Machine-guided imaging technology

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Machine-guided Imaging Techniques." The present invention provides a method comprising: generating a three-dimensional (3D) surface map associated with a patient from a patient sensor, generating a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient, determining a current posture associated with the patient based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient, comparing the current posture to a desired posture associated with the patient relative to an imaging system, determining a recommended movement based on the comparison between the current posture and the desired posture, and providing an indication of the recommended movement. The desired posture facilitates imaging of anatomical features of the patient by the imaging system, and the recommended movement may reposition the patient in the desired posture.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to medical imaging and, more particularly, to systems and methods for guiding medical imaging positioning and alignment.

[0002] The correct execution of medical imaging technology generally involves positioning the patient in an appropriate posture and / or placing the imaging device in an appropriate orientation and / or position based on the specific type of medical imaging technology. Such medical imaging technology can include ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and X-ray imaging. The operator can position the patient in an appropriate posture and / or place the imaging device in an appropriate orientation and position to obtain the desired anatomical structure or region of interest (e.g., the desired tissue or body region to be imaged) in the desired scanning plane. With regard to ultrasound imaging, by viewing the real-time image of the acquired ultrasound data on the monitor of the ultrasound imaging system, the operator can adjust the ultrasound probe to an appropriate position for imaging the target scanning plane of the target region of interest. However, it has been recognized that there may be some challenges regarding such positioning methods. For example, manually finding the appropriate posture of the patient and / or the appropriate position and orientation of the imaging device via viewing the displayed image alone may be difficult, time-consuming, and result in less accurate positioning, particularly for unskilled users. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following is an overview of certain embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are provided merely to provide the reader with a brief overview of these specific embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the present disclosure may encompass various aspects that may not be shown below.

[0004] In one embodiment, a medical imaging guidance system may have: a patient sensor that can receive three-dimensional (3D) data associated with a patient; and an imaging system having an imaging hardware component that can acquire image data of anatomical features associated with the patient. The imaging system may have a hardware position sensor associated with the imaging hardware component. The medical guidance system may also have a processor that generates a 3D surface map associated with the patient based on the 3D data, generates a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient, generates a 3D patient model by mapping an anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space, determines a desired position associated with the imaging hardware component to acquire imaging data of the anatomical features, determines a current position associated with the imaging hardware component from the hardware position sensor, and determines a desired movement associated with the imaging hardware component to position the imaging hardware component at the desired position. The 3D patient model may have one or more 3D representations of anatomical features of a human body within the 3D patient space.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method may include generating a three-dimensional (3D) surface map associated with the patient from a patient sensor, generating a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient, determining a current posture associated with the patient based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient, comparing the current posture to a desired posture associated with the patient relative to an imaging system, determining a recommended movement based on the comparison between the current posture and the desired posture, and providing an indication of the recommended movement. The desired posture facilitates imaging of anatomical features of the patient by the imaging system, and the recommended movement may reposition the patient in the desired posture.

[0006] In yet another embodiment, a medical imaging guidance system may have a processor that generates a three-dimensional (3D) surface map associated with a patient from a patient sensor, generates a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient, generates a 3D patient model by applying an anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space, and determines a desired position associated with imaging hardware components of an imaging system that acquires image data of anatomical features. The 3D patient model may have one or more 3D representations of anatomical features of a human body within the 3D patient space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout, and in which:

[0008] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a guidance system according to aspects of the present disclosure that can assist an operator in acquiring a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of a patient;

[0009] Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a three-dimensional (3D) patient model according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 presenting a desired position of one or more anatomical features to an operator;

[0010] Figure 3 is used to generate according to aspects of the present disclosure Figure 2 A 3D patient model is provided to display a flowchart of the method to an operator;

[0011] Figure 4 According to aspects of the present disclosure, Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for mapping a 3D patient surface of a 3D patient model;

[0012] Figure 5 is a method for locating one or more imaging hardware components associated with an imaging system to obtain a Figure 1 a flowchart of a method for determining a desired scan plane for a desired anatomical feature of a patient;

[0013] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a guidance system utilizing a mobile device to assist an operator in acquiring a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of a patient according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0014] Figure 7 A series of visualizations according to aspects of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 6 The mobile device is presented to the operator to assist the operator in positioning the ultrasound probe so as to acquire a desired scanning plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation may be described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with system-related and business-related constraints that may vary from implementation to implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but remain a routine task for design, fabrication, and manufacturing for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0016] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the words "a", "an", "the" and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of these elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may be present in addition to the listed elements. One or more specific embodiments of the present embodiment described herein will be described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of the actual specific implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual specific implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many decisions specific to the specific implementation must be made to achieve the specific goals of the developer, such as complying with system-related and business-related constraints that may vary depending on the specific implementation. In addition, it should be understood that such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but are still routine tasks for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present disclosure to design, make and manufacture.

[0017] As described above, medical imaging systems (e.g., ultrasound, MRI, CT, x-ray) can be operated by trained skilled technicians when the patient is positioned in an appropriate posture and / or the imaging device is placed in an appropriate position and / or orientation so that the desired region of interest on the patient is imaged in the desired scan plane. These technicians can use the acquired imaging data for guidance. The challenge faced by the widespread development and adoption of imaging systems in the field of medical imaging in physicians' offices and developing countries as a whole is the lack of skilled technicians or operators who can perform such data interpretation and adjust the patient's posture and / or the position and orientation of the imaging device accordingly. For example, in order to accurately perform ultrasound imaging on the patient's desired anatomical features, the operator must correctly align the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound system with the desired anatomical structure, interpret the ultrasound image while controlling the settings of the ultrasound system to bring the desired anatomical structure into view, and navigate the ultrasound probe to identify the appropriate scan plane to be stored for patient examination. In another example, to accurately perform X-ray imaging of a patient's desired anatomical features, an operator must correctly position the patient in a specific posture relative to the X-ray imaging system hardware, interpret the acquired X-ray images to determine whether the desired anatomical features are correctly imaged, and adjust the position of the patient or the imaging hardware if the desired anatomical features are not correctly imaged. A scan plane can be a planar cross-section through a subject or a projection of the subject onto a plane. Multiple scan planes can dictate the acquisition of a volumetric dataset and provide volumetric visualization of anatomical structures both in vitro and in vivo. The patient space of an X-ray system includes the alignment of the target anatomical features along a line from the X-ray source to the detector, such that the projection of the feature is fully captured by the active area of ​​the detector. Thus, it may be desirable for a medical imaging system to provide guidance to less skilled operators so that such operators can obtain accurate medical images for diagnosis without duplicating acquisitions or inappropriately delivering radiation doses. Thus, an operator-independent imaging system can automate some operating steps typically performed by an operator and provide machine guidance to the operator to perform other operating steps. For example, an operator-independent imaging system can automate many of the selections of parameters and / or characteristics that an operator routinely adjusts to perform a specific type of medical imaging on a patient.

[0018] In addition, embodiments of guidance systems are provided herein to provide an operator with guided imaging techniques to obtain one or more desired scan planes of one or more desired anatomical features (e.g., internal or external anatomical structures) of a patient. For example, based on a corresponding imaging modality (e.g., ultrasound, MRI, CT, X-ray), the guidance system can provide guidance to the operator to position and / or orient the patient relative to one or more imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system. In some embodiments, the operator can provide an examination type or prescription as input to the guidance system. For example, the examination type or prescription can include data indicating the desired scan planes to be obtained for the patient's desired anatomical features. Based on this data, the guidance system can determine the desired patient position and / or patient orientation relative to the imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system to obtain the desired scan planes of the patient's desired anatomical features. The guidance system can provide guidance to the operator to position the patient at the desired patient position and / or patient orientation. For example, the guidance system can receive patient position and / or orientation data. In some embodiments, the patient position and / or patient orientation data can be acquired in real time or substantially in real time. The guidance system can then compare the patient's position and / or orientation with the desired patient position and / or patient orientation relative to the imaging hardware components associated with the imaging device. Based on the comparison of the patient's position and / or orientation with the desired patient position and / or patient orientation, the guidance system can determine a directional movement, an angular movement, or both to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the patient relative to the imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system to obtain a desired scan plane of the patient's desired anatomical features. The guidance system can provide guidance to the operator visually, aurally, tactilely, or via any other suitable mechanism to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the patient in the desired patient position and / or patient orientation. In some embodiments, the guidance system can provide guidance directly to the patient to allow the patient to self-position in the desired patient position and / or patient orientation, or the imaging system can provide guidance to the operator and the patient.

[0019] For some imaging modalities, such as ultrasound imaging and X-ray imaging, the guidance system can determine the desired position and / or orientation of one or more imaging hardware components for acquiring a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient. For example, the imaging hardware component may include an ultrasound probe or detector. The guidance system can receive position and / or orientation data associated with the imaging hardware component. In some embodiments, the imaging hardware position and / or orientation data can be acquired in real time or substantially real time. Based on a comparison of the imaging hardware position and / or orientation data with the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component, the guidance system can automatically position or facilitate manual placement of the imaging hardware component. For example, the guidance system can automatically position an X-ray detector in a desired position and / or orientation to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient. In another example, the guidance system can provide guidance to an operator to move the ultrasound probe to an appropriate position and / or orientation to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient. The guidance system can determine directional movement, angular movement, or both to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the imaging hardware component to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient. The guidance system can provide guidance to the operator visually, audibly, tactilely, or via any other suitable mechanism to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the imaging hardware components in a desired position and / or orientation. In some embodiments, the guidance system can automatically position or facilitate manual placement of the imaging hardware components before providing guidance to the operator and / or patient to position the patient in the desired patient position and / or patient orientation. In such embodiments, the desired patient position and / or patient orientation can be determined based on the position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware components and the desired scan planes to be acquired of the patient's desired anatomical features.

