A novel approach to the 2-D blind deconvolution problem in medical ultrasound

The finite frequency bandwidth of ultrasound transducers and the nonnegligible width of transmitted acoustic beams are the most significant factors that limit the resolution of medical ultrasound imaging. Consequently, in order to recover diagnostically important image details, obscured due to the resolution limitations, an image restoration procedure should be applied. The present study addresses the problem of ultrasound image restoration by means of the blind-deconvolution techniques. Given an acquired ultrasound image, algorithms of this kind perform either concurrent or successive estimation of the point-spread function (PSF) of the imaging system and the original image. In this paper, a blind-deconvolution algorithm is proposed, in which the PSF is recovered as a preliminary stage of the restoration problem. As the accuracy of this estimation affects all the following stages of the image restoration, it is considered as the most fundamental and important problem. The contribution of the present study is twofold. First, it introduces a novel approach to the problem of estimating the PSF, which is based on a generalization of several fundamental concepts of the homomorphic deconvolution. It is shown that a useful estimate of the spectrum of the PSF can be obtained by applying a proper smoothing operator to both log-magnitude and phase of the spectra of acquired radio-frequency (RF) images. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach performs considerably better than the existing homomorphic (cepstrum-based) deconvolution methods. Second, the study shows that given a reliable estimate of the PSF, it is possible to deconvolve it out of the RF-image and obtain an estimate of the true tissue reflectivity function, which is relatively independent of the properties of the imaging system. The deconvolution was performed using the maximum a-posteriori (MAP) estimation framework for a number of statistical priors assumed for the reflectivity function. It is shown in a series of in vivo experiments that reconstructions based on the priors, which tend to emphasize the "sparseness" of the tissue structure, result in solutions of higher resolution and contrast.     

Three-dimensional blind deconvolution of SPECT images

Thanks to its ability to yield functionally rather than anatomically-based information, the three-dimensional (3-D) SPECT imagery technique has become a great help in the diagnostic of cerebrovascular diseases. Nevertheless, due to the imaging process, the 3-D single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images are very blurred and, consequently, their interpretation by the clinician is often difficult and subjective. In order to improve the resolution of these 3-D images and then to facilitate their interpretation, we propose herein to extend a recent image blind deconvolution technique (called the nonnegativity support constraint-recursive inverse filtering deconvolution method) in order to improve both the spatial and the interslice resolution of SPECT volumes. This technique requires a preliminary step in order to find the support of the object to be restored. In this paper, we propose to solve this problem with an unsupervised 3-D Markovian segmentation technique. This method has been successfully tested on numerous real and simulated brain SPECT volumes, yielding very promising restoration results.     

一种改进的NAS-RIF红外图像盲复原算法

针对军事目标红外图像信噪比低、NAS-RIF算法复原模糊图像时敏感于噪声的缺陷,提出一种基于Contourlet多尺度变换去噪和图像细节规整化的改进NAS-RIF盲复原算法。首先,通过Contourlet变换对图像进行去噪预处理;然后,利用最优阈值分割技术提取目标的可靠支持域,并引入规整化方法,在代价函数中添加目标边缘保持约束项,保存图像细节特征;最后,利用共轭梯度(CG)算法优化代价函数,以保持算法的收敛速度。两组实验的结果表明,针对信噪比较低的气动红外退化图像,与原始NAS-RIF方法相比,本文提出的改进算法具有更好的复原效果,算法的收敛速度基本保持不变。     

Multichannel blind deconvolution of spatially misaligned images.

Existing multichannel blind restoration techniques assume perfect spatial alignment of channels, correct estimation of blur size, and are prone to noise. We developed an alternating minimization scheme based on a maximum a posteriori estimation with a priori distribution of blurs derived from the multichannel framework and a priori distribution of original images defined by the variational integral. This stochastic approach enables us to recover the blurs and the original image from channels severely corrupted by noise. We observe that the exact knowledge of the blur size is not necessary, and we prove that translation misregistration up to a certain extent can be automatically removed in the restoration process.     

