Ultrasonic imaging method and ultrasonic imaging system

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasonic imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging system, and the method comprises the steps: transmitting a first ultrasonic wave to a target region of a detected object, and receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave, the target region comprising a liver; processing the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area; at least identifying a liver parenchyma image region in the ultrasound image; determining a trusted measurement region in the ultrasound image at least based on the liver parenchyma image region; determining a target ultrasonic image for selecting a region of interest from the ultrasonic image based on a trusted measurement region in the ultrasonic image; and determining a region of interest in the target ultrasonic image, and starting measurement of liver quantitative information. According to the method and the system, obvious sampling errors and errors can be avoided, so that the overall efficiency is improved, the clinical performance can be improved, and the diagnosis confidence is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and more specifically to an ultrasonic imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging system. Background Art

[0002] Compared with invasive liver biopsy pathological detection, quantitative ultrasound represented by ultrasound elasticity, ultrasound attenuation, ultrasound velocity, liver-kidney ratio, etc. is non-invasive, simple, fast, easy to operate, repeatable, safe and well tolerated, and has gradually become a commonly used clinical evaluation method, especially in the field of liver. However, similar to liver biopsy, there are specific requirements for the length, width, volume, location and specific structures of the sampled specimen. Quantitative ultrasound tools usually also have certain requirements for the sampling section and region of interest (ROI), such as the section needs to select the long axis of the liver or more liver parenchyma, the section needs to be clear and stable, the ROI needs to be selected as much as possible in the uniform part of the parenchyma, keep a certain distance from the liver capsule, and avoid blood vessels.

[0003] Many of the requirements in the above detection methods currently rely mainly on the operator's experience, which requires a lot of training resources and learning costs for the operator. At the same time, in order to ensure the sampling volume in actual operation, the maximum sampling and multi-point sampling are often adopted, which not only wastes resources and reduces the experience of the test subjects, but also may introduce additional section errors and operation errors. Summary of the invention

[0004] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the Summary of the Invention, which will be further described in detail in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasonic imaging method, the method comprising:

[0006] Transmitting a first ultrasonic wave to a target area of ​​the object to be measured, and receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave, wherein the target area includes a liver;

[0007] Processing the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area;

[0008] At least identifying a liver parenchyma image region in the ultrasound image;

[0009] determining a credible measurement region in the ultrasound image based at least on the liver parenchyma image region;

[0010] determining a target ultrasound image for selecting a region of interest from the ultrasound image based on the credible measurement region in the ultrasound image;

[0011] A region of interest is determined in the target ultrasound image, and measurement of quantitative liver information is initiated.

[0012] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging system, the system comprising:

[0013] Ultrasound probe;

[0014] A transmitting circuit, used for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave toward a target area of ​​the object to be measured;

[0015] a receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave;

[0016] a processor, configured to: process the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area; and

[0017] Executing the aforementioned ultrasound imaging method;

[0018] A display for displaying visual information.

[0019] According to the ultrasound imaging method and ultrasound imaging system of the embodiment of the present application, at least the liver parenchyma image area in the ultrasound image is identified, and a credible measurement area in the ultrasound image is determined based on at least the liver parenchyma image area. Based on the credible measurement area in the ultrasound image, a target ultrasound image for selecting a region of interest is determined from the ultrasound image, and the region of interest is determined in the target ultrasound image. By determining a suitable target ultrasound image (i.e., a cross-sectional image) through the identified liver parenchyma image before starting the measurement of quantitative information of the liver, obvious sampling errors and errors can be avoided, thereby improving overall efficiency, and clinical performance and enhancing diagnostic confidence. In addition, the method and system of the present application can automatically determine a target ultrasound image suitable for determining ROI, thereby avoiding over-reliance on the operator's experience, which can help reduce the user's training investment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0021] In the attached picture:

[0022] Figure 1A A schematic diagram showing abnormality of a normal single section of ROI during ultrasound measurement;

[0023] Figure 1B A schematic diagram showing excessive blood vessels within the cut surface during ultrasound measurement;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart showing an ultrasonic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4A A schematic diagram showing an ultrasound image according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4B Show Figure 4A Schematic diagram of a trusted measurement area in an ultrasound image shown in;

[0028] Figure 4C Shown in Figure 4B A schematic diagram of determining an area of ​​interest in a trusted measurement area shown in FIG.

[0029] Figure 5A A schematic diagram showing a trusted measurement area in an ultrasound image according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5B A schematic diagram showing a result of measuring liver quantitative information when the ROI is within a credible measurement region according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5C A schematic diagram showing a result of measuring liver quantitative information outside a credible measurement region of an ROI according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram showing a trusted measurement area according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6B Show according to Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of the results obtained by measuring the quantitative information of the liver after determining the ROI based on the reliable measurement area shown in FIG.

[0034] Figure 6C Show according to Fig. 6A The distribution diagram of the measurement results obtained after the ROI was determined and the quantitative information of the liver was measured. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more obvious, the example embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the example embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present application described in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0036] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present application, some technical features well known in the art are not described.

[0037] It should be understood that the present application can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0038] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present application. When used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said / the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "consisting of" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0039] In order to thoroughly understand the present application, a detailed structure will be proposed in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed in the present application. The optional embodiments of the present application are described in detail as follows, but in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application may also have other implementation methods. It is worth mentioning that the technical features of the various embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0040] Quantitative ultrasound tools usually have certain requirements for sampling sections and regions of interest (ROI), such as the section must be selected on the long axis of the liver or with more liver parenchyma, the section must be clear and stable, the ROI must be selected in a uniform part of the parenchyma as much as possible, maintain a certain distance from the liver capsule, and avoid blood vessels.

[0041] Many of the requirements in the above detection methods currently rely mainly on the operator's experience, which requires a lot of training resources and learning costs for the operator. At the same time, in order to ensure the sampling volume in actual operation, the maximum sampling and multi-point sampling are often adopted, which not only wastes resources and reduces the experience of the test subjects, but also may introduce additional section errors and operation errors.

[0042] Several common cases are as follows:

[0043] 1. If Figure 1A As shown in the figure, although the ROI is all liver parenchyma and has no obvious blood vessels, which meets the basic quality control requirements, the large area of ​​shadow in the section will lead to abnormal measurement values, which depends on the operator's experience in section selection;

[0044] 2. If Figure 1B As shown in the figure, there are too many blood vessels in the section, which makes the effective proportion in the ROI too small and it is impossible to obtain effective measurement values. In this case, it is recommended to adjust the section or adjust the position and size of the ROI.

