Ablation effect display method and ultrasound imaging system

Abstract

A method and ultrasound imaging system for displaying ablation effects, comprising: controlling an ultrasound probe equipped with a spatial positioning device to transmit ultrasound waves toward a lesion, receiving ultrasound echo signals, and obtaining a two-dimensional ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signals; registering the two-dimensional ultrasound image with a preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion to obtain a first registration result; obtaining a three-dimensional model of the lesion based on the preoperative three-dimensional image; after generating an ablation lesion, controlling the ultrasound probe to perform three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the ablation lesion to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image; registering the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image with a two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time after ablation based on positioning information obtained by the spatial positioning device to obtain a second registration result; obtaining a three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion based on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image; and mapping the three-dimensional models of the lesion and the ablation lesion to the same image space for display based on the first and second registration results. This application can present ablation effects in three dimensions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of ultrasound imaging technology, and more specifically to a method for displaying ablation effects and an ultrasound imaging system. Background Art

[0002] Real-time ultrasound-guided percutaneous tumor ablation interventional treatment has the advantages of high efficacy, low invasiveness, and rapid postoperative recovery, and its position in tumor treatment is becoming increasingly important. The key to tumor interventional ablation treatment is to make the ablation thermal field completely cover the tumor in three-dimensional space, while causing no damage to surrounding important structures (bile duct, large blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, etc.). Therefore, the clinical efficacy is closely related to its ablation accuracy. To achieve good clinical efficacy, scientific preoperative planning, precise intraoperative positioning, and accurate postoperative evaluation are three essential key steps in the entire thermal ablation treatment. The three steps are interrelated, mutually transmitted, and have a mutual feedback relationship.

[0003] Existing technologies have achieved scientific preoperative planning and precise intraoperative positioning, but current postoperative evaluations mainly rely on enhanced CT / MRI scans to determine whether there are residual tumors. Currently, most ultrasound-based postoperative evaluations are obtained by doctors scanning 3D contrast-enhanced ultrasound images of the tumor site after surgery and aligning them with the preoperative 3D images. However, since the image features within the 3D contrast-enhanced ultrasound images will change after surgery, the success rate of alignment with the preoperative images will be affected. At the same time, the above solutions are time-consuming. Even if unablated areas of the tumor are found after surgery, it is impossible to perform supplementary ablation of the unablated areas of the tumor in a timely and accurate manner based on the original navigation information. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The Summary of the Invention introduces a series of simplified concepts that will be further described in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention of this application is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a method for displaying an ablation effect, the method comprising: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a lesion, receiving ultrasonic echo signals, and obtaining a two-dimensional ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic echo signals, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a spatial positioning device; registering the two-dimensional ultrasonic image with a preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion acquired in advance to obtain a first registration result; obtaining a three-dimensional model of the lesion based on the preoperative three-dimensional image; after ablating the lesion to generate an ablation focus, controlling the ultrasonic probe to perform three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging of the ablation focus to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasonic image; registering the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasonic image and the two-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired in real time after ablation in real time according to the positioning information acquired by the spatial positioning device to obtain a second registration result; obtaining a three-dimensional model of the ablation focus based on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasonic image; based on the first registration result and the second registration result, mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, and the two-dimensional ultrasonic image acquired in real time to the same image space for display.

[0006] In one embodiment, the first registration result includes a first transformation relationship between the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image and the world coordinate space, and the second registration result includes a second transformation relationship between the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound and the world coordinate space. The mapping of the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to the same image space for display includes: obtaining a third transformation relationship from the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image to the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image according to the first transformation relationship and the second transformation relationship, and mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to the same image space for display according to the third transformation relationship.

[0007] In one embodiment, the registering of the two-dimensional ultrasound image with the preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion obtained in advance includes: obtaining a coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image; obtaining a spatial transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the world coordinate space according to a spatial positioning device; and obtaining the first transformation relationship according to the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image and the transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the world coordinate space.

[0008] In one embodiment, obtaining the transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasonic image and the world coordinate space based on the spatial positioning device includes: acquiring the transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasonic image and the space of the spatial positioning device, and the transformation relationship between the space of the spatial positioning device and the world coordinate space; obtaining the transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasonic image and the world coordinate space based on the spatial transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasonic image and the space of the spatial positioning device, and the spatial transformation relationship between the space of the spatial positioning device and the world coordinate space.

[0009] In one embodiment, obtaining the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image includes: matching the two-dimensional ultrasound image with the two-dimensional section in the preoperative three-dimensional image to obtain the matching section of the two-dimensional ultrasound image in the preoperative three-dimensional image; obtaining the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image based on the coordinates of the same feature points in the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the coordinates of the matching section.

[0010] In one embodiment, acquiring the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image includes: acquiring the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image based on an in vitro marker.

[0011] In one embodiment, the preoperative three-dimensional image includes a preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image obtained by performing three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the lesion using the ultrasound probe, and obtaining the second transformation relationship between the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound space and the world coordinate space includes: obtaining the second transformation relationship between the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound space and the world coordinate space based on the positioning information obtained by the spatial positioning device.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method further comprises correcting the first registration result and / or the second registration result according to a breathing correction function.

[0013] In one embodiment, obtaining the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus based on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image includes: segmenting the ablation focus area in the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image; and performing surface rendering or volume rendering on the ablation focus area to obtain the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus.

[0014] In one embodiment, mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to the same image space for display includes: displaying the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus from different perspectives in at least two display windows of the same display interface.

[0015] In one embodiment, the different viewing angles include at least two opposite viewing angles.

