Ultrasound imaging systems and related workflow systems and methods

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultrasonic imaging workflow section processing method and an ultrasonic imaging workflow system. The method comprises a section type automatic identification step and an automatic matching association step. By automatically identifying the ultrasonic image data, determining the section type corresponding to the ultrasonic image and matching the section type of the ultrasonic image with the section in the automatic workflow protocol, the operations of section selection and starting and frame selection can be reduced for doctors, and the working efficiency of the doctors is further improved. In addition, the doctor can keep the scanning habit of himself or herself and is almost not affected by the process of the automatic workflow, and the method is more user-friendly. In addition, according to one embodiment, body position images, annotations and automatic measurement are automatically added to the matched ultrasonic sections, the images are stored to the preset corresponding standard sections in the automatic workflow, operation such as measurement and image storage is reduced for doctors, and the working efficiency is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical ultrasonic imaging, and in particular to an ultrasonic imaging system and method, as well as an ultrasonic imaging workflow system and a section processing method in an ultrasonic imaging workflow. Background Art

[0002] With the release of various ultrasound examination guidelines and specifications, doctors need to complete a series of standard section scans as a basis for diagnosis in various examinations. Ultrasound automatic workflow organizes related sections in a certain order or form by providing template protocols, and some work is automatically completed by the system, thereby improving the doctor's work efficiency and standardizing the doctor's operation process.

[0003] Current ultrasound automated workflow systems include Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the automatic workflow presets a set of standard sections that doctors need to scan. In the initial state, these sections are represented by section icons. When scanning, doctors scan the standard sections one by one according to the standard section sequence preset in the automatic workflow, or scan the standard sections non-sequentially according to the patient's condition or their own habits. After scanning the standard section, the doctor needs to actively freeze the image, select the section from the video, measure, and save the image. After saving the image, the section is marked as completed, and the system will automatically unfreeze the image after saving the image, so that the doctor can scan the next section.

[0004] However, the current ultrasound automatic workflow system has the following problems:

[0005] 1) If the scanning sequence of the automatic workflow is not followed, the doctor needs to manually match the current scanned section with the preset section in the automatic workflow, which increases the workload;

[0006] 2) For each section, the doctor needs to manually move the trackball to find the most ideal section image from multiple frames of video images;

[0007] 3) When continuous scanning or comparative scanning of related sections is required, multiple standard sections may exist at the same time. According to the existing ultrasound automatic workflow system, the image is automatically unfrozen after only one section is saved, and the remaining sections need to be re-scanned one by one, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0008] These are the problems that need to be faced and solved to further improve doctors' work efficiency and maintain doctors' scanning and diagnosis habits. For emergency doctors, since they are faced with emergency situations, they need to complete the judgment of the patient's condition in the shortest possible time to provide guidance on the patient's next treatment plan. Therefore, for ultrasound doctors and emergency doctors who use automatic workflows, more intelligent and efficient workflows are needed to cope with heavy and urgent daily work. Summary of the invention

[0009] In one embodiment, a slice processing method for an ultrasound imaging workflow is provided, the method comprising:

[0010] Acquiring ultrasound image data, wherein the ultrasound image data includes a single-frame ultrasound image or an ultrasound image sequence;

[0011] Automatically identifying the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image or automatically identifying the section type of the ultrasound image sequence;

[0012] According to the identified section type of the single-frame ultrasound image, the single-frame ultrasound image is automatically associated with the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the corresponding standard section; or, according to the identified section type of the ultrasound sequence, each frame of ultrasound image in the ultrasound image sequence is automatically matched with the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol, and the ultrasound image with the highest matching degree is selected and automatically associated with the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the corresponding standard section; wherein the workflow protocol includes a preset set of standard sections.

[0013] In one embodiment, the workflow protocol also includes pre-defined operations for each standard section, and the operations include at least one of the following: adding annotations, measuring, adding body position maps, adding probe markers, and storing; the method also includes: automatically performing corresponding operations on the ultrasound section image according to the operations pre-defined in the workflow protocol.

[0014] In one embodiment, the method further includes: providing a human-computer interaction interface, on which at least one of the following information is presented: the ultrasound image data, the ultrasound section image, and relevant information of the workflow protocol.

