Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation Hallym University

Joo Young Kang

Jung Ho Kim

Sung Chan Park

Kyu Hong Kim

Su Hyun Park

Jong Keun Song

Young Ihn Kho

Moo Ho Bae

Bae Hyung Kim

Yun-tae Kim

Yun Tae Kim

Bae Hyeong Kim

Yong Ihn Kho

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, an ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe for transmitting ultrasonic waves to a target object and receiving ultrasonic waves reflected from the object; a beamforming unit for beamforming the received ultrasonic wave and outputting a beamforming signal; a sampling unit for adjusting the number of sampling times of the beamforming signal according to the amount of motion of the object; and an image processing unit for matching and synthesizing the sampled signals.

Ultrasonic imaging device and method for controlling same

An ultrasound imaging apparatus and a method of controlling the same are provided. The ultrasound imaging apparatus includes an ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) sensor configured to determine whether an UCA flows in an object based on an echo signal that is reflected by the object in a mechanical index environment. The ultrasound imaging apparatus further includes a controller configured to obtain at least one among an UCA image and a tissue image of the object in another mechanical index environment lower than the mechanical index environment in response to the UCA sensor determining that the UCA flows in the object.

Ultrasound imaging apparatus and method of controlling the same

An image processing module includes a beamforming unit configured to provide a beamformed signal based on an input signal; a point spread function (PSF) database comprising at least one two-dimensional point spread function obtained based on at least one situational variable of the beamformed signal; and an image generation unit configured to select at least one two-dimensional point spread function from the point spread function database and perform deconvolution using the beamformed signal and the selected at least one two-dimensional point spread function to generate an image of a target portion of an object.

Image processing module, ultrasonic imaging apparatus using the image processing module, and ultrasonic image generation method using the ultrasonic imaging apparatus

A medical image processing apparatus includes a weight applier configured to, when a difference between a first imaginary component of a first frame image and a second imaginary component of a second frame image, the second frame image being adjacent to the first frame image, is less than or equal to a first threshold value, apply a first weight to the second imaginary component to increase the difference; and an image generator configured to generate a movement-amplified image based on the first frame image and the second frame image to which the first weight is applied so that a movement of interest corresponding to the increased difference is amplified.

Image processing apparatus, ultrasonic apparatus including the same and method of controlling the same

An ultrasonic probe includes a multi-dimensionally arrayed transducer, a matching layer, and a backing layer. The transducer includes element groups having different focal distances and simultaneously transmitting ultrasonic signals toward an object. According to the ultrasonic imaging apparatus using the multi-dimensionally arrayed transducer, a multi-focus transmission is performed. Thus, the multi-focus ultrasonic image may be acquired within a short period of time, thereby increasing frame rates, and a high-quality image in which all areas are focused may be quickly acquired.

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus and control method thereof

Disclosed herein are an image processor, an ultrasonic imaging device, and an image processing method. The image processor includes a signal input unit configured to receive an input signal on a channel, a weighting coefficient database configured to store a weighting coefficient wherein the weighting coefficient is part of a weighting coefficient subgroup, and a processor configured to select the weighting coefficient subgroup from the weighting coefficient database, and convert the input signal by selecting and using the weighting coefficient from the weighting coefficient subgroup.

Image processor, ultrasonic imaging device, and image processing method

Disclosed herein is an ultrasonic imaging apparatus including: an ultrasonic probe configured to receive ultrasonic waves reflected from an object, and to convert the ultrasonic waves into electrical signals; a beamformer configured to perform beamforming on the electrical signals to thereby generate resultant signals, and to output the resultant signals; an image restorer configured to estimate a first Point Spread Function (PSF) based on an ultrasound image corresponding to the outputted signals, to determine a situational variable of the ultrasound image using the first PSF, to estimate a second PSF based on the situational variable of the ultrasound image, and to generate a restored image for the ultrasound image using the second PSF; and an image filter configured to filter the restored image based on the situational variable of the ultrasound image, and to output the filtered image.