[0045] 3. Faced with the differences between multiple measurement results, operators often repeat measurements in order to improve the credibility of the measured values, especially for acoustic attenuation measurements, especially on liver fibrosis. This not only reduces work efficiency and increases equipment loss, but also significantly reduces the experience of the subjects (for example, pressure marks are formed on the skin of the subjects, etc.).

[0046] In response to the above problems, the quantitative measurement function of ultrasound can introduce certain quality control indicators to quantify the factors affecting the measurement results and present them to the operator. At present, in related technologies, quantitative ultrasound often adopts the method of first selecting the section and then performing quality control because of its real-time nature. This method effectively reduces sampling errors and errors, but at the same time leads to a decrease in efficiency, especially in cases where the sampling efficiency requirements are high or the sampling cost is high, such as a large number of cases, patients have difficulty controlling their breathing, and emergency situations. For example, the common operating procedures are as follows: ① Select the section, ROI (real-time basic image, no quality control) => ② Start the function => ③ Confirm the section, ROI and output the measured value and quality control.

[0047] Among them, in step ①, the function is not actually started, and there are only pure basic images such as B image / C image, which include various forms such as basic image single multiplexing, acquisition preparation state after entering the function but not started, etc. In step ②, the function-related process or calculation is started, and function-related images are usually presented, such as sound attenuation map, elasticity map, credibility map, etc.; in step ③, it refers to the section adjustment after the function is started. At this time, function-related images are usually presented, which is different from the section selection based only on the basic image.

[0048] The specific related technologies may have the following forms:

[0049] The first form: The operation process is to select a section in the real-time basic image stage, start the acoustic attenuation function and display the acoustic attenuation image. The user confirms the section and freezes it. Then adjust the ROI for measurement and display the acoustic attenuation value, quality control value, etc.

[0050] The second form: The operation process is to select the section in the real-time basic image stage, start the acoustic attenuation function and present the acoustic attenuation image. The user confirms the section and freezes it. Then the ROI is automatically adjusted for measurement and the acoustic attenuation value, quality control value, etc. are displayed. The main difference between this form and the first one is that the ROI is automatically selected.

[0051] The third form: The main operation process is roughly the same as the first form. The difference is that the section selection and ROI selection are separated. After the section is frozen, the ROI is selected frame by frame. 。

[0052] The above-mentioned methods all perform quality control and adjustment after the quantitative function of the liver is activated. They are generally inefficient and cannot meet the requirements of high sampling efficiency.

[0053] At present, the main quality control indicators used in actual clinical quantitative liver ultrasound are those based on quantitative functions, such as acoustic attenuation measurement, elasticity measurement, etc., such as spatial uniformity, signal strength, and measurement volatility. These indicators are usually related to the internal calculation links and directly determine the credibility of the final measurement value, but they are usually less intuitive. Users often reselect sections for measurement because they find it difficult to understand the factors that affect quality control.

[0054] In order to solve at least one of the above technical problems, the present application provides an ultrasonic imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging system. Figure 2 An ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 2 A schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 10 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 10 includes an ultrasound probe 110, a transmit / receive circuit 114, a processor 116, and an output device 118. Further, the ultrasound imaging system 10 may also include a beamforming circuit and a transmit / receive selection switch, and the transmit / receive circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 through the transmit / receive selection switch.

[0056] The ultrasonic probe 110 is provided with a plurality of transducers (also referred to as a plurality of array elements or a plurality of transducer array elements, a plurality of transducers including at least two), which are used to transmit ultrasonic waves according to electrical signals, or to convert received ultrasonic echoes into electrical signals. In the embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic probe 110 has a plurality of transducers, so that ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received in a wider frequency band without switching the probe. A plurality of transducers can be arranged in a row to form a linear array, or arranged in a two-dimensional matrix to form a surface array, and a plurality of transducers can also form a convex array, a phased array, etc. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the arrangement of a plurality of transducer array elements. The transducer can transmit ultrasonic waves according to an excitation electrical signal, or convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals, so each transducer can be used to transmit ultrasonic waves to tissues in the target area, and can also be used to receive ultrasonic echoes returned by the tissues. When performing ultrasonic measurement, the transmitting / receiving circuit 114 can be used to control which transducers are used to transmit ultrasonic waves and which transducers are used to receive ultrasonic waves, or control the transducers to transmit ultrasonic waves or receive ultrasonic echoes in time slots. All transducers involved in ultrasonic emission may be excited by electrical signals simultaneously, thereby emitting ultrasonic waves simultaneously; or transducers involved in ultrasonic emission may be excited by several electrical signals with a certain time interval, thereby continuously emitting ultrasonic waves with a certain time interval.

[0057] Optionally, the ultrasonic probe 110 may also include a pressure sensor for feeding back the force of contact between the ultrasonic probe 110 and the human body, so that the user can control the pressing tightness and the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic probe 110 can be better transmitted to the tissue.

[0058] The transmitting / receiving circuit 114 is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe 110 to transmit tracking ultrasonic waves to the target area, and receive ultrasonic echoes corresponding to the ultrasonic waves returned from the target area, thereby obtaining ultrasonic echo data. Afterwards, the transmitting / receiving circuit 114 sends the electrical signal of the ultrasonic echo to the beamforming circuit, which performs focusing delay, weighting and channel summing on the ultrasonic echo data, and then sends it to the processor 116.

[0059] Optionally, the processor 116 may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof, and may use a circuit, a single or multiple application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a single or multiple general purpose integrated circuits, a single or multiple microprocessors, a single or multiple programmable logic devices, or any combination of the aforementioned circuits and / or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 116 may control other components in the ultrasound imaging system 10 to perform desired functions.

[0060] As an example, the processor 116 can also perform different processing on the ultrasonic echo data acquired by the transmitting / receiving circuit 114 according to the imaging mode required by the user to obtain ultrasonic images of different modes. For example, the ultrasonic image can be a grayscale B image, a blood flow C image, an ultrasonic contrast image, or any other suitable type of ultrasonic image.

[0061] In some possible implementations, the ultrasound imaging system 10 further includes a vibrator (not shown), which can be installed inside the ultrasound probe 110 or outside the ultrasound probe 110. The vibrator can be used to generate vibrations of a specific waveform and vibrate the ultrasound probe 110 so that shear waves are generated in the target area (i.e., target tissue). Of course, in some possible implementations, the ultrasound imaging system 10 does not need a vibrator, and directly controls the generation of shear waves in the target area according to the acoustic radiation force, so that shear wave elastic imaging can be performed based on the shear waves.

