Method and apparatus for processing images

Claim 1

A method of producing an image of an object having a reduced noise component comprising the steps of: positioning imaging transducer device for receipt of a sufficient number of image signals from said object to permit an image of said object to be produced; transforming said image signals into an original data set; processing said original data set, while storing the values of said original data set in a storage device, by a noise deconvolving process producing a processed data set in which said noise component is reduced as compared to said original data set in said storage device and a processing noise component has been introduced into said processed data set; thereafter reducing said processing noise component in said processed data set by multiplying the value of individual data in said processed data set by the value of corresponding individual data in said original data set as stored in said storage device; and thereafter displaying data resulting from said reducing step as an echographic image.

Claim 2

A method of producing an image of an object having a reduced noise component comprising the steps of: positioning imaging transducer device for receipt of a sufficient number of image signals from said object to permit an image of said object to be produced; transforming said image signals into an original data set; processing said original data set, while storing the values of said original data set in a storage device, by a noise deconvolving process producing a processed data set in which said noise component is reduced as compared to said original data set in said storage device and a processing noise component has been introduced into said processed data set; thereafter reducing said processing noise component in said processed data set by multiplying the value of individual data in said processed data set by the value of corresponding individual data in said original data set as stored in said storage device; and thereafter displaying data resulting from said reducing step as an echographic image.

Claim 3

A method of clinically analyzing a physical condition comprising the steps of: transmitting ultrasonic signals from transducer means into a patient's tissues; receiving echo signals by transducer means from said tissues to provide an original image data set of signals of said tissues; processing said original image data set of signals to produce a processed image data set of signals having reduced noise components and artifact data; revaluing at least some of the data in said processed image data set of signals by an amount proportional to the value of corresponding data in said original image data set of signals; after said revaluing step, displaying the data in said processed image data set as a noise-reduced image; and thereafter using the image created during said displaying step to clinically analyze said tissues.

Claim 4

A method of clinically analyzing a physical condition comprising the steps of: transmitting ultrasonic signals from transducer means into a patient's tissues; receiving echo signals by transducer means from said tissues to provide an original image data set of signals of said tissues; processing said original image data set of signals to produce a processed image data set of signals having reduced noise components and artifact data; revaluing at least some of the data in said processed image data set of signals by an amount proportional to the value of corresponding data in said original image data set of signals; after said revaluing step, displaying the data in said processed image data set as a noise-reduced image; and thereafter using the image created during said displaying step to clinically analyze said tissues.

Claim 11

A method of enhancing the dynamic range of an image produced from data in an original image data set comprising the steps of: positioning an imaging transducer for receipt of a sufficient number of image signals from an object to be imaged to provide said original image data set; processing said original image data set by a signal processing technique producing a processed image data set including image data having an enhanced dynamic range relative to said original image data set and including artifact image data produced by said processing technique; and reducing the quantity of artifact image data in said processed image data set to further enhance dynamic range by multiplying the value of at least a portion of the data in said processed image data set by the value of corresponding date in said original image data set.

Claim 12

A method of enhancing the dynamic range of an image produced from data in an original image data set comprising the steps of: positioning an imaging transducer for receipt of a sufficient number of image signals from an object to be imaged to provide said original image data set; processing said original image data set by a signal processing technique producing a processed image data set including image data having an enhanced dynamic range relative to said original image data set and including artifact image data produced by said processing technique; and reducing the quantity of artifact image data in said processed image data set to further enhance dynamic range by multiplying the value of at least a portion of the data in said processed image data set by the value of corresponding date in said original image data set.

Claim 30

A method of clinically analyzing a physical condition comprising the steps of: transmitting ultrasonic signals from a transducer device into a patient's tissues; receiving echo signals by transducer device from said tissues to provide an original image data set of signals of said tissues; processing said original image data set of signals by at least one of a CLEAN deconvolution process, a maximum entropy deconvolution process and a hybrid mapping deconvolution process to produce a processed image data set of signals having reduced noise components and artifact data; revaluing at least some of the data in said processed image data set of signals by an amount proportional to the value of corresponding data in said original image data set of signals; after said revaluing step, displaying the data in said processed image data set as a noise-reduced image; and thereafter using the image created during said displaying step to clinically analyze said tissues.

Claim 31

A method of clinically analyzing a physical condition comprising the steps of: transmitting ultrasonic signals from a transducer device into a patient's tissues; receiving echo signals by transducer device from said tissues to provide an original image data set of signals of said tissues; processing said original image data set of signals by at least one of a CLEAN deconvolution process, a maximum entropy deconvolution process and a hybrid mapping deconvolution process to produce a processed image data set of signals having reduced noise components and artifact data; revaluing at least some of the data in said processed image data set of signals by an amount proportional to the value of corresponding data in said original image data set of signals; after said revaluing step, displaying the data in said processed image data set as a noise-reduced image; and thereafter using the image created during said displaying step to clinically analyze said tissues.

