自动化三维超声图像无探头耦合区域的计算机辅助排除算法

自动化三维超声成像时,只有在探头和皮肤间存在良好耦合接触的区域才能形成有效超声信号.通过构建一个二维冠状面图像掩模实现了对非耦合区域图像的计算机辅助排除.算法首先通过分别对多帧连续和间断的二维冠状面图像相同位置的像素点做均值处理,得到冠状面均值图像;然后分别将对连续和间断冠状面做均值处理后的图像使用双峰阈值分割法进行阈值处理,得到二值图像,再使用形态学图像处理方法对二值图像进行处理,在处理后的两张二值图像中选择最优二值图像作为掩模图像;最后使用掩模图像对待处理冠状面图像的非耦合区域进行排除并使用伪彩色显示冠状面耦合区域.结果表明,本算法可实现对自动化三维乳腺超声(ABUS)数据无探头耦合区域的自动排除,能有效避免后续图像处理过程对非耦合区域的无效运算.

Computer aided exclusion algorithm for areas without probe coupling of automated 3D ultrasound images

In automated 3D ultrasound imaging,effective ultrasonic signal can only be acquired if a good contact between the probe and the skin exists.To be able to achieve computer-aided exclusion for areas where were uncoupled,a 2D image mask was generated in the coronal plane.Firstly,the average coronal images were obtained by averaging a series of 2D coronal slices which were continuous or intermittent.Secondly,the binary images were obtained by applying bimodal thresholding method on the coronal projection.The masks were obtained by applying morphology image processing method on the binary image,and choosing the best mask as the finally mask image.Finally,pending coronal plane image's uncoupled areas were excluded by using the mask,and coupled areas were shown by applying pseudo-color processing.It is shown in the results that the proposed method achieves automated exclusion for areas without probe coupling of the automated 3D breast ultrasound (ABUS) data which can effectively avoid invalid operating of uncoupled areas in the subsequent image processing.