[0062] The output device 118 is connected to the processor 116 and is used to output the credible measurement area and / or ultrasound image, prompt information, etc. In one embodiment, the output device 118 can be a display, which is used to display any visual information that needs to be presented, such as the credible measurement area and / or ultrasound image, prompt information, measurement results, quality control results, etc. on the display interface. As an example, the display can be a touch screen, an LCD screen, etc., or it can also be an independent display device such as an independent LCD display, a television, etc.; or the display can also be a display screen of an electronic device such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc. Among them, the number of displays can be one or more.

[0063] In addition to displaying ultrasound images, quality control results, trusted measurement areas, etc., the display can also provide users with a graphical interface for human-computer interaction, set one or more controlled objects on the graphical interface, and provide users with a human-computer interaction device to input operation instructions to control these controlled objects, thereby performing corresponding control operations. For example, an icon is displayed on the graphical interface, and the icon can be operated using the human-computer interaction device to perform a specific function.

[0064] In addition, the output device 118 may also include a speaker, a printer, etc. The output device 118 may also be any other suitable information output device.

[0065] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 10 may further include other human-computer interaction devices connected to the processor 116. For example, the processor 116 may be connected to the human-computer interaction device via an external input / output port, and the external input / output port may be a wireless communication module, or a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input / output port may also be implemented based on USB, bus protocols such as CAN, and / or wired network protocols.

[0066] Exemplarily, the human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information, and the input information may be, for example, a control instruction for ultrasonic emission / reception timing, an operation input instruction for manually switching ultrasonic frequency, or other instruction types. The input device may include a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc., or a combination of multiple thereof.

[0067] The ultrasound imaging system 10 may further include a memory for storing instructions executed by the processor, storing the third acoustic attenuation coefficient, the ultrasound image, etc. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, etc. It may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory, a removable memory and / or a non-removable memory, etc.

[0068] It should be understood that Figure 2 The components included in the ultrasonic imaging system 10 are merely illustrative, and the system may include more or fewer components, which is not limited in the present application.

[0069] Next, the ultrasonic imaging method in the present application is described in detail based on the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging system 10, wherein each of the following embodiments may involve one or more hardware modules of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging system 10, which may be determined according to the executed steps. Figure 3 The ultrasonic imaging method 300 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps S310 to S360:

[0070] Step S310, transmitting a first ultrasonic wave to a target area of ​​the object to be measured, and receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave, wherein the target area includes a liver.

[0071] First, a first ultrasonic wave can be emitted to a target area of ​​the object to be measured by an ultrasonic probe, and the target area generates an ultrasonic echo under the excitation of the first ultrasonic wave, and the ultrasonic echo is received by the ultrasonic probe and converted into an electrical signal to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal. The target area can be any human tissue or animal tissue, for example, the target area can be the liver.

[0072] In addition to the liver region, the target region may also be superficial tissue of the human body, the thyroid gland or breast, or any other tissue region that requires quantitative information.

[0073] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned ultrasound imaging system 10, the processor controls to turn on the transmit / receive selection switch, and through the transmit / receive sequence controller, stimulates the ultrasound probe 110 to generate a first ultrasound wave according to the parameters of the ultrasound image, and sends it to the target area. The ultrasound probe 110 receives the ultrasound echo returned from the target area to obtain a first ultrasound echo signal, and transmits it to the processor 116, which processes the first ultrasound echo signal to obtain an ultrasound image or ultrasound parameters. The first ultrasound echo may include echoes returned from different depths of the target area.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present application, the transmit / receive sequence controller may generate a first sequence for exciting the probe to generate a first ultrasonic wave. The first sequence may include the transmission of one or more groups of ultrasonic waves and the reception of ultrasonic echoes. For example, the first sequence may include transmitting a group of first ultrasonic waves and receiving a first ultrasonic echo signal corresponding to the first ultrasonic wave after 1 ms.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic probe 110 transmits the first ultrasonic wave to the target area from different angles, and the area of ​​the first ultrasonic wave covered the target area. The first ultrasonic wave can penetrate the preset depth of the target area. Therefore, the ultrasonic image obtained according to the first ultrasonic echo signal can completely cover the range of the target area.

[0076] In step S320, the first ultrasonic echo signal is processed to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area.

[0077] After the first ultrasonic echo signal is acquired, at least beamforming processing is performed according to the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present application, after receiving the first ultrasonic echo signal, the noise in the first ultrasonic echo signal can be removed. After the ultrasonic echo signal is processed by the beamforming circuit, it is transmitted to the processor 116, and the processor 116 processes the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area, wherein the ultrasonic image can be a two-dimensional ultrasonic image or a three-dimensional ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image can be a basic image, such as a B image, a C image, a PW image, a CW image, an ultrasonic contrast image, etc., or an elasticity image, etc.

[0079] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic image may be a grayscale image, i.e., a B image. A specific ultrasonic image acquisition method may be that after obtaining the first ultrasonic echo signal, the noise in the first ultrasonic echo signal may be removed. After the ultrasonic echo signal is subjected to beamforming processing, it is transmitted to the processor 103, and the processor 103 processes the ultrasonic echo signal, including determining each pixel value corresponding to the target area according to the amplitude value of the first ultrasonic echo signal and preset weight information, and obtaining a grayscale image of the target area according to each pixel value.

[0080] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the ultrasound image may include a color Doppler blood flow image. A color Doppler blood flow image is obtained by color Doppler blood flow imaging. A specific method may be that after obtaining the first ultrasound echo signal, the noise in the first ultrasound echo signal may be removed. After the ultrasound echo signal is processed by beam synthesis, it is transmitted to the processor 116, and the processor 116 processes the ultrasound echo signal, including determining each pixel value corresponding to the target area according to the amplitude value of the first ultrasound echo signal and the preset blood flow parameter, and obtaining a color Doppler blood flow image of the target area according to each pixel value. The color Doppler blood flow image can reflect the direction and velocity of the blood flow in the target area. Moreover, the blood flow information can be superimposed on the grayscale image to obtain the color Doppler blood flow image. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, in addition to displaying the ultrasound image of the target area, the color Doppler blood flow image can also be displayed to further display the blood flow information inside the target area, so as to facilitate the observation of the target area.

[0081] In step S330, at least a liver parenchyma image region in the ultrasound image is identified.