Claim 40

A method of generating an echographic image of a target object comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic signals toward said target object using a signal generating assembly; (b) receiving a corresponding plurality of echo signals from said target object with signal receiving transducer means; (c) in response to receipt of said echo signals correlating said ultrasonic signals and said echo signals using correlation means to produce correlated data including at least one of amplitude data and phase data sufficient to map an image of said target object; and (d) reducing noise present in said correlated data by signal processing means by at least one of: (i) a side lobe subtraction process, (ii) a hybrid mapping process, (iii) a vectorial summing process, (iv) a ratio forming process, and (e) mapping at least one of said amplitude data and said phase data after said step of reducing noise.

Claim 41

A method of generating an echographic image of a target object comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic signals toward said target object using a signal generating assembly; (b) receiving a corresponding plurality of echo signals from said target object with signal receiving transducer means; (c) in response to receipt of said echo signals correlating said ultrasonic signals and said echo signals using correlation means to produce correlated data including at least one of amplitude data and phase data sufficient to map an image of said target object; and (d) reducing noise present in said correlated data by signal processing means by at least one of: (i) a side lobe subtraction process, (ii) a hybrid mapping process, (iii) a vectorial summing process, (iv) a ratio forming process, and (e) mapping at least one of said amplitude data and said phase data after said step of reducing noise.

Claim 43

An apparatus for generating an echographic image comprising: a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted in an array, generator means coupled to drive said transducers, signal processing means coupled to said transducers to receive echo signal data therefrom and coupled to receive transmitted ultrasonic signal data, said signal processing means correlating and mapping at least one of amplitude data and phase data from said ultrasonic signal data and said echo signal data, said signal processing means including means for processing at least one of amplitude data and phase data including means for reducing noise in at least one of said amplitude data and said phase data, said means for reducing noise being provided by one of: (i) means for subtracting side lobe noise from said one of said amplitude data and said phase data, and (ii) means for substituting hybrid map data for one of actual phase data and actual amplitude data, and said signal processing means further including mapping means for mapping at least one of said amplitude data and said phase data after the reduction of noise therefrom; and display means coupled to said signal processing means to receive mapped data from said signal processing means and to display said mapped data in an image.

Claim 44

An apparatus for generating an echographic image comprising: a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted in an array, generator means coupled to drive said transducers, signal processing means coupled to said transducers to receive echo signal data therefrom and coupled to receive transmitted ultrasonic signal data, said signal processing means correlating and mapping at least one of amplitude data and phase data from said ultrasonic signal data and said echo signal data, said signal processing means including means for processing at least one of amplitude data and phase data including means for reducing noise in at least one of said amplitude data and said phase data, said means for reducing noise being provided by one of: (i) means for subtracting side lobe noise from said one of said amplitude data and said phase data, and (ii) means for substituting hybrid map data for one of actual phase data and actual amplitude data, and said signal processing means further including mapping means for mapping at least one of said amplitude data and said phase data after the reduction of noise therefrom; and display means coupled to said signal processing means to receive mapped data from said signal processing means and to display said mapped data in an image.

Claim 45

An apparatus for generating an echographic image comprising: a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted in an array; signal generator means coupled to drive said transducers; signal processing means coupled to receive echo signals from said transducers and coupled to receive echo signals, said signal processing means being responsive to correlate said echo signals relative to said transmitted signals to produce at least one of phase signals and amplitude signals suitable for image mapping, said signal processing means further including noise reduction means responsive to at least one of said phase signals and said amplitude signals to reduce noise in said one of said phase signals and said amplitude signals; said noise reduction means including at least one of: (i) means for subtracting said lobe noise from at least one of said amplitude signals and said phase signals, (ii) means for substituting hybrid map signals for at least one of said amplitude signals and said phase signals, (iii) means for vectorially summing sets of three phase signals to produce closure phase signals, and (iv) means for forming ratios of sets of four amplitude signals to produce closure amplitude signals; and display means coupled to said signal processing means to receive at least one of said phase signals and said amplitude signals after noise reduction by said noise reduction means and responsive thereto to produce an image.

Claim 46

An apparatus for generating an echographic image comprising: a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted in an array; signal generator means coupled to drive said transducers; signal processing means coupled to receive echo signals from said transducers and coupled to receive echo signals, said signal processing means being responsive to correlate said echo signals relative to said transmitted signals to produce at least one of phase signals and amplitude signals suitable for image mapping, said signal processing means further including noise reduction means responsive to at least one of said phase signals and said amplitude signals to reduce noise in said one of said phase signals and said amplitude signals; said noise reduction means including at least one of: (i) means for subtracting said lobe noise from at least one of said amplitude signals and said phase signals, (ii) means for substituting hybrid map signals for at least one of said amplitude signals and said phase signals, (iii) means for vectorially summing sets of three phase signals to produce closure phase signals, and (iv) means for forming ratios of sets of four amplitude signals to produce closure amplitude signals; and display means coupled to said signal processing means to receive at least one of said phase signals and said amplitude signals after noise reduction by said noise reduction means and responsive thereto to produce an image.