Postprocessing techniques for 2-D echocardiographic imaging

A PC-based system for 2-D echocardiography image processing is presented. The system provides real time frame grabbing, image processing and picture archiving. Echocardiographic tracings stored on video-tape are played-back and several images can be digitized. Frame grabbing is ECG (electrocardiogram) gated. Image processing consists of image enhancement by noise cleaning filtering and ventricular contour detection by filter convolution. Best results for ventricular contour detection have been obtained by using the Mexican Hat filter that produces image smoothing and differentiation simultaneously.<>