[0015] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving an input signal through the human-computer interaction interface, wherein the input signal is used to represent confirmation or denial of the ultrasound section image.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method further comprises providing a playback selection control on the human-computer interaction interface to play back the ultrasound image sequence and / or re-determine the ultrasound section image for each frame of the ultrasound image played back.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method further includes: providing a matching control on the human-computer interaction interface to match the selected ultrasound image that may have been missed for identification, and identifying the section type of the ultrasound image that may have been missed for identification.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving at least one frame of ultrasound image selected from the ultrasound image sequence being played back, and automatically associating the selected at least one frame of ultrasound image to the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol through the matching control as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the corresponding standard section.

[0019] In one embodiment, the workflow protocol further includes various types of slice features pre-stored in a database; the step of automatically identifying the slice type of the ultrasound image sequence includes:

[0020] Performing feature extraction on each frame of ultrasound image in the ultrasound image sequence;

[0021] The extracted features corresponding to each frame of ultrasound image are classified according to the various types of section features, thereby determining the section type of each frame of ultrasound image.

[0022] In one embodiment, the feature extraction method includes a feature extraction method of conventional digital image processing or a deep learning method; the classification includes using a pattern recognition algorithm to classify each frame of the ultrasound image, and determining the section type to which each frame of the ultrasound image belongs and / or the probability of belonging to the section type.

[0023] In one embodiment, the step of automatically associating the single-frame ultrasound image to the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the corresponding standard section includes: searching for the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol based on identifying the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image, and automatically determining the single-frame ultrasound image as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the standard section.

[0024] In one embodiment, acquiring ultrasound image data includes:

[0025] Transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a target to be detected, receiving an ultrasonic echo of the ultrasonic wave returned from the target to be detected, obtaining an ultrasonic echo signal, and performing beam synthesis and signal processing on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain the ultrasonic image data; or

[0026] The ultrasound image data is imported.

[0027] In one embodiment, a method for ultrasonic imaging is provided, the method comprising:

[0028] Transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a target to be detected, and receiving an ultrasonic echo of the ultrasonic wave returned by the target to be detected to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal;

[0029] obtaining an ultrasonic image according to the ultrasonic echo signal;

[0030] Determine the section type to which the ultrasound image belongs;

[0031] Determine a target standard aspect from the standard aspects included in the workflow protocol according to the aspect type;

[0032] The target standard slice is associated with the ultrasound image.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method further includes: if the target standard aspect is not identified from the standard aspects included in the workflow protocol according to the aspect type, returning a matching failure.

[0034] In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging workflow system is provided, the system comprising a workflow processor and a display, wherein:

[0035] The workflow processor is used to:

[0036] Acquiring ultrasound image data, wherein the ultrasound image data includes a single-frame ultrasound image or an ultrasound image sequence;

[0037] Automatically identifying the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image or automatically identifying the section type of the ultrasound image sequence;

[0038] According to the identified section type of the single-frame ultrasound image, the single-frame ultrasound image is automatically associated with the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the corresponding standard section; or, according to the identified section type of the ultrasound sequence, each frame of the ultrasound image in the ultrasound image sequence is automatically matched with the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol, and the ultrasound image with the highest matching degree is selected to be automatically associated with the corresponding standard section in the workflow protocol as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the corresponding standard section; wherein the workflow protocol includes a preset set of standard sections;

[0039] The display is used to display a human-machine interface, and the human-machine interface includes at least one of the ultrasound image data, the ultrasound section image, and the information of the workflow protocol.

[0040] In one embodiment, the system further comprises:

[0041] Ultrasound probe,

[0042] The transmitting and receiving circuit is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target to be detected, and receive ultrasonic echoes returned from the target to be detected and form echo signals;

[0043] The beamforming and signal processing module is used to perform beamforming and signal processing on the echo signal to obtain the ultrasonic image data, and the ultrasonic image data includes at least one frame of ultrasonic image.

[0044] In one embodiment, a matching control is provided on the human-computer interaction interface for matching the selected ultrasound image that may have been missed for recognition, and identifying the section type of the ultrasound image that may have been missed for recognition.

[0045] In one embodiment, a freeze image control is provided on the human-computer interaction interface, and the ultrasound section image is frozen or unfrozen by triggering the freeze image control.

[0046] In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system is provided, the system comprising:

[0047] Ultrasound probe,

[0048] The transmitting and receiving circuit is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target to be detected, receive ultrasonic echoes of the ultrasonic waves returned from the target to be detected, and obtain ultrasonic echo signals;

[0049] a processor, configured to obtain an ultrasound image according to the ultrasound echo signal, determine a section type to which the ultrasound image belongs, determine a target standard section from standard sections included in a workflow protocol according to the section type, and associate the target standard section with the ultrasound image;

[0050] The display is used to display the ultrasound image.