[0082] Before starting the subsequent measurement of quantitative liver information, quality control indicators based on basic images are introduced in the real-time basic image stage. For example, at least the liver parenchyma image area in the ultrasound image is identified, and structures such as the vascular area and liver capsule area in the ultrasound image can also be identified. The blood flow information in the blood flow image (such as a color Doppler blood flow image) can also be extracted, etc., so as to determine the subsequent reliable measurement area through the above information.

[0083] Ultrasound images can be segmented or recognized using a variety of suitable methods, for example, based on traditional image processing, artificial intelligence, image fusion, and the like.

[0084] Specifically, the recognition of ultrasound images may include feature extraction, feature encoding, and feature classification. Generally, extracting appropriate features can improve the accuracy of ultrasound image recognition. The underlying features in ultrasound images can be extracted, such as scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT), Haar features, Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) and other features, as well as the derived features of the features combined with information on motion, edge, and shape. After feature extraction, feature encoding can be performed, which can improve the efficiency of recognition. The feature encoding method may include but is not limited to: Bag of Visual Words (BoVW), Vector of Locally Aggregated Descriptors (VLAD), Fisher Vector (FV), etc. After feature encoding, feature classification can be performed, and the encoded features are processed by feature classification to achieve recognition of ultrasound images. The feature classification method may include various machine learning algorithms, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) or other similar algorithms.

[0085] In a possible implementation, before step 503, offline training may be performed to obtain a model for recognizing ultrasound images. Specifically, offline training may be performed based on a large number of historical ultrasound images and related data. For example, corresponding feature values ​​may be extracted for important features related to the liver, such as liver parenchyma, blood vessels, diaphragm, gallbladder, fat layer, acoustic shadow, ascites, and abdominal cavity, so as to obtain a corresponding recognition model and complete packaging. Accordingly, in this step, the ultrasound image is input into the model obtained by offline training, and then the model obtained by offline training is used to determine, for example, blood vessel areas, liver capsule areas, gallbladder areas, liver parenchyma image areas, acoustic shadows, etc. in the ultrasound image.

[0086] At least one key area in the ultrasound image may be identified to obtain an identification result, and the key area includes but is not limited to: a liver parenchyma image area, a blood vessel area, a liver capsule area, an abdominal cavity area or a gallbladder area, etc.

[0087] In a possible implementation, the liver parenchyma image region in the ultrasound image may be identified, and the area, shape, contour, etc. of the liver parenchyma image region may be calculated based on the segmented liver parenchyma image region.

[0088] In another possible implementation, blood vessel regions, liver capsule regions, gallbladder regions, etc. in the ultrasound image may also be identified, and distances, orientations, etc. may be calculated based on these structures.

[0089] In another possible implementation, the spatial information of blood flow in the ultrasound image may also be identified and the position, direction, size, etc. of the blood vessel may be calculated based on the information.

[0090] When the operator selects a section in the acquisition preparation state, such as the basic image acquisition stage, the liver parenchyma image area in each section image can be identified frame by frame, and the blood vessel area, liver capsule area, gallbladder area, acoustic shadow, abdominal cavity area, etc. can also be identified simultaneously.

[0091] In step S340, a credible measurement region in the ultrasound image is determined based at least on the liver parenchyma image region.

[0092] Specifically, based on the recognition result in step S340, a credible measurement area in the ultrasound image can be determined according to a preset condition. The preset condition can be determined according to the measurement requirements when the quantitative information of the liver is required to be measured later. For example, the preset condition can be to use a uniform area in the liver parenchyma image area and an image area excluding blood vessels, abdominal cavity, etc. as a credible measurement area.

[0093] The credible measurement region includes at least a portion of the liver parenchyma image region. More specifically, the credible measurement region includes a uniform region in the liver parenchyma image region and excludes regions such as blood vessels and abdominal cavity.

[0094] After the credible measurement area, the credible measurement area is superimposed and displayed on the ultrasound image, wherein the credible measurement area has a different hue from the ultrasound image or has the same hue but a different degree of depth. The entire area of ​​the credible measurement area may have a different hue from the ultrasound image or have the same hue but a different degree of depth. Alternatively, an edge area of ​​the credible measurement area may have a different hue from the ultrasound image or have the same hue but a different degree of depth. Through the above display method, the credible measurement area can be displayed in a differentiated manner, so that the user can observe the credible measurement area, thereby determining the cross-sectional image and the region of interest based on the credible measurement area.

[0095] For example, the ultrasound image may be a grayscale image (eg Figure 4A ), while the credible measurement area is a color map (as shown Figure 4B As shown in FIG. 1 , for example, the ultrasound image and the credible measurement area may have different contrasts or brightnesses to present different tones and depths. Alternatively, any other suitable method may be used to make it have different tones or different depths, which is not specifically limited here.

[0096] In some examples, the trusted measurement area and the ultrasound image may also be displayed in different areas.

[0097] In some specific embodiments, the area of ​​the credible measurement region can also be calculated and displayed. The larger the area of ​​the credible measurement region is, or when the area exceeds a preset value, the more suitable the ultrasound image is for determining the region of interest. Therefore, by presenting the area, the user can know the area of ​​the credible measurement region in the current ultrasound image, and then measure and determine the target ultrasound image (i.e., the cross-sectional image used for measurement) that can be used to select the ROI based on the area.

[0098] In step S350 , based on the credible measurement region in the ultrasound image, a target ultrasound image for selecting a region of interest is determined from the ultrasound image.

[0099] The ultrasound imaging system may automatically determine the target ultrasound image for selecting the region of interest from the ultrasound image based on the credible measurement region in the ultrasound image. Alternatively, after automatically determining that the current ultrasound image can be used as the target ultrasound image based on the credible measurement region, a prompt message is output, and the target ultrasound image for selecting the region of interest is determined in response to the user's slice selection instruction.

[0100] In one example, based on a credible measurement region in an ultrasound image, a target ultrasound image for selecting a region of interest is determined from the ultrasound image, including: when the credible measurement region satisfies a preset condition, the ultrasound image in which the credible measurement region is located is determined to be the target ultrasound image for selecting the region of interest. For example, the area of ​​the credible measurement region is compared with a preset area threshold, and when the area of ​​the credible measurement region is greater than the preset area threshold, the corresponding ultrasound image is determined to be the target ultrasound image. For another example, in addition to the area being greater than the preset threshold, the area of ​​the credible measurement region needs to be continuous.