Phase unwrapping of MR phase images using Poisson equation

The authors have developed a technique based on a solution of the Poisson equation to unwrap the phase in magnetic resonance (MR) phase images. The method is based on the assumption that the magnitude of the inter-pixel phase change is less than pi per pixel. Therefore, the authors obtain an estimate of the phase gradient by "wrapping" the gradient of the original phase image. The problem is then to obtain the absolute phase given the estimate of the phase gradient. The least-squares (LS) solution to this problem is shown to be a solution of the Poisson equation allowing the use of fast Poisson solvers. The absolute phase is then obtained by mapping the LS phase to the nearest multiple of 2 K from the measured phase. The proposed technique is evaluated using MR phase images and is proven to be robust in the presence of noise. An application of the proposed method to the 3-point Dixon technique for water and fat separation is demonstrated.     

基于低秩稀疏分解的湍流退化图像序列的盲去卷积算法

针对湍流退化图像序列存在像偏移、像抖动和像 模糊的问题,提出一种基于低秩稀疏分解和多帧去 卷积的图像复原算法。首先分析大气湍流下图像序列的退化特征,然后在低秩稀疏分解的思 想下,采用非增广拉格朗日乘子(IALM)法优化由低秩 矩阵的核范数和稀疏 矩阵的Frobenius范数之和构成的目标函数,将湍流退化序列分解为低秩稳像和稀疏湍流两 部分;最后利用 多帧去卷积算法复原对齐的稳像。实验结果表明,本文算法能够有效校 正湍流像素偏移,在提高复原质量和速度方面取得了明显的效果。     

Restoration of turbulence degraded images using improved multi-frame blind deconvolution algorithm

For the restoration of astronomical objects which are degraded mainly by turbulence, an improved multi-frame blind deconvolution method using the generalised expectation-maximisation (GEM) on the basis of the penalised maximum-likelihood estimation method is presented. Experimental results indicate that this method has better performance and costs less time.     

Relative optimization for blind deconvolution

We propose a relative optimization framework for quasi-maximum likelihood (QML) blind deconvolution and the relative Newton method as its particular instance. Special Hessian structure allows fast Newton system construction and solution, resulting in a fast-convergent algorithm with iteration complexity comparable to that of gradient methods. We also propose the use of rational infinite impulse response (IIR) restoration kernels, which constitute a richer family of filters than the traditionally used finite impulse response (FIR) kernels. We discuss different choices of nonlinear functions that are suitable for deconvolution of super- and sub-Gaussian sources and formulate the conditions under which the QML estimation is stable. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methods.     

Bayesian techniques for blind deconvolution

This paper introduces extended Bayesian filters (EBFs), a new family of blind deconvolution filters for digital communications. The blind deconvolution problem is formulated as a nonlinear and non-Gaussian fixed-lag minimum mean square error filtering problem, and the EBF is derived as a suboptimal recursive estimator. The model-based setting makes extensive use of the transmitted symbol and noise distributions. A key feature of the EBF is that the filter lag can be chosen to be larger than the channel length, while the complexity is exponential in a parameter which is typically chosen to be smaller than both the channel length and the filter lag. Extensive simulations characterizing the performance of EBFs in severe intersymbol interference channels are presented. The fast convergence and robust equalization of the EBFs are demonstrated for uncoded linearly modulated signals [e.g., differentially encoded quaternary phase shift keying (QPSK)] transmitted over unknown channels. Comparisons are made to other blind symbol-by-symbol demodulation algorithms. The results show that the EBF provides much better performance (at increased complexity) compared to the constant modulus algorithm and the extended Kalman filter, and achieves a better performance-complexity trade-off than other Bayesian demodulation algorithms. The simulations also show that the EBF is applicable with large constellations and shaped modulations     

Super-exponential methods for blind deconvolution

A class of iterative methods for solving the blind deconvolution problem, i.e. for recovering the input of an unknown possibly nonminimum-phase linear system by observation of its output, is presented. These methods are universal do not require prior knowledge of the input distribution, are computationally efficient and statistically stable, and converge to the desired solution regardless of initialization at a very fast rate. The effects of finite length of the data, finite length of the equalizer, and additive noise in the system on the attainable performance (intersymbol interference) are analyzed. It is shown that in many cases of practical interest the performance of the proposed methods is far superior to linear prediction methods even for minimum phase systems. Recursive and sequential algorithms are also developed, which allow real-time implementation and adaptive equalization of time-varying systems     