[0051] In one embodiment, a readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed, the steps of any of the above methods are implemented.

[0052] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by automatically identifying ultrasound image data, determining the section type corresponding to the ultrasound image, and matching the section type of the ultrasound image with the section in the protocol in the automatic workflow, it can reduce the number of operations for doctors to select and start sections and select frames, thereby improving their work efficiency. In addition, it can also allow doctors to retain their own scanning habits and be almost unaffected by the process of the automatic workflow, which is more humane. One embodiment also automatically adds body position maps, annotations, and automatic measurements to the matched ultrasound sections, and stores the images at the corresponding standard sections preset in the automatic workflow, reducing the number of operations such as measurement and image storage for doctors, further improving work efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the current ultrasound automated workflow system;

[0054] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging workflow system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging workflow system according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging workflow system according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging workflow system according to yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Figure 6 It is a flow chart of a section processing method of an ultrasound imaging workflow according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a section processing method of an ultrasound imaging workflow according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a section processing method of an ultrasound imaging workflow according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a section processing method of an ultrasound imaging workflow according to yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Fig.11 It is a flowchart of an ultrasonic imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The present invention is further described in detail below by specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Wherein similar elements in different embodiments adopt associated similar element numbers. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are for making the present application better understood. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, this is to avoid the core part of the present application being overwhelmed by too much description, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these operations in detail, and they can fully understand the relevant operations according to the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0065] In addition, the features, operations or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementations. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be interchanged or adjusted in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of clearly describing a certain embodiment and are not meant to be a required sequence, unless otherwise specified that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0066] The serial numbers of the components in this document, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any order or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application, unless otherwise specified, include direct and indirect connections (couplings).

[0067] An embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging method and system, which involves section processing of ultrasound imaging workflow. In this method, the section type corresponding to the current image is determined by intelligently identifying the content of the doctor's scanned image, matching the current image with the section in the protocol in the automatic workflow, automatically adding a body position map, annotations and automatic measurement to the matching section, and storing the image at the corresponding standard section preset in the automatic workflow. Through this solution of the present application, almost all operations such as selecting and starting sections, selecting frames, measuring, and saving images can be reduced for doctors, and work efficiency will be greatly improved; in addition, the present application also allows doctors to retain their previous scanning habits, which is almost unaffected by the process of the automatic workflow and is more humane.

[0068] In the ultrasound imaging method or system of the embodiment of the present application, the section processing in the ultrasound imaging workflow is performed on ultrasound images or ultrasound image sequences, and the ultrasound images or ultrasound image sequences can be obtained in a variety of ways, for example, they can be obtained by real-time ultrasound scanning imaging, or by importing. For the import method, for example, the image data can be imported using a CD, or a USB flash drive, or the image data can be received from the network through a network, etc., and the present invention does not limit this. The following is an example of an ultrasound image sequence, in which multiple frames of ultrasound images are included in the ultrasound image sequence, and a single frame of ultrasound image can be regarded as a special case of a multiple frame image.

[0069] The ultrasound image sequence of an embodiment of the present application is obtained by real-time ultrasound scanning imaging. Figure 2As shown, an ultrasound imaging workflow system 10 according to an embodiment of the present application includes: an ultrasound probe 110 , a transmitting and receiving circuit 111 , a beamforming and signal processing module 120 , a workflow processor 130 and a display 140 . In a specific implementation of the illustrated embodiment, a group of pulses with delayed focusing are sent to the ultrasonic probe 110 through the transmitting and receiving circuit 111, and the ultrasonic probe 111 transmits ultrasonic waves to the target to be detected. After a certain delay, the transmitting and receiving circuit 111 receives the ultrasonic echo reflected from the target to be detected to form an echo signal; the echo signal enters the beamforming and signal processing module 120, completes the focusing delay, weighting and channel summation and signal processing, and obtains a real-time ultrasonic image sequence; the workflow processor 130 classifies the currently acquired ultrasonic image sequence in combination with a database (which can be a library information of the automatic workflow collected in advance, such as a preset set of standard sections), determines the section type corresponding to the currently acquired ultrasonic image sequence, and matches the section type with the standard section of the preset automatic workflow protocol, and outputs the ultrasonic image with the highest matching degree as the ultrasonic section image. These ultrasonic image sequences and corresponding ultrasonic section images can be displayed on the display 140 or stored in a memory (not shown).