[0020] In addition, some embodiments of the guidance system provided herein provide guidance to the operator via a three-dimensional (3D) patient model. For example, the 3D patient model can visually present the expected position and / or orientation of the patient's anatomical features to the operator. The guidance system can generate the 3D patient model in the following manner: generate a 3D surface map of the patient, identify reference points (e.g., anatomical landmarks) based on the 3D surface map, and deform the anatomical atlas into the patient space defined by the patient's 3D surface map. In this way, the guidance system can visually guide the operator to position and / or orient the patient and / or imaging hardware components in the corresponding position and / or orientation to obtain the desired scanning plane of the patient's desired anatomical features.

[0021] It should be noted that the guidance system can instruct the operator to move (or not move) the patient or a portion thereof in any combination of directions and / or angles allowed by the degrees of freedom associated with the patient's joints. For example, a person's upper limbs (excluding the hand) have seven degrees of freedom. The shoulder has three degrees of freedom (e.g., shoulder pitch, shoulder roll, arm yaw), the elbow has one degree of freedom (e.g., elbow pitch), and the wrist has three degrees of freedom (e.g., wrist pitch, wrist yaw, and wrist roll). In addition, it should be noted that the medical imaging system can automatically position or facilitate manual placement of imaging hardware components in any combination of directions and / or angles to assist the operator in obtaining a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient. For example, the medical imaging system may guide the positioning of imaging hardware components in six degrees of freedom (DOF) (i.e., spatial position and angular orientation). Furthermore, while the embodiments described herein relate to instructing an operator to position and / or orient a patient and / or imaging hardware components in corresponding positions and / or orientations to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient, it should be noted that such techniques may be employed and used to instruct an operator to position and / or orient a patient for non-imaging procedures and techniques. For example, such non-imaging procedures may include biopsy, venipuncture, or other suitable procedures and techniques.

[0022] Taking the foregoing into consideration, Figure 1 A block diagram of an embodiment of a guidance system 10 is shown having an imaging system 12 that can be used to acquire one or more desired scan planes of one or more desired anatomical features of a patient 22. For example, the imaging system 12 can include an ultrasound imaging system, an X-ray imaging system, an MRI imaging system, a CT imaging system, or any other suitable imaging modality that can be used to acquire desired scan planes of desired anatomical features of the patient 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the guidance system 10 can include a control unit 16 (e.g., a monitor, a console, or a user interface) that can control the operation of the imaging system 12 and process image data received from the imaging system 12. For example, the imaging system 12 can include an ultrasound probe, and the control unit 16 can control the operation of the ultrasound probe and process image data of the patient 22 acquired by the ultrasound probe. The imaging system 12 can be coupled to the control unit 16 via any suitable technology for transmitting image data and control signals between the imaging system 12 and the control unit 16, such as wireless, optical, coaxial, or other suitable connection.

[0023] The imaging system 12 is communicatively coupled to a control unit 16 of the guidance system 10 to facilitate image collection and processing. It will be appreciated that the control unit 16 may include a plurality of elements to control the operation of the imaging system 12, facilitate automatic positioning or manual placement of one or more imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12, facilitate positioning or orienting the patient in a particular posture relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12, and facilitate the generation of images based on imaging data received from the imaging system 12. For example, as shown, the control unit 16 may include a controller 24, processing circuitry 26, one or more user input devices 28, and a display 30.

[0024] The controller 24 may include a memory 32 and a processor 34. In some embodiments, the memory 32 may include one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the processor 34 and / or data to be processed by the processor 34. For example, the memory 32 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), rewritable non-volatile memory such as flash memory, a hard drive, an optical disk, and / or the like. In addition, the processor may include one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more application-specific processors (ASICs), one or more field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. The controller 24 may control the imaging system 12 to acquire imaging data associated with the patient 22. In some embodiments, the imaging data may include two-dimensional (2D) imaging data, one or more imaging data planes structured as imaging data volumes, imaging data volumes, or any other data representing anatomical features. In addition, the controller 24 may be part of the guidance system 10 and control other elements of the guidance system 10 to provide the operator of the guidance system 10 with guided medical imaging techniques to acquire desired scan planes of desired anatomical features of the patient 22, as discussed in more detail below.

[0025] Processing circuitry 26 may include receiving and conversion circuitry. Processing circuitry 26 may receive electrical signal data indicative of imaging data associated with patient 22 from imaging system 12. Processing circuitry 26 may process the received electrical signal data, such as correcting for noise artifacts, etc. Processing circuitry 26 may then convert the electrical signal data into an image (e.g., an ultrasound image, a tomography scan, an x-ray, or an MRI) for presentation via display 30. Controller 24 may then cause one or more images generated by processing circuitry 26 based on the electrical signal data received from imaging system 10 to be displayed.

[0026] The controller 24 may also include a communication device 25 that enables the control unit 16 to communicate data between the control unit 16 and the imaging system 12. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the imaging system 12 may have a communication device 39 that includes a network interface that may enable the imaging system 12 to communicate via various protocols, such as various wired or wireless communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, mobile telecommunication technologies (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, or LTE), Near field communication technology, etc.

[0027] The illustrated embodiment depicts the control unit 16 and the imaging system 12 as separate components communicatively coupled to each other. In such an embodiment, the imaging system 12 can, for example, process acquired image data and generate a two-dimensional image that can be transmitted to the control unit 16, and the control unit 16 can, for example, process the received two-dimensional image and generate a three-dimensional volume of image data. In other embodiments, the control unit 16 and the imaging system 12 can be a single device.

[0028] In operation, the controller 24 may receive a signal (e.g., a user selection or user input) indicating a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22 and / or a desired scan plane for the desired anatomical feature via one or more user input devices 28 of the control unit 16. The one or more user input devices 28 may include a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, buttons, switches, or other devices suitable for allowing an operator to input a desired anatomical feature and / or a desired scan plane for the desired anatomical feature.

[0029] The controller 24 can determine a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22 and / or a desired scan plane for the desired anatomical feature based on the signal. Based on the desired anatomical feature and / or the desired scan plane, the controller 24 can then determine a desired patient position and / or orientation relative to one or more imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 to acquire imaging data of the desired anatomical feature of the patient 22 and / or the desired scan plane for the desired anatomical feature. In some embodiments, the desired patient position and / or orientation is an optimal position and / or orientation of the patient for acquiring imaging data of the desired anatomical feature and / or the desired scan plane for the desired anatomical feature. The controller 24 can then provide guidance to an operator of the imaging system 12 to position and / or orient the patient 22 in the desired patient position and / or orientation.

[0030] In some embodiments, the controller 24 can instruct the operator to move (or not move) the patient 22, or a portion thereof, in a combination of directions and / or angles in order to position the patient 22 in a desired patient position and / or orientation relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12. For example, the controller 24 can determine one or more directional movements, one or more angular movements, or both associated with the patient 22 and / or a portion of the patient's limbs, torso, or head in order to position the patient 22 in the desired patient position and / or orientation. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 24 can determine the directional movement, angular movement, or both associated with the patient 22 based on anatomical and / or physiological information associated with the patient 22. The controller 24 can receive anatomical or physiological information associated with the patient 22 from the database 14 and / or via the user input device 28.

[0031] In some embodiments, the anatomical and / or physiological information associated with patient 22 may include degrees of freedom associated with the desired anatomical feature to be imaged or any surrounding and / or adjacent anatomical features of patient 22. For example, a person's upper limbs (excluding the hand) have seven degrees of freedom. The shoulder has three degrees of freedom (e.g., shoulder pitch, shoulder roll, arm yaw), the elbow has one degree of freedom (e.g., elbow pitch), and the wrist has three degrees of freedom (e.g., wrist pitch, wrist yaw, and wrist roll). Controller 24 may determine directional movement, angular movement, or both associated with patient 22 based on the degrees of freedom allowed by certain joints of patient 22, and the patient may undergo movement determined by controller 24 to position and / or orient patient 22 in a desired position and / or orientation. In some embodiments, the anatomical information may include the patient's medical history, such as a history of illness, trauma, or other physical ailments suffered by the patient. In such embodiments, the guidance provided by controller 24 may be based on such information to prevent or minimize movement of patient 22 , or a portion thereof, that may exacerbate a pre-existing condition suffered by patient 22 .