[0101] Optionally, the preset threshold can be reasonably set according to actual needs, for example, the preset area threshold is 400 pixels or 20 cm 2 .

[0102] In some examples, the method of the present application also includes: when determining the target ultrasound image, outputting prompt information, the prompt information is used to prompt the user to select a region of interest in the current ultrasound image, that is, the prompt information can be used to prompt whether the current ultrasound image is the target section, or whether the ultrasound image satisfies the subsequent measurement of liver quantitative information, etc., so that the user can determine whether to select a ROI in the current section according to the prompt information, thereby performing subsequent measurement of liver quantitative information.

[0103] The prompt information can be presented by any suitable method. For example, if the prompt information includes information such as images, text or colors, the prompt information can be displayed on the display. If the prompt information includes information such as audio and video, the audio can be played through a speaker, or the video can be played through the display and the speaker.

[0104] In some examples, the prompt information may be presented by displaying a comparison result between the credible measurement area and a preset area threshold, or directly presented in the form of text or characters, or the credible measurement area that does not meet the preset condition and the credible measurement area that meets the preset condition may be displayed in a differentiated manner, for example, the credible measurement area that meets the preset condition may be displayed in a color map of a first color and the credible measurement area that does not meet the preset condition may be displayed in a color map of a second color, thereby playing a prompting role.

[0105] In one example, when the area of ​​the credible measurement region is less than or equal to a preset area threshold, the credible measurement region is not presented, and when the area of ​​the credible measurement region is greater than the preset area threshold, the credible measurement region is presented. In this way, the user can be prompted to select a cross-sectional image.

[0106] In a specific implementation, taking the conventional grayscale image of the real-time basic image for liver parenchyma segmentation as an example, by determining a credible measurement area such as a liver parenchyma portion (that is, at least a portion of the liver parenchyma image area) and calculating its area, when the area is continuous and greater than a preset area threshold (such as 400 pixels or 20 cm2), it is recommended that the user select ROI in this section and perform measurement.

[0107] In some examples, if there are multiple frames of ultrasound images, the areas of the credible measurement regions in the respective ultrasound images may be compared, and the ultrasound image with the largest credible measurement region that exceeds a predetermined area threshold may be used as the target ultrasound image.

[0108] The presentation of credible measurement areas can facilitate users to select appropriate sections, such as the long axis of the liver or a section with more liver parenchyma and clear and stable sections. It can also facilitate the selection of ROI. The ROI should be selected as far as possible in a uniform part of the parenchyma, keep a certain distance from the liver capsule, and avoid blood vessels.

[0109] In step S360 , a region of interest is determined in the target ultrasound image, and measurement of quantitative information of the liver is initiated.

[0110] After determining the target ultrasound image, the region of interest in the target ultrasound image may also be determined. Specifically, the region of interest may be determined based on the target ultrasound image, for example, the region of interest may be automatically determined based on the target ultrasound image by the ultrasound imaging system, or may be determined based on user input data, etc. For example, if the target area is the liver, the credible measurement area in the ultrasound image may be determined as the region of interest, or the user may input which region to select as the region of interest, or after determining that the credible measurement area in the ultrasound image is the region of interest, the region of interest may be adjusted based on user input data, etc.

[0111] In a specific example, a trusted measurement area can be superimposed on an ultrasound image, and a region of interest can be determined in response to a user's selection instruction. For example, by displaying a trusted measurement area, accurate guidance can be provided to the user in selecting a ROI, thereby improving the accuracy of ROI selection and the accuracy of measurement results.

[0112] In a possible implementation, after the region of interest is determined in the target ultrasound image, a border (also referred to as a region of interest prompt box) may be generated according to the position of the region of interest in the target ultrasound image, such as Figure 4C The rectangular border shown in the figure allows users to clearly observe the area of ​​interest, improving the user experience.

[0113] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the shape of the border mentioned above or below is not limited, and can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario, for example, it can be a rectangular, square or other collective shapes or characteristic boundary shapes.

[0114] After the region of interest is determined, the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver can be directly started, or after the region of interest is determined, it can be determined whether the region of interest meets the preset conditions. When the preset conditions are met, the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver is started. If the preset conditions are not met, the position of the region of interest can be adjusted, or the cross-sectional image can be adjusted, and the region of interest can be re-determined, so as to determine a more suitable ROI for subsequent measurement of the quantitative information of the liver, thereby avoiding obvious sampling errors and errors, thereby improving overall efficiency, and also improving clinical performance and enhancing diagnostic confidence. The above-mentioned start of the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver can be automatically started by the machine or manually started. The automatic / manual start can be the automatic / manual start of the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver after the region of interest is determined, or it can be the automatic / manual start of the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver after determining whether the region of interest meets the preset conditions.

[0115] Wherein, before starting the measurement of quantitative liver information, it is necessary to obtain quantitative liver information. The step of obtaining quantitative liver information may be before determining the region of interest or after determining the region of interest. The present application does not limit the order of the steps, and it can be performed before starting the measurement of quantitative liver information. Quantitative liver information can be obtained by processing based on the above-mentioned first ultrasonic echo signal, or by re-emitting a second ultrasonic wave and processing the echo signal of the second ultrasonic wave. The quantitative liver information may include information such as shear wave velocity, Young's modulus, liver echo intensity, and other quantitative liver information obtained based on ultrasound should also be included in the protection scope of the present application. The measurement of quantitative liver information may include measurement results of liver elasticity, acoustic attenuation, liver-kidney ratio, sound velocity, fat content, and other measurement results obtained by measuring the quantitative liver information obtained based on ultrasound should also be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0116] Exemplarily, when the region of interest meets a preset condition, the measurement of liver quantitative information is started, wherein the preset condition includes: the area ratio of the region of interest within the credible measurement region is greater than a predetermined ratio; and / or the distance between the edge of the region of interest and the edge of the corresponding credible measurement region is greater than a predetermined distance. The area ratio of the region of interest within the credible measurement region may refer to the ratio of the area of ​​the region of interest within the credible measurement region to the total area of ​​the region of interest. Optionally, the predetermined ratio may be 50%, or other suitable ratios. When the predetermined ratio is exceeded, it means that the region of interest includes enough liver parenchyma image areas. The predetermined distance may refer to the distance between the edge of the region of interest within the credible measurement region and the outer edge of the credible measurement region (which should usually be located within the liver capsule). Optionally, the predetermined distance is 20 pixels or 20 cm, or other suitable predetermined distances. The predetermined distance can ensure that the region of interest and, for example, the liver capsule have a sufficient distance. Through the above method, it can be determined whether the region of interest meets the preset conditions, so as to determine a more suitable ROI for subsequent measurement of liver quantitative information, thereby avoiding obvious sampling errors and errors, thereby improving overall efficiency, and also improving clinical performance and enhancing diagnostic confidence. The above method is more in line with clinical operating habits.