[0070] In the embodiment of the present application, the display 140 of the aforementioned ultrasound imaging workflow system 10 may be a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc., or may be an independent display device such as a liquid crystal display, a television, etc., which is independent of the ultrasound imaging workflow system 10, or may be a display screen on an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer. In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, the memory of the aforementioned ultrasound imaging workflow system 10 may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, etc.

[0071] Figure 2 In another specific implementation of the embodiment shown, as Figure 3 As shown, the ultrasound imaging workflow system 10 may further include a matching result processing module for automatically performing corresponding operations on the matched ultrasound section images according to operations such as annotations, body position maps, measurements, and image storage preset in a preset automatic workflow protocol.

[0072] Figure 4 The ultrasound imaging workflow system 10 according to another embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 2 The difference is that a human-computer interaction interface is provided for interactive feedback with the user. For example, after image matching, the matching result can be output on the display 140 for user confirmation. Each confirmed image can be matched and associated with a preset standard section of the automatic workflow protocol. The confirmed image is the ultrasound section image. Figure 4 Another variation of Figure 5 As shown, it is Figure 4The difference is that the matched and associated ultrasound images or image sequences are automatically operated according to the annotations, body position maps, measurements, image storage and other operations preset in the automatic workflow protocol.

[0073] The ultrasonic imaging method in the present application is described in detail below. The present application embodiment provides a section processing method of an ultrasonic imaging workflow, which is applied to an ultrasonic imaging workflow system 10, and is particularly suitable for an ultrasonic imaging workflow system 10 including a touch screen display, where touch screen operations can be input by contacting the touch screen display.

[0074] See also Figure 6 The section processing method of the ultrasound imaging workflow of an embodiment of the present application includes step S20 and step S40.

[0075] Step S20: Automatically identify the section type, including: when the ultrasound image data is a single-frame ultrasound image, automatically identify the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image; when the ultrasound image data is an ultrasound image sequence, automatically identify the section type of the ultrasound image sequence.

[0076] In step S20, a common classification and recognition method is to combine a database and use a machine learning method to learn, which can distinguish the characteristics or rules of different section categories, and then classify and recognize the input image according to the learned characteristics or rules. Generally, step S20 can include: a database construction step and a recognition step.

[0077] In the step of building a database, the database may be composed of a large number of samples. In specific implementation, for the case of a fully supervised learning method, each sample is composed of a cross-section image and the cross-section category corresponding to the image; and for the case of a semi-supervised learning method, a portion of the samples may be composed of a cross-section image and the cross-section category corresponding to the image, and another portion of the samples may only have images without marking the cross-section category corresponding to the image. Of course, the database may also store samples suitable for both the fully supervised learning method and the semi-supervised learning method.

[0078] In the recognition step, a machine learning algorithm is designed to learn the features or rules in the database that can distinguish different types of sections, thereby realizing image recognition. The image recognition step of an embodiment includes a feature extraction sub-step and a classification judgment sub-step.

[0079] In the feature extraction sub-step, the feature extraction method can be a feature extraction method of conventional digital image processing, such as PCA (Principal Component Analysis) algorithm, LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis) algorithm, Harr feature, texture feature, etc. The feature extraction method can also use a deep learning method to learn the features of the constructed database by stacking convolution layers, pooling layers, activation layers and fully connected layers; commonly used deep learning networks include CNN (Convolutional Neural Networks), ResNet (residual network), MobileNet lightweight convolutional neural network, VGG convolutional neural network, Inception network, DenseNet network, etc.

[0080] In the classification judgment sub-step, the extracted features are classified using a KNN (K-Nearest Neighbor) classification algorithm, SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm, random forest, neural network and other discriminators in combination with the features in the database to determine which type of standard section the currently processed ultrasound image belongs to and / or the probability of belonging to the standard section. Generally, through the classification judgment sub-step, the probability of the current image belonging to each section category can be output.

[0081] Step S40: automatic association matching, including when the section type of a single-frame ultrasound image is identified, automatically associating the single-frame ultrasound image with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain an ultrasound section image, and when the section type of an ultrasound sequence is identified, automatically matching each frame of the ultrasound image in the ultrasound image sequence with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol, and selecting the ultrasound image with the highest matching degree as the ultrasound section image, wherein the automatic workflow protocol includes a preset set of standard sections.

[0082] In step S40, the currently recognized ultrasound image is associated with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol. Specifically, if the recognized ultrasound image belongs to the standard section in the automatic workflow protocol, the ultrasound image is matched with the standard section in the automatic workflow protocol.