[0016] In one embodiment, the same image space includes at least one of a three-dimensional space corresponding to the preoperative three-dimensional image, a three-dimensional space corresponding to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image, and a three-dimensional space corresponding to the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method further includes: if there are ablation residues after ablation, the area where the ablation residues are located is displayed distinctively to prompt the user to perform a supplementary injection on the area where the ablation residues are located.

[0018] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a method for displaying an ablation effect, the method comprising: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a lesion, receiving ultrasonic echo signals, and obtaining a two-dimensional ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic echo signals, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a spatial positioning device; registering the two-dimensional ultrasonic image with a preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion acquired in advance to obtain a first registration result; obtaining a three-dimensional model of the lesion based on the preoperative three-dimensional image; after ablating the lesion to generate an ablation focus, controlling the ultrasonic probe to perform three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging of the ablation focus to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasonic image; obtaining a three-dimensional model of the ablation focus based on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasonic image; and mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to the same image space for display based on the positioning information obtained by the spatial positioning device and the first registration result.

[0019] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging system, comprising: an ultrasound probe; a transmitting circuit for stimulating the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound waves to the target tissue; a receiving circuit for controlling the ultrasound probe to receive the echo of the ultrasound waves to obtain the echo signal of the ultrasound waves; and a processor for executing the steps of the method for displaying the ablation effect as described above.

[0020] According to the display method of the ablation effect and the ultrasound imaging system of the embodiment of the present application, three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the ablation focus is performed after ablation, which can timely and accurately align the preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image with the preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion, and superimpose the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to intuitively present the ablation residue, making it convenient for the user to make timely supplementary injections to the ablation residue and improve the effect of the ablation surgery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] In the attached figure:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart showing a method for displaying ablation effects according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a spatial transformation relationship according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a spatial transformation relationship according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a display interface according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart showing a method for displaying ablation effects according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the following is a detailed description of example embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the example embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present application described in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, some technical features well known in the art are not described in order to avoid confusion with the present application.

[0031] It should be understood that the present application can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0032] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present application. When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "including", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0033] In order to fully understand the present application, a detailed structure will be provided in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present application. The optional embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application may also have other implementation methods.

[0034] Next, first refer to Figure 1 An ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 100 includes an ultrasound probe 110, a transmitting circuit 112, a receiving circuit 114, a processor 116, and a display 118. Furthermore, the ultrasound imaging system may further include a transmit / receive selection switch 120 and a beamforming module 122. The transmitting circuit 112 and the receiving circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 via the transmit / receive selection switch 120.

[0036] The ultrasound probe 110 includes multiple transducer elements. These elements can be arranged in a row to form a linear array, or arranged in a two-dimensional relationship to form a planar array. They can also form a convex array. The transducer elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves based on excitation electrical signals, or to convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each transducer element can be used to convert electrical pulse signals into and from ultrasonic waves, thereby transmitting ultrasonic waves to the tissue of the target area of ​​the object being tested, and also to receive ultrasonic echoes reflected from the tissue. During ultrasonic testing, the transmit and receive sequences can be used to control which transducer elements are used to transmit and which are used to receive ultrasonic waves, or to control the time slots used to transmit and receive ultrasonic echoes. Transducer elements involved in ultrasonic transmission can be excited simultaneously by electrical signals, thereby transmitting ultrasonic waves simultaneously; alternatively, transducer elements involved in ultrasonic beam transmission can be excited by multiple electrical signals with a certain time interval, thereby continuously transmitting ultrasonic waves with a certain time interval. The ultrasound probe 110 has a spatial positioning device, such as a positioning sensor attached to the ultrasound probe 110. Positioning information can be obtained based on the spatial positioning device, and then the coordinate transformation relationship between the ultrasound space and the world coordinate space can be obtained.

[0037] During ultrasound imaging, the transmitting circuit 112 sends delayed, focused transmit pulses to the ultrasound probe 110 via the transmit / receive selector switch 120. Energized by the transmit pulses, the ultrasound probe 110 transmits an ultrasonic beam toward the target tissue area of ​​the subject. After a certain delay, it receives ultrasonic echoes containing tissue information reflected from the target tissue area and reconverts these ultrasonic echoes into electrical signals. The receiving circuit 114 receives the converted electrical signals generated by the ultrasound probe 110, obtains ultrasonic echo signals, and sends these ultrasonic echo signals to the beamforming module 122. The beamforming module 122 performs processing such as focusing delay, weighting, and channel summing on the ultrasonic echo data before sending them to the processor 116. The processor 116 performs signal detection, signal enhancement, data conversion, and logarithmic compression on the ultrasonic echo signals to form an ultrasound image. The ultrasound image generated by the processor 116 can be displayed on the display 118 or stored in the memory 124.

[0038] Optionally, the processor 116 may be implemented as software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof, and may use one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more general-purpose integrated circuits, one or more microprocessors, one or more programmable logic devices, or any combination of the foregoing circuits and / or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 116 may control other components in the ultrasound imaging system 100 to execute the corresponding steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this specification.

[0039] The display 118 is connected to the processor 116 and can be a touch screen display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. Alternatively, the display 118 can be an independent display such as a liquid crystal display or a television that is independent of the ultrasound imaging system 100. Alternatively, the display 118 can be a display screen of an electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. There can be one or more displays 118 .

[0040] The display 118 can display the ultrasound image generated by the processor 116. In addition to displaying the ultrasound image, the display 118 can also provide a graphical interface for human-computer interaction. One or more controlled objects can be set on the graphical interface, allowing the user to input operating instructions using a human-computer interaction device to control these controlled objects and perform corresponding control operations. For example, icons can be displayed on the graphical interface, and the human-computer interaction device can be used to operate these icons to perform specific functions, such as drawing a region of interest on the ultrasound image.

