Patent ID: 8795179

Claim:
A gain control method for B-mode ultrasonic imaging, the method comprising: receiving image data comprising a plurality of pixels; determining an empty area of the image data comprising noise and a signal area of the image data comprising features of interest; calculating, using a processor, a background noise threshold based on values of one or more pixels in at least one of the empty area and the signal area; calculating, using the processor, a signal threshold based on values of one or more pixels in the signal area; computing, using the processor, an initial gain value estimate based on an estimated uniform amplification of the image data necessary for appropriate observation of the signal of interest; generating, using the processor, a nonlinear gain curve specifying the gain to be applied to the plurality of pixels, wherein the nonlinear gain curve specifies the gain to be applied to each pixel based on a corresponding value of the pixel, wherein the nonlinear gain curve includes: a first section with a first section gain between unity gain and the initial gain value estimate, wherein the first section is to be applied to pixels with pixel values between zero and the background noise threshold, and a second section with a second section gain greater that the initial gain value estimate when the initial gain value estimate is greater than unity gain and less than the initial gain value estimate when the initial gain value estimate is less than unity gain, wherein the second section is to be applied to pixels with pixel values between the background noise threshold and the signal threshold; and transforming, using the processor, pre-gain pixel values to post-gain pixel values using the nonlinear gain curve.