BACKGROUND

1. Field

One or more exemplary embodiments relate to an ultrasound imaging apparatus for displaying a screen including an ultrasound image and a method of processing an ultrasound image.

2. Description of the Related Art

Due to its non-invasive and non-destructive nature, an ultrasound system has become widely used in many medical fields that require information about the inside of an object. The ultrasound system also plays a critical role in medical diagnosis since it can provide high-resolution images of internal tissues of an object to a medical practitioner without the need for performing a surgical procedure to directly incise the object for observation.

A user may view a moving image consisting of a plurality of ultrasound images. Furthermore, the user may change a display of at least one of the plurality of ultrasound images, e.g., by enlarging or reducing a specific region in the at least one ultrasound image.

SUMMARY

One or more exemplary embodiments include an ultrasound imaging apparatus and method that are capable of displaying a moving image consisting of a plurality of ultrasound images that are played back according to a time order together with an icon, corresponding to change information for changing a display of an ultrasound image, in association with the time order.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented exemplary embodiments.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, an ultrasound imaging apparatus includes a display configured to display a moving image consisting of a plurality of ultrasound images that are played back according to a time order together with at least one icon, corresponding to at least one piece of change information for changing a display of at least one of the plurality of ultrasound images, in association with the time order.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may further include a user interface configured to receive a first input for selecting the at least one icon.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may further include a controller configured to change, if the first input is received, the at least one ultrasound image according to the at least one piece of change information and control the changed ultrasound image to be displayed via the display.

The display may display at least one thumbnail image corresponding to the at least one ultrasound image according to the time order, and the user interface may receive a second input for selecting the at least one thumbnail image. The apparatus may further include a controller configured to control, if the second input is received, the at least one ultrasound image corresponding to the at least one thumbnail image to be displayed via the display.

The at least one piece of change information may include at least one selected from the group consisting of information for inserting a predetermined letter or image into the at least one ultrasound image, information for changing an imaging mode for the at least one ultrasound image, and information for enlarging or reducing the at least one ultrasound image.

The display may display a progress indicator representing the time order and further displays the at least one icon.

The display may display the at least one icon at a position close to a time point within the progress indicator when the at least one ultrasound image is displayed.

The progress indicator may be displayed based on a time when the plurality of ultrasound images are displayed or based on the number of ultrasound images displayed among the plurality of ultrasound images.

The display may display the at least one piece of change information that is classified according to a predetermined criterion or arranged according to an order in which the at least one piece of change information is generated.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus may further include: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire the plurality of ultrasound images; a controller configured to generate the at least one piece of change information based on a user input; and a memory configured to store the at least one piece of change information as metadata.

The image acquisition unit may transmit an ultrasound signal to an object over a predetermined period and generate the plurality of ultrasound images based on an echo signal reflected from the object.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, a method of processing an ultrasound image includes: displaying a moving image consisting of a plurality of ultrasound images that are played back according to a time order together with at least one icon, corresponding to at least one piece of change information for changing a display of at least one of the plurality of ultrasound images, in association with the time order; and receiving a first input for selecting the at least one icon.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium has recorded thereon a program for executing the above method on a computer.

