A strain elastography method, device, and storage medium

Abstract

A strain elasticity imaging method (400), device (10), and storage medium. The method (400) includes: controlling an ultrasonic probe (100) to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target tissue to be measured, receiving ultrasonic echoes, and acquiring ultrasonic echo data based on the ultrasonic echoes (S410); generating an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic echo data, and acquiring a region of interest and a target tissue region in the region of interest in the ultrasonic image (S420); calculating the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest based on the ultrasonic echo data (S430); and performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elasticity image of the region of interest (S440). The method (400) generates a strain elasticity image based on the strain value of the target tissue region, thereby improving the quality and reliability of strain elasticity imaging.

Description

[0001] manual Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of ultrasonic imaging technology, and more specifically to a strain elasticity imaging method, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, strain elastography has been widely used in clinical research and diagnosis. Strain elastography uses a probe to compress tissue and calculates tissue displacement and strain in real time to generate images of elastic parameters within the imaging area. It can qualitatively determine the firmness or softness of a lesion relative to surrounding tissue and is currently commonly used in clinical settings such as thyroid, breast, and musculoskeletal diseases. Determining tissue firmness can effectively assist in the diagnosis and evaluation of cancer lesions, benign or malignant tumors, and postoperative recovery.

[0004] Strain elasticity images generally use different colors to represent different tissue hardness or strain values. Current strain elasticity algorithms use the mean strain value of the entire imaging area as a benchmark to perform color mapping and conversion on the imaging area. However, when performing strain elasticity imaging on tissues such as the thyroid and breast, the imaging area not only contains target tissues such as the thyroid and breast, but also blood vessels, dark areas, and other tissues. The strain values of these tissue areas often differ significantly from those of the target tissue, appearing extremely soft or hard in the strain image. This causes a shift in the mean strain value of the entire imaging area. When color mapping is performed based on this mean strain value, normal target tissues appear too hard or too soft in the strain image, reducing image credibility and severely affecting image quality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] On the one hand, the present application provides a strain elastic imaging method, which includes: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object's tissue to be measured, receiving an echo of the ultrasonic waves, and acquiring ultrasonic echo data based on the echo of the ultrasonic waves; generating an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic echo data, and acquiring a region of interest in the ultrasonic image and a target tissue region in the region of interest; calculating the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest based on the ultrasonic echo data; performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elastic image of the region of interest.

[0006] On the other hand, the present application provides a strain elastic imaging method, which includes: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to a target object's tissue to be measured, receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave, and obtaining first ultrasonic echo data based on the echo of the first ultrasonic wave; generating an ultrasonic image based on the first ultrasonic echo data, and obtaining a region of interest in the ultrasonic image and a target tissue region in the region of interest; controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave at least to a sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be measured, receiving an echo of the second ultrasonic wave, and obtaining second ultrasonic echo data based on the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; calculating the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest based on the second ultrasonic echo data; performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elastic image of the region of interest.

[0007] On the other hand, the present application provides a strain elasticity imaging method, which includes: providing a selection method for a strain elasticity imaging mode; controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to a target tissue to be measured based on the selection of the strain elasticity imaging mode, receiving an echo of the ultrasonic waves, and acquiring ultrasonic echo data based on the echo of the ultrasonic waves; generating an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic echo data, and acquiring a target tissue area in the ultrasonic image; calculating the strain of the target tissue area based on the ultrasonic echo data; and generating and displaying a strain elasticity image of the target tissue area based on the strain of the target tissue area.

[0008] On the other hand, the present application provides a strain elasticity imaging method, which includes: providing a selection method for an ultrasound imaging mode and a selection method for a strain elasticity imaging mode; based on the selection of the ultrasound imaging mode, controlling the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound to the target tissue to be measured, receiving the echo of the ultrasound, and obtaining ultrasound echo data based on the echo of the ultrasound; generating an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo data, and obtaining the target tissue area in the ultrasound image; based on the selection of the strain elasticity imaging mode, switching the ultrasound imaging mode to the strain elasticity imaging mode, and controlling the ultrasound probe to transmit a second ultrasound to at least the sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue area in the tissue to be measured, receiving the echo of the second ultrasound, and obtaining second ultrasound echo data based on the echo of the second ultrasound; calculating the strain of the target tissue area based on the second ultrasound echo data; generating and displaying a strain elasticity image of the target tissue area based on the strain of the target tissue area.

