Ultrasound image texture control using adaptive speckle control algorithm
US5841889A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/0289
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for controlling the contrast resolution and the tissue texture of ultrasonic images employs a signal processing algorithm to adjust an image by changing the tissue texture (speckle grain size). The algorithm increases the image contrast by allocating a different speckle pattern to different grey scale levels. This signal processing algorithm is based on the Hilbert transform. It uses the property of the Hilbert transform to generate a quadrature component of the given image which is modulated by the speckle pattern as well as all other image information. The quadrature component is then squared before being selectively added to or subtracted from the square of the in-phase component of the given image to control the information in the image. The added or subtracted signals have different textures (or spatial frequency components). The arithmetic operation between the in-phase and quadrature phase components determines the image texture. If this operation is done selectively, then the contrast and the texture of the image can be selectively controlled.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.