[0117] When the area of ​​interest meets the preset conditions, the first prompt information is output; when the area of ​​interest does not meet the preset conditions, the second prompt information is output. The prompt information (the first prompt information or the second prompt information) includes information such as images, text or colors, and the prompt information can be displayed on the display. If the prompt information includes information such as audio and video, the audio can be played through the speaker, or the video can be played through the display and the speaker, etc., which will not be repeated in the following embodiments.

[0118] If a border corresponding to the region of interest is displayed in the target ultrasound image, the border can be displayed in the ultrasound image by superimposing a predetermined color, or the border can be displayed in different regions with the ultrasound image by a predetermined color. Among them, borders of different colors are used to indicate the degree to which the region of interest meets the preset conditions. Specifically, a mapping relationship between the color of the border and whether the ROI meets the preset conditions can be preset. For example, a first prompt information is represented by a border of a first color, and a second prompt information is represented by a border of a second color, wherein the first color and the second color are different. Optionally, the first color can be green, and the second color can be yellow or red, etc. By outputting the first prompt information or the second prompt information, it is convenient for the user to observe whether the region of interest meets the requirements, which is conducive to the subsequent start of the measurement of liver quantitative information and improves the accuracy and efficiency of the measurement.

[0119] In some examples, the aforementioned target ultrasound image may be any ultrasound image, and a ROI is selected in each ultrasound image, and when the region of interest meets the preset conditions, the measurement of liver quantitative information is started, and if not, the section and ROI selection may be performed again.

[0120] Compared with the related art, after the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver, it is determined whether to reselect the section and ROI for re-measurement based on the quality control results of the measured values. In the present application, quality control is performed before starting the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver, that is, in the acquisition preparation state. If the quality control is not satisfied, the section and ROI can be reselected before the start of acquisition, thereby improving the measurement efficiency.

[0121] It is worth mentioning that the quality control function of the section and ROI can be started manually or automatically before starting the quantitative information measurement of the liver.

[0122] In some examples, the operator can place the ROI in the credible measurement area for measurement. Alternatively, the operator can ignore the credible measurement area and place the ROI at any position on the cut surface, such as when the credible measurement area is too small or does not cover the region of interest. The measurement of liver quantitative information is then started to enter the corresponding measurement function.

[0123] It is worth mentioning that before the application starts the measurement of liver quantitative information, that is, the function is not actually started, only basic images such as B image / C image are obtained at this time, which formally includes the acquisition stage of basic images (the basic image can be single or multiplexed), or it can refer to the acquisition preparation state after entering the measurement function of liver quantitative information but not starting (that is, the measurement result is not available) and other forms.

[0124] In some examples, before starting the measurement of liver quantitative information, quality control is performed in advance to determine a reliable measurement area, where, for example, Figure 5A The left image shows an ultrasound image, and Figure 5A The middle right image shows the trusted measurement region.

[0125] In some examples, the method of the present application further includes: after starting the measurement of liver quantitative information, determining a scanning mode based on the positional relationship between the region of interest and the credible measurement region, wherein Figure 5B As shown, when the region of interest is located within the credible measurement region, the credible measurement region is scanned by a second ultrasonic wave, for example, only the credible measurement region is scanned by ultrasonic wave during the acquisition process, and the echo signal is acquired and processed to obtain the measurement result and displayed, wherein, Figure 5B The middle left picture is a quality control chart of the measurement results (each pixel position in the quality control chart corresponds to a credibility index of the measured value, that is, the quality control chart is a distribution chart of the credibility index). The credibility of the measurement results can be indicated by the color of the quality control chart. For example, green indicates high credibility, while yellow or red indicates relatively low credibility. Figure 5B The middle right figure shows the distribution diagram of the measurement results. Figure 5C As shown, when at least part of the region of interest is outside the credible measurement area, the entire measurable area is scanned by the second ultrasonic wave, for example, the entire measurable area is scanned during the acquisition process (ie Figure 5C The fan-shaped area in the image is obtained, and the echo signal is processed to obtain the measurement result and displayed, wherein: Figure 5C The left picture in the middle is a quality control chart, and the right picture is a distribution chart of the measurement results. The measurable area can refer to all areas in the current section that can be measured, which can include regions of interest and credible measurement areas. According to the positional relationship between the regions of interest and credible measurement areas, a more suitable scanning method can be determined, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the measurement of liver quantitative information.

[0126] In this application, the acquisition process or acquisition start indicates that the acquisition has started, but the measured value has not yet been output.

[0127] The measurement of the corresponding quantitative liver information can be determined according to the current examination requirements of the object under test. For example, taking elastic imaging as an example, elastic imaging is to image the elastic parameters of the target area, so as to reflect the softness and hardness of the tissue. That is, elastic imaging requires the measurement of the elastic information of the target area, such as elastic parameters. Specifically, the propagation speed of the shear wave, hardness, elastic modulus, etc. can be measured. The elastic modulus can also be called the elastic coefficient. Among them, the propagation speed of the shear wave is related to the elastic modulus, and the hardness is the hardness of the tissue. The elastic modulus is related to the hardness of the tissue. Exemplarily, the elastic imaging schematic diagram can be as follows Figure 6C As shown, the elastic image can reflect the propagation speed and propagation path of the shear wave, so that the user can intuitively know the softness and hardness of the target area based on the elastic image.

[0128] First, if Fig. 6A As shown in FIG. 1 , when the operator selects a slice in the acquisition preparation state (or basic image stage), the reliable measurement area ( Fig. 6A The credible measurement area is displayed, which may include a uniform area in the liver parenchyma and exclude blood vessels, abdominal cavity and other areas. At this time, there is no specific quality control value in the credible measurement area, only the area is displayed. The ROI can be placed in the credible measurement area for measurement, and then the measurement result corresponding to the ROI area is displayed. The measurement result can be a statistical value such as the average value, median value, maximum value, minimum value, etc., or one or more of the data or other suitable values, or a distribution diagram of the measurement result can also be displayed, such as Figure 6C The distribution diagram of the measurement results within the region of interest shown in the figure makes up for the lack of quality control guidance.

