An ultrasonic image processing method, device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

This application discloses an ultrasound image processing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. In this scheme, after acquiring an ultrasound image, the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound image are first determined. Then, based on the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions, a punctureable area without distributed blood vessels is determined in the ultrasound image, bounded by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion. This safe punctureable area is clearly marked in the ultrasound image, thereby effectively reducing the risk of accidental injury to blood vessels. This scheme can automatically identify and mark punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images. With the help of marking these punctureable areas, doctors can determine the appropriate needle insertion position and puncture needle path, reducing the puncture risk. Correspondingly, the ultrasound image processing apparatus, device, and storage medium provided in this application also have the above-mentioned technical effects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to an ultrasound image processing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, ultrasound equipment can guide the puncture needle to the lesion smoothly and accurately, avoiding accidental damage to vital organs along the puncture path. However, current ultrasound equipment can only display the ultrasound images scanned, and doctors still need to rely on their professional skills and experience to avoid blood vessels of different sizes, which cannot effectively reduce the risk of accidental damage to blood vessels. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide an ultrasound image processing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium to identify and mark safe puncture-ready areas without distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images, effectively reducing the risk of accidental injury to blood vessels. The specific solution is as follows:

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an ultrasound image processing method, comprising:

[0005] Acquire ultrasound images;

[0006] Determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound images;

[0007] Based on the blood vessel distribution and the location of the lesion, punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels are identified and marked in the ultrasound image;

[0008] The punctureable area is formed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion.

[0009] Preferably, the step of determining and marking punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on the blood vessel distribution and the lesion location includes:

[0010] On the probe contact surface, multiple target coordinate points are identified where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels.

[0011] The area enclosed by the plurality of target coordinate points and the location of the lesion is defined as the punctureable area, and the punctureable area is marked in the ultrasound image.

[0012] Preferably, determining multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels includes:

[0013] In response to a user's selection operation on the probe contact surface, a series of coordinate points are selected on the probe contact surface;

[0014] If the line connecting each of the continuous coordinate points to the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, and the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is not less than the width of the puncture needle, then the continuous coordinate points are determined as the plurality of target coordinate points.

[0015] Preferably, if there is a coordinate point in the continuous coordinate points whose line connecting to the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, and / or the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is less than the width of the puncture needle, a corresponding prompt message is generated to prompt the user to reselect on the probe contact surface.

[0016] Preferably, determining multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels includes:

[0017] The system detects whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the probe contact surface to the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, and determines the coordinate points whose lines do not pass through the blood vessel as valid coordinate points.

[0018] Select the plurality of target coordinate points from the valid coordinate points.

[0019] Preferably, the step of detecting whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the contact surface of the probe to the location of the lesion passes through a blood vessel, and determining the coordinate points whose lines do not pass through the blood vessel as valid coordinate points, includes:

[0020] Starting from the initial position of the probe contact surface, each coordinate point on the probe contact surface is sequentially taken as a detection point;

[0021] If the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, the detection point is discarded, and the next coordinate point is detected.

[0022] If the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, then the detection point is recorded, and the next coordinate point is detected.

[0023] If all coordinate points on the probe contact surface have been detected, then all recorded detection points are determined as valid coordinate points.

[0024] Preferably, determining whether the line connecting any coordinate point to the location of the lesion passes through a blood vessel includes:

[0025] Connect the current coordinate point with the center point of the lesion location to obtain the target line;

[0026] Using the target line as the diagonal of the rectangle, the target rectangle is obtained;

[0027] If any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, then connect the current coordinate point with multiple coordinate points on the contour of the blood vessel to obtain multiple lines to be tested;

[0028] If the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or if the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel.

[0029] Preferably, the center point of the lesion location is manually selected by the user, or the midpoint of the line connecting the two furthest coordinate points on the outline of the lesion location.

[0030] Preferably, it further includes:

[0031] The punctureable area, the distribution of blood vessels, and the location of the lesion in the ultrasound image are displayed in CFM mode.

[0032] In another aspect, this application also provides an ultrasound image processing apparatus, comprising:

[0033] The acquisition module is used to acquire ultrasound images;

[0034] The determination module is used to determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound image;

[0035] A labeling module is used to identify and label punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on the blood vessel distribution and the lesion location;

[0036] The punctureable area is formed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion.

[0037] Preferably, the annotation module includes:

[0038] The first determining unit is used to determine, on the probe contact surface, multiple target coordinate points whose lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels;

[0039] The second determining unit is used to determine the area enclosed by the plurality of target coordinate points and the lesion location as the punctureable area, and to mark the punctureable area in the ultrasound image.

