Method and system for controlling time gain compensation entity switch

Abstract

The invention provides a method for controlling a plurality of time gain compensation entity switches. The method comprises the following steps: performing current ultrasonic scanning; determining the current positions of the plurality of TGC entity switches; determining target positions of the plurality of TGC entity switches; and simultaneously displaying the current positions and the target positions of the plurality of TGC entity switches on a display. Other embodiments of the application also provide a system for controlling a plurality of time gain compensation entity switches and a non-transitory computer readable medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical imaging, and in particular to a method for controlling a plurality of time gain compensation physical switches, a system for controlling a plurality of time gain compensation physical switches, and a non-transient computer-readable medium. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasonic imaging technology usually uses a probe to send ultrasonic signals to the part to be scanned and receive ultrasonic echo signals, and further processes the echo signals to obtain an ultrasonic image of the part to be scanned. In ultrasonic imaging, as the transmission depth of the ultrasonic signal inside the part to be scanned increases, the ultrasonic echo signal will weaken due to increased attenuation. Without processing, it may cause quality problems such as the reduction of the brightness of the ultrasonic image in the depth direction. For this reason, the time gain compensation (TGC) function is widely used in ultrasonic imaging systems. In short, TGC solves the problem of ultrasonic image attenuation at different depths by configuring different gains (including positive gain and negative gain) for echo signals received at different times.

[0003] Conventional TGC adjustment devices include a TGC physical switch and a TGC virtual switch. Usually, the TGC virtual switch is configured on a user interface such as a touch screen, and the user can adjust the TGC by manually operating the corresponding TGC virtual switch area on the touch screen. Moreover, since the position of the TGC virtual switch can be directly controlled by an algorithm, the ultrasonic imaging system can even automatically control the position of the switch to automatically adjust the TGC. The TGC physical switch is usually a plurality of sliding switches arranged in the longitudinal direction (or depth direction). Any of the sliding switches can be manually slid in the horizontal direction to adjust the TGC value of the corresponding depth. For users, the physical switch can provide good operational feedback, so it is still widely used. However, one disadvantage of the physical switch is that it relies too much on manual labor. For example, compared with the automatic position adjustment of the virtual switch, the physical switch can only rely on manual operation. Summary of the invention

[0004] The above-mentioned deficiencies, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and will be understood by reading and understanding the following description.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present application, a method for controlling multiple TGC physical switches is provided, including: performing a current ultrasonic scan; determining the current positions of the multiple TGC physical switches; determining the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches; and simultaneously displaying the current positions and the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches on a display.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present application, a system for controlling a TGC physical switch is provided, comprising: a probe, the probe being used to perform ultrasonic scanning of an imaging tissue; a user interface, the user interface comprising the plurality of TGC physical switches; a processor; a display, the display receiving a signal from the processor and performing display; wherein the processor is configured to execute the following method: perform a current ultrasonic scan; determine the current positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches; determine the target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches; and simultaneously display the current positions and the target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches on the display.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present application, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program has at least one code segment, and the at least one code segment can be executed by a machine so that the machine performs the following method: performing a current ultrasonic scan; determining the current positions of the multiple TGC physical switches; determining the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches; and displaying the current positions and the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches on a display at the same time.

[0008] It should be understood that the brief description above is provided to introduce some concepts further described in the detailed description in a simplified form. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is solely defined by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages mentioned above or in any section of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present application will be better understood by reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0011] Figure 2 is a flow chart of controlling multiple time gain compensation entity switches in some embodiments of the present application;

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of displaying the current position and target position of a TGC physical switch on a display in some embodiments of the present application;

[0013] Figure 4 is a display screen showing a TGC physical switch and a TGC curve in some embodiments of the present application;

[0014] Figure 5is a display screen showing a TGC physical switch and a TGC curve in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0015] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the TGC display area in some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that in the specific description of these embodiments, in order to be concise, it is impossible for the present invention to provide a detailed description of all the features of the actual embodiments. It should be understood that in the actual implementation of any embodiment, just as in the process of any engineering project or design project, in order to achieve the specific goals of the developer and to meet system-related or business-related restrictions, various specific decisions are often made, and this will also change from one embodiment to another. In addition, it can also be understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for ordinary technicians in the field related to the content disclosed by the present invention, some changes such as design, manufacturing or production based on the technical content disclosed in the present disclosure are just conventional technical means, and should not be understood as insufficient content of the present disclosure.

