A method to suppresses speckle noise in medical ultrasound images includes ultrasound envelope image matrix A formed from the medical ultrasound images and segmented into overlapping segments, to form a sub-matrix B for each overlapping segment. A Hermitian covariance matrix C is formulated from column vectors Z. A global covariance matrix G is formed by averaging the C. A Lanczos decomposition is applied to the G to generate an orthonormal vector matrix composed of orthonormal vectors. A tridiagonal matrix H is generated. The orthonormal vectors are sorted based on magnitude of each column. An orthogonal projection matrix P.sub.orth is formed based on the orthonormal vectors. An estimated vector signal {circumflex over (Z)} is obtained by projecting Z by P.sub.orth. An estimated despeckled segment is formed from the {circumflex over (Z)}. An estimated despeckled ultrasound image is reconstructed by averaging each pixel by the number of segment updates.

An ultrasound imaging system according to the present disclosure may include an ultrasound transducer assembly comprising a plurality of apertures that are configured to transmit signals toward and receive signals from a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, a tracking sensor disposed within the subject and configured to move within the ROI, the sensor being responsive to signals transmitted by the apertures, and at least one processor in communication with the ultrasound transducer assembly and the tracking sensor. The at least one processor may be configured to generate a first image of a first portion of the ROI from signals received from at least one activated aperture, identify a position of the tracking sensor using signal data from the tracking sensor that corresponds to at least one signal transmitted by the apertures, and generate a second image of a second portion of the ROI from signals received from at least one other aperture activated based on the identified position, wherein the second portion of the ROI is different from the first portion of the ROI.

A computer-implemented method for visualization of an elongated anatomical structure (20), for example of a fetal spine using ultrasound is provided. The method comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of 3D ultrasound image volumes, each image volume depicting at least a portion of an elongated anatomical structure (20); on each 3D ultrasound image volume, automatically or semi-automatically fitting a parametric curve (30) to the depicted portion of the elongated anatomical structure, the parametric curve being defined by curve parameters; reformatting each 3D ultrasound image volume by applying a transformation which straightens the parametric curve along at least one axis, so as to generate a plurality of reformatted image volumes and reformatted parametric curves (32, 34); registering the reformatted image volumes with one another by determining the joining point of their respective parametric curves; and fusing the reformatted image volumes with one another to yield a fused image depicting the whole elongated anatomical structure or a larger portion thereof than the 3D ultrasound image volumes.

Various methods and systems are provided for a medical imaging system. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a series of medical images of a lung, identifying a pleural line in each medical image of the series, evaluating the pleural line for irregularities in each medical image of the series, and outputting an annotated version of each medical image of the series, the annotated version including visual markers for healthy pleura and irregular pleura. In this way, an operator of the medical imaging system may be alerted to pleural irregularities during a scan.

The invention proposes a method for generating ultrasonic panoramic image and an ultrasonic device. The invention first analyzes the degree of overlap area between two black-and-white images and determines the Doppler signal error of two corresponding color images once the overlap area is large enough. A plurality of black-and-white characteristic images and color characteristic images are then determined from the captured black-and-white images and color images and used for generating a black-and-white panoramic image and a color panoramic image respectively using an image stitching algorithm. The color panoramic image is then overlaid with the black-and-white panoramic image to form an output panoramic image.

A method and an apparatus for generating a combined three-dimensional ultrasound image of a body portion are described. Therein, two ultrasound scans are preformed, using a relative tracking system, specifically an inertial tracking, and two partial volume images are generated therefrom. The first and second volumes have an overlapping volume containing a predetermined anatomical structure. Then, respective anatomical structure position data indicative of the position of the predetermined anatomical structure in the respective partial volume image are identified by image segmentation. Then, an initial spatial relationship between the first and second partial volume images is established, based on the identified first and second anatomical structure position data. Then a fine registration algorithm using the initial spatial relationship as an initial input is carried out; and the partial volume images are combined in the common volume using the fine-registered spatial relationship.

An ultrasonic imaging system includes an ultrasonic probe and a processing unit. The ultrasonic probe is operable at multiple different tilt angles to perform ultrasonic measurement and to obtain a plurality 2D ultrasonic images corresponding respectively to the different tilt angles. The processing unit calculates a 3D ultrasonic images based on the 2D ultrasonic images and the corresponding tilt angles.

An ultrasound signal processing device including: a transmitter performing transmission events while varying ultrasound beam travel direction; a reception processor generating an acoustic line signal for each transmission event that is performed by generating reception signal sequences and performing delay-and-summing; a combiner generating an intermediate combined acoustic line signal by combining acoustic line signals corresponding to the first to latest transmission events performed for a current frame; an evaluator judging whether a subsequent transmission event is to be performed for the current frame by calculating an evaluation value from an energy value of the intermediate combined acoustic line signal and judging whether the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition; and an outputter outputting the intermediate combined acoustic line signal as a combined acoustic line signal once the evaluator judges that a subsequent transmission event is not to be performed for the current frame.

A system includes a processor circuit that receives an extraluminal image obtained without contrast. The processor circuit receives multiple additional extraluminal images obtained without contrast as an intraluminal device is moved through a body lumen of a patient. The locations of the intraluminal device are tracked and used to form a curve. The curve is overlaid over one of the extraluminal images obtained without contrast. The curve and extraluminal image are displayed to a user and modified or confirmed. The intraluminal data points acquired by the intraluminal device are then co-registered to the extraluminal image. The extraluminal image and intraluminal data are displayed to the user.

An ultrasonic image display apparatus is provided. The ultrasonic image display apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe configured to move while in contact with a test object and configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the test object to obtain echo signals from a three-dimensional region of the test object, a parameter calculation section configured to calculate a parameter related to a moving velocity of the ultrasonic probe, a data generation section configured to generate data based on the echo signals of a plurality of frames, by selecting the frames in accordance with the parameter calculated by the parameter calculation section so that the echo signals of the frames used for generating the data are acquired within a required range, and a display section configured to display an ultrasonic image generated based on the data.