[0032] In some embodiments, the anatomical information and / or physiological information may include one or more anatomical models. For example, an anatomical model may be associated with an anatomical feature (such as a body part, organ, muscle, bone, etc.). The anatomical model may include a polygonal or volumetric 3D model of the anatomical feature. The anatomical model may also be associated with an indexed list of anatomical components of the anatomical feature. The indexed list of anatomical components may include each body part, organ, muscle, bone, etc., which is connected to each other body part, organ, muscle, bone, etc. in the associated anatomical feature. Each anatomical component in the indexed list may share at least one corresponding point with another anatomical component in the indexed list. For example, with respect to the anatomical feature of the hip-to-femoral joint, the anatomical components may include the last lumbar vertebra (L5), the sacrum (S1), the ilium, the ischium, and the femur. Thus, each anatomical model may define a link between each of the anatomical components associated with each anatomical model. For example, in the 3D model of the anatomical feature, the corresponding points of femur "A" and the corresponding points of ischium "B" may be consistent, but a limited range of relative orientations of the femur and ischium is allowed. This range can be quantified using Rodriguez vectors, Euler angles, quaternions, etc. Thus, each anatomical component can have a specific orientation relative to each other, and the specific orientation of each anatomical component can be associated with a corresponding range of relative orientations relative to another anatomical component. For example, the ischium has an orientation "m" and the femur has an orientation "n". There is a relative orientation "mn" between the ischium and the femur. The relative orientation "mn" can be implemented as the reciprocal and product of the quaternions in the quaternion representation of the orientation. Thus, the controller 24 can receive an index of such anatomical models and / or anatomical components from the database 14. The controller 24 can determine a directional movement, an angular movement, or both associated with the patient 22 based on the received anatomical models and / or indexes to position and / or orient the patient 22 in a desired position and / or orientation.

[0033] Additionally or alternatively, the controller 24 may determine a desired position and / or orientation of one or more imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 based on the desired anatomical feature and / or the desired scan plane to acquire imaging data. For example, the imaging hardware components may include an ultrasound probe or one or more detectors. In some embodiments, the desired position and / or orientation of the corresponding imaging hardware component may be an optimal position and / or orientation of the corresponding imaging hardware component to acquire imaging data of the desired anatomical feature and / or the desired scan plane of the desired anatomical feature. The imaging system 12 may include one or more position sensors 36 for detecting the position and / or orientation of the corresponding imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12. The position sensors 36 may be disposed around the corresponding imaging hardware components and may be position sensors, orientation sensors (such as gyroscopes), inertial measurement units, electromagnetic tracking, optical tracking, or any other suitable sensor that allows for detecting the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware components. The position sensors 36 may be communicatively coupled to the controller 24 via a wired or wireless connection and may send one or more signals to the controller 24 indicating the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware components.

[0034] The controller 24 can facilitate automatic movement or manual placement of the imaging hardware components in any combination of directions and / or angles to assist the operator in obtaining a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. For example, the controller 24 may guide the positioning of the imaging hardware components in six degrees of freedom (i.e., spatial position and angular orientation). The controller 24 can compare the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware components with the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware components based at least in part on corresponding signals received from the position sensors 36 of the imaging system 12. Based on this comparison, the controller 24 can determine whether the imaging hardware components are in the desired position and / or orientation to adequately image the desired anatomical feature in the desired scan plane. If the controller 24 determines that the imaging hardware components are not in the desired position and / or orientation, the controller 24 can facilitate automatic movement or manual placement of the imaging hardware components in the desired position and / or orientation. For example, the controller 24 can send one or more command signals to one or more actuators that automatically position the detector in the desired position and / or orientation. In another example, the controller 24 can provide guidance to the operator to manually place the imaging hardware components in the desired position and / or orientation.

[0035] In some embodiments, the controller 24 may receive a signal (e.g., a user selection or user input) indicating an examination type associated with the patient 22 via the user input device 28 or from one or more databases 14 communicatively coupled to the control unit 16. For example, the database 14 may include one or more planned examinations associated with one or more patients 22. In such embodiments, the examination type may include a numeric string indicating the examination type, an alphanumeric string indicating the examination type, or a description of the examination type. The examination type may indicate one or more desired anatomical features of the patient 22 and / or one or more desired scan planes for the desired anatomical features of the patient 22. For example, the examination type may include data representing a body part, a preliminary diagnosis of the patient 22, an imaging modality, etc. In this way, the controller 24 may determine the desired anatomical features of the patient 22 and / or the desired scan planes for the desired anatomical features based on the received examination type.

[0036] The controller 24 can determine that the patient 22 is in an appropriate position and / or orientation (e.g., a desired position and / or orientation) to adequately image the desired anatomical feature and / or the desired scan plane of the desired anatomical feature. In some embodiments, the guidance system 10 can include a sensing mechanism to detect the position of the patient 22 and determine the position and / or orientation of imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system 12 relative to the patient 22. That is, the guidance system 10 can include one or more patient position and / or orientation sensors 33 (such as a weight sensor, a contact sensor, a camera, a range or depth camera, a stereo camera, a radar or laser scanning system, or other suitable sensing mechanism) disposed around an imaging volume 35 of the imaging system 12 in which the patient 22 is positioned during imaging, or at any other suitable location around the imaging system 12 suitable for detecting the position of the patient 22. In some embodiments, the patient position and / or orientation sensor 33 can be in a fixed position in the imaging volume 35 of the imaging system 12, or can be mobile (e.g., as part of a mobile device). The patient position and / or orientation sensor 33 may be communicatively coupled to the controller 24 via a wired or wireless connection and may send one or more signals to the controller 24 indicating the position and / or orientation of the patient 22 about the imaging space 35. In some embodiments, the imaging hardware components may have one or more position and / or orientation sensors for detecting the position of the patient 22.

[0037] Based at least in part on the signals received from the patient position sensor 33 and / or certain patient characteristics of the patient 22 (such as height, weight, gender, race, etc.), the controller 24 can generate a three-dimensional (3D) patient model (e.g., an anatomical analogue) associated with the patient 22 and provide a visual guide to the operator via the 3D patient model to position and / or orient the patient 22, the imaging hardware components, or both. For example, after generating the 3D patient model, the controller 24 can send a command signal to the display 30 to present the 3D patient model associated with the patient 22 to the operator. The 3D patient model can visually present the expected position and / or orientation of anatomical features of the patient 22 to the operator. In some embodiments, the controller 24 can overlay the 3D patient model on the image or video of the patient 22 displayed to the operator. In this way, the operator can gain a spatial awareness of the desired anatomical feature and / or the patient's anatomical structures adjacent to or surrounding the desired anatomical feature, thereby facilitating the correct imaging of the desired anatomical feature.

[0038] The controller 24 can generate a 3D patient model by generating a 3D surface map of the patient 22 and the patient environment (e.g., a bed or chair), identifying reference points (e.g., anatomical landmarks) within the 3D surface map, and warping the anatomical atlas into the patient space defined by the 3D surface map of the patient 22 and / or the patient environment. The controller 24 can receive sensor data via the imaging system 12 and / or the patient position and / or orientation sensor 33 and generate a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment. The sensor data can include a camera stream, a point cloud range map, an inertial motion time series, or any combination thereof. Devices having a point cloud depth (D) channel in addition to a color channel (RGB) can also be used as input for generating the 3D surface map. For example, the patient position and / or orientation sensor 33 can include an RGB-D camera, a stereo RGB or RGB-D camera (e.g., mounted above the patient 22), an RGB or RGB-D camera integrated into a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone or tablet), a radar scanning system, a laser scanning system, and the like. In one embodiment, an RGB-D camera or a stereo RGB-D camera can generate a 3D point cloud of the patient 22 and / or the patient's environment. The cloud can be interpolated or smoothed to generate a 3D surface map. In another embodiment, an RGB or RGB-D camera integrated into a mobile device can be used to acquire image data from different viewpoints of the patient's 22 body. The camera can be swept or panned across the patient's 22 body, and techniques (such as structure from motion and / or visual inertial odometry) can be used to position the mobile device in a 3D imaging space 35 and generate a 3D surface map based on a sequence of localized camera images. In yet another embodiment, a 3D surface map can be inferred by analyzing a single stationary camera using algorithms that utilize machine learning, which utilize datasets labeled with many past data, where a single camera view is paired with a ground truth 3D surface map result. A deep learning technique called "deep pose" wraps a surface model around the person in the camera image. In yet another embodiment, the patient position sensor 33 can include an ultrasound probe with integrated position tracking. For example, an operator may follow a procedure while using an ultrasound probe with integrated position tracking to place the probe on an anatomical reference point or drag the ultrasound probe over the surface of the patient 22 (e.g., over one or more predefined reference points or along a predefined or random trajectory) to acquire a set of 3D surface points. The guidance system 10 may then extract 3D surface data from the acquired 3D surface points (which are received from the integrated position tracking in the probe). In yet another embodiment, a radar scanning system, a laser scanning system, or any suitable system that transmits and detects radio frequency (RF) field distortion may acquire 3D surface data of the patient 22. In yet another embodiment, structure from motion technology may also be used to generate a 3D surface map from a sequence of camera images.In yet another embodiment, the imaging hardware component may have one or more position and / or orientation sensors for detecting the position of the patient 22. For example, an operator may hold an ultrasound probe or another suitable imaging hardware component within a specific distance from the patient 22 to acquire sensor data of the patient 22 via a camera in the ultrasound probe. The operator may move the ultrasound probe to one or more reference points within an area defined by the distance from the patient 22 to acquire a set of 3D surface points. The guidance system 10 may then extract 3D surface data from the acquired 3D surface points received from the ultrasound probe (e.g., integrated position tracking in the probe).

