Medison Co., Ltd.

Samsung Medison Co., Ltd.

Korea Institute of Science and Technology

Sang Shik Park

Dong Kuk Shin

Mok Kun Jeong

Jong Sik Kim

Hyun Nam Cho

Chung Y Kim

Chul An Kim

Hoi Wan Yoo

Dong Ki Ahn

Embodiments for providing a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets windows on a pre-compression frame and a post-compression frame, and performs a correlation operation between the first and second frames within the windows to compute displacements for a third frame, wherein the processing unit selects at least one of previously set windows at an (N&#x2212;i)row by referring to current windows positioned at a Nrow in an axial direction, computes an initial displacement based on displacements corresponding to the selected at least one of windows, and determines a range for moving the current window on the second frame in the axial direction based on the computed initial displacement.

Ultrasound strain imaging via pixel frame and window correlation

Embodiments for providing an elastic image are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from a living body to output ultrasound data corresponding to a plurality of frames while applying compression to the living body; and a processing unit configured to extract frames from a (n&#x2212;1)frame to a (n&#x2212;i)frame on a basis of a nframe, wherein n indicates an integer larger than one and i indicates a positive integer, detect an optimal frame for forming an elastic image among the extracted frames by using first displacement between the nframe and each of the extracted frames based on the ultrasound data, calculate second displacement between the optimal frame and the nframe based on the ultrasound data, and form the elastic image based on the second displacement.

Providing an elastic image in an ultrasound system

Embodiments for correcting a dropout in a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets a first window on each of pre-compression ultrasound frame data and post-compression second ultrasound frame data, move the first window in a predetermined direction and compute a correlation between the pre-compression ultrasound frame data and the post-compression ultrasound frame data within the first window to obtain a displacement corresponding to a value of each pixel of target ultrasound frame data. The processing unit sets one of pixels of the target ultrasound frame data as a reference pixel, sets a second window to encompass predetermined numbers of pixels positioned around the reference pixel, checks whether a displacement computation error corresponding to a dropout occur based on the pixel values within the second window and resets, when the dropout occurs, the value of the reference pixel.

Dropout correction in ultrasound strain imaging

Adaptive persistence processing on elastic images in an ultrasound system is disclosed. An ultrasound data acquisition unit sequentially acquires a plurality of ultrasound data frames based on ultrasound echo signals reflected from a target object by repeatedly applying and releasing stress to/from the target object. A processing unit calculates inter-frame displacements of the frames between the ultrasound data frames to form elastic images. The processing unit adaptively performs persistence processing on the elastic images in consideration of application or release of the stress to/from the target object.

Adaptive persistence processing of elastic images

A processing unit is configured perform an image process upon an ultrasound image to thereby detect a center of a blood vessel from the ultrasound image. The processing unit is configured to set the center of the blood vessel as an optimal focal point position. The processing unit is configured to calculate a plurality of steering angles, a plurality of transmit (Tx) frequencies and a plurality of sound speeds. The processing unit is further configured to form a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to each of the steering angles, the Tx frequencies and the sound speeds based on the ultrasound data, detect a signal to noise ratio (SNR), a number of edge points of the blood vessel and a contrast difference between pixels for each of the second ultrasound images to thereby detect an optimal steering angle, an optimal Tx frequency and an optimal sound speed.

Setting an optimal image parameter in an ultrasound system

A process for forming polyesters that comprises the steps of esterifying a terephthalic acid and an ethylene glycol to produce an esterification product containing a bis (betahydroxyethyl) terephthalate, and continuously polycondensing the obtained esterification product to form a polyester. In both the esterifying step and the polycondensing step, a reaction catalyst consisting of a compound of antimony and a compound of titanium is used. The weight ratio of the compound of antimony to the compound of titanium is 0.01 to 100. The process of the present invention can considerably reduce both the esterification time and the polycondensation time and provides good color, reduced diethylene glycol content and reduced condensation of terminal carboxyl groups in the resulting polyesters.

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Seoul, South Korea

Sang Shik Park