Image processing apparatus, ultrasonic apparatus including the same and method of controlling the same

• US 10,016,182 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Joo Young, Kim, Kyu Hong, Kim, Bae Hyung, Park, Su Hyun, Kho, Young Ihn, Kim, Jung Ho, Park, Sung Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Entezari, Michelle M
• Application Number:
  US14/996,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20160217574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/52 Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves image processing per se G06T
• 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 8/5276 due to motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/50 Systems of measurement, based on relative movement of the target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• 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 7/52053 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section

Abstract

A medical image processing apparatus includes a weight applier configured to, when a difference between a first imaginary component of a first frame image and a second imaginary component of a second frame image, the second frame image being adjacent to the first frame image, is less than or equal to a first threshold value, apply a first weight to the second imaginary component to increase the difference; and an image generator configured to generate a movement-amplified image based on the first frame image and the second frame image to which the first weight is applied so that a movement of interest corresponding to the increased difference is amplified.

Claims

1. A medical ultrasonic apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe configured to collect ultrasonic echo signals reflected from an object;

an image processing apparatus configured to generate an ultrasonic image based on the collected ultrasonic echo signals, increase a difference between adjacent frame images included in the ultrasonic image, and generate a movement-amplified image in which movement of interest is amplified; and

a display configured to display the movement-amplified image,

wherein the difference comprises an imaginary difference between a first imaginary component of a first frame image and a second imaginary component of a second frame image adjacent to the first frame image in the ultrasonic image, and

wherein the image processing apparatus is further configured to compare the imaginary difference to a threshold, and to apply a weight to the second imaginary component based on a result of the comparison.

2. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a difference between imaginary components of the adjacent frame images included in the ultrasonic image is less than or equal to a first threshold value, the image processing apparatus is configured to increase the difference and generate the movement-amplified image.

3. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus includes:

a weight applier configured to, when the imaginary difference is less than or equal to a first threshold value, apply a first weight to the second imaginary component to increase the difference; and

an image generator configured to generate the movement-amplified image based on the first frame image and the second frame image to which the first weight is applied so that a movement of interest corresponding to the increased difference is amplified.

4. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the difference comprises a difference between a first imaginary component of a first pixel at a first location of the first frame image and a second imaginary component of a second pixel at a second location of the second frame image, wherein the first location corresponds to the second location, and wherein the weight applier is configured to apply the first weight to the second imaginary component of the second pixel if the difference is less than or equal to the first threshold value.

5. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a non-periodic region determiner configured to determine a pixel in which the imaginary component is non-periodically changed for a predetermined time as a non-periodic region, in the ultrasonic image, and wherein the non-periodic region corresponds to a first non-periodic region in the first frame image and a second non-periodic region in the second frame image, when a difference between the first imaginary component in the first non-periodic region and the second imaginary component in the second non-periodic region is less than or equal to the first threshold value, the weight applier may be configured to apply the first weight to the second imaginary component in the second non-periodic region.

6. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the weight applier is configured to apply a second weight to the second imaginary component when the difference is greater than or equal to a second threshold value to decrease the difference; and

the image generator is configured to generate the movement-amplified image based on the first frame image and the second frame image to which the second weight is applied so that the movement of non-interest corresponding to the decreased difference is reduced.

7. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the the difference comprises a difference between a first imaginary component of a first pixel at a first location on the first frame image, and a second imaginary component of a first pixel at a first location on the first frame image, wherein the first location corresponds with the second location, and wherein the weight applier is configured to apply the second weight to the second imaginary component of the second pixel if the difference is greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

8. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a periodic region determiner configured to determine a pixel in which the imaginary component is periodically changed for a predetermined time as a periodic region, in the ultrasonic image, and wherein the periodic region corresponds to a first periodic region in the first frame image and a second periodic region in the second frame image, when the difference comprises a difference between a first imaginary component in the first periodic region and a second imaginary component in the second periodic region, and the difference is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the weight applier applies the second weight to the second imaginary component in the second periodic region.

9. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a sampler configured to sample the first imaginary component of the first frame image and the second imaginary component of the second frame image according to a predetermined sampling rate.

10. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when a difference between the sampled first imaginary component and the sampled second imaginary component is less than or equal to the first threshold value, the weight applier is configured to apply a third weight corresponding to the sampling rate to the sampled second imaginary component to increase the difference, and wherein the image generator is configured to generate the movement-amplified image using the first frame image, the second frame image to which the first weight is applied, the sampled first frame image, and the sampled second frame image to which the third weight is applied.

21. The medical ultrasonic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is further configured to determine a pixel in which the imaginary component is non-periodically changed for a predetermined time as a non-periodic region, in the ultrasonic image,

wherein the non-periodic region corresponds to a first non-periodic region in the first frame image and a second non-periodic region in the second frame image, and

wherein the first imaginary component is in the first non-periodic region and the second imaginary component is in the second non-periodic region.

11. A method of controlling a medical ultrasonic apparatus, comprising:

receiving ultrasonic echo signals reflected from an object;

generating an ultrasonic image based on the received ultrasonic echo signals;

increasing a difference between adjacent frame images included in the ultrasonic image and generating a movement-amplified image in which movement of interest is amplified; and

displaying the movement-amplified image,

wherein the difference comprises an imaginary difference between a first imaginary component of a first frame image and a second imaginary component of a second frame image adjacent to the first frame image in the ultrasonic image, and

wherein the method further comprises comparing the imaginary difference to a threshold, and applying a weight to the second imaginary component based on a result of the comparison.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, when the difference comprises a difference between imaginary components of the adjacent frame images included in the ultrasonic image, and the difference is less than or equal to a first threshold value, the generating of the movement-amplified image includes increasing the difference and generating the movement-amplified image.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the generating of the movement-amplified image includes:

when the imaginary difference is less than or equal to a first threshold value, applying a first weight to the second imaginary component to increase the difference; and

generating the movement-amplified image based on the first frame image and the second frame image to which the first weight is applied so that a movement of interest corresponding to the increased difference is amplified.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the determining of the difference includes determining a difference between a first imaginary component of a first pixel at a first location on the first frame image and a second imaginary component of a second pixel at a second location on the second frame image, wherein the first location corresponds with the second location, and wherein the applying of the first weight includes applying the first weight to the second imaginary component of the second pixel if the difference is less than or equal to the first threshold value.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining a pixel in which the imaginary component is non-periodically changed for a predetermined time as a non-periodic region, in the ultrasonic image, and wherein the non-periodic region corresponds to a first non-periodic region in the first frame image and a second non-periodic region in the second frame image, when the difference comprises a difference between the first imaginary component in the first non-periodic region and the second imaginary component in the second non-periodic region is less than or equal to the first threshold value, the applying of the first weight includes applying the first weight to the second imaginary component in the second non-periodic region.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

applying a second weight to the second imaginary component so that the difference is decreased when the difference is greater than or equal to a second threshold value; and

generating the movement-amplified image based on the first frame image and the second frame image to which the second weight is applied so that a movement of non-interest corresponding to the decreased difference is reduced.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the applying of the second weight includes applying the second weight to the second imaginary component of a pixel in which the difference is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, among a plurality of pixels of the second frame image.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising determining a pixel in which the imaginary component is periodically changed for a predetermined time as a periodic region, in the ultrasonic image, and wherein the periodic region corresponds to a first periodic region in the first frame image and a second periodic region in the second frame image, when the difference comprises a difference between the first imaginary component in the first periodic region and the second imaginary component in the second periodic region, and the difference is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the applying of the second weight includes applying the second weight to the second imaginary component in the second periodic region.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising sampling the first imaginary component of the first frame image and the second imaginary component of the second frame image according to a predetermined sampling rate.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, when a difference between the sampled first imaginary component and the sampled second imaginary component is less than or equal to the first threshold value, the applying of the first weight includes applying a third weight corresponding to the sampling rate to the sampled second imaginary component to increase the difference, and wherein the generating of the movement-amplified image includes generating the movement-amplified image using the first frame image, the second frame image to which the first weight is applied, the sampled first frame image, and the sampled second frame image to which the third weight is applied.