[0040] Preferably, the first determining unit includes:

[0041] A response subunit is used to select continuous coordinate points on the probe contact surface in response to a user's selection operation on the probe contact surface;

[0042] A subunit is defined to determine the continuous coordinate points as the plurality of target coordinate points if the line connecting each coordinate point in the continuous coordinate points to the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel and the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is not less than the width of the puncture needle.

[0043] Preferably, the first determining unit further includes:

[0044] The prompting subunit is used to generate a corresponding prompt message if there is a coordinate point in the continuous coordinate points whose line connecting to the lesion location passes through the blood vessel, and / or the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is less than the width of the puncture needle, so as to prompt the user to reselect on the probe contact surface.

[0045] Preferably, the first determining unit includes:

[0046] The detection subunit is used to detect whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the contact surface of the probe to the location of the lesion passes through the blood vessel, and to determine the coordinate points whose line connecting to the location of the lesion does not pass through the blood vessel as valid coordinate points;

[0047] The selection sub-unit is used to select the plurality of target coordinate points from the valid coordinate points.

[0048] Preferably, the detection subunit is specifically used for:

[0049] Starting from the initial position of the probe contact surface, each coordinate point on the probe contact surface is sequentially used as a detection point; if the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, the detection point is discarded, and the next coordinate point is detected; if the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, the detection point is recorded, and the next coordinate point is detected; if all coordinate points on the probe contact surface have been detected, all recorded detection points are determined as valid coordinate points.

[0050] Preferably, the annotation module is specifically used for:

[0051] Connect the current coordinate point with the center point of the lesion location to obtain a target line; use the target line as the diagonal of a rectangle to obtain a target rectangle; if any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, connect the current coordinate point with multiple coordinate points on the outline of the blood vessel to obtain multiple test lines; if the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel.

[0052] Preferably, the center point of the lesion location is manually selected by the user, or the midpoint of the line connecting the two furthest coordinate points on the outline of the lesion location.

[0053] Preferably, it further includes:

[0054] The display module is used to display the punctureable area, the blood vessel distribution, and the lesion location in the ultrasound image in CFM mode.

[0055] In another aspect, this application also provides an electronic device, which includes a processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, which is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the aforementioned ultrasound image processing method.

[0056] Preferably, the electronic device is an ultrasound diagnostic device or an ultrasound workstation.

[0057] In another aspect, this application also provides a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, implement the aforementioned ultrasound image processing method.

[0058] This application, after acquiring ultrasound images, first determines the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound images. Then, based on the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions, it identifies a punctureable area in the ultrasound image—a region without distributed blood vessels—enclosed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion, along with the puncture site in the depth direction. This safe punctureable area is clearly marked in the ultrasound image, thereby effectively reducing the risk of accidental damage to blood vessels. This solution can automatically identify and mark punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images. Using this marked punctureable area, doctors can determine the appropriate needle insertion point and puncture needle path, reducing puncture risks.

[0059] Correspondingly, the ultrasound image processing apparatus, equipment, and storage medium provided in this application also have the aforementioned technical effects. Attached Figure Description

[0060] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0061] Figure 1 This application provides a flowchart of an ultrasound image processing method;

[0062] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the labeling method for blood vessel distribution and lesion location provided in this application;

[0063] Figure 4 and Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the puncture-prone area provided in this application;

[0064] Figure 6 A calculation diagram for determining the punctureable area provided in this application;

[0065] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an ultrasound image processing device provided in this application;

[0066] Figure 8 A structural diagram of an electronic device provided in this application;

[0067] Figure 9 Another electronic device structure diagram provided for this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] Current ultrasound equipment can only display the ultrasound images that have been scanned. Doctors still need to rely on their professional skills and experience to avoid blood vessels of different sizes, which cannot effectively reduce the risk of accidentally damaging blood vessels.

[0069] In view of the above-mentioned problems, this application proposes an ultrasound image processing scheme that can identify and mark safe puncture areas without distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images, thereby assisting doctors in determining the appropriate needle insertion position and path and effectively reducing the risk of accidental damage to blood vessels.

[0070] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound image processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. This ultrasound image processing method can be applied to electronic devices such as ultrasound diagnostic equipment. Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound image processing method may include the following steps:

[0071] S101. Acquire ultrasound images.

