Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating a compound ultrasound image. The method includes acquiring and beamforming channel data. Using the beamformed channel data a plurality of images, each image comprising a plurality of pixels, of a region of interest are obtained and an image information metric, wherein the image metric is associated with a pixel of the plurality of pixels, is assessed. The acquiring of the plurality of images and the assessment of the image metric are performed in parallel. For each image of the plurality of images: a per-pixel weighting for each pixel of the plurality of pixels based on the assessment of the image information metric is determined and applied to each pixel of the plurality of pixels. Finally a compound ultrasound image is generated based on the plurality of weighted pixels of the plurality of images.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating a compound ultrasound image. The method includes acquiring and beamforming channel data. Using the beamformed channel data a plurality of images, each image comprising a plurality of pixels, of a region of interest are obtained and an image information metric, wherein the image metric is associated with a pixel of the plurality of pixels, is assessed. The acquiring of the plurality of images and the assessment of the image metric are performed in parallel. For each image of the plurality of images: a per-pixel weighting for each pixel of the plurality of pixels based on the assessment of the image information metric is determined and applied to each pixel of the plurality of pixels. Finally a compound ultrasound image is generated based on the plurality of weighted pixels of the plurality of images.

Abstract: An image compounding apparatus acquires, via ultrasound, pixel-based images (126-130) of a region of interest for, by compounding, forming a composite image of the region. The image includes composite pixels (191) that spatially correspond respectively to pixels of the images. Further included is a pixel processor for beamforming with respect to a pixel from among the pixels, and for assessing, with respect to the composite pixel and from the data acquired (146), amounts of local information content of respective ones of the images. The processor determines, based on the assessment, weights for respective application, in the forming, to the pixels, of the images, that spatially correspond to the composite pixel. In some embodiments, the assessing commences operating on the data no later than upon the beamforming. In some embodiments, brightness values are assigned to the spatially corresponding pixels; and, in spatial correspondence, the maximum and the mean values are determined.