[0039] In any case, based on the acquired sensor data of patient 22 and / or the patient's environment, controller 24 can estimate the posture (e.g., position and / or orientation) of patient 22 and identify one or more anatomical reference points. For example, the anatomical reference points may include shoulders, hips, knees, or any other suitable anatomical landmarks. In some embodiments, the anatomical reference points may be inferred based on a 3D surface map of the patient. Controller 24 may then fuse the anatomical reference points with the acquired 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient's environment to generate a 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient's environment. Controller 24 may apply image segmentation to the 3D surface map of patient 22 to separate the 3D surface map of patient 22 from the 3D surface map of the patient's environment. Based on the 3D surface map of patient 22, controller 24 may identify or extract 3D anatomical reference points. Controller 24 may then, based on the extracted 3D anatomical reference points, deform one or more anatomical features from the anatomical atlas into the 3D surface map of patient 22 to generate a 3D patient model. For example, the controller 24 can apply a rigid, affine, or deformable transformation to register the anatomical atlas with the 3D patient map. In this way, when the operator positions and / or orients the patient 22 and / or imaging hardware components in corresponding positions and / or orientations, the guidance system 10 can provide the operator with a spatial perception of the desired anatomical features via the 3D patient model to obtain the desired scan planes of the desired anatomical features of the patient 22.

[0040] Once the controller 24 has determined that the imaging hardware components are in a desired position and / or orientation, the controller 24 can cause the image data acquired via the imaging system 12 to be automatically stored in the memory 32. For example, once the operator has positioned the ultrasound probe in a desired position and / or orientation and the patient 22 in a desired patient position and / or orientation to adequately acquire image data of a desired anatomical feature and / or a desired scan plane of the desired anatomical feature, the controller 24 can automatically cause the acquired ultrasound image data to be stored. Additionally or alternatively, the controller can cause the automatic storage of a 3D surface map acquired via the patient position and / or orientation sensor 33 and / or the generated 3D patient model.

[0041] In view of the foregoing, the guidance system 10 can provide guidance to the operator for positioning the patient 22 in a desired posture (e.g., a desired position and / or orientation) to acquire image data of a desired anatomical feature and / or a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature. The guidance provided by the guidance system 10 can be visually presented to the operator. For example, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can present one or more graphical visualizations (e.g., a 3D patient model) via the display 30 that guide the operator to position the patient 22 in a desired position and / or orientation. In addition, the guidance system 10 can facilitate manual positioning of imaging hardware components to acquire image data of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22 and / or a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature. In view of the foregoing, Figure 2 An embodiment of a 3D patient model 42 generated by the controller 24 and output via the display 30 is shown. The controller 24 can map the 3D patient model 42 to one or more anatomical reference points that indicate the patient's current position and / or orientation. For example, as the patient moves (e.g., raises an arm, stands up, sits down), the visualization of the 3D patient model 42 can be adjusted accordingly. As shown in the embodiment, the 3D patient model 42 includes an expected position of the heart 44 and an expected position of the kidneys 46. However, in other embodiments, the 3D patient model 42 may include additional or fewer anatomical features for the operator to view. Additionally, in such embodiments where the imaging system 12 includes ultrasound imaging, the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 can be tracked based on one or more position and / or orientation sensors 36 of the ultrasound probe 48. The controller 24 can display the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 in real time or substantially real time via the display 30. For example, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 can be displayed simultaneously with the 3D patient model 42. The position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 can be displayed on the 3D patient model 42 so that the operator can determine the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 relative to the internal anatomy of the patient 22. Figure 2 , it should be noted that the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 may be presented in any suitable manner to convey the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 relative to the intended anatomy of the patient 22. For example, the ultrasound probe 48 may be translucent such that the operator 48 can see the boundaries of the ultrasound probe 48 and the orientation of the ultrasound probe 48, but can also see any intended anatomical features underlying the ultrasound probe 48.

[0042] As described above, the controller 24 may facilitate manual placement of imaging hardware components to assist the operator in acquiring desired scan planes of desired anatomical features of the patient 22. Figure 2As shown, the controller 24 can present a visual representation of the desired position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 via the display 30. For example, the controller 24 can present a graphic 50 that represents the angular movements, directional movements, or both that the operator should perform to move the ultrasound probe 48 to the desired position and / or orientation. In the illustrated embodiment, the graphic 50 includes a guide between the current position of the ultrasound probe 48 and the desired position of the ultrasound probe 48. As the operator moves the ultrasound probe 48 toward or away from the desired position, the controller 24 can determine additional angular movements, additional directional movements, or both to assist the operator in moving the ultrasound probe 48 from the current position to the desired position. In other words, the display 30 (and the visualization of the 3D model 42) of the graphic 50 can be updated based on the movement of the ultrasound probe in any direction or angle. In other embodiments, the graphic 50 can include a solid line or a transparent boundary representation of the desired position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48. For example, the operator can position and / or orient the ultrasound probe 48 so that the position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 48 aligns with the boundary representation of the ultrasound probe 48.

[0043] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method 60 for generating a 3D patient model 42 for display to an operator is shown. Although the following description of the method 60 is described in a particular order, it should be noted that the method 60 is not limited to the depicted order, and the method 60 may be performed in any suitable order. Furthermore, although the method 60 is described as being performed by the controller 24, it should be noted that it may be performed by any suitable computing device that is communicatively coupled to the controller 24.

[0044] Now refer to Figure 3At block 62, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 may generate a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment (e.g., a bed or chair) via the imaging system 12, the patient position and / or orientation sensors 33, or both. As described above, the imaging system 12 may include an ultrasound imaging system, an MRI, a CT scanner, an x-ray imaging system, etc., and the patient and / or orientation sensors 33 may include an RGB-D camera, a stereo RGB-D camera (e.g., mounted above the patient 22), an RGB or RGB-D camera integrated into a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone or tablet), a depth sensing camera, a radar scanning system, a laser scanning system, etc. The imaging system 12 may generate a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment based on the sensor data associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment. At block 64, the controller 24 may optionally determine or identify one or more anatomical reference points based on the received sensor data and / or the 3D surface map. For example, the anatomical reference points may include a shoulder, hip, knee, or any other suitable anatomical landmark. In some embodiments, the anatomical reference points include 2D points identified from a 2D image generated from a 3D surface map, an RGB camera, or other suitable imaging data associated with the patient 22. At block 66, the controller 24 may estimate the pose (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the patient 22 based on the anatomical reference points and / or the 3D surface map. For example, the controller 24 may estimate the pose of the patient 22 using various keypoint techniques, mesh-based techniques, deep learning techniques, or other suitable pose estimation or pose determination techniques.

[0045] At block 68, controller 24 may then fuse the posture of patient 22 with the 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient environment received at block 62. For example, the posture may be represented by contiguous anatomical reference points determined at block 64. In some embodiments, the contiguous anatomical reference points may include a set of predefined reference points. For example, the set of predefined reference points may include one or more points representing the approximate location or approximate center of mass of the head, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, chest, hips, knees, ankles, etc. Controller 24 may fuse the contiguous anatomical reference points to the 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient environment received at block 62. At block 70, controller 24 may extract one or more 3D anatomical reference points from the fused 3D surface map. In one embodiment, the 3D anatomical reference points may be inferred or extracted directly from a 2D depth image of patient 22 or a segmented 3D patient surface.

[0046] At block 72, controller 24 may generate a 3D surface map associated with the patient based on the fused 3D surface map at block 70. Controller 24 may apply image segmentation to the fused 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient's environment to separate the 3D patient surface map from the 3D environment surface map. Controller 24 may then filter the resulting segmentation to extract the largest connected region representing the 3D patient surface map. For example, the largest connected region may include the 3D anatomical reference points extracted at block 70. It should be understood that filtering the resulting segmentation to extract the largest connected region is a non-limiting example, and other segmentation methods may be used.

[0047] In some embodiments, the controller 24 can determine whether the patient 22 is in a desired pose (e.g., position and / or orientation) relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 based on the extracted 3D anatomical reference points and / or deep learning techniques. For example, if the patient 22 is not in the desired pose, the controller 24 can instruct the operator to move (or not move) the patient 22 or a portion thereof in a combination of directions and / or angles in order to position the patient 22 in the desired pose (e.g., desired patient position and / or orientation) relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12. Figure 4 Additional details regarding repositioning patient 22 in a desired posture are discussed.

[0048] After the 3D anatomical reference points and the 3D patient surface map have been extracted at block 74, the controller 24 may register and morph one or more 3D representations of anatomical features from an anatomical atlas (e.g., a human body atlas) into patient space defined by the 3D patient surface map to generate a 3D patient model 42 (e.g., an anatomical likeness associated with the patient 22) at block 76. For example, the 3D representations of anatomical features may include one or more organs, bones, muscles, veins, arteries, or other suitable anatomical features to provide the operator with a spatial sense of the expected locations of such features in the 3D patient model 42. In some embodiments, the controller 24 may perform a piecewise morphing of the 3D representations of anatomical features from the anatomical atlas into patient space to generate the 3D patient model 42. In this way, desired anatomical features to be displayed with the 3D patient model 42 may be positioned within the 3D patient model 42 with increased accuracy.