Model based phase unwrapping of 2-D signals

A parametric model and a corresponding parameter estimation algorithm for unwrapping 2-D phase functions are presented. The proposed algorithm performs global analysis of the observed signal. Since this analysis is based on parametric model fitting, the proposed phase unwrapping algorithm has low sensitivity to phase aliasing due to low sampling rates and noise, as well as to local errors. In its first step, the algorithm fits a 2-D polynomial model to the observed phase. The estimated phase is then. Used as a reference information that directs the actual phase unwrapping process. The phase of each sample of the observed field is unwrapped by increasing (decreasing) it by the multiple of 2π, which is the nearest to the difference between the principle value of the phase and the estimated phase value at this coordinate. In practical applications, the entire phase function cannot be approximated by a single 2-D polynomial model. Hence, the observed field is segmented, and each segment is fit with its own model. Once the phase model of the observed field has been estimated, we can repeat the model-based unwrapping procedure described earlier for the case of a single segment and a single model field     

2-D phase unwrapping and instantaneous frequency estimation

The phase of complex signals is wrapped since it can only be measured modulo-2π; unwrapping searches for the 2π-combinations that minimize the discontinuity of the unwrapped phase, as only the unwrapped phase can be analyzed and interpreted by further processing. Given an estimate of the phase gradient (i.e., of the instantaneous frequency), the 2-D unwrapped phase can be obtained as a solution of a variational problem. The analysis of unwrapping is done quite separately from instantaneous frequency estimation so that the reliability of both steps can be assessed independently. Various methods for evaluating 2-D instantaneous frequency are presented and compared in the presence of noise and amplitude variations. A study has also been made on aliasing arising in areas where, with respect to instantaneous frequency, spatial sampling is insufficient. The presence of noise in the data further complicates phase aliasing analysis since there is no way to distinguish between the aliasing due to noise or that due to steep phase slopes     

Bussgang blind deconvolution for impulsive signals

Many blind deconvolution algorithms have been designed to extract digital communications signals corrupted by intersymbol interference (ISI). Such algorithms generally fail when applied to signals with impulsive characteristics, such as acoustic signals. While it is possible to stabilize such procedures in many cases by imposing unit-norm constraints on the adaptive equalizer coefficient vector, these modifications require costly divide and square-root operations. In this paper, we provide a theoretical analysis and explanation as to why unconstrained Bussgang-type algorithms are generally unsuitable for deconvolving impulsive signals. We then propose a novel modification of one such algorithm (the Sato algorithm) to enable it to deconvolve such signals. Our approach maintains the algorithmic simplicity of the Sato algorithm, requiring only additional multiplies and adds to implement. Sufficient conditions on the source signal distribution to guarantee local stability of the modified Sato algorithm about a deconvolving solution are derived. Computer simulations show the efficiency of the proposed approach as compared with various constrained and unconstrained blind deconvolution algorithms when deconvolving impulsive signals.     

Cascade neural networks for multichannel blind deconvolution

The authors present a new simple but efficient and powerful extension of Bussgang-type blind equalisation algorithms which can extract multiple source signals from their unknown convolutive mixtures. A cascade neural network is proposed, where each module consists of an equalisation subnetwork and a deflation subnetwork. This approach can adopt any blind equalisation algorithm (which has been developed for the equalisation of a single channel). It can also be applied when the number of source signals is not known in advance. Extensive computer simulation results confirm the validity and high efficiency of the proposed method     

Registration of real-time 3-D ultrasound images of the heart for novel 3-D stress echocardiography

Stress echocardiography is a routinely used clinical procedure to diagnose cardiac dysfunction by comparing wall motion information in prestress and poststress ultrasound images. Incomplete data, complicated imaging protocols and misaligned prestress and poststress views, however, are known limitations of conventional stress echocardiography. We discuss how the first two limitations are overcome via the use of real-time three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound imaging, an emerging modality, and have called the new procedure "3-D stress echocardiography." We also show that the problem of misaligned views can be solved by registration of prestress and poststress 3-D image sequences. Such images are misaligned because of variations in placing the ultrasound transducer and stress-induced anatomical changes. We have developed a technique to temporally align 3-D images of the two sequences first and then to spatially register them to rectify probe placement error while preserving the stress-induced changes. The 3-D spatial registration is mutual information-based. Image registration used in conjunction with 3-D stress echocardiography can potentially improve the diagnostic accuracy of stress testing.     

