrasound echoes reflected from said object volume at a multiplicity of focal positions in a scan plane; means coupled to said ultrasound transducer array for acquiring imaging data derived from ultrasound echoes reflected from each one of a multiplicity of scan planes through said object volume; means for converting the acquired imaging data for each scan plane into a respective image frame of pixel data; frame memory means for storing an image frame of pixel data for each of said multiplicity of scan planes; cine memory means for storing a multiplicity of image frames of pixel data output in succession by said frame memory means; means for retrieving a volume of pixel data from said cine memory means corresponding to a volume of interest in the object volume; means for three-dimensional filtering said volume of pixel data by applying a set of filter coefficients to pixel data of n image frames during each filtering operation, where n≧
2, to form a three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume;means for projecting said three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume onto first and second image planes, thereby forming first and second projected data sets representing first and second projected images, respectively; means for storing said first and second projected data sets in said cine memory means; means for selecting one of said first and second image planes; a display monitor; and means for displaying one of said first and second projected data sets corresponding to said selected one of said first and second image planes. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound scatterers in an object volume, comprising:
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(a) transmitting a multiplicity of ultrasound beams focused at respective transmit focal positions in a scan plane; (b) detecting ultrasound echoes reflected from the ultrasound scatterers at said respective transmit focal positions in said scan plane; (c) acquiring imaging data derived from said detected ultrasound echoes in said scan plane; (d) converting the acquired imaging data for said scan plane into an image frame of pixel data; (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) to form a multiplicity of image frames of pixel data for a respective multiplicity of scan planes intersecting the object volume; (f) storing pixel data for each of said multiplicity of image frames; (g) retrieving a volume of pixel data from said stored pixel data corresponding to a volume of interest in the object volume; (h) three-dimensional filtering said pixel data volume by applying a set of filter coefficients to pixel data of n image frames during each filtering operation, where n≧
2, to form a three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume;(i) projecting said three-dimensionally filtered pixel data volume onto a first image plane, thereby forming a first projected data set representing a first projected image; and (j) displaying said first projected image. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification