Ultrasound speckle reduction using modified Gabor filters

B-mode ultrasound images are characterized by speckle artifact, which may make the interpretation of images difficult. One widely used method for ultrasound speckle reduction is the split spectrum processing (SSP), but the use of one-dimensional (1-D), narrow-band filters makes the resultant image experience a significant resolution loss. In order to overcome this critical drawback, we propose a novel method for speckle reduction in ultrasound medical imaging, which uses a bank of wideband 2-D directive filters, based on modified Gabor functions. Each filter is applied to the 2-D radio-frequency (RF) data, resulting in a B-mode image filtered in a given direction. The compounding of the filters outputs give rise to a final image in which speckle is reduced and the structure is enhanced. We have denoted this method as directive filtering (DF). Because the proposed filters have effectively the same bandwidth as the original image, it is possible to avoid the resolution loss caused by the use of narrow-band filters, as with SSP. The tests were carried out with both simulated and real clinical data. Using the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to quantify the amount of speckle of the ultrasound images, we have achieved an average SNR enhancement of 2.26 times with simulated data and 1.18 times with real clinical data.     

Ultrasound speckle reduction using harmonic oscillator models

A speckle reduction algorithm called the harmonic imaging (HI) algorithm is presented. It is based on a multicomponent scattering model for medical ultrasonics. The backscattered ultrasound quadrature signal is modeled as the sum of three components after demodulation. The first component represents nonresolvable diffuse scatterers, while the second component represents subresolvable quasi-periodic scatterers. The third component represents resolvable quasi-periodic scatterers and mirroring surfaces. Since the second component gives rise to the most long range destructive interference effects it is eliminated in the HI algorithm to reduce speckle. Due to its slow spatial variation, it can be almost completely eliminated simply by differentiating the backscattered demodulated quadrature signal. Lissajous-like figures are observed in complex plots of the signals from ultrasound beams going through tissues with quasi-periodic components and sometimes in areas with only diffuse scatterers. Therefore the sum of the complex signals from the resolvable and nonresolvable scatterers within a resolution cell is modeled by two orthogonal and independent harmonic oscillators. The estimated, total energy of these two oscillators determines the gray level value of the HI image within the resolution cell. The HI images produced using radio frequency data from a phantom and from tissues in vivo are more blurred than ordinary envelope images, but the signal to noise ratio and tissue contrast were higher for the HI images     

合成孔径声纳相干散斑抑制算法

1引言合成孔径声纳依靠相位重构目标二维声图,存在固有的相干散斑,影响图像的判读。相干散斑抑制是合成孔径图像后处理的重要内容。     

Strain compounding: a new approach for speckle reduction

A new compounding technique for reducing speckle brightness variations is proposed. This method exploits the decorrelation between signals under different strain states. The different strain states can be created using externally applied forces such as the ones used in sonoelastography. Such forces produce three-dimensional tissue motion. By correcting only the in-plane (i.e., axial and lateral) motion, the images under different strain states have similar characteristics except for speckle appearance caused by the uncorrected out-of-plane (i.e., elevational) motion. Additional speckle decorrelation is also introduced through tissue motion correction caused by the change of effective in-plane sample volume geometry. Therefore, these images can be combined for speckle reduction with less degradation in in-plane spatial resolution than conventional approaches. In this paper, three-dimensional tissue motion under various strain conditions were simulated. It was found that significant speckle decorrelation existed at strains achievable in some clinical situations. Experiments were also conducted to test efficacy of this approach. Pulse-echo data from a gelatin-based phantom were acquired using a 5-MHz, single crystal transducer, and both conventional and compound B-mode images were formed. Results indicated that speckle brightness variations were reduced, and detectability of low contrast objects was enhanced. Performance limitations and fundamental differences between the proposed technique and existing techniques are discussed     

几种OCT图像散斑降噪算法的研究与比较

为了探究光学相干层析技术(optical coherence tomography,OCT)中图像散斑的降噪处理方法,以提高图像质量,于是采用猪胃和泡沫塑料管为对象,对比研究了中值滤波、维纳滤波、小波滤波和各向异性扩散法对OCT图像散斑的降噪效果,并且通过信噪比(SNR)、等效视数(ENL)和散斑指数(Speckle-index)三个指标评价去噪效果,以此来弥补视觉对比的不足.结果表明,各向异性扩散算法不仅对OCT图像的散斑噪声具有最好的降噪效果,而且也较有效地保持了图像边缘信息.     