[0009] On the other hand, the present application provides a strain elasticity imaging device, which includes an ultrasonic probe, a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit and a processor, wherein: the transmitting circuit is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target object's tissue to be measured; the receiving circuit is used to control the ultrasonic probe to receive ultrasonic echoes returned from the tissue to be measured to obtain ultrasonic echo signals; the processor is used to generate ultrasonic image data based on the ultrasonic echo signals; and the processor is also used to execute the above-mentioned strain elasticity imaging method.

[0010] In another aspect of the present application, a storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored on the storage medium, and the computer program executes the above-mentioned strain elasticity imaging method when running.

[0011] The strain elasticity imaging method, apparatus, and storage medium according to the embodiments of the present application generate a strain elasticity image of a target tissue region or a region of interest containing the target tissue region based on the strain value of the target tissue region. This can reduce or even prevent the influence of the strain values of other tissues or regions on the target tissue strain image, thereby improving the quality and reliability of strain elasticity imaging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a strain elasticity image obtained by an existing strain elasticity imaging method.

[0013] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating deviations in strain elasticity images obtained using existing strain elasticity imaging methods.

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of an exemplary ultrasound imaging device for implementing the strain elasticity imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a strain elastography method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0016] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A schematic diagram illustrating an example of identifying and segmenting a target region in a strain elastography method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating another example of identifying and segmenting a target region in a strain elastography method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B and Figure 7C A schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of identifying and segmenting a target region in a strain elastography method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0019] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a color mapping scheme in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating another example of a color mapping scheme in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display scheme in a strain elastography method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 11 A schematic flowchart of a strain elastography method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0023] Figure 12 A schematic flowchart of a strain elastography method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0024] Figure 13A and Figure 13B An exemplary schematic diagram illustrating a display scheme in a strain elasticity imaging method according to yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 14 A schematic flowchart of a strain elastography method according to yet another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0026] Figure 15 A schematic block diagram of a strain elasticity imaging device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, example embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail below 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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 also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0031] In order to thoroughly understand the present application, detailed steps and detailed structures will be provided in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present application. The preferred 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.

[0032] Strain elasticity images generally use different colors to represent different hardness or strain values of tissues. The existing strain elasticity imaging method uses the strain mean of the entire imaging area as a benchmark to perform color mapping and conversion on the imaging area. Figure 1 To describe, Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a strain elasticity image obtained by an existing strain elasticity imaging method is shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the strain mean value in the imaging region R1 (also called the region of interest) is used as a reference, and the imaging region R1 is color mapped and converted to obtain a strain elasticity image. In the strain elasticity image, color 1, color 2, and color 3 represent hard, normal, and soft tissues, respectively (color 1, color 2, and color 3 can correspond to red, green, and blue, respectively, but since the drawings in the patent application document require grayscale images, Figure 1 Colors cannot be shown in the figure, but they can be set and seen in actual applications). The figure uses the mean strain value of the imaging area as the reference. Tissues with strain values equal to or close to the mean are displayed in color 2, tissues with strain values greater than the mean are displayed in color 3, and tissues with strain values less than the mean are displayed in color 1. The depth of the color represents the degree of softness or hardness of the tissue.

[0033] However, when strain elastic imaging is currently performed on tissues such as the thyroid and breast, in addition to target tissues such as the thyroid and breast, there are also blood vessels, dark areas, and some other tissues in the imaging area. Figure 2 To describe, Figure 2Schematic diagram showing deviations in strain elasticity images obtained by existing strain elasticity imaging methods. Figure 2 As shown in the tissue structure image on the left, in addition to target tissues such as thyroid and breast, the imaging area R2 also contains blood vessels, dark areas, and some other tissues. The strain values of these tissue areas are often very different from those of the target tissues, and appear extremely soft or hard in the strain image, resulting in a shift in the strain mean of the entire imaging area. Figure 2 As can be seen from the strain elasticity image on the right, normal target tissue in the strain elasticity image appears to be too hard or too soft, which reduces the image credibility and seriously affects the image quality.

[0034] Based on this, the present application provides a strain elastic imaging solution, which does not use the strain mean value of the entire imaging area (region of interest) as a reference for color mapping, but generates a strain elastic image based on the strain value in the target tissue area, which can avoid the occurrence of Figure 2 The problem shown in , improves the credibility of the strain elastic image. Figures 3 to 15 To describe.

[0035] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of an exemplary ultrasonic imaging device 10 for implementing the strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the ultrasonic imaging device 10 may include an ultrasonic probe 100, a transmit / receive selection switch 101, a transmit / receive sequence controller 102, a processor 103, a display 104, and a memory 105. The transmit / receive sequence controller 102 can activate the ultrasonic probe 100 to transmit ultrasonic waves toward a target object (target object) and can also control the ultrasonic probe 100 to receive ultrasonic echoes returned from the target object, thereby obtaining ultrasonic echo signals / data. The processor 103 processes the ultrasonic echo signals / data to obtain tissue-related parameters and an ultrasonic image of the target object. The ultrasonic images obtained by the processor 103 can be stored in the memory 105 and displayed on the display 104.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present application, the display 104 of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging device 10 may be a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc., or it may be an independent display device such as a liquid crystal display, a television, etc. that is independent of the ultrasonic imaging device 10, or it may be a display screen on an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory 105 of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging device 10 may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, etc.

[0038] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of program instructions. After the plurality of program instructions are called and executed by the processor 103, some or all of the steps or any combination of the steps in the strain elasticity imaging method in each embodiment of the present application can be executed.

[0039] In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may be the memory 105 , which may be a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, or a hard disk.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor 103 of the aforementioned ultrasonic imaging device 10 can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof, and can use a circuit, a single or multiple application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a single or multiple general-purpose integrated circuits, a single or multiple microprocessors, a single or multiple programmable logic devices, or a combination of the aforementioned circuits or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices, so that the processor 103 can execute the corresponding steps of the strain elasticity imaging method in each embodiment.

[0041] Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows a schematic flow chart of a strain elasticity imaging method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the strain elastography method 400 includes the following steps:

[0042] In step S410 , the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the tissue to be measured of the target object, an echo of the ultrasonic waves is received, and ultrasonic echo data is acquired based on the echo of the ultrasonic waves.

[0043] In step S420 , an ultrasound image is generated based on the ultrasound echo data, and a region of interest in the ultrasound image and a target tissue region in the region of interest are acquired.

[0044] In step S430 , the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest are calculated based on the ultrasound echo data.

[0045] In step S440 , image feature mapping is performed on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elasticity image of the region of interest.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present application, the ultrasound probe is controlled to transmit ultrasound to the tissue to be measured of the target object (i.e., the tissue to be subjected to strain elastic imaging) in order to obtain an ultrasound image (such as a tissue structure image, etc.). Based on the ultrasound image, a region of interest for strain elastic imaging can be obtained (similar to the imaging region described above, which can generally be selected by the user), and the target tissue region in the region of interest can be obtained. The target tissue region is different based on the different tissues to be measured. For example, when the aforementioned tissue to be measured is the thyroid gland, the target tissue region is the region where the thyroid tissue is located; when the aforementioned tissue to be measured is the breast, the target tissue region is the region where the breast tissue is located, and so on. Since the region of interest includes not only the target tissue region but also some non-target tissue regions (such as the aforementioned blood vessels, dark areas, and some other tissues), the target tissue region in the region of interest can be obtained to obtain the strain value of the target tissue region for image feature mapping (such as color mapping, etc.) to obtain a strain elastic image with higher credibility.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present application, obtaining the target tissue region in the region of interest in the ultrasound image may include: automatically identifying and segmenting the target tissue region corresponding to the tissue to be measured in the ultrasound image. Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B and Figure 6 To describe.

[0048] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A schematic diagram showing an example of identifying and segmenting a target area in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG5A to FIG5B In FIG, an image segmentation method based on edge detection is shown to identify and segment the target tissue area in the ultrasound image. Figure 5A As shown in the figure, the discontinuity caused by grayscale or structural mutation in the ultrasound image is the edge. By using the discontinuity of grayscale or structure of the target tissue and other tissue areas in the ultrasound image, the discontinuity can be detected by edge detection algorithms including but not limited to differential operators, thereby realizing the recognition and segmentation of the target tissue and other tissue areas in the region of interest. The segmentation result is shown in the figure. Figure 5B As shown. Figure 5B In FIG, region T1 is the segmented target tissue region.

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing another example of identifying and segmenting a target area in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6In the figure, a machine learning-based method is shown to identify and segment the target tissue area in the ultrasound image. The machine learning method includes but is not limited to pattern recognition, deep learning, etc., to identify and segment the target tissue area in the ultrasound image. The segmentation results are shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, region T2 is the segmented target tissue region.

