Imaging system and image processing method thereof

• US 8,744,128 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Shau, Yio-Wha, Chang, Yu-Ching, Hwang, Bai-Kuang, Li, Arvin Huang-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US13/558,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20130163840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382106-107, 382128-133, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382/191, 382/219, 382/224, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382/286, 382/291, 382/305, 382/312, 378/16, 378/19, 600/443, 702/48
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5215 involving processing of medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

An image processing method is provided. The image processing method includes the following steps. A plurality of raw signal is received by a signal transceiving module of the ultrasound imaging system. It is determined whether each of the raw signals satisfies any condition in a condition group, and the raw signal satisfying any condition in the condition group is mapped to one of a plurality of preset constants to generate a plurality of first data. The raw signals not satisfying any condition in the condition group are processed according to a calculation formula to generate a plurality of second data. A beamforming procedure is simultaneously performed on the first and second data to obtain a beamformed image. The beamformed image is transformed to obtain an image of a region to be detected. Furthermore, an imaging system using the foregoing image processing method is also provided.

Claims

1. An image processing method, adapted to an ultrasound imaging system, and the image processing method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of raw signals;

(b) determining whether each of the raw signals satisfies any condition in a condition group, and mapping the raw signals satisfying said condition to one of a plurality of predetermined constants to generate a plurality of first data after a first iteration;

(c) processing the raw signals not satisfying any condition in the condition group according to a calculation formula to generate a plurality of second data after the first iteration;

(d) simultaneously performing a beamforming procedure on the first and second data to obtain a beamformed image;

(e) transforming the beamformed image to obtain a processed image;

further comprising;

repeating the step (b) and the step (c) in allusion to the generated first and second data to obtain the first and the second data generated after multiple iterations.

2. The image processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step (d), the beamforming procedure is simultaneously performed on the first and second data generated after the first or multiple iterations.

3. The image processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step (b), the condition group comprises a plurality of predetermined values, and when the raw signal equals any of the predetermined values, each of the raw signals equalling to said predetermined value is mapped to one of the predetermined constants to generate the first data.

4. The image processing method as claimed in claim 3, wherein situations of mapping each of the raw signals equalling to any of the predetermined values to one of the predetermined constants when the raw signal equals to any of the predetermined values comprise:

if S1=−

1, mapping S1 to −

1 to generate S1′

=1;

if S1=0, mapping S1 to 0 to generate S1′

=0;

if S1=1, mapping S1 to 1 generate S1′

=1; and

if S1=e, mapping S1 to −

S1 to generate S1′

=−

S1,

wherein S1 is the raw signal equalling to any of the predetermined values −

1, 0, 1 and e, S1′

is the first data, and e is the base of natural logarithm.

5. The image processing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein situations of mapping each of the raw signals falling in any of the predetermined ranges to one of the predetermined constants when said raw signal falls in said predetermined ranges comprise:

if −

e<

S1<

−

1, mapping S1 to S1 to generate S1′

=S1;

if −

1<

S1<

0, mapping S1 to 0 to generate S1′

=0;

if 0<

S1<

1, mapping S1 to 0 to generate S1′

=0; and

if 1<

S1<

e, mapping S1 to −

S1 to generate S1′

=S1,

wherein S1 is the raw signal falling in one of the predetermined ranges, S1′

is the first data, and e is the base of natural logarithm.

6. The image processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step (b), the condition group comprises a plurality of predetermined ranges, and when the raw signals fall in one of the predetermined ranges, each of the raw signals falling in one of the predetermined ranges is mapped to one of the predetermined constants.

7. The image processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step (c), the calculation formula comprises a specific function of the raw signal and operations of the raw signal itself.

8. The image processing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein in the step (c), the calculation formula is as follows:

S2′

=S2*(ln|S2|)−

S2

wherein S2′

is the second data, S2 is the raw signal not satisfying any condition in the condition group, and ln|S2| is a logarithmic function value of an absolute value of S2.

9. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

a signal transceiving module, receiving a plurality of raw signals;

a signal processing module, determining whether each of the raw signals satisfies any condition in a condition group, and mapping the raw signals satisfying said condition to one of a plurality of predetermined constants to generate a plurality of first data after a first iteration;

processing the raw signals not satisfying any condition in the condition group according to a calculation formula to generate a plurality of second data after the first iteration;

simultaneously performing a beamforming procedure on the first and second data to obtain a beamformed image; and

transforming the beamformed image to obtain a processed image; and

an image display module, displaying the processed image according to a transformed result of the beamformed image;

wherein the signal processing module repeatedly determining whether the generated first and the second data satisfy any condition in the condition group, and repeatedly performing the process on the first and second data not satisfying any condition in the condition group, so as to obtain the first and the second data generated after multiple iterations.

10. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the signal processing module comprises:

a data selection unit, determining whether each of the raw signals satisfies any condition in the condition group, and mapping the raw signals satisfying said condition to one of a plurality of predetermined constants to generate a plurality of the first data after a first iteration;

a data processing unit, processing the raw signals not satisfying any condition in the condition group according to the calculation formula to generate a plurality of the second data after the first iteration;

a beamforming unit, simultaneously performing the beamforming procedure on the first and second data to obtain the beamformed image; and

a scan transform unit, transforming the beamformed image to obtain the processed image.

11. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the signal processing module simultaneously performs the beamforming procedure on the first and second data generated after the first or multiple iterations.

12. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the condition group comprises a plurality of predetermined values, and when the raw signal equals to any of the predetermined values, the signal processing module maps each of the raw signals equalling to said predetermined values to one of the predetermined constants.

13. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein situations of mapping each of the raw signals equalling to any of the predetermined values to one of the predetermined constants when the raw signal equals to any of the predetermined values comprise:

if S1=−

1, mapping S1 to −

1 to generate S1′

=−

1;

if S1=0, mapping S1 to 0 to generate S1′

=0;

if S1=1mapping S1 to 1 to generate S1′

=1; and

if S1=e, mapping S1 to −

S1 to generate S1′

=−

S1,

wherein S1 is the raw signal equalling to any of the predetermined values −

1, 0, 1 and e, S1′

is the first data, and e is the base of natural logarithm.

14. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the calculation formula is as follows:

S2′

=S2*(ln|S2|)−

S2

wherein S2′

is the second data, S2 is the raw signal not satisfying any condition in the condition group, and ln|S2| is a logarithmic function value of an absolute value of S2.

15. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the condition group comprises a plurality of predetermined ranges, and when the raw signal falls in any of the predetermined ranges, the signal processing module maps said raw signals falling in said predetermined ranges to one of the predetermined constants.

16. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 15, wherein situations of mapping each of the raw signals falling in any of the predetermined ranges to one of the predetermined constants when said raw signal falls in said predetermined ranges comprise:

if −

e<

S1<

31 1, mapping S1 to S1 to generate S1′

=S1;

if −

1<

S1<

0, mapping S1 to 0 to generate S1′

=0;

if 0<

S1<

1, mapping S1 to 0 to generate S1′

=0; and

if 1<

S1<

e, mapping S1 to −

S1 to generate S1′

=−

S1,

wherein S1 is the raw signal falling in any of the predetermined ranges, S1′

is the first data, and e is the base of natural logarithm.

17. The ultrasound imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the calculation formula comprises a specific function of the raw signals and operations of the raw signal itself.