[0072] In this embodiment, the ultrasound image can be obtained by frame-by-frame extraction from an ultrasound image. Therefore, in one specific implementation, acquiring an ultrasound image includes: acquiring an ultrasound image obtained during the ultrasound detection process, and extracting an ultrasound image from the ultrasound image. The ultrasound image can be an ultrasound image of a subject detected by an ultrasound probe, which may contain organs, human tissues, and blood vessels. Additionally, the subject can be the object to be punctured.

[0073] S102. Determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound image.

[0074] The distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in ultrasound images can be determined using CFM (Color Flow Mapping) imaging or elastography. The determined blood vessel distribution and lesion locations need to be marked on the ultrasound images; the marking and display methods can be flexibly set. For example... Figure 2 As shown, blood vessels are outlined with dashed lines, and lesions are outlined with solid lines. Of course, other methods can also be used... Figure 3 The color-coding or other methods are used to label and display the information.

[0075] The indicated blood vessel distribution and lesion location can remain on the background image and can also flash at a certain frequency to enhance the prompting effect on the user.

[0076] S103. Based on the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions, identify and mark punctureable areas with no distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images.

[0077] The punctureable area is formed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion, and there are no blood vessels distributed in this area.

[0078] Based on the shape of the puncture needle, it is known that in punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels, the needle must be inserted into the lesion along the path shown by the probe contact surface in the ultrasound image (i.e., the plane of the patient's skin scanned by the ultrasound probe as imaged in the ultrasound image), without damaging blood vessels or other organs. Therefore, combined with... Figure 4 As can be seen from the safe puncture area shown, the ultrasound image described in this embodiment is a depth-oriented image. The probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image is generally positioned at zero depth; therefore, the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image is also called the zero-depth surface. Figures 2-6 The "zero depth surface" in the ultrasound image refers to the probe contact surface.

[0079] Depend on Figure 4 It can be seen that from N L ~N R Inserting the needle at a certain angle in this location allows the puncture needle to directly reach the lesion. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the needle insertion point and path can also be marked in the safe puncture area of ​​the ultrasound image to facilitate the doctor's judgment.

[0080] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, "identifying and marking punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images" can be obtained by the ultrasound device automatically processing the ultrasound images after acquiring them, or it can be obtained by the ultrasound device responding to the user's selection on the ultrasound images.

[0081] The automatic processing of ultrasound images by ultrasound equipment includes: automatically detecting and judging the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image to find the needle insertion location and the corresponding puncture area. For example, the ultrasound equipment performs image recognition on the probe contact surface based on the ultrasound image, identifies the location of the skin corresponding to the current probe contact surface, and determines the needle insertion location and the corresponding puncture area based on the identified skin location.

[0082] The ultrasound equipment responds to user selections on the ultrasound image by: when the ultrasound image is displayed on the ultrasound equipment, a virtual pointer (such as a mouse cursor) can be set on the display interface. The user can then control this virtual pointer using an input device such as a mouse to select a suitable needle insertion location on the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image. In response to this selection, the ultrasound equipment further determines whether the selected needle insertion location meets the following criteria: the puncture needle will not damage blood vessels or other organs along its path into the lesion. If the criteria are met, the corresponding punctureable area is identified and marked in the ultrasound image. If the criteria are not met, the user is notified that the selection is invalid and prompted to select again.

[0083] In one specific implementation, the punctureable area, blood vessel distribution, and lesion location in the ultrasound image can be displayed in CFM mode. Of course, the display and imaging parameters in CFM mode can be simplified to streamline processing steps and reduce computer overhead. The simplification only needs to ensure that the punctureable area, blood vessel distribution, and lesion location are clearly visible on the ultrasound image. The marked blood vessel distribution, lesion location, and punctureable area can remain permanently on the background image and can also flash at a certain frequency to enhance the user's awareness.

[0084] As can be seen, this embodiment, after acquiring the ultrasound image, first determines the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound image. Then, based on the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions, it identifies and marks punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image. This clearly marks safe punctureable areas in the ultrasound image, thereby effectively reducing the risk of accidental injury to blood vessels. This solution can automatically identify and mark punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image. With the help of marking these punctureable areas, doctors can determine the appropriate needle insertion point and puncture needle path, reducing the puncture risk.

[0085] Based on the above embodiments, it should be noted that, in one specific implementation, based on the distribution of blood vessels and the location of the lesion, determining and marking the punctureable area without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image includes: determining multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image where the lines connecting to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels; determining the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location as the punctureable area, and marking the punctureable area in the ultrasound image.