[0050] In another embodiment of the present application, obtaining the target tissue area in the region of interest in the ultrasound image may include: semi-automatically identifying and segmenting the target tissue area in the ultrasound image corresponding to the tissue to be tested. Among them, semi-automatic can be understood as a combination of automatic and user manual methods, and such a method is also easy to achieve accurate identification and segmentation results. Exemplarily, semi-automatically identifying and segmenting the target tissue area in the ultrasound image corresponding to the tissue to be tested may include: displaying the ultrasound image, and obtaining a reference area selected by the user in the ultrasound image; calculating and extracting features of the reference area; identifying and segmenting the target tissue area in the ultrasound image corresponding to the tissue to be tested according to the principle of feature consistency or the principle of feature similarity. The following is combined with Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B and Figure 7C To describe.

[0051] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B and Figure 7C FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing another example of identifying and segmenting target areas in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the user can first manually select or trace any target tissue in the ultrasound image. The selection method may include but is not limited to clicking, tracing, circle frame, square frame, etc. Figure 7A The figure shows a target tissue T3 obtained by the user clicking on the circle. Figure 7B The figure shows a target tissue T4 that is manually traced by the user. The system can then automatically calculate and extract Figure 7A (or Figure 7B ) in the user-selected area (including but not limited to grayscale, texture, variance, etc.), and automatically identify and segment the tissue area that is consistent or close to the user-selected area according to the principle of feature consistency or proximity, as the target tissue area, such as Figure 7C As shown, Figure 7C The T5 area in the figure is the target tissue area identified and segmented, and it can be seen that the user-selected area T3 is included in it.

[0052] In yet another embodiment of the present application, acquiring a target tissue region within a region of interest in the ultrasound image may include: displaying the ultrasound image and acquiring a target tissue region corresponding to the tissue to be measured, selected by a user in the ultrasound image. In this embodiment, the target tissue region corresponding to the tissue to be measured is completely manually determined by the user, and acquiring the target tissue region based on user input may be achieved.

[0053] After acquiring the target tissue region, the strain in the target tissue region can be calculated (such as based on radio frequency (RF) data or orthogonal modulation (IQ) data in the target tissue region); in addition, since strain elasticity imaging is performed on the region of interest, the strain of the area outside the target tissue region in the region of interest can also be obtained. In an embodiment of the present application, the strain generated by the tissue can be generated by probe pressure or by the movement of the tissue itself, such as the strain generated by the movement of small organs such as muscles, bones, thyroid gland, uterus, and blood vessels. Then, based on the strain in the target tissue region, image feature mapping (such as color mapping) is performed on the strain in the region of interest to obtain a strain elasticity image of the region of interest.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present application, performing image feature mapping of the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region may include: generating a strain reference value based on the strain of the target tissue region, and performing image feature mapping of the strain of the region of interest based on the strain reference value. Exemplarily, the strain reference value may be the mean value of the strain of the target tissue region, or any other value capable of reflecting the characteristics of the strain of the target tissue region. Exemplarily, the image feature mapping of the strain of the region of interest based on the strain reference value may be a color mapping, or other mapping capable of reflecting different strain values in an image.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present application, performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain reference value may include: determining a strain range based on the strain reference value, wherein the two boundary values of the strain range are respectively less than and greater than the strain reference value; mapping the strain of the region of interest to a grayscale value in a linear mapping relationship based on the strain range; and converting the grayscale value into a corresponding color. For example, the position where the strain in the region of interest is within the strain range can be mapped to a grayscale value within a preset range; and the position where the strain in the region of interest exceeds the strain range can be mapped to a boundary value of the preset range. Figure 8 To describe.

[0056] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a color mapping scheme in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8As shown in Figure 2, after the mean strain value of the target tissue region (target area) is calculated, a certain strain range smaller than or greater than the mean strain value is selected, and the position of the strain in the region of interest within the strain range is linearly mapped to a grayscale value of 0-255. The strain values outside the range are mapped to 0 or 255. Finally, the grayscale value is converted into the corresponding color displayed in the strain image. The mapping relationship is shown in Figure 2. Figure 8 shown.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present application, performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain reference value may include: determining a strain range based on the strain reference value, wherein the two boundary values of the strain range are respectively less than and greater than the strain reference value; mapping the strain of the region of interest to a grayscale value using a nonlinear mapping relationship based on the strain range; and converting the grayscale value into a corresponding color. For example, the position where the strain in the region of interest is within the strain range may be mapped to a grayscale value within a preset range; and the position where the strain in the region of interest exceeds the strain range may be mapped to a boundary value of the preset range. Figure 9 To describe.