In-plane dynamic speckle interferometry: comparison between a combined speckle interferometry/speckle correlation and an update of the reference image

A common problem during study of, for instance, tensile tests with interferometers is that the sample moves too much so that the speckles decorrelate and no phase information is obtained. Two ways to overcome this problem are compared: a combination of speckle interferometry and speckle correlation and a method in which the reference image is updated during the experiment. The comparison shows that both techniques can be used to measure the deformation of an object even if it is exposed to rigid body motions. Both techniques are applied to measurements of microscale deformation fields of an adhesive joint in a carbon-fiber epoxy composite.     

Comparison of speckle reduction diversity tools for active millimeter-wave imaging

Imaging concealed objects with millimeter-wave coherent radiation is accompanied by speckle. Like all interference phenomena, speckle depends on three light parameters of the millimeter-wave laser beam--phase, wavelength, and angle of incidence--and can be reduced by the diversity of these three parameters. Diversity tools to improve images of concealed objects have been compared. We report measurements, simulations, and image reconstruction results over the whole W-band (75-110 GHz) and demonstrate where each tool works the best. Multiphase diversity is successful in reducing speckle contrast: multiangle to improve the image quality, and multispectral to recognize a small object's features. A simple postprocessing eliminates the areas still covered by interference.     

基于字典算法的OCT图像散斑稀疏降噪

光学相干层析扫描(OCT)作为一种新型无创高分辨率扫描方式,在临床上得到广泛应用,但是OCT图像本身存在严重的散斑噪声,这大大影响了疾病的诊断。本文针对OCT图像中的乘性散斑噪声,改进了两种原始字典降噪算法。该算法首先对OCT图像进行对数变换,采用正交匹配追踪算法进行稀疏编码,以及K奇异值分解学习算法进行自适应字典的更新,最后通过加权平均以及指数变换回到空域。实验结果表明,本文改进的两种字典算法能有效降低OCT图像中的散斑噪声,获得良好的视觉效果。并通过均方误差(MSE)、峰值信噪比(PSNR)、结构相似性(SSIM)以及边缘保持指数(EPI)四个指标评价降噪效果,与两种原始字典降噪算法和传统滤波算法相比,两种改进字典算法降噪效果优于其他算法,其中自适应字典算法表现更好。     

A frequency diversity process for speckle reduction in real-time ultrasonic images

A pair of concurrent real-time B-mode image lines has been formed using a parallel processing system. In this system a wideband received echo is partitioned by a frequency diversity process and separate image lines are formed. Due to their differing constituent frequencies, these image lines have decorrelated speckle patterns. Upon averaging these filtered lines, the amount of speckle in the resultant displayed image is reduced. The reduction in image speckle and its accompanying improvement in perceived resolution is accomplished with no sacrifice of temporal resolution or real-time format. The effects of filter separation and filter quality factor (Q) are investigated through statistical analysis of images containing speckle-producing targets. A measurable improvement in image signal-to-noise ratio has been achieved.     

Noise reduction in digital speckle pattern interferometry using bidimensional empirical mode decomposition

We propose a bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) method to reduce speckle noise in digital speckle pattern interferometry (DSPI) fringes. The BEMD method is based on a sifting process that decomposes the DSPI fringes in a finite set of subimages represented by high and low frequency oscillations, which are named modes. The sifting process assigns the high frequency information to the first modes, so that it is possible to discriminate speckle noise from fringe information, which is contained in the remaining modes. The proposed method is a fully data-driven technique, therefore neither fixed basis functions nor operator intervention are required. The performance of the BEMD method to denoise DSPI fringes is analyzed using computer-simulated data, and the results are also compared with those obtained by means of a previously developed one-dimensional empirical mode decomposition approach. An application of the proposed BEMD method to denoise experimental fringes is also presented.     

Noise reduction in speckle photography Young's fringes by an unique averaging method

We present and experimentally verify an averaging method to reduce significantly the speckle noise in the pattern of Young's fringes in speckle photography. With a rigid-body in-plane surface motion and a common photographic film, we observed a significantly noisy fringe pattern. Upon averaging several patterns taken from different parts of the transparency, the contrast and effect of the speckle noise are progressively averaged out to yield virtually a noise-free fringe pattern.     

Study of active millimeter-wave image speckle reduction by Hadamard phase pattern illumination

Active millimeter-wave images typically exhibit characteristic speckle noise, due to the coherence of artificial millimeter-wave sources. We study the Hadamard speckle contrast reduction (SCR) technique, which has been successfully used in laser projection systems, in the context of millimeter-wave imaging. We show the impact of Hadamard pattern order and size and of image and pattern resolution on speckle reduction efficiency. Practical limitations of Hadamard pattern implementations and their effect on speckle reduction efficiency are also discussed.     

