ULTRASOUND SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN ULTRASOUND SPATIAL COMPOUND IMAGE CONSIDERING STEERING ANGLE
Embodiments for providing an ultrasound spatial compound image are disclosed. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from a target object based on a plurality of steering angles corresponding to a plurality of frames to output a plurality of ultrasound data; and a processing unit in communication with the ultrasound data acquisition unit, the processing unit being configured to set a reference steering angle corresponding to each of the frames, calculate a steering angle corresponding to each of the frames by using a sequence based on the reference steering angle, perform scan conversion upon the ultrasound data to form the frames, and perform spatial compound imaging upon images of spatially overlapped regions in the frames to form an ultrasound spatial compound image.
1 . An ultrasound system, comprising:
an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from a target object based on a plurality of steering angles corresponding to a plurality of frames to output a plurality of ultrasound data; and
a processing unit in communication with the ultrasound data acquisition unit, the processing unit being configured to set a reference steering angle corresponding to each of the frames, calculate a steering angle corresponding to each of the frames by using a sequence based on the reference steering angle, perform scan conversion upon the ultrasound data to form the frames, and perform spatial compound imaging upon images of spatially overlapped regions in the frames to form an ultrasound spatial compound image.
2 . The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the reference steering angle is the steering angle of a first scanline or a last scanline in the scanlines.
3 . The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the sequence is selected from the group consisting of an arithmetic sequence, a geometric sequence and a combination thereof.
4 . The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound data acquisition unit includes an ultrasound probe.
5 . The ultrasound system of claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to perform the scan conversion upon the ultrasound data based on a type of the ultrasound probe.
6 . The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to perform the spatial compound imaging by using an arithmetic mean, a geometric mean or a harmonic mean.
7 . The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to apply different weights to the frames and perform the spatial compound imaging upon the frames with the applied weights.
8 . A method of providing an ultrasound spatial compound image, comprising:
a) setting a reference steering angle corresponding to each of a plurality of frames;
b) calculating a plurality of steering angles corresponding to the frames by using a sequence based on the reference steering angle;
c) acquiring a plurality of ultrasound data based on the steering angles;
d) performing scan conversion upon the ultrasound data to form the frames; and
e) performing spatial compound imaging upon images of spatially overlapped regions in the frames to form an ultrasound spatial compound image.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reference steering angle is the steering angle of a first scanline or a last scanline in the plurality of scanlines.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the sequence is selected from the group consisting of an arithmetic sequence, a geometric sequence, and a combination thereof.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step d) comprises:
performing the scan conversion upon the ultrasound data based on a type of ultrasound probe.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step e) comprises:
performing the spatial compound imaging by using an arithmetic mean, a geometric mean of a harmonic mean.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step e) comprises:
applying different weights to the frames; and
performing the spatial compound imaging upon the frames with the applied weights.