[0058] Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a color mapping scheme in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 9 As shown in Figure 1, after the mean strain value of the target tissue region (target area) is calculated, a certain strain range smaller than or greater than the mean strain value is selected, and the position of the strain in the region of interest within the strain range is mapped to a grayscale value of 0-255 in a nonlinear relationship. The strain values outside the range are mapped to 0 or 255. Finally, the grayscale value is converted into the corresponding color displayed in the strain image. The mapping relationship is shown in Figure 1. Figure 9 shown.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present application, after mapping the strain value of each location in the region of interest to a grayscale value and a corresponding color, a strain elastic image of the region of interest can be generated and displayed. Figure 10 To describe. Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing an example of a display scheme in a strain elastic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 10 As shown in the figure, after the target tissue region T in the region of interest R is identified and segmented, the strain mean of the target tissue region T is calculated according to the identification result, and the strain mean is used as a reference to perform color mapping and strain imaging on the entire region of interest R, and the obtained Figure 10 The strain elastic image M of the region of interest is shown on the right. Figure 10As shown in the figure, since the strain elasticity image M of the region of interest R is mapped based on the strain mean value in the target tissue region T, the influence of the strain values of other tissues or regions in the region of interest on the display of the target tissue strain image can be reduced or even avoided, thereby improving the quality and reliability of strain elasticity imaging.

[0060] Based on the above description, the strain elasticity imaging method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application generates a strain elasticity image of a region of interest including a target tissue region based on the strain value of the target tissue region, which can reduce or even avoid the influence of the strain values of other tissues or regions within the region of interest on the target tissue strain image, thereby improving the quality and reliability of strain elasticity imaging.

[0061] The following combination Figure 11 A schematic flow chart of another strain elastography method 1100 according to the present application is described. Figure 11 As shown, the strain elastography method 1100 may include the following steps:

[0062] In step S1110 , the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit a first ultrasonic wave to the tissue to be measured of the target object, an echo of the first ultrasonic wave is received, and first ultrasonic echo data is acquired based on the echo of the first ultrasonic wave.

[0063] In step S1120 , an ultrasound image is generated based on the first ultrasound echo data, and a region of interest in the ultrasound image and a target tissue region in the region of interest are acquired.

[0064] In step S1130, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit a second ultrasonic wave at least to the sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be measured, an echo of the second ultrasonic wave is received, and second ultrasonic echo data is acquired based on the echo of the second ultrasonic wave.

[0065] In step S1140 , the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest are calculated based on the second ultrasound echo data.

[0066] In step S1150 , image feature mapping is performed on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elasticity image of the region of interest.

[0067] The strain elastography method 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application is generally similar to the strain elastography method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application described above. For the sake of brevity, the similar details between the strain elastography method 1100 and the strain elastography method 400 are not further described here, and only the differences between the two methods are described. The difference between the two methods is that the data source for generating the ultrasound image and the data source for calculating the strain in the strain elastography method 400 according to the embodiment of the present application are the same data source, while the data source for generating the ultrasound image and the data source for calculating the strain in the strain elastography method 1100 according to the embodiment of the present application are different data sources.

[0068] Therefore, in the strain elasticity imaging method 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves twice and obtain corresponding echo data: once to emit ultrasonic waves to the target object's tissue to be tested, generate an ultrasonic image of the target object's tissue to be tested according to the corresponding echo signal, and obtain the region of interest and the target tissue region therein; once to emit ultrasonic waves to the sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be tested, and obtain the strain of the target tissue region and the region of interest according to the corresponding echo signal.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present application, the data source for generating the ultrasound image and the data source for calculating the strain are not the same data source, thus providing two imaging modes: an ultrasound imaging mode and a strain elastography mode. The ultrasound imaging mode corresponds to the aforementioned first ultrasound emission and its subsequent operations (corresponding to steps S1110 to S1120), and the strain elastography mode corresponds to the aforementioned second ultrasound emission and its subsequent operations (corresponding to steps S1130 to S1150). Therefore, in one embodiment, prior to step S1130, a method for selecting the strain elastography mode may be provided (to the user), and based on the user's selection of the strain elastography mode, strain elastography of the subtissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be tested may be triggered. Similarly, in one embodiment, prior to step S1110, a method for selecting the ultrasound imaging mode may be provided (to the user), and based on the user's selection of the ultrasound imaging mode, ultrasound imaging of the tissue to be tested may be triggered. Then, after completing step S1120, the ultrasound imaging mode may be switched to the strain elastography mode, and subsequent steps S1130 to S1150 may be performed.

