TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of this invention relate to devices and methods for enhancing images captured by an ultrasound imaging device. In particular, the resolution of a low resolution image of an object captured by an ultrasound imaging device is improved via at least one higher resolution image taken of at least a portion of the same or a similar object.

BACKGROUND

MRI and ultrasound imagers are two of the main medical imaging devices that are used to see inside a living organism non-intrusively. Current MRI systems are huge, bulky, slow and expensive. Additionally, they can't be used for real time applications by medical practitioners. A physical therapist, for example, needs to know how the tissues, ligaments or muscles respond to various exercises or stretches or how much they have healed or improved. Also medical practitioners often need to assess the impact of extra force when for example they stretch a muscle. They also need to know the nature of an obstacle when stretching leads to pain or it is not possible beyond a limit, as a result of an injury. Is there a piece of broken bone or a detached ligament? Currently, physical therapists can't see inside an organ or a body part that they interact with. Instead, they try to infer, sense, or gauge the body's reaction in order to decide about the best course of action. If they could see the inside before and after an exercise or in real time, they could make better and faster decisions which could lead to shorter recovery time for patients and lower cost for health care providers. In other words, it will be hugely beneficial to both patients and care providers to have a real time or even near real time high resolution images of an area of interest. Ultrasound imagers are much smaller and less expensive than MRI machines and they can provide real time images. However, the images from ultrasound imagers are noisy and have much less image resolution (details) than MRI images.

SUMMARY

MRI machines can generate high resolution images of a portion of a living organism but they are big, bulky and expensive. Additionally, it takes days to get the results back. Ultrasound imagers are compact and low cost and can generate images in real time. An object of this invention is to improve the resolution of the ultrasound imagers using computational techniques so that ultrasound imagers are used more often by medical practitioners. This will reduce the healthcare cost and make it possible for more medical facilities to have accurate imaging devices.

