US 11,911,222 B2
Model-based control of a dynamic range of an ultrasound image
Jens Mose Pedersen, Lyngby (DK); and Svetoslav Ivanov Nikolov, Farum (DK)
Assigned to BK MEDICAL APS, Herlev (DK)
Filed by B-K Medical Aps, Herlev (DK)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/304,864.
Application 17/304,864 is a continuation of application No. 15/966,405, filed on Apr. 30, 2018, granted, now 11,076,835.
Prior Publication US 2021/0321990 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); G06T 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/14 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/5269 (2013.01) [A61B 8/145 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/54 (2013.01); A61B 8/58 (2013.01); G06T 5/002 (2013.01); G06T 5/009 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20208 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
a transducer array configured to produce and output an analog electrical signal indicative of a received echo wave during data acquisition and in absence of the received echo wave during system calibration;
receive circuitry, including:
an analog front end, comprising:
a low-noise amplifier configured to apply a fixed amplification to the analog electrical signal; and
an analog time gain compensation module configured to apply a variable gain attenuation to the amplified analog electrical signal,
wherein the receive circuitry outputs a signal that during the data acquisition is indicative of the received echo wave and electrical noise of the analog front end and that during the system calibration is indicative of the electrical noise of the analog front end;
processing sub-systems configured to process the signal indicative of the received echo wave and the electrical noise of the analog front end to generate an image; and
a system controller configured to:
determine a noise level of the electrical noise of the analog front end during the system calibration by:
determining a first noise level of the analog front end for a fixed amplification level and a first pre-determined variable gain attenuation level for a first increasing depth range; increasing the first pre-determined variable gain attenuation level to a second pre-determined variable gain attenuation level over a second increasing depth range, wherein the second increasing depth range is greater than the first increasing depth range;
determining a second noise level of the analog front end at the second pre-determined variable gain attenuation level for a third increasing depth range, wherein the third increasing depth range is greater than the second increasing depth range; and
determining the noise level of the electrical noise of the analog front end based on the first noise level, the second noise level and a noise model for the analog front end;
configure the processing sub-systems, wherein each of processing sub-systems includes multiple processing blocks, and the configuring determines which of the processing blocks are employed and which of the processing blocks are bypassed for a scan; and
determine a processing sub-system noise level for each of the processing sub-systems based on the corresponding employed processing blocks and a corresponding noise model,
wherein the processing sub-systems includes a processor configured to adaptively vary at least one of a gain and a dynamic range of the image as a function of depth based on the noise level of the electrical noise of the analog front end and the noise level for each of the employed processing sub-systems.