[0086] Which coordinate points on the probe contact surface meet the following two conditions: the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through the blood vessel, and the area enclosed by the lesion location does not cover the blood vessel? The coordinate points on the probe contact surface can be detected using the following two methods.

[0087] The first method involves the user selecting certain continuous coordinate points on the probe contact surface. These selected points are then tested one by one. If the continuous coordinate points meet the two conditions mentioned above, the corresponding punctureable area is identified and marked in the ultrasound image. Otherwise, the user is prompted to reselect. Therefore, in one specific implementation, determining multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image where the lines connecting to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels includes: responding to the user's selection operation on the probe contact surface by selecting continuous coordinate points; if the lines connecting each of the continuous coordinate points to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels, and the length of the connecting lines is not less than the width of the puncture needle, then the continuous coordinate points are identified as multiple target coordinate points. If there are coordinate points among the continuous coordinate points whose lines connecting to the lesion location pass through blood vessels, and / or the length of the connecting lines is less than the width of the puncture needle, a corresponding prompt message is generated to prompt the user to reselect on the probe contact surface. Allowing the doctor to select independently on the probe contact surface helps the doctor choose a suitable needle insertion position. In other words, the location chosen by the doctor is the appropriate needle insertion point.

[0088] The second method involves comprehensively detecting and judging all coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image to identify needle insertion locations and corresponding puncture areas. Therefore, in one specific implementation, multiple target coordinate points are determined on the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels. This includes: detecting whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the probe contact surface to the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, and determining the coordinate points whose lines do not pass through blood vessels as valid coordinate points; and selecting multiple target coordinate points from the valid coordinate points.

[0089] It should be noted that the punctureable area identified in this application may not be a single one; that is, there may be more than one coordinate point that satisfies the above two conditions. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 NL ~N R These coordinate points and M L ~M R If all these coordinate points satisfy the above two conditions, then we can determine as follows: Figure 5 The two puncture sites are shown. These puncture sites can be marked on the ultrasound image for the user to select.

[0090] Regarding the second method described above, the specific detection process can be referred to as follows. In one specific implementation, the process involves detecting whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the probe contact surface to the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, and determining the coordinate points whose lines do not pass through the blood vessel as valid coordinate points. This includes: starting from the initial position of the probe contact surface, sequentially taking each coordinate point on the probe contact surface as a detection point; if the line connecting the detection point to the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, discarding the detection point and detecting the next coordinate point; if the line connecting the detection point to the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, recording the detection point and detecting the next coordinate point; if all coordinate points on the probe contact surface have been detected, determining all recorded detection points as valid coordinate points. Then, from all valid coordinate points, coordinate points that simultaneously satisfy the above two conditions can be found.

[0091] Please see Figure 6 Select coordinate point N from left to right on the probe contact surface. i The value of i starts from 0, and the distance between two adjacent coordinate points is equal, until the rightmost coordinate point on the probe contact surface is obtained. Each time a coordinate point is obtained, it is used as a detection point. Then, it is determined whether the line connecting the coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel, thereby determining whether to record the coordinate point or discard it.

[0092] Based on the above embodiments, it should be noted that determining whether the line connecting any coordinate point to the lesion location passes through a blood vessel includes: connecting the center point of the current coordinate point and the lesion location to obtain a target line; using the target line as the diagonal of a rectangle to obtain a target rectangle; if any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, connecting the current coordinate point to multiple coordinate points on the contour of the blood vessel to obtain multiple test lines; if the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point to the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point to the lesion location passes through the blood vessel. The center point of the lesion location is manually selected by the user, or the midpoint of the line connecting the two furthest coordinate points on the contour of the lesion location. If the target rectangle covers multiple blood vessels, and a judgment is made for one blood vessel, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point to the lesion location passes through that blood vessel, then it is unnecessary to judge the other blood vessels, and it can be directly determined that the current coordinate point does not meet the condition.

[0093] Please see Figure 6 Choose any coordinate point N on the probe contact surface. i Connect N i Connect the line N to the center point T0 of the lesion location. i T0, connected by line N i T0 is the diagonal of the rectangle, resulting in rectangle N. i AT0B. (e.g.) Figure 6 As shown, rectangle N i AT0B covers both vessel region 1 and vessel region 2, so we need to make judgments for vessel region 1 and vessel region 2 separately. Specifically, by comparing the coordinates of each coordinate point on any vessel contour with the coordinates of the four vertices of the rectangle, we can determine whether the vessel is covered by the rectangle.