[0129] In a possible implementation, it may include: transmitting a shear wave to the target area that causes the target area to vibrate, and sending a second ultrasonic wave to the target area, and receiving a second ultrasonic wave based on the second ultrasonic wave to obtain a second ultrasonic wave echo signal, and determining the elastic parameters of the target area according to the second ultrasonic wave echo signal, and outputting the elastic parameters. Specifically, after the elastic result is obtained, the elastic result can be displayed. It can be directly displaying the elastic parameters obtained by elastic measurement, for example, the elastic modulus can be directly displayed. In an embodiment of the present application, multiple elastic imaging can also be performed to obtain multiple elastic parameters. After obtaining multiple elastic parameters, the multiple elastic parameters can be displayed, or one or more of the average value, maximum value, minimum value, variance, quartile value, quartile divided by median value, number of valid measurements, number of invalid measurements, and total number of measurements of the multiple elastic parameters can be displayed.

[0130] In a possible scenario, based on the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging system 10, the vibrator vibrates, thereby driving the ultrasonic probe 110 to vibrate and generate a shear wave perpendicular to the ultrasonic probe 110. When the ultrasonic probe 110 contacts the target area, the target area is caused to vibrate and generate a shear wave. The shear wave can provide a thrust to the target area along the propagation direction, and the target area moves or deforms under the thrust, and rebounds after the movement or deformation due to the elasticity of the target area itself. Therefore, based on the shear wave, a second ultrasonic wave is emitted at the same time. The rebound generated by the target area under the influence of the shear wave can be obtained, so as to determine the elastic parameters of the target area. In an embodiment of the present application, the vibrator vibrates to drive the probe to vibrate, so as to cause the target area to generate a shear wave. At the same time, a second ultrasonic wave is emitted, and a second ultrasonic echo signal is received. Therefore, the morphological changes of the target area under the push of the shear wave can be recorded through the second ultrasonic echo signal, and the elastic parameters of the second area of ​​the target area can be accurately determined. Of course, a push pulse can also be emitted to the target area to generate shear waves based on the acoustic radiation force. Further, a second ultrasonic wave can be emitted to the target area to track the shear waves propagating in the target area, and a second ultrasonic echo signal can be received to determine the elastic parameters of the second area of ​​the target area based on the second echo signal.

[0131] In a possible implementation, the region in which elastic imaging is performed in the present application may be a region of interest. For example, if the target region is the liver, the region of interest may be a region that satisfies the aforementioned preset conditions. When the region of interest satisfies the aforementioned preset conditions, elastic imaging may be performed.

[0132] Specifically, the elastic imaging method may be any suitable method known to those skilled in the art, and is not specifically limited here.

[0133] Another example is acoustic attenuation imaging, which is imaging or measuring acoustic attenuation parameters. Acoustic attenuation parameters are used to reflect the attenuation of the sound intensity (or amplitude, energy) when ultrasound waves propagate within a certain depth range, and can be used to predict the degree of fatty liver in clinical practice. Generally speaking, the more severe the fatty liver, the faster the acoustic attenuation. For ultrasound waves of the same frequency, the amplitude of the ultrasound wave is inversely proportional to the propagation depth, and the acoustic attenuation parameters usually correspond to the slope of the above inverse relationship. Any suitable acoustic attenuation imaging method can be used to perform acoustic attenuation imaging, for example, by emitting a second ultrasonic wave to the region of interest and receiving an echo signal of the second ultrasonic wave, and processing the echo signal, the acoustic attenuation information of the second ultrasonic wave propagating in the tissue, such as an acoustic attenuation parameter (which can be represented by an attenuation coefficient), and the acoustic attenuation information is also the measurement result of the acoustic attenuation; for another example, based on an ultrasonic probe including multiple array elements, ultrasonic waves are emitted to the target region of the object to be measured at at least two acoustic attenuation parameter measurement frequencies in sequence, and ultrasonic echoes of the target region are received to obtain at least two sets of ultrasonic echo data; the acoustic attenuation parameter measurement result of the target region at each ultrasonic frequency is obtained according to the ultrasonic echo data; and at least two acoustic attenuation parameter measurement results are combined to determine a comprehensive acoustic attenuation parameter measurement result.

[0134] In some examples, the measurement results of the liver quantitative information may be displayed on a display interface of the display, for example, in the form of numerical values, or in the form of a distribution graph.

[0135] In some examples, the numerical distribution of the measurement results of the liver quantitative information at multiple locations is displayed in the region of interest on the display interface, and the numerical values ​​of different measurement results can be presented through different color codes to obtain a numerical distribution diagram.

[0136] In some examples, the credibility index of the measurement result of the liver quantitative information is displayed on the display interface, wherein the credibility index represents the credibility of the measurement result. The credibility index can be presented in the form of a numerical value or in the form of a numerical distribution graph, and the specific data of the credibility index corresponding to different measurement results can be presented through different color codes to obtain a numerical distribution graph. Optionally, the distribution graph of the credibility index can be displayed simultaneously with the distribution graph of the measurement result in different areas to prompt the user of the credibility of the measurement result.

[0137] Specifically, the method for determining the credibility index may be any suitable method known to those skilled in the art, and is not specifically limited herein.

[0138] By performing quality control in advance on the trusted measurement areas and areas of interest of the present application, interference of blood vessels, shadows, etc. in the current area with the quantitative information measurement of the liver can be avoided, the number of measurements can be reduced, the workload can be reduced, costs can be saved, and the user experience of the subject can be improved.

[0139] In some examples, quantitative functions (i.e., measurement of quantitative information of the liver) can also serve as advance quality control for each other. For example, the basic image, acoustic attenuation imaging function, and elasticity imaging function can be switched in sequence, wherein the credibility indexes (such as credibility graphs or numerical values) of the basic image and acoustic attenuation imaging functions can be used as advance quality control for the elasticity imaging function.

[0140] Specifically, starting the measurement of liver quantitative information includes: starting the measurement of first liver quantitative information of a region of interest to obtain a first functional image and a credibility index, wherein the first functional image is used to represent the measurement result of the first liver quantitative information, and the credibility index is used to indicate the credibility of the measurement result of the first liver quantitative information in the first functional image.

[0141] After obtaining the first functional image and the credibility index, a region of interest for measuring the second liver quantitative information can be determined based on the credibility index corresponding to the first functional image and / or the target ultrasound image, and the measurement of the second liver quantitative information can be started to obtain a second functional image for representing the measurement result of the second liver quantitative information.