[0083] For an ultrasound image sequence, the contents of adjacent frame images are generally very similar, and they are usually identified as the same section type after step S20. Therefore, the ultrasound image frame with the highest matching degree can be automatically selected as the ultrasound section image, and can be presented on the human-computer interaction interface without the user manually selecting the frame.

[0084] In the ultrasound image sequence, there may be multiple types of sections at the same time. For example, when scanning the fetal skull, the mobile ultrasound probe can simultaneously obtain the cerebellum section, thalamus section and lateral ventricle section. Therefore, these section types can be identified through step S20, and then these sections can be displayed to the doctor in sequence for confirmation. In the above single-frame or multi-frame case, if the identified ultrasound image does not belong to the standard section in the automatic workflow protocol, the matching failure is returned.

[0085] See also Figure 7 In addition to steps S20 and S40, the section processing method of the ultrasound imaging workflow of another embodiment of the present application also includes step S41: automatically performing corresponding operations on the ultrasound section image according to the operations pre-defined in the automatic workflow protocol. Among them, the operations pre-defined in the automatic workflow protocol include: adding annotations, automatic or manual measurements, adding body position maps, adding probe marks, storing images and annotated information, etc. In other words, after the image is matched, the system can store images, add annotations, add body position maps and probe marks, and automatically or manually measure the ultrasound section image according to the requirements of the automatic workflow protocol. The above operations can be set in advance through presets, and the system will automatically retrieve and complete them after the corresponding section is identified, which solves the automation needs of doctors' applications.

[0086] Since there is a certain probability of misidentification when automatically identifying the section type, after the matching association in step S40 is performed, an association confirmation step can be set up, and the user can confirm the association result. Figure 8 In addition to steps S20 and S40, the section processing method of the ultrasound imaging workflow of another embodiment of the present application also includes related steps of the step S61 branch and / or related steps of the step S62 branch.

[0087] In step S61, an input function and a playback selection function are provided in the human-computer interaction interface. Through the input function, the human-computer interaction interface receives an input signal, which represents the user's confirmation or denial of the ultrasonic section image output in step S40, and the accuracy of the match can be known through the input signal. Through the playback selection function, the ultrasonic image sequence can be played back and / or the ultrasonic section image can be reselected for each frame of the ultrasonic image played back. In other words, through the input function and the playback selection function, it can be determined whether the user is satisfied with the ultrasonic section image output in step S40. If the user is not satisfied with the current matching result, if the user believes that there are other images in the currently processed video with multiple frames of ultrasonic images that have a better matching effect with the section, the user can directly manually play back the movie (that is, the video) to search. In a specific implementation, the playback selection function can be presented to the user through a control (called a playback selection control) set on the human-computer interaction interface, and the control can be implemented in the form of a button, menu item, etc.; and the input function can also be implemented by accepting input devices such as a trackball, mouse, keyboard, etc. to check, box, confirm buttons, etc. on the ultrasound section image presented on the display.

[0088] In step S62, a matching function is provided on the human-computer interaction interface to match the selected ultrasound image that may be missed for recognition, and identify the section type of the ultrasound image that may be missed for recognition. In a specific implementation, a matching function implemented in the form of a control (such as a button, etc.) is provided on the human-computer interaction interface, so that the user can select the ultrasound image that he thinks may be missed for recognition, that is, if the user is not satisfied with the current matching result, if the user thinks that there is a section that can match a section but is not recognized by the system in the multi-frame image, the user can replay the multi-frame video to the image, and then click the corresponding standard section icon (the standard section icon is one of a group of icons presented on the human-computer interaction interface, and the group of icons corresponds to a group of standard sections preset by the automatic workflow protocol) for matching, or click the standard section icon first and then replay the image for matching. In one example, when an unfinished ultrasound section image is clicked and the ultrasound section image is stored, the ultrasound section image can be marked as completed; and when a completed ultrasound section image is clicked and the ultrasound section image is stored, a new ultrasound section image is automatically copied and displayed on the display.

[0089] For example, the user collects a transparent cavity image, and the current image is identified as a transparent cavity image in step S20, and step S40 matches and associates the image with the transparent cavity section in the automatic workflow protocol; then, in one embodiment, Figure 8As shown, according to the requirements of the transparent cavity section in the automatic workflow protocol, operations such as annotation, measurement, and adding body position map are performed in the image area, and then the user confirms whether the matching association is accurate. If the user confirms that the association is accurate, the image can be directly saved or saved after measurement; in another embodiment, as Fig. 9 As shown, the user first confirms whether the matching association is accurate. If the user confirms that the association is accurate, the user then annotates, measures, adds a body position map, and other operations in the image area according to the requirements of the transparent cavity section in the automatic workflow protocol, and then saves the image.

