Patent · US Expired

Median temporal filtering of ultrasonic data

US5413105A · kind A · utility

27Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 1994
Grant dateMay 9, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S7/52028
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus of processing signals in an ultrasonic imaging system for imaging a living subject. The ultrasonic imaging system including an ultrasonic emitter, receptor and display. N temporally-spaced signals from ultrasound produced by a plurality of temporally-spaced referenced pulses are obtained and the amplitude (power) of each of the N temporally-spaced signals is determined. In various embodiments, N is an odd integer, usually, 1, 3, 5 or 7, depending on a user-setting. A median temporal signal of the N amplitude signals is then obtained. In implemented embodiments, the median is obtained by sorting a list of the N amplitude signals until (N+1)/2 signals have been sorted. The median is temporally filtered with a previous signal displayed on the display of the ultrasonic imaging system, wherein the temporal filtering including a filtering coefficient having a magnitude approximating a cardiac cycle of the living subject. Such processing is especially useful for angiography studies, wherein artifacts are removed providing a higher-quality image than in the prior art.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.