[0041] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include other human-computer interaction devices in addition to the display 118, which are connected to the processor 116. For example, the processor 116 may be connected to the human-computer interaction device via an external input / output port. The external input / output port may be a wireless communication module, a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input / output port may also be implemented based on USB, a bus protocol such as CAN, and / or a wired network protocol.

[0042] The human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information. The input information may be, for example, a control instruction for the timing of ultrasonic transmission / reception, an operation input instruction for drawing a point, line, or frame on an ultrasonic image, or other instruction types. The input device may include one or a combination of a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen display, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc. The human-computer interaction device may also include an output device such as a printer.

[0043] The ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include a memory 124 for storing instructions executed by the processor, storing received ultrasound echoes, storing ultrasound images, and the like. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, and the like. The memory may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory, a removable memory and / or a non-removable memory, and the like.

[0044] It should be understood that Figure 1 The components included in the ultrasound imaging system 100 are merely illustrative, and the system may include more or fewer components, which is not limited in the present application.

[0045] Refer to the following Figure 2 Describe the display method of the ablation effect proposed in the embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method 200 for displaying ablation effects according to an embodiment of the present application. Specifically, the method 200 for displaying ablation effects according to an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0046] In step S210, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the lesion, receive ultrasonic echo signals, and obtain a two-dimensional ultrasonic image according to the ultrasonic echo signals, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a spatial positioning device;

[0047] In step S220, the two-dimensional ultrasound image is registered with a pre-operative three-dimensional image of the lesion acquired in advance to obtain a first registration result;

[0048] In step S230, a three-dimensional model of the lesion is obtained based on the preoperative three-dimensional image;

[0049] In step S240, after the lesion is ablated to generate an ablation lesion, the ultrasound probe is controlled to perform three-dimensional ultrasound imaging on the ablation lesion to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0050] In step S250, the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image and the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time after ablation are registered in real time according to the positioning information acquired by the spatial positioning device to obtain a second registration result;

[0051] In step S260, a three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion is obtained according to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image;

[0052] In step S270, based on the first registration result and the second registration result, the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, and the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time are mapped to the same image space for display.

[0053] The ablation effect display method 200 of the present embodiment is based on the registration of preoperative 3D images, postoperative 3D ultrasound images, and real-time 2D ultrasound images. Image registration is based on establishing a spatial mapping relationship between the real-time 2D ultrasound image and the previously acquired 3D image using the ultrasound probe's spatial positioning device. After image registration, the 3D model of the lesion and the 3D model of the ablation focus are visualized in the same spatial coordinate system.

[0054] Steps S210 to S230 involve the fusion of the preoperative 3D image and the real-time 2D ultrasound image. In step S210, before the ablation procedure, an ultrasound probe equipped with a spatial positioning device is controlled to scan the lesion to obtain a 2D ultrasound image. The spatial positioning device, for example, is a positioning sensor attached to the ultrasound probe. The lesion can be a tumor in the target tissue of the patient undergoing ablation surgery. The target tissue can be diseased organs such as the liver, stomach, lung, pancreas, thyroid gland, breast, or intestine.

[0055] For example, in combination Figure 1 In step S210, the transmit / receive selector switch 120 can activate the ultrasonic probe 110 to periodically transmit ultrasonic waves toward the lesion of the subject via the transmit circuit 112. The ultrasonic probe 110 receives the ultrasonic echoes returned from the lesion of the subject via the receive circuit 114 and converts them into ultrasonic echo signals. The beamforming module 122 performs signal beamforming processing on the ultrasonic echo signals, including focusing delay, weighting, and channel summation. The beamformed ultrasonic echo data is then sent to the processor 118 for signal detection, signal enhancement, data conversion, logarithmic compression, and other processing, thereby generating a two-dimensional ultrasonic image. This two-dimensional ultrasonic image is a grayscale image, i.e., a B-mode ultrasonic image.

[0056] In step S220 , the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in step S210 is registered with the pre-operative three-dimensional image of the lesion acquired in advance to obtain a first registration result.

[0057] Preoperative 3D images of the lesion can be obtained using medical imaging equipment such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), digital X-ray imaging, ultrasound, digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and optical imaging. Because 3D reconstruction is time-consuming, preoperative 3D images of the lesion are acquired in advance.

[0058] For example, the user may import the preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion into the ultrasound imaging system before starting ultrasound imaging. The import method includes but is not limited to importing through storage media such as a USB flash drive or a CD or importing through network transmission.

[0059] Registering a preoperative 3D image of the lesion with a real-time 2D ultrasound image leverages the spatial information of the 3D image while maintaining the real-time nature of 2D ultrasound. Registering a 2D ultrasound image with the preoperative 3D image involves finding a spatial transformation relationship between the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image, ensuring a one-to-one correspondence between the geometric relationships of corresponding points in the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image. Registration can involve either rigid or non-rigid registration.

[0060] Exemplarily, the first registration result may include a transformation relationship between the space of the preoperative 3D image and the space of the real-time acquired 2D ultrasound image. Subsequently, the transformation relationship between the space of the postoperative 3D image and the space of the real-time acquired 2D ultrasound image may be obtained, thereby mapping the preoperative 3D image and the postoperative 3D image to the same image space for display. The first registration result may also include a transformation relationship between the space of the preoperative 3D image and the world coordinate space. When the first registration result is a transformation relationship between the space of the preoperative 3D image and the world coordinate space, registering the preoperative 3D image and the 2D ultrasound image includes: obtaining a coordinate transformation relationship between the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image; obtaining a spatial transformation relationship between the space of the 2D ultrasound image and the world coordinate space based on a spatial positioning device of the ultrasound probe; and obtaining a first transformation relationship between the space of the preoperative 3D image and the world coordinate space based on the coordinate transformation relationship between the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image and the spatial transformation relationship between the space of the 2D ultrasound image and the world coordinate space. Because the world coordinate space is fixed, a second transformation relationship between the space of the postoperative 3D ultrasound image and the world coordinate space may be subsequently obtained, thereby mapping the preoperative 3D image and the postoperative 3D image to the same image space for display.

