Title :
Real-time echocardiographic noise reduction, border extraction, and velocity derivation
Author :
Thomas, James D. ; Higginbotham, R.A. ; Waxman, Allan M. ; Popovic, Aleksandar D. ; Weyman, Arthur E.
Author_Institution :
Massachusetts Gen. Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Abstract :
The authors describe initial experience in echocardiographic image processing utilizing PIPE, a high-speed eight-stage array processor capable of performing multiple sequential algorithms at the real-time video field rate. The algorithms implemented include noise reduction with recursive temporal filtering, Gaussian spatial filtering, and edge-preserving smoothing; edge enhancement with the Sobel for magnitude and angle operators and difference-of-Gaussian convolutions; and velocity quantification with convected activation (a method for deriving normal motion from a sequence of binary edge maps described by A.M. Waxman et al., Proc. IEEE Conf. Comput. Vision Pattern Recognition, June 1988). It is shown that PIPE is a promising low-level engine for echocardiographic image processing. It remains, however, to be fully integrated with a high-level computer
Keywords :
acoustic imaging; biomedical ultrasonics; cardiology; computerised picture processing; medical diagnostic computing; PIPE; Sobel; border extraction; convected activation; difference-of-Gaussian convolutions; echocardiographic image processing; echocardiographic noise reduction; edge enhancement; high-level computer; high-speed 8-stage array processor; low-level engine; medical diagnostic imaging; multiple sequential algorithms; real-time video field rate; recursive temporal filtering; velocity derivation; Boolean functions; Filtering; Graphics; Image edge detection; Image motion analysis; Image processing; Laboratories; Logic arrays; Noise reduction; Sensor arrays;
Conference_Titel :
Computers in Cardiology, 1988. Proceedings.
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC
Print_ISBN :
0-8186-1949-X
DOI :
10.1109/CIC.1988.72582