METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING CLUTTER SUPPRESSION IN VESSELS DEPICTED IN B-MODE ULTRASOUND IMAGES

A system and method for providing clutter suppression in vessels depicted in B-mode ultrasound images is provided. The method includes acquiring series of B-mode frames and periodically acquiring a flow image frame between each series of B-mode frames. The method includes segmenting the flow image frame and a subsequent B-mode frame in a series of B-mode frames acquired immediately after the flow image frame to extract a vessel lumen and analyzing a spatial correlation between the vessel lumen region in the flow image frame and the subsequent B-mode frame. The method includes applying clutter filtering to pixels in the vessel lumen region of the subsequent B-mode frame based on flow characteristics of corresponding pixels in the flow image frame when the spatial correlation between the vessel lumen region in the flow image frame and the subsequent B-mode frame exceeds a threshold. The method includes presenting the clutter suppressed B-mode frame.