[0049] In some embodiments, an anatomical atlas can be statistically built and updated, such as using machine learning data analysis techniques, during operation of a corresponding imaging system and similar imaging systems at other locations (e.g., within a clinic, within a geographic region, and / or worldwide). The anatomical atlas can then be stored in the database 14 and accessed by the controller 24. For example, the database 14 can include one or more anatomical atlases representing various types of people with corresponding characteristics (e.g., body type, height, weight, gender, age, or race). The controller 24 can retrieve the anatomical atlas that most closely corresponds to the specific set of characteristics of the imaged patient 22. In addition, previously acquired imaging data associated with the patient 22 can be fused with the anatomical atlas and provide patient-specific anatomical data that can be registered and deformed to the patient's pose to generate the 3D patient model 42. That is, the previously acquired imaging data associated with the patient 22 may provide an estimated position of anatomical features in the 3D patient model 42 with increased accuracy, and more appropriately visualize the internal anatomy of the patient 22.

[0050] As described above, the controller 24 may determine whether the patient 22 is in a desired pose (e.g., position and / or orientation) relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 based on 3D anatomical reference points and / or deep learning techniques. For example, if the patient 22 is not in the desired pose, the controller 24 may instruct the operator to move (or not move) the patient 22, or a portion thereof, in a combination of directions and / or angles in order to position the patient 22 in the desired pose (e.g., desired patient position and / or orientation) relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12. In view of the foregoing, Figure 4 A flow chart of a method 80 for positioning patient 22 in a desired posture based on a comparison between the patient's 22 current posture (as indicated by the 3D patient surface map extracted at block 72) and the desired posture is shown. Although the following description of method 80 is described in a particular order, it should be noted that method 80 is not limited to the depicted order, and method 80 may be performed in any suitable order. For example, although block 82 is shown as being performed in parallel with blocks 84-88, execution of block 82 may be performed before, after, or at any other suitable time relative to blocks 84-88. Furthermore, although method 80 is described as being performed by controller 24, it should be noted that it may be performed by any suitable computing device communicatively coupled to controller 24.

[0051] Now refer to Figure 4 At block 82, the controller 24 may execute the steps in blocks 62 to 76. Figure 3In other words, the controller 24 may generate a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment, and generate a 3D patient model associated with the patient 22 based on the 3D surface map of the patient 22, the posture of the patient 22, and the anatomical atlas. In some embodiments, the controller 24 may display the 3D surface map and / or the 3D patient model of the patient 22 via the display 30 so that the operator and / or the patient 22 can view the position and / or orientation of the patient 22 relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12.

[0052] At block 84, the operator and / or patient 22 may provide an exam type as input to the controller 24 of the guidance system 10. For example, the controller 24 may receive a signal (e.g., a user selection or user input) indicating an exam type associated with the patient 22 via one or more user input devices 28 or a database 14 communicatively coupled to the control unit 16. The exam type may include data indicating one or more desired anatomical features of the patient 22 to be imaged, or one or more desired scan planes to be acquired of the desired anatomical features of the patient 22. For example, the exam type may include data indicating a body part, a primary diagnosis of the patient 22, an imaging modality, etc. In some embodiments, the exam type may include a numeric string indicating the exam type, an alphanumeric string indicating the exam type, or a description of the exam type.

[0053] At block 86, the controller 24 may determine a desired posture (e.g., a desired patient position and / or patient orientation) of the patient 22 relative to the imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system 12 based on the signal indicating the exam type received at block 84. For example, the database 14 may include one or more desired scan planes associated with different exam types corresponding to specific anatomical features, imaging systems, various characteristics of the patient (e.g., body size, height, weight, gender, age, or race), or a combination thereof. The controller 24 may receive data indicating scan planes from the database 14 based on the signal indicating the exam type and determine a desired posture of the patient 22 to obtain the desired scan planes associated with the exam type. For example, the desired posture of the patient 22 may correspond to an optimal or ideal posture of the patient 22 relative to the imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system 12 to obtain the desired scan planes associated with the exam type.

[0054] At block 88, the controller 24 may provide a visualization of the desired posture of the patient 22 to obtain the desired scan plane associated with the exam type. In some embodiments, the visualization may include a 2D or 3D graphic indicating the desired position and / or orientation of the patient 22 based on the desired posture. For example, the visualization may provide a 2D or 3D graphic of the patient 22 in the desired posture so that the operator and / or the patient 22 can compare the current posture of the patient 22 with the desired posture via the display 30. The visualization of the desired posture of the patient 22 may be viewed simultaneously with the current posture of the patient 22 in the display 30.

[0055] At block 90, the controller 24 may determine whether the current posture of the patient 22 is correct. That is, the controller 24 may determine whether the current posture of the patient 22 is in a desired posture (e.g., a desired position and / or orientation) of the patient 22 relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 to acquire a desired scan plane for the patient 22. For example, the controller 24 may receive data indicating the current position and / or orientation of the patient 22 from the patient position and / or orientation sensor 33.

[0056] In some embodiments, the controller 24 can determine whether the current posture of the patient 22 is correct by determining whether one or more anatomical reference points associated with the patient 22 or the patient posture grid are within a region of acceptance associated with the desired posture of the patient 22. The controller 24 can use deep learning techniques to establish the one or more anatomical reference points associated with the patient 22 or the patient posture grid associated with the patient 22. For example, the controller 24 can receive image data associated with the patient 22 and use deep learning techniques to determine or identify one or more anatomical reference points associated with the patient 22 or the patient posture grid associated with the patient 22 based on the image data. As described herein, the anatomical reference points can include shoulders, hips, knees, or any other suitable anatomical landmarks. The controller 24 can compare the anatomical reference points or the patient posture grid determined based on the image data of the patient 22 with the region of acceptance associated with the desired posture of the patient 22 to determine whether the current posture of the patient 22 is in the desired position and / or orientation relative to the imaging components of the imaging system 12. For example, the region of acceptance can include one or more ranges associated with the desired position and / or orientation of the patient 22 relative to the imaging components of the imaging system 12. If the anatomical reference points or the patient pose grid are within a range associated with the desired position and / or orientation of patient 22 , controller 24 may determine that patient 22 is in the desired position and / or orientation to acquire the desired scan plane of patient 22 .

[0057] In other embodiments, controller 24 may determine whether the current posture of patient 22 is correct by determining whether one or more configuration variables associated with one or more expected internal anatomical features of patient 22 are within an acceptable range. For example, after generating a 3D surface map of the patient at block 72, controller 24 may warp the anatomical atlas into the patient space defined by the 3D surface map of patient 22. The anatomical atlas may include one or more anatomical models based on the exam type received at block 84. For example, if the exam type includes an X-ray of the patient's shoulder, the anatomical models may include anatomical models of the scapula, clavicle, and humerus. Each anatomical model may be associated with one or more configuration variables, such as a label index and name of the anatomical model in database 14, component position, component rotation, scale factor, form factor, point correspondence between components, relative rotation range, or joint contact points. Thus, after warping the anatomical atlas into the patient posture defined by the 3D surface map of patient 22, controller 24 may generate a set of configuration variables associated with the expected internal anatomical features of patient 22. Controller 24 may compare each configuration variable in the set of configuration variables to the acceptable range associated with each configuration variable. For example, the acceptable range may include one or more ranges associated with a desired position and / or orientation of the patient 22 relative to the imaging components of the imaging system 12. If each configuration variable is within a corresponding acceptable range, the controller 24 may determine that the patient 22 is in a desired position and / or orientation to acquire a desired scan plane for the patient 22.

[0058] If the controller 24 determines that the current posture of the patient 22 is in a desired position and / or orientation relative to the imaging components of the imaging system 12 to acquire a desired scan plane of the patient 22, the controller 24 may begin image acquisition at box 96 based on the specific exam type received at box 84. For example, the controller 24 may send a command signal to the image acquisition hardware of the imaging system 12 to acquire images of one or more desired anatomical features of the patient or one or more desired scan planes of desired anatomical features of the patient 22. In some embodiments, the controller 24 may provide an indication that the current posture of the patient 22 is in a desired position and / or orientation. For example, the controller 24 may send a command signal to the display 30 to provide a visual indication (e.g., a graphic, a symbol, a green color) that the patient 22 is in a desired position and / or orientation. Similarly, the controller 24 may send a command signal to the display 30 to provide a visual indication (e.g., a graphic, a symbol, a red color) that the patient 22 is not in a desired position and / or orientation.

[0059] Alternatively, if the controller 24 determines that the current posture of the patient 22 is not in a desired position and / or orientation relative to the imaging components of the imaging system 12, the controller 24 may provide guidance to the operator and / or patient 22 to reposition the patient 22 at block 92. After the controller 24 provides guidance to the operator and / or patient 22 to reposition the patient 22, the controller 24 may perform the steps of blocks 62 through 76 at block 82. Figure 3 The method 60 of , or any suitable combination thereof. The controller 24 can generate a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment, and use the patient's current position and / or orientation to generate a 3D patient model associated with the patient 22 based on the 3D surface map of the patient 22, the posture of the patient 22, and the anatomical atlas. The controller 24 can compare the current position and / or orientation of the patient 22 with a desired posture (e.g., a desired position and / or orientation) of the patient 22 relative to the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12. Based on the comparison of the current position and / or orientation of the patient 22 with the desired position and / or orientation of the patient 22, the controller 24 can determine a directional movement, an angular movement, or both to assist the operator and / or the patient 22 in positioning and / or orienting the patient 22 at the desired position and / or orientation of the patient 22. The controller 24 may provide instructions for directional movement, angular movement, or both to the operator and / or patient 22 visually, audibly, tactilely, or via any other suitable mechanism to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the patient 22 in a desired patient position and / or orientation. For example, the controller 24 may instruct the operator and / or patient 22 to position and / or orient the patient 22 in a desired posture so that the patient 22 is aligned with a visualization of a 2D or 3D graphic of the patient 22 provided via the display 30. In another example, the controller 24 may send a command signal to one or more speakers to provide audible instructions to reposition the patient 22 or certain body parts of the patient 22. In some embodiments, the instructions for directional movement, angular movement, or both may be provided to the operator via an augmented reality device (e.g., augmented reality goggles or glasses, a smart phone or tablet), a projector that projects instructions directly onto the patient's skin, a tactile device (e.g., a probe, a glove, a phone, or a smart watch), etc.