[0070] Based on this idea, in the aforementioned strain elastography method 400 , before step S410 , a method for selecting a strain elastography mode may be provided (to the user), and strain elastography of the tissue to be tested may be triggered based on (the user's) selection of the strain elastography mode.

[0071] Based on the above description, the strain elastography method 1100 according to the embodiment of the present application can also achieve the same effect as the strain elastography method 400. That is, a strain elastography image of a region of interest (ROI) containing the target tissue region is generated based on the strain value of the target tissue region. This can reduce or even prevent the influence of strain values of other tissues or regions within the RIO on the target tissue strain image, thereby improving the quality and reliability of the strain elastography. Furthermore, while the use of a single data source in the strain elastography method 400 simplifies the overall operational process, the use of different data sources in the strain elastography method 1100 may yield more precise strain calculation results, thereby producing a more accurate strain elastography image.

[0072] Figure 12 FIG. 1 shows a schematic flow chart of a strain elasticity imaging method 1200 according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 12 As shown, the strain elastography method 1200 may include the following steps:

[0073] In step S1210 , a method for selecting a strain elastography mode is provided.

[0074] In step S1220 , based on the selection of the strain elastography mode, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the tissue to be measured of the target object, an echo of the ultrasonic waves is received, and ultrasonic echo data is acquired based on the echo of the ultrasonic waves.

[0075] In step S1230 , an ultrasound image is generated based on the ultrasound echo data, and a target tissue region in the ultrasound image is acquired.

[0076] In step S1240 , the strain of the target tissue region is calculated based on the ultrasound echo data.

[0077] In step S1250 , a strain elasticity image of the target tissue region is generated and displayed based on the strain of the target tissue region.

[0078] The strain elastography method 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application is generally similar to the strain elastography method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application described above. For the sake of brevity, the similar details between the strain elastography method 1200 and the strain elastography method 400 are not further described here, and only the differences between the two methods are described. The difference between the two methods is that the strain elastography method 400 acquires a region of interest and a target tissue region in the region of interest from an ultrasound image, and then generates a strain elastography image of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region; whereas the strain elastography method 1200 directly acquires a target tissue region from an ultrasound image, and then generates a strain elastography image of the target tissue region based on the strain of the target tissue region. Furthermore, similar to the strain elastography method 1100 described above, the strain elastography method 1200 also provides a strain elastography mode, which the user can select to perform strain elastography in.

[0079] In the strain elasticity imaging method 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application, a strain elasticity image of the target tissue area is generated based on the strain of the target tissue area, which can reduce or even avoid the influence of strain values of other non-target tissue areas on the target tissue strain image, thereby improving the quality and reliability of the strain elasticity imaging. In addition, since strain elasticity imaging is not directly performed on areas outside the target tissue area, the amount of calculation can be further reduced, and the doctor can focus directly on the elasticity of the target tissue area, which is more targeted.

[0080] Figure 13A and Figure 13B FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a display scheme in a strain elastic imaging method according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 13A As shown in , after the target tissue area is identified and segmented, the strain mean of the target tissue area is calculated according to the identification results, and based on this strain mean, only the target tissue area is color mapped and strain imaged, and the strain image of other areas is not displayed, as shown in Figure 13A As shown. Figure 13B As shown in , after the target tissue area is identified and segmented, the strain mean of the target tissue area is calculated according to the identification results. Based on this strain mean, only the target tissue area is color mapped and strain imaged, and other areas are directly displayed as the color corresponding to normal tissue (medium hardness). Figure 13B shown.

[0081] Figure 14 FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a strain elasticity imaging method 1400 according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 14 As shown, the strain elastography method 1400 may include the following steps:

[0082] In step S1410 , a selection method for an ultrasound imaging mode and a selection method for a strain elasticity imaging mode are provided.

