CPC G06T 3/4053 (2013.01) [A61B 8/0891 (2013.01); A61B 8/481 (2013.01); G01S 7/52026 (2013.01); G01S 7/52041 (2013.01); G01S 15/89 (2013.01); G06T 3/4007 (2013.01); G06T 5/002 (2013.01); G06T 7/277 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20182 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30101 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
1. A method for super-resolution imaging of microvessels using an ultrasound system, the steps of the method comprising:
(a) providing ultrasound data to a computer system, the ultrasound data having been acquired with an ultrasound system from a region-of-interest in a subject in which a microbubble contrast agent was present when the ultrasound data were acquired;
(b) generating microbubble signal data with the computer system by isolating microbubble signals in the ultrasound data from other signals in the ultrasound data;
(c) localizing microbubbles in the microbubble signal data by processing the microbubble signal data with the computer system to determine spatial locations associated with microbubbles in the microbubble signal data, generating output as localized microbubble data;
(d) inputting the localized microbubble data to a Kalman filter configured to at least one of correct or smooth microbubble movement trajectories, generating output as Kalman-filtered microbubble data; and
(e) producing a super-resolution microvessel image based at least in part on the Kalman-filtered microbubble data;
wherein the Kalman-filtered microbubble data are processed in step (d) using a microbubble movement direction constraint to reject microbubble locations that change movement directions over a selected number of time frames with an angle greater than a threshold value.
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