[0060] After repositioning the patient 22 in response to the guidance provided by the controller 24 at block 92, the controller 24 may repeatedly determine whether the current posture of the patient 22 is correct. As described above, if the controller 24 determines that the current posture of the patient 22 is in a desired position and / or orientation relative to the imaging components of the imaging system 12 to acquire desired scan planes of the patient 22, the controller 24 may begin image acquisition at block 96 based on the particular exam type received at block 84. In some embodiments, the controller 24 may apply image segmentation to the 3D surface map generated at block 72 and generate a 3D patient model at block 76 before acquiring images of one or more desired anatomical features of the patient or one or more desired scan planes of desired anatomical features of the patient 22 based on the exam type.

[0061] For certain imaging modalities, such as ultrasound imaging and X-ray imaging, the controller 24 may provide guidance to the operator to position one or more imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 in desired locations and / or orientations to acquire one or more desired scan planes of one or more anatomical features of the patient 22. For example, the imaging hardware components may include an ultrasound probe or one or more X-ray detectors. With the foregoing in mind, Figure 5 A flow chart of a method 180 for positioning the imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 in desired locations and / or orientations to acquire desired scan planes of desired anatomical features of the patient 22 is shown. Although the following description of the method 180 is described in a particular order, it should be noted that the method 180 is not limited to the depicted order, and the method 180 may be performed in any suitable order. Furthermore, although the method 180 is described as being performed by the controller 24, it should be noted that it may be performed by any suitable computing device that is communicatively coupled to the controller 24.

[0062] Now refer to Figure 5 At box 181, the controller 24 may receive position and / or orientation data associated with the imaging hardware component from the position sensor 36. In some embodiments, the position and / or orientation data associated with the imaging hardware component may be acquired in real time or substantially in real time. At box 182, the operator may provide an examination type as input to the controller 24 of the guidance system 10. As described above, the controller 24 may receive a signal (e.g., a user selection or user input) indicating an examination type associated with the patient 22 via one or more user input devices 28 or a database 14 communicatively coupled to the control unit 16. The examination type may include data indicating one or more desired anatomical features of the patient 22 to be imaged, or one or more desired scan planes to be acquired for desired anatomical features of the patient 22. For example, the examination type may include data representing a body part, a preliminary diagnosis of the patient 22, an imaging modality, etc.

[0063] At block 184, the controller 24 may determine desired imaging hardware component positions and / or orientations based on the exam type received at block 182. For example, the database 14 may include one or more predefined imaging hardware component positions and / or orientations associated with different exam types corresponding to specific anatomical features, imaging systems, various characteristics of the patient (e.g., body type, height, weight, gender, age, or race), or a combination thereof. Based on the exam type received at block 182, the controller 24 may access the database 14 to obtain desired imaging hardware positions and / or orientations corresponding to the received exam type. For example, the desired imaging hardware positions and / or orientations may correspond to optimal or ideal positions and / or orientations associated with the imaging hardware components to obtain desired scan planes associated with the exam type.

[0064] At block 186, the controller 24 may provide a visualization associated with the desired imaging hardware component and / or orientation. For example, the visualization may indicate a 2D or 3D graphic of the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation, such that the operator may compare the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation with the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation via the display 30. In some embodiments, the visualization may be viewed simultaneously with the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation in the display 30.

[0065] Based on a comparison of the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation with the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can automatically move the corresponding imaging hardware component to the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation, or facilitate manual placement of the corresponding imaging hardware component to the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation. For example, the controller 24 can send a command signal to one or more actuators to automatically position the X-ray detector at the desired position and / or orientation. In another example, the controller 24 can provide guidance to the operator to move the ultrasound probe to the appropriate position and / or orientation to obtain the desired scan plane of the desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. In view of the foregoing, at box 188, the controller 24 can determine whether the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component is correct. That is, the controller 24 can determine whether the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component is in the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component to obtain the desired scan plane of the patient 22 based on the type of examination received.

[0066] If the controller 24 determines that the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation is at the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation, the controller 24 may begin image acquisition at box 96 based on the received examination type. In some embodiments, the controller 24 may provide an indication that the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation is at the desired imaging hardware component position and / or orientation. For example, the controller 24 may send a command signal to the display 30 to provide a visual indication (e.g., a graphic, a symbol, a green color) that the imaging hardware component is at the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component. Similarly, the controller 24 may send a command signal to the display 30 to provide a visual indication (e.g., a graphic, a symbol, a red color) that the imaging hardware component is at the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component.

[0067] Alternatively, if the controller 24 determines that the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation is not in the desired position and / or orientation, the controller 24 may automatically move the imaging hardware component to the desired position and / or orientation, or provide guidance to the operator to manually position the imaging hardware component in the desired position and / or orientation, at block 190. The controller 24 may compare the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component with the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component to obtain a desired scan plane for a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. Based on the comparison of the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component with the desired position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware component, the controller 24 may determine a directional movement, an angular movement, or both, to automatically position the imaging hardware component in the desired position and / or orientation, or to assist the operator in manually positioning and / or orienting the imaging hardware component in the desired position and / or orientation for the patient 22. Controller 24 may provide indications of directional movement, angular movement, or both to the operator visually, audibly, tactilely, or via any other suitable mechanism to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the imaging hardware components in a desired position and / or orientation.

[0068] After repositioning the imaging hardware components at block 190, the controller 24 may receive additional position and / or orientation data associated with the imaging hardware components from the position sensor 36 at block 181 and repeat the determination of whether the current imaging hardware component position and / or orientation is correct at block 188. As described above, if the controller 24 determines that the current position and / or orientation of the patient 22 is in the desired position and / or orientation to acquire the desired scan plane of the patient 22, the controller 24 may initiate image acquisition at block 194 based on the particular exam type received at block 182.

[0069] In some embodiments, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can automatically determine and set one or more imaging parameters based on the anatomical model associated with the patient 22. For example, with respect to an ultrasound imaging system, after generating the anatomical model associated with the patient 22, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can determine a desired ultrasound probe position and / or orientation based on a desired scan plane to be acquired or a desired examination type of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. Based on the desired ultrasound probe position and / or orientation relative to the patient 22, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can automatically determine a depth setting associated with the ultrasound probe to focus the desired anatomical structure within the field of view of the ultrasound probe. The controller 24 can then send a command signal to the imaging system 12 to acquire ultrasound imaging data at the determined depth setting.

[0070] Additionally, the guidance system 10 can be configured to automatically adjust imaging parameters during and / or after acquiring imaging data. For example, with respect to the ultrasound probe described above, the depth setting can be adjusted after acquiring ultrasound imaging data of the patient 22 via the ultrasound probe. The controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can identify anatomical features within the ultrasound imaging data received from the imaging system 12, apply image segmentation to the ultrasound imaging data, and locate the identified anatomical features within a three-dimensional anatomical model associated with the patient 22 to generate an updated three-dimensional anatomical model. Based on the updated three-dimensional anatomical model, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can determine whether the current depth setting is appropriate to focus the desired anatomical structure within the field of view of the ultrasound probe. If the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 determines that the current depth setting is appropriate, the controller 24 may not send a signal to the imaging system 12 to change the depth setting, and may acquire additional ultrasound imaging data via the ultrasound probe at the current depth setting. If the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 determines that the current depth setting is not appropriate, the controller 24 may determine a new depth setting associated with the ultrasound probe to focus the desired anatomical structure within the field of view of the ultrasound probe. The controller 24 of the guidance system 10 may then send a command signal indicating the new depth setting to the imaging system 12 to adjust the depth setting to the new depth setting, and may acquire additional ultrasound imaging data with the ultrasound probe at the new depth setting.

