Computer Processing of Diagnostic Ultrasound Data

A system has been developed to improve the image quality of diagnostic ultrasound data obtained from conventional ultrasound scanners. Echoes are initially recorded on a wideband analog magnetic tape recorder and subsequently digitized through the use of a high speed analog-to-digital converter. Computer pro- cessing is then used to increase resolution and to enhance coherent energy echoes. The final display contains echo amplitude and struc- ture information as well as indicating echo position. Signal processing techniques used thus far include averaging, band-pass filtering, and inverse filtering. Coherent energy echoes are enhanced by averaging and by applying band-pass filters in the appropriate frequency region. Resolution of echoes is increased through inverse filtering, an opera- tion which increases the bandwidth of the data. Examples of pro- cessed data obtained from model targets and from structures in the heart and head indicate significant improvement can be obtained using these techniques.