[0094] For any vascular region covered by a rectangle, take multiple coordinate points on the outline of the vascular region (only take points on the vascular region covered by the rectangle), and connect these coordinate points with N. i Multiple test lines are obtained, such as Figure 6 N in i P1, N i P2, N i P3……N i P N Then compare each test line with the connecting line N. i The magnitude of the slope of T0, if the slope of each line to be tested is greater than that of the connecting line N. i The slope of T0, or the slope of each line to be tested, is less than that of the connecting line N. i The slope of T0 determines the connecting line N. i T0 did not cross the blood vessel; otherwise, determine the connection line N. i T0 crosses the blood vessel.

[0095] According to the inventive concept provided in this application, the following embodiments provide a method for real-time blood vessel localization. By performing a full-area scan of the imaging area during the puncture process, the accurate location of the blood vessel is obtained after signal processing, and the location of the blood vessel is marked by a calibration method. Then, an optional puncture area is planned to suggest a better puncture path to avoid the area, thereby ensuring the safety and accuracy of the puncture.

[0096] This involves using the existing CFM or puncture modes in the ultrasound equipment to scan the imaging area and mark the location of blood vessels within it. Furthermore, the imaging parameters and display methods can be simplified to allow for faster scanning while maintaining accuracy, thus improving efficiency.

[0097] In CFM or puncture mode, different types of probes may have different scanning and imaging parameters. Ultrasonic waves are emitted to the scanned area via an ultrasonic transducer in the probe, and then the ultrasonic echoes are received, processed, and used for ultrasonic imaging. The probes can be of various types, such as convex arrays, linear arrays, or phased arrays. They can convert electrical signals into ultrasonic waves using piezoelectric conversion materials for transmission, or receive ultrasonic waves and convert them back into electrical signals for processing.

[0098] During the imaging process, commonly used blood flow imaging algorithms can be employed to process the echo data, thereby determining the region of blood flow signal within the entire imaging plane, and ultimately identifying the location of blood vessels. Different annotation methods can then be used to mark the regions containing the blood vessels. Annotation methods can be referenced... Figure 2 , Figure 3 And other commonly used methods.

[0099] After imaging the scanned area and identifying the vascular regions and lesions, the puncture-prone areas are determined based on this information, specifically including:

[0100] (1) Locate the center of the lesion area. There are two ways to do this: manual and automatic. In the manual way, the user selects the center of the lesion area according to the actual needs. In the automatic way, the program selects the two points with the largest distance between any two points on the identified lesion outline, and takes the midpoint of the line connecting them as the center of the lesion area.

[0101] (2) Select target points from left to right along the probe contact surface of the image at certain steps (such as 1 mm, 2 mm or other), denoted as N. i Connect T0 and N. i And determine T0N i Does the line pass through the area where blood vessels are located? If so, then N i If a point is invalid, then continue to check the next point; if it is not visited, then the N... i If the point is valid, record its coordinates.

[0102] Please see Figure 6 , judge T0N i Methods to determine if a line passes through an area containing blood vessels:

[0103] 1) Based on T0, N i Calculate the slope of the straight line passing through the two points using their coordinates.

[0104] 2) Screening may fall into T0N i The vascular area along the line;

[0105] Specifically, with T0N iThe diagonal lines define a rectangular region. By comparing the coordinates of each blood vessel outline with the coordinates of the four corners of the rectangular region, it is determined whether the region where each blood vessel is located falls within the selected rectangle. If so, the blood vessel is covered by the rectangle, and the process proceeds to step 3). If not, the blood vessel is not covered by the rectangle, and the process does not proceed to the subsequent calculation steps.

[0106] 3) For the blood vessels falling into the rectangular area, calculate N sequentially. i The slope of the line connecting each blood vessel contour point is used to obtain the relationship between the blood vessel region and N. i The range of slopes of the lines connecting the points, compared to T0N i The slope of the connecting line is within the range of slopes mentioned above. If TON i If the slope of the connecting line falls within the above slope range, it means that the puncture path to the current target point will pass through the blood vessel area, and this path is invalid, i.e., N. i Point invalid. If T0N i If the slope of the connecting line does not fall within the above slope range, then according to the above logic, continue to determine the next blood vessel region within the rectangular region.

[0107] If T0N i The line does not pass through any blood vessels within the rectangular area, then N i The point is valid.

[0108] Among them, T0N i The formula for calculating the slope of the connecting line can be found in the following formula:

[0109]

[0110] For T0N i The slope of the line connecting the points, and the coordinates of point T0 are (X... T0 Y T0 ), N i The coordinates of the point are (X Ni Y Ni Of course, the slopes of other connecting lines can also be calculated using this method.