[0061] Specifically, during ultrasound scanning, a spatial positioning device attached to the ultrasound probe continuously provides position information as the probe moves. A magnetic positioning controller can be used to determine the ultrasound probe's six-degree-of-freedom spatial orientation. Using this image information and magnetic positioning information, the two-dimensional ultrasound image can be registered with the preoperative three-dimensional image. A processor can be connected to the spatial positioning device attached to the ultrasound probe via wired or wireless communication to obtain the probe's position information. The spatial positioning device can employ any structure or principle, such as an optical positioning sensor or a magnetic field positioning sensor, to position the ultrasound probe.

[0062] The spatial transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image is as follows Figure 3 As shown, it can be expressed in the form of formula:

[0063] T sec =P·R probe ·A·T us (Formula 1)

[0064] Among them, T us is the coordinate of the point in the ultrasound image space, T sec is the coordinate of the corresponding point in the preoperative three-dimensional image space; A is the ultrasound image space (coordinates are expressed as X us , Y us , Z us ) to the spatial positioning device space (coordinates are expressed as X sensor , Y sensor , Z sensor ) coordinate transformation relationship, R probe It is the spatial positioning device space to the world coordinate space (coordinates are expressed as X MG , Y MG , Z MG ) is the coordinate transformation relationship from the world coordinate system to the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image. During ultrasound imaging, the spatial positioning device is fixed on the ultrasound probe. When the model of the ultrasound probe remains unchanged, A remains unchanged. A can be determined by calibration before registration. R probe Directly read by the magnetic positioning controller, as the ultrasonic probe moves, R probe P needs to be calculated based on the image registration result (i.e., the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image). If the image registration result between the two-dimensional ultrasound image space and the preoperative three-dimensional image is M, then:

[0065] P=M·A -1 ·R probe -1 (Formula 2)

[0066] The image registration methods used in the embodiments of the present application may include automatic registration, interactive registration, manual registration, or any combination of the above three methods. Registration may include registration based on anatomical features, registration based on geometric features, registration based on pixel grayscale correlation, registration based on external positioning markers, etc. Registration may also include any other suitable registration method.

[0067] In one embodiment, registering a two-dimensional ultrasound image with a three-dimensional image specifically includes: matching the two-dimensional ultrasound image with a two-dimensional slice in the preoperative three-dimensional image to obtain a matching slice of the two-dimensional ultrasound image in the preoperative three-dimensional image; and obtaining a coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image based on the coordinates of identical feature points in the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the coordinates of the matching slice. The above alignment operation can be performed manually by a user, i.e., a manual alignment operation by the user is received to align the two-dimensional ultrasound image with the corresponding slice in the preoperative three-dimensional image.

[0068] In another embodiment, identical tissues in the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image can be identified for automatic alignment. When the target site is the liver, the identified identical tissues may include, for example, blood vessels and the liver capsule. After aligning the 2D ultrasound image with the preoperative 3D image, a coordinate transformation relationship can be calculated based on the coordinates of the overlapping points.

[0069] In other embodiments, feature points can be first determined in the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image. Feature points generally exhibit certain properties such as translation invariance, rotation invariance, scale invariance, illumination insensitivity, and modality insensitivity. These properties are determined by the feature point extraction method. Features of the feature points are then extracted. These features can be generated using neighborhood gradient histograms, neighborhood autocorrelations, grayscale, and other methods. The feature points of the 2D ultrasound image are then matched with those of the preoperative 3D ultrasound image, and a coordinate transformation relationship is calculated based on the matched feature points.

[0070] In addition, the imaging location of external markers in the preoperative 3D image can be identified, and the location of the external markers in the space of the 2D ultrasound image can be determined based on magnetic navigation for automatic alignment. The external markers, for example, are one or more metal markers placed on the patient's body surface, which form distinct light spots in the preoperative 3D image, thereby determining the position of the markers. During the ultrasound image scan, a positioning sensor is installed on the ultrasound probe, which can be used to determine the position of the metal markers. By aligning the markers in the preoperative 3D ultrasound image with the markers in the 2D ultrasound image, the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image can be registered.

[0071] When the preoperative three-dimensional image is a three-dimensional ultrasound image, if it has its own position information, it can be automatically aligned based on the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the position information of the preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image. The preoperative three-dimensional image can be acquired by a volume probe, or reconstructed by a convex array or linear array probe with a magnetic navigation device based on the Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound reconstruction technology, or it can be scanned by a planar array probe. The preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image reconstructed based on magnetic navigation position information can be a reconstructed three-dimensional ultrasound image obtained by on-site Freehand scanning of an ultrasound movie with positioning information. The position information can be obtained during the scanning, so the P relationship mentioned above can be automatically obtained.

[0072] In one embodiment, during ablation surgery on soft tissues in the liver, lungs, and other abdominal areas, the patient's respiratory movement may cause the soft tissues and lesions to shift in position, so a respiratory correction function is introduced during the registration process to correct for the respiratory condition. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the added T(t) is a spatial mapping method for respiratory correction. T(t) changes with time, and the spatial transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image is expressed in the form of a formula:

[0073] T Sec =T(t)·P·R probe ·A·T us (Formula 3)

[0074] In addition, the position deviation caused by respiratory movement can also be corrected by making the patient breathe steadily.