基于盲反卷积的盲自适应滤波器设计

通过盲反卷积的算法来实现盲自适应滤波,阐述了盲反卷积滤波器的工作原理及基本结构模型,通过调整滤波器系数来实现滤波,以便更好地跟踪信号的变化,最终实现自适应滤波,并借用Matlab仿真平台设计出自适应滤波器,验证了它的设计性能。     

A cartoon-plus-texture image decomposition model for blind deconvolution

In this paper, we study a blind deconvolution problem by using an image decomposition technique. Our idea is to make use of a cartoon-plus-texture image decomposition procedure into the deconvolution problem. Because cartoon and texture components can be represented differently in images, we can adapt suitable regularization methods to restore their components. In particular, the total variational regularization is used to describe the cartoon component, and Meyer’s G-norm is employed to model the texture component. In order to obtain the restored image automatically, we also use the generalized cross validation method efficiently and effectively to estimate their corresponding regularization parameters. Experimental results are reported to demonstrate that the visual quality of restored images by using the proposed method is very good, and is competitive with the other testing methods.     

A variational approach for Bayesian blind image deconvolution

In this paper, the blind image deconvolution (BID) problem is addressed using the Bayesian framework. In order to solve for the proposed Bayesian model, we present a new methodology based on a variational approximation, which has been recently introduced for several machine learning problems, and can be viewed as a generalization of the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. This methodology reaps all the benefits of a "full Bayesian model" while bypassing some of its difficulties. We present three algorithms that solve the proposed Bayesian problem in closed form and can be implemented in the discrete Fourier domain. This makes them very cost effective even for very large images. We demonstrate with numerical experiments that these algorithms yield promising improvements as compared to previous BID algorithms. Furthermore, the proposed methodology is quite general with potential application to other Bayesian models for this and other imaging problems.     

Blind deconvolution of medical ultrasound images: a parametric inverse filtering approach.

The problem of reconstruction of ultrasound images by means of blind deconvolution has long been recognized as one of the central problems in medical ultrasound imaging. In this paper, this problem is addressed via proposing a blind deconvolution method which is innovative in several ways. In particular, the method is based on parametric inverse filtering, whose parameters are optimized using two-stage processing. At the first stage, some partial information on the point spread function is recovered. Subsequently, this information is used to explicitly constrain the spectral shape of the inverse filter. From this perspective, the proposed methodology can be viewed as a "hybridization" of two standard strategies in blind deconvolution, which are based on either concurrent or successive estimation of the point spread function and the image of interest. Moreover, evidence is provided that the "hybrid" approach can outperform the standard ones in a number of important practical cases. Additionally, the present study introduces a different approach to parameterizing the inverse filter. Specifically, we propose to model the inverse transfer function as a member of a principal shift-invariant subspace. It is shown that such a parameterization results in considerably more stable reconstructions as compared to standard parameterization methods. Finally, it is shown how the inverse filters designed in this way can be used to deconvolve the images in a nonblind manner so as to further improve their quality. The usefulness and practicability of all the introduced innovations are proven in a series of both in silico and in vivo experiments. Finally, it is shown that the proposed deconvolutioh algorithms are capable of improving the resolution of ultrasound images by factors of 2.24 or 6.52 (as judged by the autocorrelation criterion) depending on the type of regularization method used.     

An enhanced NAS-RIF algorithm for blind image deconvolution

We enhance the performance of the nonnegativity and support constraints recursive inverse filtering (NAS-RIF) algorithm for blind image deconvolution. The original cost function is modified to overcome the problem of operation on images with different scales for the representation of pixel intensity levels. Algorithm resetting is used to enhance the convergence of the conjugate gradient algorithm. A simple pixel classification approach is used to automate the selection of the support constraint. The performance of the resulting enhanced NAS-RIF algorithm is demonstrated on various images.