Systems and methods for improving ultrasound image quality by applying weighting factors
Inventors
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Assignees
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MAUI ImagingMAUI Imaging develops ultrasound-based medical imaging solutions designed to overcome the limitations of traditional ultrasound, particularly in visualizing anatomy beyond bone, air, and metal barriers. Founded in 2006, the company has pioneered Computed Echo Tomography (CET) to enable diagnostic imaging in settings where conventional CT or MRI are impractical. With over 160 patents granted and FDA clearance for its K3900 system, MAUI Imaging targets applications in trauma medicine, critical care, neurosurgery, and interventional radiology, aiming to enhance timely diagnostics and interventions in both civilian and military environments.
MAUI Imaging develops ultrasound-based medical imaging solutions designed to overcome the limitations of traditional ultrasound, particularly in visualizing anatomy beyond bone, air, and metal barriers. Founded in 2006, the company has pioneered Computed Echo Tomography (CET) to enable diagnostic imaging in settings where conventional CT or MRI are impractical. With over 160 patents granted and FDA clearance for its K3900 system, MAUI Imaging targets applications in trauma medicine, critical care, neurosurgery, and interventional radiology, aiming to enhance timely diagnostics and interventions in both civilian and military environments.
Publication Number
US-12186133-B2
Publication Date
2025-01-07
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for improving the quality of ultrasound images made up of a combination of multiple sub-images include giving more weight to sub-image information that is more likely to improve a combined image quality. Weighting factor information may be determined from the geometry (e.g., angle or path length) of a location of one or more specific transducer elements relative to a specific point within a region of interest or a region of an image. In some embodiments, any given pixel (or other discrete region of an image) may be formed by combining received echo data in a manner that gives more weight to data that is likely to improve image quality, and/or discounting or ignoring data that is likely to detract from image quality (e.g., by introducing noise or by increasing point spread).
Core Innovation
The invention relates to ultrasound multiple-aperture imaging in which image quality from combined image layers is improved by applying per-pixel or per-view weighting factors when combining sub-images. Weighting factors are determined based on transmitter/receiver geometry and signal quality considerations, and are applied during image layer combining of the ultrasound image.
For each transmit aperture, the system analyzes patterns of elapsed time and echo intensity values to determine a degree of blockage of that transmit aperture. The resulting degree of blockage is used to apply weighting factors to the transmit apertures proportional to the degree of blockage, including downweighting or ignoring views or entire apertures predicted to degrade image quality.
Weighting can additionally be computed using geometry-based factors such as angles and path length, signal quality metrics such as expected S/N attenuation versus total path length, and point-spread-function considerations including angular thresholds and transfer functions. Transfer functions can be binary or fractional and can be monotonic, linear, exponential, Gaussian, or Kaiser-Bessel, and weighting may be normalized after weighting.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides one independent claim and describes its main inventive concepts. The claim set centers on determining a degree of blockage for each transmit aperture from elapsed time and echo intensity patterns, and applying transmit-aperture weighting factors proportional to that blockage degree.
Transmitting unfocused circular wave fronts separately and receiving echoes
Separately transmitting an unfocused circular wave front ultrasound signal from each of a plurality of transmit apertures into a region of interest and receiving echoes of the circular wave front ultrasound signals at a plurality of receive apertures.
Determining elapsed time and echo intensity patterns per transmit aperture
For each of the transmitted unfocused circular wave front ultrasound signals, determining an elapsed time between a transmit time and a receive time, and determining intensity values for the received echoes returned by reflectors in the region of interest.
Determining a degree of blockage from elapsed time and intensity patterns
Analyzing patterns of the elapsed time and the intensity values for each transmit aperture to determine a degree of blockage of each of the plurality of transmit apertures.
Applying blockage-proportional weighting factors to transmit apertures
Applying weighting factors to each of the plurality of transmit apertures proportional to the degree of blockage determined for each transmit aperture.
Across the independent claim, the core inventive coverage is the blockage-aware ultrasound imaging workflow: separately transmit unfocused circular wave fronts, determine elapsed time and echo intensity values, analyze those patterns to determine a blockage degree per transmit aperture, and apply transmit-aperture weighting factors proportional to that blockage degree.
Stated Advantages
Improves image quality from combined image layers by applying per-pixel/per-view weighting factors.
Downweights or ignores views or entire apertures predicted/identified to degrade image quality.
Assigns weighting based on blockage degree so blocked transmit apertures can be reduced in contribution during image layer combining.
Documented Applications
Ultrasound imaging using a multiple aperture ultrasound probe, including scenarios where transmit apertures may be blocked by obstacles such as ribs, using gated echo returns and blockage degree to set weights.
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