[0071] In another example, with respect to a CT imaging system, after generating an anatomical model associated with patient 22, controller 24 of guidance system 10 may determine and adjust desired radiation dose parameters and / or desired machine-patient alignment (e.g., x- and y-coordinates relative to the anatomical model associated with the patient) to acquire imaging data of anatomical features of patient 22. For example, after generating an anatomical model associated with patient 22, imaging system 12 may acquire a two-dimensional (2D) topogram via a CT scanner and send the 2D topogram to controller 24 of guidance system 10. Controller 24 of guidance system 10 may then identify anatomical features within the 2D topogram, apply image segmentation to the 2D topogram, and position the identified anatomical features within the resulting three-dimensional anatomical model associated with patient 22 to generate an updated three-dimensional anatomical model. Based on the updated three-dimensional anatomical model, controller 24 of guidance system 10 may determine whether current radiation dose settings and / or current machine-patient alignment are appropriate to correctly image the anatomical features of patient 22. If the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 determines that the current radiation dose setting is appropriate, the controller 24 may not send a signal to the imaging system 12 to change the radiation dose setting, and additional 2D topograms may be acquired via the CT scanner at the current radiation dose setting. If the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 determines that the current radiation dose is not appropriate, the controller 24 may determine a new radiation dose setting associated with the CT scanner. The controller 24 may then send a signal indicating the new radiation dose setting to the imaging system 12 to adjust the radiation dose setting to the new radiation dose setting, and additional 2D topograms may be acquired via the CT scanner at the new radiation dose setting. Additionally or alternatively, if the controller 24 determines that the current machine-patient alignment is appropriate, the controller 24 may send one or more command signals to the imaging system 12 to continue acquiring additional 2D topograms via the CT scanner at the current machine-patient alignment. If the controller 24 determines that the current machine-patient alignment is not appropriate, the controller 24 may determine a new machine-patient alignment associated with the CT scanner. Controller 24 may then send a command signal to display 30 to output a visualization indicating the new machine-patient alignment to patient 22 and / or an operator of guidance system 10. After repositioning patient 22 to the new machine-patient alignment relative to the CT scanner, controller 24 may send a command signal to imaging system 12 to acquire additional 2D topograms via the CT scanner.

[0072] In some embodiments, the controller 24 of the guidance system 10 can continuously or repeatedly adjust imaging parameters of the imaging system 12 during and / or after acquiring imaging data, thereby providing greater imaging accuracy and increasing the efficiency of image acquisition. Although automatic adjustment of imaging parameters is described herein with reference to depth settings associated with an ultrasound probe, radiation dose settings associated with a CT scanner, and machine-patient alignment associated with a CT scanner, it should be noted that other imaging parameters can be automatically adjusted as described. For example, the imaging parameters can include the position and / or orientation of the patient 22 relative to any imaging modality, the position and / or orientation of the imaging device relative to the patient 22, the collimated x-ray cone projection (i.e., projection area) associated with the x-ray imaging system, or any other suitable imaging parameters that, when adjusted, can provide greater imaging accuracy or increased efficiency of image acquisition of the patient 22.

[0073] While certain embodiments described herein relate to the use of a fixed room-based position and / or orientation sensor 33 (e.g., a stereo RGB-D camera mounted above the patient 22), it should be noted that other embodiments may use a mobile device to acquire a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient's environment. In this way, the techniques described herein may provide a low-cost and mobile-based method for providing guidance to an operator of the imaging system 12 via a mobile device to position and / or orient the patient 22 and / or imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system 12 in corresponding positions and / or orientations to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. In some embodiments, the techniques may also be used to provide guidance to an operator for non-imaging procedures and techniques, such as a biopsy or venipuncture.

[0074] Taking the foregoing into consideration, Figure 6 A block diagram of an embodiment of a motion-based guidance system 200 having an imaging system 12 that can be used to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of a patient 22 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the guidance system 10 can include a mobile device 210 that can acquire image data of the patient 22 and the patient's environment in a patient space 35. The mobile device 210 can process the acquired image data and provide guidance to an operator via the mobile device 210 to position and / or orient the patient 22, imaging hardware components associated with the imaging system 12, or both. For example, the mobile device 210 can overlay certain desired anatomical features on an image or video of the patient 22 displayed to the operator via the mobile device 210. In this manner, the mobile device 210 can provide the operator with spatial awareness of the desired anatomical feature and / or patient anatomical structures adjacent to or surrounding the desired anatomical feature to facilitate proper imaging of the desired anatomical feature.

[0075] As described above, the imaging system 12 may include an ultrasound imaging system or any other suitable imaging modality that may be functionally compatible with the mobile device 210. The mobile device 210 may include an augmented reality handheld device (e.g., a smartphone or tablet), an augmented reality head-mounted device (e.g., goggles or glasses), a mobile projection device, or any other suitable mobile device. The imaging system 12 may be communicatively coupled to the mobile device 210 via respective communication devices 35, 225. For example, the communication devices 35, 225 may communicate via one or more protocols, such as various wired or wireless communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, mobile telecommunication technologies (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, or LTE), Near field communication technology, etc.

[0076] The mobile device 210 may include a controller 224, processing circuitry 226, one or more input devices 228, a display 230, and an imaging device 212. Similar to the controller 24 described above, the controller 224 may include a memory 232 and a processor 234. The controller 224 may control the imaging device 212 to acquire imaging data associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment in the patient space 35. In addition, the controller 224 may control other elements of the mobile device 210 to provide guidance to an operator of the imaging system 12 to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. For example, the controller 224 may send a command signal to the display 230 to display an overlay of certain desired anatomical features on the display 230 over an image or video of the patient 22.

[0077] Similar to the processing circuitry 26 described above, the processing circuitry 226 may include receiving and conversion circuitry. For example, the processing circuitry 226 may receive image data of the patient 22 and / or the patient's surroundings and process the image data, such as correcting for artifacts. The processing circuitry 226 may then generate an image or a series of images (e.g., a video) of the patient 22 for presentation via the display 230. The controller 224 may then cause the image or series of images generated by the processing circuitry 226 to be displayed via the display 230.

[0078] The controller 24 may receive signals (e.g., user selections or user inputs) via the user input device 228 indicating an exam type associated with the patient 22, desired anatomical features of the patient 22, desired scan planes for the desired anatomical features of the patient 22, and the like. The user input device 228 may include a touch screen, a keyboard, buttons, or other device suitable for allowing an operator to input a desired exam type, desired anatomical features, desired scan planes, and the like.

[0079] As described above, the controller 24 can provide visual guidance to the operator via the mobile device 210 to position and / or orient the patient 22, the imaging hardware components, or both. For example, the controller 24 can overlay certain anatomical features on an image or video of the patient 22 displayed to the operator via the mobile device 210. By scanning the body of the patient 22 with the mobile device 210, the operator can generate a 3D surface map of the patient 22 and the patient environment (e.g., a bed or chair), and deform the anatomical atlas into the patient space 35 defined by the 3D surface map. For example, the anatomical atlas can be received from a database 14 that is communicatively coupled to the mobile device 210 via any suitable network.

[0080] Taking the foregoing into consideration, Figure 7 A series of visualizations 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360 of a patient 22 are shown, which are generated by the mobile device 230 and presented to the operator via the display 230 of the mobile device 210 to provide guidance to the operator so as to position the ultrasound probe 322 in a desired position and / or orientation to acquire ultrasound imaging data of the patient 22. Although the illustrated embodiment describes providing guidance to the operator to position the ultrasound probe 322 in a desired position and / or orientation, it should be understood that such techniques can be used to position other types of imaging hardware components or to provide guidance to the clinician to perform the non-imaging techniques described herein. Additionally, in some embodiments, the mobile device 210 can generate a 3D patient model (e.g., an anatomical analog associated with the patient 22) and provide visual guidance to the operator using the same or similar techniques as described above for the controller 24. For example, as described herein, mobile device 210 can generate a 3D patient model by generating a 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient's environment, identifying reference points within the 3D surface map, and deforming an anatomical atlas into a patient space defined by the 3D surface map of patient 22 and / or the patient's environment.

[0081] As shown in visualizations 310, 320, 330, and 340, an operator can scan the body of patient 22 via imaging device 212 of mobile device 210 to acquire a 3D surface map of patient 22 and the patient's surroundings. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator can scan the body of patient 22 from the head of patient 22 to the legs of patient 22. However, it should be noted that in other embodiments, the operator may scan the body of patient 22 in any other order (e.g., from the legs to the head or randomly) until a sufficient amount of 3D surface data of patient 22 and the patient's surroundings is acquired. Mobile device 210 can provide an indication of one or more surface points 312 of a plane to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting mobile device 210 to acquire a 3D surface map of patient 22. Additionally, mobile device 210 can provide an indication of one or more 3D surface map points 314 in visualizations 310, 320, 330, 340, and 350 of patient 22 to convey to the operator that mobile device 210 has acquired a particular amount of 3D surface data associated with patient 22. After the mobile device 210 has acquired a sufficient amount of 3D surface data associated with the patient 22 and the patient's surroundings, the mobile device 210 may provide instructions via the display 230 of the mobile device 210 to proceed to the next step in the body scanning process. For example, the display 230 may change color or provide text instructions for the operator to proceed to the next step. In some embodiments, the mobile device 210 may continue to scan the patient 22 and the patient's surroundings (e.g., acquiring 3D surface points) until the operator manually stops the scanning process. For example, the mobile device 210 may present a touch input to the operator to stop scanning.

[0082] After the operator has finished scanning the body of the patient 22, the mobile device 210 may overlay certain anatomical features on top of the image or video of the patient 22 presented to the operator via the display 230 of the mobile device 210. Figure 3According to the process described in , the mobile device 210 can determine or identify one or more anatomical reference points based on a 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment. For example, the anatomical reference points can include shoulders, hips, knees, or any other suitable anatomical landmarks. The mobile device 210 can then estimate the current posture (e.g., position and / or orientation) of the patient 22 based on the anatomical reference points and the 3D surface map using various keypoint techniques, grid-based techniques, deep learning techniques, or other suitable posture estimation or posture determination techniques. After estimating the current posture of the patient 22, the mobile device 210 can fuse the current posture of the patient 22 with the 3D surface map associated with the patient 22 and the patient environment, and extract one or more 3D anatomical reference points from the fused 3D surface map. The mobile device 210 can then generate a 3D surface map of the patient 22 and the patient environment (e.g., a bed or chair) based on the fused 3D surface map, and register and deform one or more anatomical features from the anatomical atlas into the patient space defined by the 3D surface map associated with the patient 22. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, anatomical features can be presented as overlays on an image or video of patient 22. The anatomical features can include a heart 324, a fetus 326, or any other suitable anatomical features to provide the operator with a spatial awareness of the expected location of such features via the display 230 of the mobile device 210. In some embodiments, the type of anatomical feature overlaid on the image or video of patient 22 can be based on an exam type input received from the operator.