[0075] In actual operation, the doctor first imports the preoperative three-dimensional image into the ultrasound imaging system before alignment. The doctor then uses the ultrasound probe to scan the target tissue. If a lesion appears in the scanned image, the ultrasound image can be frozen. Then, the doctor searches for the two-dimensional section corresponding to the two-dimensional ultrasound image in the preoperative three-dimensional image, and aligns the frozen ultrasound image with the selected two-dimensional section of the preoperative three-dimensional image.

[0076] In step S230, a three-dimensional model of the lesion is obtained based on the preoperative three-dimensional image. For example, step S230 can be performed before step S210 or step S220, that is, before performing ultrasound imaging on the lesion, a three-dimensional model of the lesion is obtained based on the preoperative three-dimensional image.

[0077] In an embodiment of the present application, any suitable method can be used to segment the lesion in the preoperative three-dimensional image, and a three-dimensional model of the lesion can be reconstructed based on the segmentation results; the segmentation method includes but is not limited to automatic segmentation, manual segmentation or interactive segmentation. Exemplarily, the automatic segmentation method can adopt one or more methods such as random walk model, region growing, graph cut algorithm, pattern recognition, Markov field, adaptive threshold, etc. Manual segmentation includes the user outlining the edge of the lesion on multiple two-dimensional sections of the preoperative three-dimensional image and interpolating between each two layers of edges, or outlining the edge of the lesion on each two-dimensional section, and then generating a three-dimensional contour of the lesion based on these two-dimensional edges. The interactive segmentation method adds user interaction as algorithm input during the segmentation process, so that objects with high-level semantics in the image can be completely extracted. For example, the user can select a preliminary segmentation range; then, the three-dimensional contour of the lesion is automatically segmented within the preliminary segmentation range. For example, the user can draw some points or lines within the preliminary segmentation range. The interactive segmentation algorithm obtains the points or lines drawn by the user as input, and automatically establishes a weighted graph of the similarity between each pixel point and the foreground or background. The foreground and background are distinguished by solving the minimum cut, thereby determining the three-dimensional contour of the lesion.

[0078] Next, surface reconstruction is performed based on the segmented 3D contours to generate a 3D model of the lesion. A surface rendering method can be used to first reconstruct the lesion's structural surface from the 3D data. This involves reconstructing the lesion's structural surface based on the segmentation results and contour lines. A realistic 3D entity of the lesion is then generated using a reasonable illumination model and texture mapping method. The surface rendering algorithm can employ the Marching Cube (isosurface extraction) algorithm, which essentially treats a series of two-dimensional slice data as a 3D data field, extracting material with a certain domain value and connecting them into triangular facets in a topological form. The basic idea of ​​the Marching Cube algorithm is to process each voxel in the volume data field one by one and determine the form of the isosurface within that voxel based on the values ​​of each vertex in the voxel. During the algorithm's implementation, the isosurface construction within the voxel requires the following calculations: calculation of the approximate isosurface of the triangles within the voxel; and calculation of the normal vectors of each vertex in the triangle. After calculating the vertex value, the vertex energy value is compared with the set energy threshold. If the vertex value is less than the threshold, it is set as an external point 1. If the vertex value is greater than the threshold, it means that the point is inside the ellipsoid and is set to 0.

[0079] Volume rendering is a technique for generating a two-dimensional image on a screen directly from a three-dimensional data field. A digital image corresponds to a two-dimensional array describing the color and intensity of data elements, called pixels. Similarly, a three-dimensional data field can be described as a three-dimensional array of corresponding values, called voxels. Similar to the two-dimensional raster of a digital image, a volume data field can be viewed as a three-dimensional raster. A typical three-dimensional data field is that of a medical image. After obtaining a series of medical image slice data, these slices are regularized according to position and angle information, forming a regular data field consisting of a uniform grid in three-dimensional space. Each node on the grid is a voxel, which describes the object's density and other properties. The greatest advantage of volume rendering technology is its ability to explore the internal structure of objects and depict very fixed objects, such as muscles. While surface rendering is weaker in these aspects, it is faster than volume data rendering. Therefore, to improve imaging speed, surface rendering can be used to generate three-dimensional models of lesions.

[0080] Because the 3D model of the lesion is reconstructed based on the lesion area in the preoperative 3D image, the spatial coordinate system of the lesion model is the same as the spatial coordinate system of the preoperative 3D image. Therefore, after obtaining the first registration result of the lesion model, the preoperative 3D image, and the 2D ultrasound image, the 3D model of the lesion can be displayed at the lesion's location in the 2D ultrasound image based on the coordinates of the lesion model in the preoperative 3D image and the registration relationship between the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image. The positional relationship between the reconstructed 3D model of the lesion and the real-time 2D ultrasound image can reflect the lesion's location, size, geometry, and relationship with surrounding tissue.

[0081] In step S240, after the lesion is ablated to create an ablation lesion, the ultrasound probe is controlled to perform three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the ablation lesion to obtain a post-operative three-dimensional ultrasound image. During the ablation process, the ablation can be guided by the real-time two-dimensional ultrasound image and the three-dimensional model of the lesion. The ablation procedure involves inserting an ablation needle into the lesion, generating heat that causes coagulation and necrosis of the lesion cells. Depending on the actual situation, one or more ablation needles may be used, as may the number of ablation lesions obtained.