[0142] Optionally, the measurement of the first liver quantitative information includes the measurement of liver acoustic attenuation information (ie, acoustic attenuation imaging), and the measurement of the second liver quantitative information includes the measurement of liver elasticity information (ie, elasticity imaging).

[0143] It is worth mentioning that the first liver quantitative information measurement includes liver elasticity information measurement (ie, elastic imaging), and the second liver quantitative information measurement includes liver acoustic attenuation information measurement (ie, acoustic attenuation imaging). Or it can also be other quantitative functions that can serve as quality control indicators for each other.

[0144] The present application also provides an ultrasonic imaging system. Figure 2 The ultrasonic imaging system 10 includes: an ultrasonic probe 110, which includes a plurality of array elements; a transmitting / receiving circuit 114, which is used to excite the ultrasonic probe 110 to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target area of ​​the object to be measured, and to control the ultrasonic probe to receive the echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave; a processor 116, which is used to: process the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area, and to execute the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging method. The display is used to display various visual information, such as ultrasonic images, prompt information, etc.

[0145] The above only describes the main functions of the various components of the ultrasound imaging system 10. For more details, please refer to the relevant description of the ultrasound imaging method. The ultrasound imaging system 10 of the embodiment of the present invention can avoid obvious sampling errors and errors by determining a suitable target ultrasound image (i.e., a cross-sectional image) through the identified liver parenchyma image before starting the measurement of quantitative information of the liver, thereby improving overall efficiency, and can also improve clinical performance and enhance diagnostic confidence. In addition, the method and system of the present application can automatically determine a target ultrasound image suitable for determining ROI, thereby avoiding over-reliance on the operator's experience, which can help reduce the user's training investment.

[0146] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application to this. Those of ordinary skill in the art may make various changes and modifications therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All these changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0147] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0148] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0149] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0150] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and help understand one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the method of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: the claimed application requires more features than the features clearly stated in each claim. More specifically, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with features less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the specific embodiment are hereby explicitly incorporated into the specific embodiment, wherein each claim itself serves as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0151] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except for mutually exclusive features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0152] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present application and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0153] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all functions of some modules according to the embodiments of the present application. The application can also be implemented as a device program (e.g., computer program and computer program product) for executing a part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0154] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbol between brackets should not be constructed as a limitation to the claims. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware including several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim that lists several devices, several of these devices may be embodied by the same hardware item. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0155] The above is only a specific implementation or description of a specific implementation of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Transmitting a first ultrasonic wave to a target area of ​​the object to be measured, and receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave, wherein the target area includes a liver; Processing the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area; At least identifying a liver parenchyma image region in the ultrasound image; determining a credible measurement region in the ultrasound image based at least on the liver parenchyma image region; determining a target ultrasound image for selecting a region of interest from the ultrasound image based on the credible measurement region in the ultrasound image; A region of interest is determined in the target ultrasound image, and measurement of quantitative information of the liver is initiated.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After determining the region of interest in the target ultrasound image, the method further includes: when the region of interest meets a preset condition, starting the measurement of the quantitative information of the liver, wherein the preset condition includes: the area of ​​the region of interest located in the credible measurement area accounts for a greater than a predetermined proportion; and / or the distance between the edge of the region of interest and the corresponding edge of the credible measurement area is greater than a predetermined distance.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The predetermined ratio is 50%, and the predetermined distance is 20 pixels or 20 cm.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining a target ultrasound image for selecting a region of interest from the ultrasound image based on the credible measurement region in the ultrasound image includes: The area of ​​the credible measurement region is compared with a preset area threshold, and when the area of ​​the credible measurement region is greater than the preset area threshold, the corresponding ultrasound image is determined to be a target ultrasound image.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The preset area threshold is 400 pixels or 20 cm 2 .

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After determining the credible measurement area in the ultrasound image, the method further includes: The credible measurement region is displayed superimposed on the ultrasound image, wherein the credible measurement region and the ultrasound image have different tones or have the same tones but different shades.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the target ultrasound image is determined, prompt information is output.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After determining the credible measurement region in the ultrasound image, the method further includes: calculating and displaying the area of ​​the credible measurement region.

9. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that After determining the region of interest in the target ultrasound image, the method further includes: When the region of interest meets the preset condition, outputting first prompt information; When the region of interest does not meet the preset condition, second prompt information is output.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The region of interest is represented by a border, and the method further includes: representing the first prompt information by a border of a first color, and representing the second prompt information by a border of a second color, wherein the first color and the second color are different.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining the region of interest in the target ultrasound image comprises: Overlaying and displaying the credible measurement area on the ultrasound image; In response to a selection instruction of the user, the region of interest is determined.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The starting measurement of liver quantitative information includes: Initiate measurement of first liver quantitative information of the region of interest to obtain a first functional image and a credibility index, wherein the first functional image is used to represent the measurement result of the first liver quantitative information, and the credibility index is used to indicate the credibility of the measurement result of the first liver quantitative information in the first functional image.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that After obtaining the first functional image and the credibility index, the method further includes: A region of interest for measuring second liver quantitative information is determined based on the credibility index corresponding to the first functional image and / or the target ultrasound image, and measurement of the second liver quantitative information is started to obtain a second functional image for representing a measurement result of the second liver quantitative information.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The measurement of the first liver quantitative information includes the measurement of liver acoustic attenuation information, and the measurement of the second liver quantitative information includes the measurement of liver elasticity information.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Displaying the measurement result of the liver quantitative information on a display interface; and / or Displaying the numerical distribution of the measurement results of the liver quantitative information at multiple locations within the region of interest on the display interface; and / or The credibility index of the measurement result of the liver quantitative information is displayed on the display interface, wherein the credibility index represents the credibility of the measurement result.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: After starting the measurement of the liver quantitative information, a scanning mode is determined based on the positional relationship between the region of interest and the credible measurement region, wherein: When the region of interest is within the credible measurement region, scanning the credible measurement region by a second ultrasonic wave, When at least a portion of the region of interest is outside the credible measurement area, the entire measurable area is scanned by a second ultrasonic wave.

17. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: include: Ultrasound probe; A transmitting circuit, used for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave toward a target area of ​​the object to be measured; a receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the echo of the first ultrasonic wave to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal of the first ultrasonic wave; A processor, configured to: process the first ultrasonic echo signal to obtain an ultrasonic image of the target area; as well as Execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16; A display for displaying visual information.

Images