[0083] Additionally, the mobile device 210 may provide guidance to the operator to move one or more imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12 to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. Figure 5 ), the mobile device 210 can determine a desired position and / or orientation 322 of the ultrasound probe to acquire a desired scan plane of a desired anatomical feature of the patient 22. For example, the mobile device 210 can determine a desired position and / or orientation 322 of the ultrasound probe that can be used by an operator to image the patient 22. In some embodiments, the desired position and / or orientation 322 of the ultrasound probe can be presented to the user as a visualization (e.g., a virtual reality visualization or an augmented reality visualization) via the mobile device. As described above, the imaging system 12 can include one or more position sensors 36 for detecting the position and / or orientation of corresponding imaging hardware components of the imaging system 12. The position sensor 36 can be communicatively coupled to the controller 224 of the mobile device 210 via a wired or wireless connection, and can send one or more signals to the controller 224 of the mobile device indicating the current position and / or orientation of the imaging hardware components.

[0084] In some embodiments, the mobile device 210 and the position sensors 36 of the imaging system 12 can establish a common coordinate system to provide guidance to the operator. For example, the mobile device 210 can use computer vision to locate the imaging hardware via pattern matching of the known 3D shape of the imaging hardware with RGB-D data or generated 3D surface data from the mobile device 210, use the attachment of optical markers on the probe and the positioning of these markers to infer the larger rigid body of the imaging hardware, use a fiducial placed in the patient space so that the position sensors 36 of the imaging system 12 can be positioned relative to the fiducial, and the mobile device can collect 3D surface data or 2D images of the fiducial to be co-located with the fiducial when collecting the 3D surface map. In another example, a fixed docking station can be implemented into which the imaging hardware of the mobile device 210 or the imaging system 12 is assembled, or a docking station for the mobile device 210 can be integrated as part of the imaging system 12 so that the coordinate systems of both the mobile device 210 and the imaging system 12 are unified.

[0085] In any case, the controller 224 of the mobile device 210 can receive the current position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe. The controller 224 can compare the current position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe 322 with the desired position and / or orientation 322 of the ultrasound probe. Based on this comparison, the controller 224 can determine whether the ultrasound probe 322 is in the desired position and / or orientation 322 to adequately image the desired anatomical features of the patient 22. If the controller 224 determines that the ultrasound probe is not in the desired position and / or orientation 322, the controller 224 can provide guidance to the operator to move the ultrasound probe to the desired position and / or orientation 322. For example, the controller 224 can instruct the operator to move (or not move) the ultrasound probe in a combination of directions and / or angles in order to position the ultrasound probe to the desired position and / or orientation 322 to acquire the desired scan plane of the desired anatomical features of the patient 22.

[0086] In some embodiments, the controller 224 of the mobile device 210 can determine one or more directional movements, one or more angular movements, or both to position the ultrasound probe at the desired position and / or orientation 322. The controller 224 can then provide an indication of the directional movement, angular movement, or both to the operator visually, audibly, tactilely, or via any other suitable mechanism to assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting the ultrasound probe 322 at the desired position and / or orientation. After repositioning the ultrasound probe 322, the controller 224 can repeatedly determine whether the current position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe is correct, and provide further guidance to the operator if the current position and / or orientation of the ultrasound probe is determined to be incorrect.

[0087] The technical effects of the present invention include providing an operator of a medical imaging system with guided imaging techniques to acquire one or more desired scan planes of one or more desired anatomical features of a patient. For example, based on a corresponding imaging modality (e.g., ultrasound, MRI, CT, X-ray), the guidance system can assist the operator in positioning and / or orienting one or more imaging hardware components associated with the imaging modality, positioning and / or orienting the patient relative to the imaging hardware components, or both, to acquire the desired scan planes of the desired anatomical features of the patient. In some embodiments, the guidance system can assist the operator via a 3D patient model that visually presents the operator with the desired position and / or orientation of the patient's anatomical features.

[0088] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any included methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insignificant differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A medical imaging guidance system, comprising: a patient sensor configured to receive three-dimensional (3D) data associated with a patient; an imaging system comprising an imaging hardware component configured to acquire image data of an anatomical feature associated with the patient, wherein the imaging system includes a hardware position sensor associated with the imaging hardware component; and A processor configured to: generating a 3D surface map associated with the patient based on the 3D data; generating a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient; generating a 3D patient model by mapping an anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space, wherein the 3D patient model comprises one or more 3D representations of anatomical features of a human body within the 3D patient space; determining a desired position associated with the imaging hardware component to acquire image data of the anatomical feature; determining a current position associated with the imaging hardware component from the hardware position sensor; as well as A desired movement associated with the imaging hardware component is determined to position the imaging hardware component in the desired position.

2. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the anatomical atlas from a database based on one or more patient characteristics associated with the patient, wherein the patient characteristics include the patient's height, the patient's weight, the patient's gender, the patient's race, or any combination thereof. 3 . The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the anatomical atlas is generated based at least in part on medical imaging data associated with the patient.

4. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the patient sensor comprises a red-green-blue-depth (RGB-D) camera, a stereo RGB-D camera, a depth sensing camera, a radar scanning system, or a laser scanning system.

5. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the patient sensor comprises the hardware position sensor and the hardware position sensor has integrated position tracking, wherein the patient sensor is configured to receive the 3D data by acquiring 3D surface points associated with the patient.

6. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1, wherein the patient sensor is integrated into a mobile device, and wherein the mobile device and the hardware position sensors of the imaging system are associated with a common coordinate system.

7. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1, wherein the hardware position sensor comprises an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an inertial measurement unit, an electromagnetic tracking sensor, an optical tracking sensor, or any other suitable sensor.

8. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 1 , comprising providing an indication of the desired movement associated with the imaging hardware component to position the imaging hardware component at the desired position, wherein the indication of the desired movement comprises one or more directional movements, one or more angular movements, or both associated with the imaging hardware component.

9. A medical imaging guidance method, comprising: generating a three-dimensional 3D surface map associated with the patient from the patient sensors; generating a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient; determining a current posture associated with the patient based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient; comparing the current posture to a desired posture associated with the patient relative to an imaging system, wherein the desired posture facilitates imaging of anatomical features of the patient by the imaging system; determining a recommended movement based on the comparison between the current posture and the desired posture, wherein the recommended movement is configured to reposition the patient in the desired posture; as well as An indication of the recommended movement is provided. 10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising providing a visualization of the desired gesture via a display, wherein the visualization comprises a graphical representation of the desired gesture. The method of claim 9 , wherein the indication is provided via an augmented reality device.

12. The method according to claim 9, comprising: generating an additional 3D surface map associated with the patient from the patient sensor; determining an additional current posture associated with the patient based on the additional 3D surface map; determining that the additional current posture is in the desired posture based on a comparison between the additional current posture and the desired posture; as well as An indication is provided that the patient is in the desired posture.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising generating a 3D patient model by applying an anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space, wherein the 3D patient model comprises one or more 3D representations of anatomical features of a human body within the 3D patient space.

14. A medical imaging guidance system comprising: A processor configured to: generating a three-dimensional 3D surface map associated with the patient from the patient sensors; generating a 3D patient space based on the 3D surface map associated with the patient; generating a 3D patient model by applying an anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space, wherein the 3D patient model comprises one or more 3D representations of anatomical features of a human body within the 3D patient space; as well as A desired position associated with an imaging hardware component of an imaging system configured to acquire image data of the anatomical feature is determined.

15. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 14, wherein the patient sensor is a mobile device.

16. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to extract 3D anatomical landmarks by identifying two-dimensional (2D) anatomical reference points based on 2D sensor data, and to fuse the 2D anatomical reference points with the 3D surface map.

17. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 14, wherein applying the anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space comprises identifying a 3D patient surface in the 3D surface map and registering the anatomical atlas with the 3D patient surface.

18. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 16, wherein registering the anatomical atlas with the 3D patient surface comprises registering the anatomical atlas with the 3D patient surface using a rigid transformation, an affine transformation, or a deformable transformation.

19. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 14, wherein applying the anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space comprises identifying 3D anatomical landmarks based on the 3D surface map, searching for corresponding 3D anatomical landmarks in the anatomical atlas, and generating the 3D patient model by performing a rigid, affine, or deformable transformation to map anatomical structures from the anatomical atlas into the 3D patient space.

20. The medical imaging guidance system of claim 14, wherein applying the anatomical atlas to the 3D patient space comprises performing a piecewise rigid, affine, or deformable transformation of portions of the anatomical atlas to corresponding portions of the 3D patient space to perform a mapping from a 3D pose of the anatomical atlas to a complex 3D pose of the 3D patient model, wherein the portions are defined by a connection map of adjacent 3D patient landmarks, segments of the 3D surface map associated with the patient, or a combination thereof.

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