Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, ultrasonic image processing apparatus, and ultrasonic image processing method
View Patent ↗Multiresolution decomposition of image data before scan conversion processing is hierarchically performed, low-frequency decomposed image data and high-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels are acquired, nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering is performed on output data from a next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in a lowest layer, and filtering for generating edge information on a signal for every layer is performed from the output data from the next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in the lowest layer. In addition, on the basis of the edge information on each layer, a signal level of the high-frequency decomposed image data is controlled for every layer and multiresolution mixing of the output data of the nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filter and the output data of the high-frequency level control, which are obtained in each layer, are hierarchically performed.
1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
a data generating unit that executes transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave in a B-mode with respect to a predetermined region of a tested body and generates ultrasonic image data;
a decomposition unit that hierarchically performs multiresolution decomposition of the ultrasonic image data and acquires low-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels (where, ‘n’ is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) and high-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels;
a filtering unit that performs nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering on output data from a next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in a lowest layer and generates edge information on a signal, for every layer, from the output data from the next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in the lowest layer;
a high-frequency level control unit that controls a signal level of the high-frequency decomposed image data for every layer on the basis of the edge information of each of the layers; and
a mixing unit that acquires ultrasonic image data by hierarchically performing multiresolution mixing of output data of the filtering unit and output data of the high-frequency level control unit which are obtained in each of the layers.
2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the multiresolution decomposition is wavelet transform, and
the multiresolution mixing is inverse wavelet transform.
3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the multiresolution decomposition and the multiresolution mixing is a Laplacian pyramid method.
4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is raw data before scan conversion processing.
5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is volume data, and
the decomposition unit executes the multiresolution decomposition on each of a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasonic image data that forms the volume data.
6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is volume data, and
the decomposition unit executes the multiresolution decomposition on each of a plurality of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data generated by using the volume data.
7. An ultrasonic image processing apparatus comprising:
a decomposition unit that hierarchically performs multiresolution decomposition of ultrasonic image data, which is acquired by executing transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave in a B-mode with respect to a predetermined region of a tested body, and acquires low-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels (where, ‘n’ is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) and high-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels;
a filtering unit that performs nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering on output data from a next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in a lowest layer and generates edge information on a signal, for every layer, from the output data from the next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in the lowest layer;
a high-frequency level control unit that controls a signal level of the high-frequency decomposed image data for every layer on the basis of the edge information of each of the layers; and
a mixing unit that acquires ultrasonic image data by hierarchically performing multiresolution mixing of output data of the filtering unit and output data of the high-frequency level control unit which are obtained in each of the layers.
8. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the multiresolution decomposition is wavelet transform, and
the multiresolution mixing is inverse wavelet transform.
9. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein each of the multiresolution decomposition and the multiresolution mixing is a Laplacian pyramid method.
10. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is raw data before scan conversion processing.
11. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is volume data, and
the decomposition unit executes the multiresolution decomposition on each of a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasonic image data that forms the volume data.
12. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is volume data, and
the decomposition unit executes the multiresolution decomposition on each of a plurality of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data generated by using the volume data.
13. An ultrasonic image processing method comprising:
hierarchically performing multiresolution decomposition of ultrasonic image data acquired by executing transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave in a B-mode with respect to a predetermined region of a tested body;
acquiring low-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels (where, ‘n’ is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) and high-frequency decomposed image data with first to n-th levels on the basis of the multiresolution decomposition;
executing nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering on output data from a next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in a lowest layer;
generating edge information on a signal, for every layer, from the output data from the next lower layer or the low-frequency decomposed image data in the lowest layer;
controlling a signal level of the high-frequency decomposed image data for every layer on the basis of the edge information of each of the layers; and
acquiring ultrasonic image data by hierarchically performing multiresolution mixing of output data of a filtering unit and output data of a high-frequency level control unit which are obtained in each of the layers.
14. The ultrasonic image processing method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the multiresolution decomposition is wavelet transform, and
the multiresolution mixing is inverse wavelet transform.
15. The ultrasonic image processing method according to claim 13 ,
wherein each of the multiresolution decomposition and the multiresolution mixing is a Laplacian pyramid method.
16. The ultrasonic image processing method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is raw data before scan conversion processing.
17. The ultrasonic image processing method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the ultrasonic image data is volume data, and
the decomposition unit executes the multiresolution decomposition on each of a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasonic image data that forms the volume data.
18. The ultrasonic image processing method according to claim 13 , wherein the ultrasonic image data is volume data, and the decomposition unit executes the multiresolution decomposition on each of a plurality of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data generated by using the volume data.