Digital Reconstruction and Display of Compound Scan Ultrasound Images

Abstract

Absrracr-Ultrasonic image reconstruction can be divided into three areas: scan conversion, pixel value assignment (in compound scan imag ing), and image display. In scan conversion, the method of allocation of image values in pixels not intersected by scan lines has a dramatic effect on the image quality. Use of an appropriate interpolation scheme can greatly improve image quality and at the same time reduce the required tine density and hence increase the frame rate. Peak-detected, averaged, and minimum-detected pixel value assignment lead to dramatically different appearances of the resulting compound scan image. The three methods have different effects on the resolution and on differential diagnosis in clinical conditions. In the display of images formed by the three methods, different postprocessing is required to yield comparable images. This is achieved by an adaptive method based on the required histogram. Results are presented for thereconstruction, assignment, and postprocessing techniques of experimental target studies and clinical data obtained with the U.I. Octoson. The effect of