[0083] In step S1420, based on the selection of the ultrasonic imaging mode, the ultrasonic probe is controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves to the tissue to be measured of the target object, an echo of the ultrasonic waves is received, and ultrasonic echo data is acquired based on the echo of the ultrasonic waves.

[0084] In step S1430 , an ultrasound image is generated based on the ultrasound echo data, and a target tissue region in the ultrasound image is acquired.

[0085] In step S1440, the ultrasound imaging mode is switched to the strain elasticity imaging mode based on the selection of the strain elasticity imaging mode, and the ultrasound probe is controlled to transmit a second ultrasound wave at least to the sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue area in the tissue to be measured, receive the echo of the second ultrasound wave, and obtain second ultrasound echo data based on the echo of the second ultrasound wave.

[0086] In step S1450 , the strain of the target tissue region is calculated based on the second ultrasound echo data.

[0087] In step S1460 , a strain elasticity image of the target tissue region is generated and displayed based on the strain of the target tissue region.

[0088] The strain elastography method 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application is generally similar to the strain elastography method 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application described above. For the sake of brevity, the similar details between the strain elastography method 1400 and the strain elastography method 1200 will not be repeated here, and only the differences between the two methods will be described. The difference between the two methods is that the data source for generating the ultrasound image and the data source for calculating the strain in the strain elastography method 1200 according to the embodiment of the present application are the same data source, while the data source for generating the ultrasound image and the data source for calculating the strain in the strain elastography method 1400 according to the embodiment of the present application are different data sources. This is similar to the difference between the strain elastography method 1100 and the strain elastography method 400 described above and will not be further described here.

[0089] Based on the above description, the strain elasticity imaging methods 1200 and 1400 according to the embodiments of the present application generate a strain elasticity image of the target tissue region based on the strain of the target tissue region, which can reduce or even prevent the strain values of other non-target tissue regions from affecting the target tissue strain image, thereby improving the quality and reliability of the strain elasticity imaging. In addition, since strain elasticity imaging is not performed directly on areas outside the target tissue region, the amount of calculation can be further reduced, and the doctor can focus directly on the elasticity of the target tissue region, which is more targeted. In addition, the use of the same data source by the strain elasticity imaging method 1200 can simplify the operational process of the entire method, while the use of different data sources by the strain elasticity imaging method 1400 may obtain more accurate strain calculation results, thereby obtaining a more accurate strain elasticity image.

[0090] The strain elasticity imaging method according to the embodiment of the present application is described above by way of example. Figure 15 According to another aspect of the present application, a strain elastography device is provided, which can be used to implement the strain elastography method according to the embodiments of the present application described above. Those skilled in the art can understand the structure and operation of the various components of the strain elastography device according to the embodiments of the present application in combination with the foregoing description, and for the sake of brevity, a detailed description is omitted here.

[0091] Figure 15 FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a strain elastic imaging device 1500 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 15 As shown, the strain elastography device 1500 may include an ultrasonic probe 1510, a transmitting circuit 1520, a receiving circuit 1530, and a processor 1540. The transmitting circuit 1520 is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe 1510 to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the tissue to be measured in the target object; the receiving circuit 1530 is used to control the ultrasonic probe 1510 to receive ultrasonic echoes returned from the tissue to be measured to obtain ultrasonic echo signals; and the processor 1540 is used to generate ultrasonic image data based on the ultrasonic echo signals and to execute the strain elastography method according to the embodiment of the present application described above.

[0092] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present application, a storage medium is further provided, on which program instructions are stored, and when the program instructions are executed by a computer or a processor, the corresponding steps of the strain elastic imaging method of the embodiment of the present application are executed. The storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0093] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present application, a computer program is also provided, which can be stored in a cloud or local storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a computer or processor, it is used to perform the corresponding steps of the strain elastography method of the embodiment of the present application.

[0094] Based on the above description, the strain elasticity imaging method, device, and storage medium according to the embodiments of the present application generate a strain elasticity image of a target tissue region or a region of interest containing the target tissue region based on the strain value of the target tissue region, which can reduce or even avoid the influence of the strain values of other tissues or regions on the target tissue strain image, thereby improving the quality and reliability of strain elasticity imaging.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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 units 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] Those skilled in the art will understand 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.