Noise and speckle reduction in synthetic aperture radar imagery by nonparametric Wiener filtering

We present a Wiener filter that is especially suitable for speckle and noise reduction in multilook synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. The proposed filter is nonparametric, not being based on parametrized analytical models of signal statistics. Instead, the Wiener-Hopf equation is expressed entirely in terms of observed signal statistics, with no reference to the possibly unobservable pure signal and noise. This Wiener filter is simple in concept and implementation, exactly minimum mean-square error, and directly applicable to signal-dependent and multiplicative noise. We demonstrate the filtering of a genuine two-look SAR image and show how a nonnegatively constrained version of the filter substantially reduces ringing.     

Signal-to-noise comparison of deconvolution from wave-front sensing with traditional linear and speckle image reconstruction

It is well known that atmospheric turbulence severely degrades the performance of ground-based imaging systems. Techniques to overcome the effects of the atmosphere have been developing at a rapid pace over the past 10 years. These techniques can be grouped into two broad categories: predetection and postdetection techniques. A recent newcomer to the postdetection scene is deconvolution from wave-front sensing (DWFS). DWFS is a postdetection image-reconstruction technique that makes use of one feature of predetection techniques. A wave-front sensor (WFS) is used to record the wave-front phase distortion in the pupil of the telescope for each short-exposure image. The additional information provided by the WFS is used to estimate the system's point-spread function (PSF). The PSF is then used in conjunction with the ensemble of short-exposure images to obtain an estimate of the object intensity distribution through deconvolution. With the addition of DWFS to the suite of possible postdetection image-reconstruction techniques, it is natural to ask "How does DWFS compare with both traditional linear and speckle image-reconstruction techniques?" In the results we make a direct comparison based on a frequency-domain signal-to-noise-ratio performance metric. This metric is applied to each technique's image-reconstruction estimator. We find that DWFS nearly always results in improved performance over the estimators of traditional linear image reconstruction such as Wiener filtering. On the other hand, DWFS does not always outperform speckle-imaging techniques, and in cases that it does the improvement is small.     

Completely passive method of speckle reduction utilizing static multimode optical fibre and two-dimensional diffractive optical element

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present experimental results on speckle noise suppression using a completely passive method. The passivity of the method is achieved owing to the absence of any mechanical, electronic, or other dynamic influences on the optical scheme elements. In the experiment, a multimode semiconductor 520?±?5-nm laser with a spectral bandwidth of 2?nm, static two-dimensional (2D) and 2?×?1D diffractive optical elements (DOEs), as well as multimode single-core optical fibre and multimode optical fibre bundle were used. The dependence of the speckle reduction efficiency as a function of the optical fibre type and optical fibre length was measured for different DOEs. A speckle contrast of 0.148 and speckle reduction coefficient of 2.38 were obtained for a 2.5-m-long multimode optical fibre bundle. The experimental results confirmed that it is possible to construct completely passive optical circuits with reduced speckle noises using static multimode optical fibres and diffraction optical elements.     

A comparison of mean reduction versus variance reduction in processing times in flow shops

A constant industry challenge is to find ways to improve production capabilities within the boundaries established by constrained resources. There are several types of production improvement that represent laudable management goals, and there are many ways to achieve production improvement goals. In this paper, we focus on two production metrics and two means of improvement. Specifically, we are concerned with finding ways to decrease manufacturing work in process levels and cycle times in flow shops. A common method of improvement is through mean processing time reduction that is frequently brought about by technological improvements in processing equipment. Another common means of improvement that is receiving increasing attention in the literature is variance reduction. Herein, we quantify and compare the levels of improvement brought about by reduction in both mean and variance of processing times.     

Laser speckle reduction by multimode optical fiber bundle with combined temporal, spatial, and angular diversity

We report significant speckle reduction in a laser illumination system using a vibrating multimode optical fiber bundle. The optical fiber bundle was illuminated by two independent lasers simultaneously. The beams from both lasers were first expanded and collimated and were further divided into multiple beams to illuminate the fiber optic bundle with normal and oblique incidence. Static diffusers were also placed at the input and output faces of the fiber bundle, thus introducing the spatial as well as angular diversity of illumination. Experiments were carried out both in free space and in imaging geometry configuration. Standard deviation, speckle contrast and signal-to-noise ratio of the images were computed, and the results were compared with those of white light illumination. Speckle contrast close to that of white light was obtained using a vibrating fiber bundle with combined temporal, spatial, and angular diversities of the illumination.