[0111] (3) Record all the effective Ni points obtained from the above steps, and select the continuous parts to form several puncture-ready zero-depth positions. The puncture-ready zero-depth position refers to the position on the surface of the imaging object that the probe contacts, where the needle can be inserted. It is advisable that the length of the line connecting the continuous effective Ni points is greater than the width of the puncture needle. That is, a certain number of continuous points are needed to determine that it is a puncture-ready position. Record the coordinates of these continuous points.

[0112] (4) Based on the coordinates of the aforementioned continuous points, display the puncture-safe area that avoids blood vessels. For each of the zero-depth puncture locations selected in step three, a corresponding puncture-safe area can be determined. Connecting the boundary points of each puncture-safe area yields the puncture zone, within which the user can perform punctures safely. The boundary points of the puncture-safe area are as follows: Figure 4 N in L N R 、T0.

[0113] At this point, the user can check whether the identified safe puncture area is suitable for needle insertion based on the position of the puncture needle and probe. If not, the user can adjust the probe position according to the current safe puncture area, and the ultrasound device will repeat the above steps to re-determine the safe puncture area until a suitable safe puncture area is found.

[0114] Specifically, physical buttons can be installed on the ultrasound equipment, or virtual buttons can be designed on the display screen of the ultrasound equipment. When the user triggers the physical button or the virtual button, the ultrasound equipment will begin the above process to determine and mark the safe puncture area.

[0115] For detailed implementation processes of each step in this embodiment, please refer to the corresponding content disclosed in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0116] As can be seen, this embodiment can pinpoint blood vessel locations in ultrasound images and then plan safe puncture areas for direct puncture in real time. This indicates optimal puncture paths that can avoid blood vessels, ensuring the safety and accuracy of the puncture. Simultaneously, the marked safe puncture areas can also help users determine and adjust the positions of the probe and puncture needle. For example, if the puncture needle is on the left side of the probe, but the identified safe puncture area is on the right side, the probe can be moved to the right to find a suitable safe puncture area.

[0117] The following describes an ultrasonic image processing device provided in an embodiment of this application. The ultrasonic image processing device described below and the ultrasonic image processing method and corresponding technical effects described above can be referred to each other.

[0118] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an ultrasound image processing device provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0119] Acquisition module 701 is used to acquire ultrasound images;

[0120] The determination module 702 is used to determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in ultrasound images;

[0121] The annotation module 703 is used to identify and annotate punctureable areas of non-distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images based on blood vessel distribution and lesion location; the punctureable area is enclosed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented in the ultrasound image and the lesion location.

[0122] In one specific implementation, the annotation module includes:

[0123] The first determining unit is used to determine multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image, where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels;

[0124] The second determining unit is used to determine the area enclosed by multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location as the punctureable area, and to mark the punctureable area in the ultrasound image.

[0125] In one specific embodiment, the first determining unit includes:

[0126] The response subunit is used to respond to the user's selection operation on the probe contact surface and select continuous coordinate points on the probe contact surface;

[0127] A sub-unit is defined to determine multiple target coordinate points if the line connecting each coordinate point in the continuous coordinate points to the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, and the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is not less than the width of the puncture needle.

[0128] In one specific embodiment, the first determining unit further includes:

[0129] The prompt subunit is used to generate a corresponding prompt message if there are coordinate points in the continuous coordinate points whose line connecting to the lesion location passes through the blood vessel, and / or the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is less than the width of the puncture needle, so as to prompt the user to reselect on the probe contact surface.

[0130] In one specific embodiment, the first determining unit includes:

[0131] The detection subunit is used to detect whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the probe contact surface to the lesion location passes through the blood vessel, and to determine the coordinate points whose line does not pass through the blood vessel as valid coordinate points.

[0132] Select sub-cells to select multiple target coordinate points from valid coordinate points.

[0133] In one specific implementation, the detection subunit is specifically used for:

[0134] Starting from the initial position of the probe contact surface, each coordinate point on the probe contact surface is sequentially used as a detection point; if the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, the detection point is discarded and the next coordinate point is detected; if the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, the detection point is recorded and the next coordinate point is detected; if all coordinate points on the probe contact surface have been detected, all recorded detection points are determined as valid coordinate points.

[0135] In one specific implementation, the annotation module is specifically used for:

[0136] Connect the current coordinate point with the center point of the lesion location to obtain the target line; use the target line as the diagonal of the rectangle to obtain the target rectangle; if any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, connect the current coordinate point with multiple coordinate points on the outline of the blood vessel to obtain multiple test lines; if the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel.