[0101] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] The above is merely a description of specific embodiments 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 this 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 strain elastic imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the tissue to be measured of the target object, receiving echoes of the ultrasonic waves, and acquiring ultrasonic echo data based on the echoes of the ultrasonic waves; generating an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo data, and acquiring a region of interest in the ultrasound image and a target tissue region in the region of interest, wherein the ultrasound image includes a tissue structure image; calculating the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest based on the ultrasound echo data; performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elastic image of the region of interest; The image feature mapping of the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region includes: generating a strain reference value based on the strain of the target tissue region; determining a strain range according to the strain reference value; mapping the strain of the region of interest into a grayscale value according to the strain range in a linear or nonlinear mapping relationship; and converting the grayscale value into a corresponding color.

2. A strain elastic imaging method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a first ultrasonic wave toward a tissue to be measured of a target object, receiving an echo of the first ultrasonic wave, and acquiring first ultrasonic echo data based on the echo of the first ultrasonic wave; generating an ultrasound image based on the first ultrasound echo data, and acquiring a region of interest and a target tissue region in the region of interest in the ultrasound image, wherein the ultrasound image includes a tissue structure image; controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave at least to a sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be measured, receiving an echo of the second ultrasonic wave, and acquiring second ultrasonic echo data based on the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; calculating the strain of the target tissue region and the strain of the region of interest based on the second ultrasound echo data; performing image feature mapping on the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region to generate and display a strain elastic image of the region of interest; The image feature mapping of the strain of the region of interest based on the strain of the target tissue region includes: generating a strain reference value based on the strain of the target tissue region; determining a strain range according to the strain reference value; mapping the strain of the region of interest into a grayscale value according to the strain range in a linear or nonlinear mapping relationship; and converting the grayscale value into a corresponding color.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Generating a strain reference value based on the strain of the target tissue region includes: The mean value of the strain of the target tissue area is calculated as a strain reference value.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Two boundary values of the strain range are respectively smaller than and larger than the strain reference value.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Mapping the strain of the region of interest or the strain of the target tissue region into a grayscale value includes: Mapping a position within the region of interest where the strain is within the strain range into a grayscale value within a preset range; The position where the strain in the region of interest exceeds the strain range is mapped to a boundary value of the preset range.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The acquiring the region of interest in the ultrasound image comprises: The ultrasound image is displayed, and a region of interest selected by a user in the ultrasound image is acquired.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Acquiring a target tissue region in a region of interest in the ultrasound image includes: displaying the ultrasound image, and acquiring a target tissue region corresponding to the tissue to be measured in the ultrasound image, which is selected by a user; or Automatically or semi-automatically identifying and segmenting a target tissue region corresponding to the tissue to be measured in the ultrasound image.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The automatic identification and segmentation of the target tissue area corresponding to the tissue to be measured in the ultrasound image is achieved based on an edge detection algorithm or machine learning.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The semi-automatic identification and segmentation of the target tissue area corresponding to the tissue to be measured in the ultrasound image includes: displaying the ultrasound image and acquiring a reference area selected by a user in the ultrasound image; Calculating and extracting features of the reference area; The target tissue region corresponding to the tissue to be measured in the ultrasound image is identified and segmented according to a principle of feature consistency or a principle of feature similarity.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the tissue to be measured of the target object, the method further includes: Provides a method for selecting strain elastography mode; The strain elasticity imaging of the tissue to be measured is triggered based on the selection of the strain elasticity imaging mode.

11. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Before controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit a second ultrasonic wave at least to the sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be measured, the method further includes: Provides a method for selecting strain elastography mode; Selection of the strain elasticity imaging mode triggers strain elasticity imaging of a sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be measured.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that Before controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit the first ultrasonic wave to the tissue to be measured of the target object, the method further includes: Provides a method for selecting ultrasound imaging modes; triggering ultrasound imaging of the tissue to be measured based on selection of the ultrasound imaging mode; The triggering of strain elasticity imaging of the sub-tissue corresponding to the target tissue region in the tissue to be measured based on the selection of the strain elasticity imaging mode includes: The ultrasound imaging mode is switched to the strain elastography mode.

13. A strain elastic imaging device, characterized in that: The device includes an ultrasonic probe, a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit and a processor, wherein: The transmitting circuit is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the tissue to be measured of the target object; The receiving circuit is used to control the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo returned from the tissue to be measured, so as to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal; The processor is configured to generate ultrasonic image data according to the ultrasonic echo signal; The processor is further configured to execute the strain elastography method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program, which, when run, executes the strain elasticity imaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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