[0090] In the aforementioned embodiments of the present application, a freeze image control can also be provided on the human-computer interaction interface, and the freezing and thawing of the ultrasound section image can only be achieved by triggering the freeze image control. In the frozen state, clicking on controls such as the section button and the save image on the human-computer interaction interface will not thaw the image, and the image will always remain frozen. When controls such as the section button are clicked, only the preset annotations and body position diagrams will be displayed on the currently frozen image, unless the user clicks again to trigger the freeze image control to thaw the image. This allows users to adjust and select the ultrasound section images they think are more suitable, supports multiple matching of relevant standard sections of the automatic workflow protocol with ultrasound image sequences, and enables the ultrasound images scanned by users to be fully utilized.

[0091] In addition, if Fig.10 As shown, an embodiment of the present application also provides an ultrasound imaging system 20, which includes an ultrasound probe 210, a transmitting and receiving circuit 220, a processor 230 and a display 240. In the ultrasound imaging system 20, the transmitting and receiving circuit 220 can stimulate the ultrasound probe 210 to transmit ultrasound to the target to be detected, and receive the ultrasound echo of the ultrasound returned from the target to be detected to obtain an ultrasound echo signal. The processor 230 can obtain at least one frame of ultrasound image according to the ultrasound echo signal, determine the section type to which at least one frame of ultrasound image belongs, determine at least one target standard section from the standard sections included in the automatic workflow protocol according to the section type, associate at least one target standard section with at least one frame of ultrasound image, and the display 240 can display at least one frame of ultrasound image. Among them, the implementation of each component can refer to the relevant contents involved in the aforementioned ultrasound imaging workflow system and section processing method thereof, and will not be described in detail here.

[0092] based on Fig.10 The ultrasonic imaging system shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present application also provides an ultrasonic imaging method, such as Fig.11 As shown, it includes the following steps S100-S108.

[0093] Step S100: transmitting ultrasonic waves to a target to be detected, and receiving ultrasonic echoes of the ultrasonic waves returned by the target to be detected, thereby obtaining ultrasonic echo signals;

[0094] Step S102: obtaining at least one frame of ultrasound image according to the ultrasound echo signal;

[0095] Step S104: determining the section type to which at least one frame of ultrasound image belongs;

[0096] Step S106: determining at least one target standard section from the standard sections included in the automatic workflow protocol according to the section type;

[0097] Step S108: Associating at least one target standard section with at least one frame of ultrasound image.

[0098] The implementation of steps S100 to S106 may refer to the relevant contents involved in the aforementioned ultrasound imaging workflow system and section processing method thereof.

[0099] In step S108, if the ultrasound image obtained in step S102 is a single-frame ultrasound image, it is automatically associated with a corresponding standard section (i.e., a target standard section) in a set of standard sections preset in the automatic workflow protocol. The specific implementation of the association can be achieved by the aforementioned feature extraction and image matching. If the ultrasound image obtained in step S102 is a multi-frame ultrasound image, the following situations may exist:

[0100] (1) If the multiple ultrasound image frames are similar and are identified as the same type of section, the ultrasound image frame with the highest matching degree can be automatically selected and automatically associated with the target standard section;

[0101] (2) if the multiple frames of ultrasound images are identified as multiple types of sections, automatically associating the multiple frames of ultrasound images with corresponding standard sections;

[0102] (3) If the multiple frames of ultrasound images are identified as multiple types of sections, and several frames of ultrasound images are all identified as the same type of section A, then for the multiple frames of ultrasound images, the frame of ultrasound image with a high matching degree can be automatically selected according to method (1) to be associated with the section A, and the remaining frames can be automatically associated according to method (2);

[0103] (4) If the multiple frames of ultrasound images are identified as multiple types of slices, they can be displayed to the user for confirmation and manual association.

[0104] If the identified ultrasound image does not belong to the standard section in the automatic workflow protocol, a matching failure is returned.