[0137] In one specific implementation, the center point of the lesion location is manually selected by the user, or the midpoint of the line connecting the two furthest coordinate points on the outline of the lesion location is taken.

[0138] In one specific implementation, it further includes:

[0139] The display module is used to display the punctureable area, blood vessel distribution, and lesion location in ultrasound images in CFM mode.

[0140] For more detailed information on the working process of each module and unit in this embodiment, please refer to the relevant content disclosed in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0141] As can be seen, this embodiment provides an ultrasound image processing device that can automatically identify and mark punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in ultrasound images. With the help of marking the punctureable areas, doctors can determine the appropriate needle insertion position and puncture needle path, reducing puncture risks.

[0142] The following describes an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The electronic device described below can be referred to in conjunction with the ultrasound image processing method, apparatus and corresponding technical effects described above.

[0143] This application also provides an electronic device. The aforementioned electronic device can be used as follows: Figure 8 As shown. Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. The content of the diagram should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. The electronic device may be a server.

[0144] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, the electronic device may include: at least one processor 51, at least one memory 52, a power supply 53, a communication interface 54, an input / output interface 55, and a communication bus 56. The memory 52 stores a computer program, which is loaded and executed by the processor 51 to implement the relevant steps in the ultrasound image processing disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0145] In this embodiment, the power supply 53 is used to provide operating voltage for various hardware devices on the electronic device; the communication interface 54 can create a data transmission channel between the electronic device and external devices, and the communication protocol it follows can be any communication protocol applicable to the technical solution of this application, and is not specifically limited here; the input / output interface 55 is used to acquire external input data or output data to the outside world, and its specific interface type can be selected according to specific application needs, and is not specifically limited here.

[0146] In addition, the memory 52, as a carrier for resource storage, can be a read-only memory, random access memory, disk, or optical disk, etc. The resources stored on it include operating system 521, computer program 522, and data 523, etc., and the storage method can be temporary storage or permanent storage.

[0147] The operating system 521 manages and controls the various hardware devices and computer programs 522 on the electronic device to enable the processor 51 to perform calculations and processing on the data 523 in the memory 52. ​​It can be Windows Server, Netware, Unix, Linux, etc. The computer program 522, in addition to including a computer program capable of performing the ultrasound image processing method disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments, may further include computer programs capable of performing other specific tasks. The data 523 may include application update information and application developer information.

[0148] Electronic devices can be terminals, which may include, but are not limited to, ultrasound diagnostic equipment, ultrasound workstations, smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers.

[0149] Please see Figure 9 The terminal includes a processor 61 and a memory 62.

[0150] The processor 61 may include one or more processing cores, such as a quad-core processor or an octa-core processor. The processor 61 may be implemented using at least one hardware form selected from DSP (Digital Signal Processing), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and PLA (Programmable Logic Array). The processor 61 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state. In some embodiments, the processor 61 may integrate a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which is responsible for rendering and drawing the content to be displayed on the screen. In some embodiments, the processor 61 may also include an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor, which is used to handle computational operations related to machine learning.

[0151] The memory 62 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. The memory 62 may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In this embodiment, the memory 62 is used to store at least the following computer program 621, which, after being loaded and executed by the processor 61, is capable of implementing the relevant steps in the ultrasound image processing method executed on the terminal side as disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments. In addition, the resources stored in the memory 62 may also include an operating system 622 and data 623, and the storage method may be temporary or permanent storage. The operating system 622 may include Windows, Unix, Linux, etc. The data 623 may include, but is not limited to, application update information.

[0152] In some embodiments, the terminal may further include a display screen 63, an input / output interface 64, a communication interface 65, a sensor 66, a power supply 67, and a communication bus 68.

[0153] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 9 The structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the terminal and may include more or fewer components than illustrated.

[0154] The following describes a storage medium provided in an embodiment of this application. The storage medium described below can be referred to in conjunction with the ultrasound image processing method, apparatus, device, and corresponding technical effects described above.

[0155] This application also discloses a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions. When these instructions are loaded and executed by a processor, they implement the ultrasound image processing method disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments. Specific steps of this method can be found in the corresponding content disclosed in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0156] It should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0157] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to in the method section.