[0082] The embodiment of the present application can adopt the Freehand (free scanning) three-dimensional ultrasound imaging method to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image, so that a three-dimensional image of the ablation lesion can be obtained in real time and aligned with the real-time two-dimensional ultrasound image. Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound imaging utilizes traditional two-dimensional ultrasound scanning equipment, combined with a spatial positioning device (including but not limited to an optical or magnetic positioning system), to obtain a series of two-dimensional ultrasound images and corresponding spatial position information through the Freehand scanning method, based on which three-dimensional ultrasound volume data is reconstructed, and finally the reconstructed three-dimensional volume data is rendered and displayed. The Freehand scanning method is that the operator holds an ultrasound probe with a spatial positioning device, scans the target tissue in a certain order and in a relatively free manner, and the position and angle of the collected image are relatively arbitrary. From the perspective of clinical application, the Freehand scanning method is easier to combine with ablation surgical instruments.

[0083] Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound imaging includes three stages: acquisition of two-dimensional ultrasound images, reconstruction of three-dimensional volume data, and three-dimensional rendering and display. Three-dimensional volume data reconstruction is one of the key technical links to achieve high-precision Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. According to the different reconstruction purposes, the reconstruction of three-dimensional volume data can be divided into two categories: one is a method based on surface reconstruction, and the other is a method based on volume data reconstruction. The surface reconstruction-based method requires precise contour segmentation of tissues and organs and cannot display the internal tissue structure. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application mainly adopts a method based on volume data reconstruction, that is, a certain number of voxels are arranged according to corresponding spatial positions to form a three-dimensional stereo image. This method can reconstruct all tissue information of the human body structure.

[0084] The Freehand 3D ultrasound volume data reconstruction process primarily consists of three steps: volume data structure construction, sample pixel reallocation, and voxel value calculation within the volume data. The first step in 3D ultrasound reconstruction is to determine the dimensions of the reconstructed volume data based on the 2D ultrasound image information. This includes the coordinate origin, dimensional size, and physical spacing between voxels. Methods such as image keyframes or principal component analysis can be used to determine the size of the reconstructed volume data structure. Alternatively, bounding box techniques can be used to quickly determine the size of the reconstruction region without predetermining or limiting the reconstruction scan area. A bounding box is fully defined solely by its minimum point (Xmin, Ymin, Zmin) and maximum point (Xmax, Ymax, Zmax). The second step in 3D ultrasound reconstruction involves reallocating the pixels within the 2D plane. This involves traversing every pixel within the 2D ultrasound plane and mapping them to the 3D volume data based on the transformation relationship between their positional information. If more than one pixel falls within the same voxel, a suitable value (such as the average, maximum, or first- or last-reaching value) is selected based on specific rules.

[0085] Because Freehand 3D ultrasound imaging uses sparsely sampled data, pixel allocation inevitably leaves gaps in the reconstructed volume data. Therefore, the third step in the reconstruction process is hole-filling. Various methods for interpolating known data can be used to fill these gaps. The basic principle is to use the known values ​​of surrounding pixels to interpolate the unknown voxel values ​​in the voxel grid.

[0086] In step S250, the postoperative 3D ultrasound image and the 2D ultrasound image acquired in real time after ablation are registered in real time based on the positioning information acquired by the spatial positioning device to obtain a second registration result. Registering the postoperative 3D ultrasound image with the real-time 2D ultrasound image utilizes the spatial information of the 3D ultrasound image while maintaining the real-time nature of the 2D ultrasound image. Registering the 2D ultrasound image with the postoperative 3D ultrasound image involves finding a spatial transformation relationship between the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image, ensuring a one-to-one correspondence between the geometric relationships of corresponding points in the 2D ultrasound image and the preoperative 3D image.

[0087] In one embodiment, the second registration result includes a second transformation relationship between the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound space and the world coordinate space. Based on the first transformation relationship and the second transformation relationship obtained above, a third transformation relationship can be obtained from the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image to the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image. Based on the third transformation relationship, the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus can be mapped to the same image space for display, for example, the three-dimensional model of the lesion can be mapped to the three-dimensional space corresponding to the postoperative three-dimensional image, or the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus can be mapped to the image space corresponding to the preoperative three-dimensional image. For example, see Figure 4 According to the first registration result, the coordinate transformation relationship P1 between the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image and the world coordinate space is obtained. According to the positioning information obtained by the spatial positioning device, the coordinate transformation relationship P2 between the space of the postoperative three-dimensional image and the world coordinate space is obtained. The coordinate transformation relationship F from the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image to the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image can be obtained, F=P2×P1 -1 .

[0088] In the embodiment of the present application, since the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image is obtained based on the Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound imaging method, the principle of Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound imaging is to reconstruct three-dimensional ultrasound volume data based on the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the corresponding spatial position information, that is, the transformation relationship from the world coordinate system to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image space is known, and there is no need to first match the image coordinate points and then perform registration based on the matching results as in step S220, which greatly reduces the registration time, thereby enabling real-time registration during the ultrasound imaging process. Furthermore, the transformation relationship from the world coordinate system to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image space, the transformation relationship A from the ultrasound image space to the spatial positioning device space, and the transformation relationship R from the spatial positioning device space to the world coordinate space are known. probe , we can also directly obtain the coordinate transformation relationship between the coordinates of the same point in the two-dimensional ultrasound image space and the coordinates in the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image space.

[0089] In addition, the second registration result may be corrected according to the breathing correction function. The specific correction method is the same as the method for correcting the first registration result according to the breathing correction function.

[0090] In step S260, a three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion is obtained based on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image. The order in which steps S250 and S260 are performed is not limited. For example, the three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion may be obtained based on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image first, and then the postoperative three-dimensional image may be registered with the real-time acquired two-dimensional ultrasound image in real time.

[0091] The method for obtaining a 3D model of the ablation lesion from the postoperative 3D ultrasound image is similar to the method for obtaining a 3D model of the lesion from the preoperative 3D image. First, the ablation lesion in the postoperative 3D ultrasound image is segmented. Next, surface reconstruction is performed based on the 3D contours obtained from the segmentation to generate a 3D model of the ablation lesion. For detailed segmentation and surface reconstruction methods, refer to the description of step S230.