An image processing module includes an input unit, a weight operator, and a synthesizer. The input unit is configured to receive a plurality of input signals of a plurality of channels. The weight operator is configured to calculate at least one weight to be applied to each channel based on at least one converted signal. The at least one converted signal is acquired by converting at least one input signal among the plurality of input signals of each channel, or by converting a synthesized input signal of the plurality of input signals of each channel. The synthesizer is configured to synthesize the plurality of input signals of the plurality of channels using the weight.

Image processing module, ultrasound imaging apparatus, image processing method, and control method of ultrasound imaging apparatus

Disclosed herein are an ultrasonic imaging apparatus which is capable of accurately and quickly estimating a Point Spread Function (PSF) is usable for restoring ultrasonic images, and a control method which is executable by the ultrasonic imaging apparatus. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes: a probe; a receive beamformer configured to beamform an ultrasonic signal and to output the beamformed ultrasonic signal; a Point Spread Function (PSF) database configured to store a PSF which is acquired based on a situational variable, and a phase parameter which is determined based on the situational variable, for the beamformed ultrasonic signal; and an image generator configured to select the PSF and the phase parameter from the PSF database based on the beamformed ultrasonic signal, and to perform deconvolution using an estimated PSF based on the selected PSF and the selected phase parameter in order to generate an image.

A method of processing an image, including estimating a point spread function (PSF) of an acquired image, and performing image restoration on the acquired image using the estimated PSF based on a generalized Gaussian model using inverse filter frequency domain so as to perform image restoration at high speed and to prevent a halo effect. The method provides high speed processing while preventing a halo effect. The apparatus includes an ultrasonic imaging apparatus including: an ultrasonic probe to irradiate an object with ultrasonic waves and to receive ultrasonic echo waves reflected from the object; a beamformer configured to perform beam forming based on the ultrasonic echo waves received by the ultrasonic probe; an image restorer configured to restore the image beam formed by the beamformer based on a generalized Gaussian model; and an postprocessor configured to suppress noise and aliasing which are produced in the process of restoring the image.

Imaging apparatus, ultrasonic imaging apparatus, method of processing an image, and method of processing an ultrasonic image

A beamforming module includes a conversion unit configured to convert an input signal to generate a converted signal using at least one conversion function, a weight calculator configured to calculate a converted signal weight as a weight for the converted signal, and a synthesizer configured to generate a result signal using the converted signal and the converted signal weight.

Beamforming module, ultrasonic imaging apparatus using the same, beamforming method using the beamforming module, and method of controlling the ultrasonic imaging apparatus using the beamforming module

An ultrasound based measurement method includes obtaining an element of synthetic data corresponding to a focusing point in a region adjacent to a reflector by applying a synthetic focusing method to received data corresponding to an actual focusing point; and generating an image of the reflector based on the element of the synthetic data.

Ultrasound based measurement apparatus and method

Disclosed herein are a beamforming method, a method of determining a beamforming coefficient, and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus. The beamforming method includes radiating a target object with ultrasonic waves and receiving a plurality of ultrasonic signals reflected from the target object, acquiring beamforming computation results of some of the plurality of received ultrasonic signals and determining a beamforming coefficient candidate group based on a beamforming computation result of the some of the received ultrasonic signals, acquiring beamforming computation results of the plurality of received ultrasonic signals or the some of the received ultrasonic signals by applying beamforming coefficients of the beamforming coefficient candidate group and selecting at least one beamforming coefficient from the beamforming coefficient candidate group based on the beamforming computation results of the plurality of ultrasonic signals, and beamforming the plurality of ultrasonic signals using the selected at least one beamforming coefficient as a weight.

Method of determining beamforming coefficient, beamforming method and ultrasonic imaging apparatus

Disclosed herein are an ultrasonic imaging apparatus and an image display method thereof. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit ultrasonic signals toward an object and to receive ultrasonic signals reflected by the object, a beamformer configured to perform beamforming based on the ultrasonic signals received by the ultrasonic probe, and an image processor configured to generate an ultrasonic image of an examined region within the object based on the beamforming, to extract characteristic information which relates to the examined region from the generated ultrasonic image, and to judge whether or not the examined region coincides with a target region based on the extracted characteristic information, thus facilitating a determination as to with which region within the object the examined region corresponds based on various pieces of the characteristic information of the examined region extracted via analysis of the ultrasonic image.

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Yongin-si, South Korea

Joo Young Kang