[0105] Through the method and system provided in the embodiment of the present application, after the user scans a section of images, the appropriate images that can match each section in the protocol can be automatically selected from the images, and the user can make judgments in a certain order. For recognized matches, the system automatically obtains the section settings, annotates, marks the body map, measures (if confirmation is required) and stores the image, and confirms the next match after completion. For unrecognized matches, the user can freely replay the movie for rematching, or abandon or add a new match. Compared with the existing ultrasound automatic workflow, it saves the time of repeated scanning and matching images, significantly reduces the doctor's operation of ultrasound equipment, greatly improves work efficiency, shortens the inspection time, and is more humane, fully respecting the user's scanning habits. The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores multiple program instructions. After the multiple program instructions are called and executed by the workflow processor 130 or the processor 230, some steps or all steps or any combination of steps in the section automatic processing method of the ultrasound imaging workflow in each embodiment of the present application can be executed. In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may be the aforementioned memory, which may be a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, or a hard disk.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, the workflow processor 130 of the aforementioned ultrasound imaging workflow system 10 and the processor 230 of the ultrasound imaging system 20 can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or a combination thereof, and can use circuits, single or multiple application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), single or multiple general-purpose integrated circuits, single or multiple microprocessors, 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 105 can execute the corresponding steps of the automatic section processing method of the ultrasound imaging workflow in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0107] This document is described with reference to various exemplary embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of this document. For example, various operating steps and components for performing the operating steps may be implemented in different ways (e.g., one or more steps may be deleted, modified, or incorporated into other steps) depending on the specific application or considering any number of cost functions associated with the operation of the system.

[0108] In addition, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the principles of the present invention may be reflected in a computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium, which is pre-installed with a computer-readable program code. Any tangible, non-temporary computer-readable storage medium may be used, including magnetic storage devices (hard disks, floppy disks, etc.), optical storage devices (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu Ray disks, etc.), flash memory, and / or the like. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to form a machine, so that these instructions executed on a computer or other programmable data processing device may generate a device that implements a specified function. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which may instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory may form a manufactured product, including an implementation device that implements a specified function. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, so that a series of operating steps are performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device may provide steps for implementing a specified function.

[0109] Although the principles of this invention have been shown in various embodiments, many modifications of structures, arrangements, proportions, elements, materials and components particularly suitable for specific environments and operational requirements can be used without departing from the principles and scope of this invention. The above modifications and other changes or amendments will be included in the scope of this invention.

[0110] The foregoing specific description has been described with reference to various examples. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the consideration of the present disclosure will be illustrative rather than restrictive, and all these modifications will be included in its scope. Similarly, the advantages, other advantages and solutions to the problems of various embodiments have been described above. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to the problems and any elements that can produce these, or make them more clear, should not be interpreted as critical, necessary or necessary. The term "include" and any other variants used in this article are all non-exclusive inclusions, so that the process, method, article or device including the list of elements not only includes these elements, but also includes other elements that are not explicitly listed or do not belong to the process, method, system, article or device. In addition, the term "coupled" and any other variants used in this article refer to physical connections, electrical connections, magnetic connections, optical connections, communication connections, functional connections and / or any other connections.

[0111] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the basic principles of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined according to the claims.

Claims

1. A section processing method for ultrasound imaging workflow, characterized in that: include: Automatically identifying the section type step: when the ultrasound image data is a single-frame ultrasound image, automatically identifying the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image; or when the ultrasound image data is an ultrasound image sequence, automatically identifying the section type of the ultrasound image sequence; Automatic matching and associating step: when the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image is identified, the single-frame ultrasound image is automatically associated with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain an ultrasound section image; or when the section type of the ultrasound image sequence is identified, the ultrasound images in the ultrasound image sequence are automatically matched with the corresponding standard sections in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain an ultrasound section image, wherein the automatic workflow protocol includes a preset set of standard sections; wherein the step of automatically associating the single-frame ultrasound image with the corresponding standard sections in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain an ultrasound section image comprises: according to the identified section type of the single-frame ultrasound image, searching for the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol, and automatically determining the single-frame ultrasound image as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the standard section.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The automatic workflow protocol also includes pre-defining operations for each standard section, wherein the operations include at least one of the following: adding annotations, measuring, adding body position maps, adding probe marks, and storing; The method further includes: automatically performing corresponding operations on the ultrasound section image according to the operations predefined in the automatic workflow protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes: providing a human-computer interaction interface, wherein at least one of the following information is presented on the human-computer interaction interface: the ultrasound image data, the ultrasound section image, and relevant information of the automatic workflow protocol.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method further includes: receiving an input signal through the human-computer interaction interface, wherein the input signal is used to represent confirmation or denial of the ultrasonic section image.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further includes providing a playback selection control on the human-computer interaction interface to play back the ultrasound image sequence and / or reselect an ultrasound section image for each frame of the played back ultrasound image.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further includes providing a matching control on the human-computer interaction interface to match the selected ultrasound image that may be missed for identification, and identifying the section type of the ultrasound image that may be missed for identification; The step of receiving an input signal includes: receiving at least one frame of ultrasound image selected from the ultrasound image sequence being played back, and automatically associating the selected at least one frame of ultrasound image with a corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol through the matching control to obtain the ultrasound section image.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method further includes providing a freeze image control on the human-computer interaction interface, and freezing or unfreezing the ultrasound image currently being processed by triggering the freeze image control.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The automatic workflow protocol also includes various types of section features pre-stored in the database; The step of automatically identifying the slice type of the ultrasound image sequence comprises: Performing feature extraction on each frame of ultrasound image in the ultrasound image sequence; The extracted features corresponding to each frame of the ultrasound image are classified according to the various types of section features, thereby determining the section type of each frame of the ultrasound image.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The feature extraction method includes a feature extraction method of conventional digital image processing or a deep learning method; the classification includes using a pattern recognition algorithm to classify each frame of ultrasound image, and determining the section type to which each frame of ultrasound image belongs and / or the probability of belonging to the section type.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes: transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a target to be detected, receiving an ultrasonic echo of the ultrasonic wave returned from the target to be detected, obtaining an ultrasonic echo signal, and performing beam synthesis and signal processing on the ultrasonic echo signal to obtain the ultrasonic image data; Alternatively, the method further includes: importing the ultrasound image data.

