Ultrasound color Doppler imaging system and method for filtering clutter signal of the same

1. An ultrasound color Doppler image system, the system comprising:

a calculator calculation unit comprising a computer and configured to calculate, for each frame, a mean value associated with an in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) signal corresponding to a pixel of a color image in an ultrasound image, and to generate a multiplication value using the calculated mean value;

a comparator comparison unit comprising a computer and configured to compare the generated multiplication value with the mean value; and

a mask setter masking unit comprising a computer and configured to perform masking of the pixel based on a comparison result,

wherein the calculator calculation unit is further configured to calculate the mean value of the I/Q signal for each frame, select a maximum mean value based on scales of the calculated mean value, and generate the multiplication value by multiplying the selected maximum mean value and a predetermined scale factor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit is further configured to:

calculate a mean phase and a mean magnitude as the mean value,

generate a first multiplication value associated with the mean phase, and

generate a second multiplication value associated with the mean magnitude.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the comparison unit is configured to: compare the first multiplication value with a mean phase calculated for a frame that is a target of the masking; and

compare the second multiplication value with a mean magnitude calculated for the frame that is the target of the masking.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the masking unit is configured to perform the masking of the pixel for the frame that is the target of the masking, when a case corresponds to one of:

(1) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude;

(2) where the first multiplication value is greater than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude as a result of the comparison; and

(3) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase and the second multiplication value is less than the mean magnitude.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the calculation unit is further configured to calculate the mean phase and the mean magnitude based on the I/Q signal and another I/Q signal having a temporal continuity with the I/Q signal.

6. A method of filtering a clutter signal in an ultrasound color Doppler image system, the method comprising:

calculating, for each frame, a mean value associated with in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) signal corresponding to a pixel of a color image in an ultrasound image, by a calculation unit implemented with a hardware device;

generating, by the calculation unit, a multiplication value using the calculated mean value;

comparing, by a comparison unit implemented with a hardware device, the generated multiplication value with the mean value; and

performing, by a masking unit implemented with a hardware device, a masking of the pixel based on a comparison result,

wherein the generating of the multiplication value includes:

selecting a maximum mean value based on scales of the calculated mean value; and

generating the multiplication value by multiplying the selected maximum mean value and a predetermined scale factor.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, when a mean phase and a mean magnitude are calculated as the mean value, the generating of the multiplication value further comprises:

generating a first multiplication value associated with the mean phase and a second multiplication value associated with the mean magnitude.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the comparing of the generated multiplication value with the mean value comprises:

comparing the first multiplication value with a mean phase for a frame that is a target of the masking; and

comparing the second multiplication value with a mean magnitude for the frame that is the target of the masking.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the masking of the pixel for the frame that is the target of the masking is performed, when a case corresponds to one of:

(1) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude;

(2) where the first multiplication value is greater than the mean phase, and the second multiplication value is greater than the mean magnitude as a result of the comparison; and

(3) where the first multiplication value is less than the mean phase and the second multiplication value is less than the mean magnitude.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the calculating of the mean value comprises calculating the mean phase and the mean magnitude based on the I/Q signal and another I/Q signal having a temporal continuity with the I/Q signal.

11. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program implementing a method of filtering a clutter signal in an ultrasound color Doppler image system, the method comprising:

calculating, for each frame, a mean value associated with inphase/quadrature (I/Q) signal corresponding to a pixel of a color image in an ultrasound image;

generating a multiplication value using the calculated mean value;

comparing the generated multiplication value with the mean value; and

performing a masking of the pixel based on a comparison result;

wherein the generating of the multiplication value performs:

selecting a reference maximum value based on scales of calculated mean values; and

generating the multiplication value by multiplying the selected maximum mean value and a predetermined scale factor.