[0092] In step S270, based on the first registration result and the second registration result, the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, and the real-time acquired two-dimensional ultrasound image are mapped to the same image space for display. In one embodiment, the first registration result includes the transformation relationship between the three-dimensional space corresponding to the preoperative three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional space corresponding to the real-time acquired two-dimensional ultrasound image, and the second registration result includes the transformation relationship between the three-dimensional space corresponding to the postoperative three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional space corresponding to the real-time acquired two-dimensional ultrasound image. Based on the first registration result and the second registration result, the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus can be mapped to the same image space for display, for example, mapped to at least one of the three-dimensional space corresponding to the preoperative three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional space corresponding to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image, and the three-dimensional space corresponding to the real-time acquired two-dimensional ultrasound image. In another embodiment, the first registration result includes the spatial transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image, that is, the spatial transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the three-dimensional model of the lesion. The second registration result includes the spatial transformation relationship between the postoperative three-dimensional image and the two-dimensional ultrasound image, that is, the spatial mapping relationship between the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus and the two-dimensional ultrasound image. Thus, the spatial mapping relationship between the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus and the three-dimensional model of the lesion can be obtained, and then the two and the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time are mapped to the same image space for superimposed display. Based on the superimposed three-dimensional model of the ablation focus and the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the user can intuitively understand the ablation effect. In addition, since the two-dimensional ultrasound image is a two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time after the operation, if the non-ablated area is determined based on the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, the non-ablated area can be timely and accurately ablated based on the original navigation information during the ablation process. Exemplarily, the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus and the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time can be simultaneously mapped to at least two image spaces, for example, simultaneously mapped to the three-dimensional space corresponding to the preoperative three-dimensional image or the three-dimensional space corresponding to the two-dimensional ultrasound image, and views of different image spaces can be displayed in different windows.

[0093] See also Figure 5, the embodiment of the present application can display the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus from different perspectives in at least two display windows of the same display interface, so that the doctor can have a more comprehensive understanding of the ablation situation of the lesion at different angles. Exemplarily, the different perspectives include at least two opposite perspectives. For example, the three-dimensional display window 503 is used to display the main view, reflecting the view information of the front side of the lesion, wherein the three-dimensional model 501 of the lesion and the three-dimensional model 502 of the ablation focus are superimposed and displayed on the two-dimensional ultrasound image 505; the three-dimensional display window 504 is used to display the auxiliary view, reflecting the view information of the back side of the lesion. When the user rotates the viewing angle of the three-dimensional display window 503, the three-dimensional display window 504 rotates accordingly. In some embodiments, the three-dimensional display window for displaying the auxiliary view can also be implemented in the form of a small window, which is superimposed and displayed in the corner position of the three-dimensional display window for displaying the main view.

[0094] In some embodiments, if there are ablation residues after ablation, the area where the ablation residues are located can also be displayed distinctively to prompt the user to perform a refill on the area where the ablation residues are located. The area where the ablation residues are located is the portion of the three-dimensional model of the lesion that is not covered by the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus. Distinguishing the area where the ablation residues are located includes but is not limited to displaying the portion where the ablation residues are located in a color different from the rest of the three-dimensional model of the lesion. Since the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus in the embodiment of the present application is generated in real time after the ablation, the ablation residues can be displayed in real time, which is convenient for the user to perform a refill on the ablation residues in a timely manner based on the navigation information during the ablation process.

[0095] To sum up, the ablation effect display method 200 of the embodiment of the present application performs three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the ablation focus after ablation, and can timely and accurately align the preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image with the preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion, and superimpose the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to intuitively present the ablation residue, so that the user can make up for the ablation residue in time and improve the effect of the ablation surgery.

[0096] Below, we will refer to Figure 6 A method for displaying ablation effects according to another embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart of a method 600 for displaying ablation effects according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the method 600 for displaying ablation effects according to an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0097] In step S610, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the lesion, receive ultrasonic echo signals, and obtain a two-dimensional ultrasonic image according to the ultrasonic echo signals, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a spatial positioning device;

[0098] In step S620, the two-dimensional ultrasound image is registered with a pre-operative three-dimensional image of the lesion acquired in advance to obtain a first registration result;

[0099] In step S630, a three-dimensional model of the lesion is obtained based on the preoperative three-dimensional image;

[0100] In step S640, after the lesion is ablated to generate an ablation lesion, the ultrasound probe is controlled to perform three-dimensional ultrasound imaging on the ablation lesion to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0101] In step S650, a three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion is obtained according to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image;

[0102] In step S660, based on the positioning information acquired by the spatial positioning device and the first registration result, the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus are mapped to the same image space for display.

[0103] The display method 600 of the ablation effect of the embodiment of the present application is substantially similar to the display method 200 of the ablation effect described above. The difference is that step S660 of the display method 600 of the ablation effect is not limited to mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, and the two-dimensional ultrasound image to the same image space for display. It is sufficient as long as the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus are mapped to the same image space. For example, based on the first registration result, the coordinate transformation relationship P1 between the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image and the world coordinate space is obtained, and based on the positioning information obtained by the spatial positioning device, the coordinate transformation relationship P2 between the space of the postoperative three-dimensional image and the world coordinate space is obtained. The coordinate transformation relationship F from the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image to the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image can be obtained, F=P2×P1 -1 The 3D model of the lesion can then be mapped to the image space of the 3D model of the ablation lesion and displayed superimposed with the 3D model of the ablation lesion. Alternatively, the 3D model of the ablation lesion can be mapped to the image space of the 3D model of the lesion and displayed superimposed with the 3D model of the lesion. Simply by superimposing the 3D model of the lesion and the 3D model of the ablation lesion, the ablation effect can be presented to the user.