11. A section processing method for ultrasound imaging workflow, characterized in that: include: Transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a target to be detected, and receiving an ultrasonic echo of the ultrasonic wave returned by the target to be detected to obtain an ultrasonic echo signal; Obtaining a sequence of ultrasonic images according to the ultrasonic echo signal; Determining the section type to which the serial ultrasound images belong; Determine at least one target standard section from the standard sections included in the automatic workflow protocol according to the section type; The at least one target standard slice is associated with at least one frame of ultrasound image in the ultrasound sequence.

12. An ultrasound imaging workflow system, characterized in that: include: A workflow processor is used to automatically identify the section type of a single-frame ultrasound image when the ultrasound image data is a single-frame ultrasound image, or to automatically identify the section type of the ultrasound image sequence when the ultrasound image data is an ultrasound image sequence, and is also used to automatically associate the single-frame ultrasound image with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain an ultrasound section image when the section type of the single-frame ultrasound image is identified, or to automatically match the ultrasound images in the ultrasound image sequence with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain an ultrasound section image when the section type of the ultrasound image sequence is identified; wherein the automatic workflow protocol includes a preset set of standard sections; wherein the step of automatically associating the single-frame ultrasound image with the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol to obtain the ultrasound section image includes: searching for the corresponding standard section in the automatic workflow protocol according to the identified section type of the single-frame ultrasound image, and automatically determining the single-frame ultrasound image as the ultrasound section image corresponding to the standard section.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein: Also includes: Ultrasound probe, The transmitting and receiving circuit is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target to be detected, receive ultrasonic echoes returned from the target to be detected and form echo signals; A beamforming and signal processing module, configured to perform beamforming and signal processing on the echo signal to obtain the ultrasonic image data, wherein the ultrasonic image data includes at least one frame of ultrasonic image; A display having a human-computer interaction interface displayed thereon, wherein the human-computer interaction interface presents at least one of the following information: the ultrasound image data, the ultrasound section image, and relevant information of the automatic workflow protocol.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein: A matching control is provided on the human-computer interaction interface for matching the selected ultrasound image that may be missed for recognition, and identifying the section type of the ultrasound image that may be missed for recognition.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein: A freeze image control is provided on the human-computer interaction interface, and the ultrasound section image is frozen or unfrozen by triggering the freeze image control.

16. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: include: Ultrasound probe, The transmitting and receiving circuit is used to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target to be detected, receive ultrasonic echoes of the ultrasonic waves returned from the target to be detected, and obtain ultrasonic echo signals; a processor, configured to obtain a sequence of ultrasound images according to the ultrasound echo signal, determine the section type to which the sequence of ultrasound images belongs, determine at least one target standard section from a set of preset standard sections included in the automatic workflow protocol according to the section type, and associate the at least one target standard section with at least one frame of ultrasound image in the sequence of ultrasound images; A display is used to display the at least one frame of ultrasound image.

17. A readable storage medium, characterized in that: The readable storage medium stores a computer program, which implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 when executed.

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