[0158] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic image processing device, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire ultrasound images; The determination module is used to determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound image; A labeling module is used to identify and label punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on the blood vessel distribution and the lesion location; The punctureable area is formed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion; The annotation module includes: The first determining unit is used to determine, on the probe contact surface, multiple target coordinate points whose lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels; The second determining unit is used to determine the area enclosed by the plurality of target coordinate points and the lesion location as the punctureable area, and to mark the punctureable area in the ultrasound image; Specifically, the annotation module is used for: Connect the current coordinate point with the center point of the lesion location to obtain a target line; use the target line as the diagonal of a rectangle to obtain a target rectangle; if any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, connect the current coordinate point with multiple coordinate points on the outline of the blood vessel to obtain multiple test lines; if the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first determining unit includes: A response subunit is used to select continuous coordinate points on the probe contact surface in response to a user's selection operation on the probe contact surface; A subunit is defined to determine the continuous coordinate points as the plurality of target coordinate points if the line connecting each coordinate point in the continuous coordinate points to the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel and the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is not less than the width of the puncture needle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first determining unit further includes: The prompting subunit is used to generate a corresponding prompt message if there is a coordinate point in the continuous coordinate points whose line connecting to the lesion location passes through the blood vessel, and / or the length of the line connecting the continuous coordinate points is less than the width of the puncture needle, so as to prompt the user to reselect on the probe contact surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first determining unit includes: The detection subunit is used to detect whether the line connecting each coordinate point on the contact surface of the probe to the location of the lesion passes through the blood vessel, and to determine the coordinate points whose line connecting to the location of the lesion does not pass through the blood vessel as valid coordinate points; The selection sub-unit is used to select the plurality of target coordinate points from the valid coordinate points.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The detection subunit is specifically used for: Starting from the initial position of the probe contact surface, each coordinate point on the probe contact surface is sequentially used as a detection point; if the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location passes through a blood vessel, the detection point is discarded, and the next coordinate point is detected; if the line connecting the detection point and the lesion location does not pass through a blood vessel, the detection point is recorded, and the next coordinate point is detected; if all coordinate points on the probe contact surface have been detected, all recorded detection points are determined as valid coordinate points.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The center point of the lesion location is manually selected by the user, or the midpoint of the line connecting the two furthest coordinate points on the outline of the lesion location.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, which is loaded by the processor and executes the following steps: Acquire ultrasound images; Determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound images; Based on the blood vessel distribution and the location of the lesion, punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels are identified and marked in the ultrasound image; The punctureable area is formed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion; The step of determining and marking punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on the blood vessel distribution and the lesion location includes: On the probe contact surface, multiple target coordinate points are identified where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels. The area enclosed by the plurality of target coordinate points and the lesion location is defined as the punctureable area, and the punctureable area is marked in the ultrasound image; The determination of whether the line connecting any coordinate point to the location of the lesion passes through a blood vessel includes: Connect the current coordinate point with the center point of the lesion location to obtain the target line; Using the target line as the diagonal of the rectangle, the target rectangle is obtained; If any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, then connect the current coordinate point with multiple coordinate points on the contour of the blood vessel to obtain multiple lines to be tested; If the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or if the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The electronic device is an ultrasound diagnostic device or an ultrasound workstation.

9. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, perform the following steps: Acquire ultrasound images; Determine the distribution of blood vessels and the location of lesions in the ultrasound images; Based on the blood vessel distribution and the location of the lesion, punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels are identified and marked in the ultrasound image; The punctureable area is formed by multiple target coordinate points on the probe contact surface presented by the ultrasound image and the location of the lesion; The step of determining and marking punctureable areas without distributed blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on the blood vessel distribution and the lesion location includes: On the probe contact surface, multiple target coordinate points are identified where the lines connecting them to the lesion location do not pass through blood vessels; the area enclosed by the multiple target coordinate points and the lesion location does not cover blood vessels. The area enclosed by the plurality of target coordinate points and the lesion location is defined as the punctureable area, and the punctureable area is marked in the ultrasound image; The determination of whether the line connecting any coordinate point to the location of the lesion passes through a blood vessel includes: Connect the current coordinate point with the center point of the lesion location to obtain the target line; Using the target line as the diagonal of the rectangle, the target rectangle is obtained; If any blood vessel is covered by the target rectangle, then connect the current coordinate point with multiple coordinate points on the contour of the blood vessel to obtain multiple lines to be tested; If the slope of each test line is greater than the slope of the target line, or if the slope of each test line is less than the slope of the target line, then it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location does not pass through the blood vessel; otherwise, it is determined that the line connecting the current coordinate point and the lesion location passes through the blood vessel.

Images