[0104] For other specific details of the ablation effect display method 600 , reference may be made to the relevant descriptions in the ablation effect display method 200 , which will not be elaborated here.

[0105] Another aspect of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging system for implementing the above-mentioned method 200 or method 600 for displaying ablation effects. The ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe, a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a processor, and a display. Figure 1 , the ultrasound imaging system can be implemented as follows Figure 1The ultrasound imaging system 100 shown may include an ultrasound probe 110, a transmitting circuit 112, a receiving circuit 114, a processor 116, and a display 118. Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include a transmit / receive selection switch 120 and a beamforming module 122. The transmitting circuit 112 and the receiving circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 via the transmit / receive selection switch 120. For the description of each component, please refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0106] The ultrasound imaging system of the embodiment of the present application can perform three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the ablation focus after ablation, can timely and accurately align the preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image with the preoperative three-dimensional image of the lesion, and superimpose and display the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, intuitively presenting the ablation residue, making it convenient for the user to perform supplementary injections on the ablation residue in a timely manner, thereby improving the effect of the ablation surgery.

[0107] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0108] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0109] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units described is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used, such as combining or integrating multiple units or components into another device, or ignoring or not performing some features.

[0110] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0111] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this approach of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the application claimed for protection requires more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. More precisely, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0112] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except where mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus disclosed herein may be combined in any combination. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature providing the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0113] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0114] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in a software module running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules according to the embodiments of the present application. The application can also be implemented as a part or all of a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for performing the method described herein. Such a program implementing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0115] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbols placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0116] The above description is merely a specific embodiment or illustration of a specific embodiment of the present application, and the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for displaying ablation effects, characterized in that: The method comprises: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the lesion, and receiving ultrasonic echo signals, and obtaining a two-dimensional ultrasonic image according to the ultrasonic echo signals, wherein the ultrasonic probe has a spatial positioning device; registering the two-dimensional ultrasound image with a pre-operative three-dimensional image of the lesion acquired in advance to obtain a first registration result; Obtaining a three-dimensional model of the lesion according to the preoperative three-dimensional image; Controlling the ultrasound probe to perform three-dimensional ultrasound imaging on the ablation lesion to obtain a postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image; performing real-time registration on the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image and the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time after ablation according to the positioning information acquired by the spatial positioning device to obtain a second registration result; Obtaining a three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion according to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image; Based on the first registration result and the second registration result, the three-dimensional model of the lesion, the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus, and the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time are mapped to the same image space for display.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first registration result includes a first transformation relationship between the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image and the world coordinate space, the second registration result includes a second transformation relationship between the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound and the world coordinate space, and mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to the same image space for display includes: A third transformation relationship from the space of the preoperative three-dimensional image to the space of the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image is obtained based on the first transformation relationship and the second transformation relationship. According to the third transformation relationship, the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus are mapped to the same image space for display.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The registering the two-dimensional ultrasound image with the pre-operative three-dimensional image of the lesion obtained in advance comprises: Acquiring a coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image; Obtaining a spatial transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the world coordinate space according to a spatial positioning device; The first transformation relationship is obtained according to the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image and the space transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the world coordinate space.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The spatial transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the world coordinate space obtained by the spatial positioning device includes: Acquiring a spatial transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the space of the spatial positioning device, and a spatial transformation relationship between the space of the spatial positioning device and the world coordinate space; The transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the world coordinate space is obtained based on the spatial transformation relationship between the space of the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the space of the spatial positioning device, and the spatial transformation relationship between the space of the spatial positioning device and the world coordinate space.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The acquiring of the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image comprises: Matching the two-dimensional ultrasound image with the two-dimensional section in the preoperative three-dimensional image to obtain a matching section of the two-dimensional ultrasound image in the preoperative three-dimensional image; A coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image is obtained according to the coordinates of the same feature point in the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the coordinates in the matching section.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The acquiring of the coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image comprises: A coordinate transformation relationship between the two-dimensional ultrasound image and the preoperative three-dimensional image is obtained based on an in vitro marker.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The preoperative three-dimensional image includes a preoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image obtained by performing three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the lesion using the ultrasound probe, and obtaining a second transformation relationship between the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound space and the world coordinate space includes: A second transformation relationship between the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound space and the world coordinate space is obtained according to the positioning information acquired by the spatial positioning device.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes correcting the first registration result and / or the second registration result according to a breathing correction function.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of obtaining the three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion according to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image comprises: Segmenting the ablation lesion area in the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image; Perform surface rendering or volume rendering on the ablation lesion area to obtain a three-dimensional model of the ablation lesion.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Mapping the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus to the same image space for display includes: In at least two display windows of the same display interface, the three-dimensional model of the lesion and the three-dimensional model of the ablation focus at different viewing angles are respectively displayed.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The different perspectives include at least two opposite perspectives.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The same image space includes at least one of a three-dimensional space corresponding to the preoperative three-dimensional image, a three-dimensional space corresponding to the postoperative three-dimensional ultrasound image, and a three-dimensional space corresponding to the two-dimensional ultrasound image acquired in real time.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: If there are ablation residues after ablation, the area where the ablation residues are located will be displayed separately to prompt the user to perform supplementary injections on the area where the ablation residues are located.

14. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: include: An ultrasound probe, wherein the ultrasound probe has a spatial positioning device; a transmitting circuit, configured to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target tissue; a receiving circuit, configured to control the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo to obtain the ultrasonic echo signal; A processor, configured to execute the steps of the method for displaying the ablation effect according to any one of claims 1-13.

Images