[0017] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the claims and the specification shall have the usual meanings understood by persons with ordinary skills in the relevant technical field. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the present invention and the claims do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Words such as "one" or "a" do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before "include" or "comprises" include the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprises" and their equivalent elements, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The words "connected" or "connected" and the like are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, or to direct or indirect connections.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an embodiment of an ultrasound imaging system 100 is shown. The ultrasound imaging system 100 may include a controller circuit 102 operably connected to a communication circuit 104, a display 138, a user interface 142, a probe 126, and a memory 106.

[0019] The controller circuit 102 is configured to control the operation of the ultrasound imaging system 100. The controller circuit 102 may include one or more processors. Optionally, the controller circuit 102 may include a central processing unit (CPU), one or more microprocessors, a graphics processing unit (GPU), or any other electronic component capable of processing input data according to specific logic instructions. Optionally, the controller circuit 102 may include and / or represent one or more hardware circuits or circuit systems, which include, connect, or include and connect one or more processors, controllers, and / or other hardware logic-based devices. Additionally or alternatively, the controller circuit 102 may execute instructions stored on a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 106).

[0020] The controller circuit 102 may be operably connected to and / or control the communication circuit 104. The communication circuit 104 is configured to receive and / or transmit information along a bidirectional communication link with one or more optional ultrasound imaging systems, remote servers, etc. The remote server may represent a remotely stored medical image including patient information, machine learning algorithms, previous scans and / or treatments of the patient, etc. The communication circuit 104 may represent hardware for transmitting and / or receiving data along a bidirectional communication link. The communication circuit 104 may include a transceiver, a receiver, a transceiver, etc., and associated circuit systems (e.g., antennas) for communicating (e.g., transmitting and / or receiving) in a wired and / or wireless manner with the one or more optional ultrasound imaging systems, remote servers, etc. For example, protocol firmware for transmitting and / or receiving data along a bidirectional communication link may be stored in a memory 106 accessed by the controller circuit 102. The protocol firmware provides the controller circuit 102 with a network protocol grammar to assemble data packets, build and / or segment data received along a bidirectional communication link, etc.

[0021] The bidirectional communication link may be a wired (e.g., via physical conductors) and / or wireless communication (e.g., utilizing radio frequency (RF)) link for exchanging data (e.g., data packets) between the one or more alternative ultrasound imaging systems, remote servers, etc. The bidirectional communication link may be based on a standard communication protocol, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, WiFi, 802.11, a custom communication protocol, Bluetooth, etc.

[0022] The controller circuit 102 is operably connected to a display 138 and a user interface 142. The display 138 may include one or more liquid crystal displays (e.g., light emitting diode (LED) backlights), organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, plasma displays, CRT displays, etc. The display 138 may display patient information, one or more medical images and / or videos, a graphical user interface or component, one or more 2D, 3D, or 4D ultrasound image data sets from ultrasound data stored in the memory 106, or currently acquired anatomical measurements, diagnoses, processing information, etc., received by the display 138 from the controller circuit 102.

[0023] The user interface 142 controls the operation of the controller circuit 102 and the ultrasound imaging system 100. The user interface 142 is configured to receive input from a clinician and / or an operator of the ultrasound imaging system 100. The user interface 142 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, one or more physical buttons, and the like. Optionally, the display 138 may be a touch screen display that includes at least a portion of the user interface 142. For example, a portion of the user interface 142 may correspond to a graphical user interface (GUI) generated by the controller circuit 102 and displayed on the display 138. The touch screen display may detect the presence of a touch from an operator on the display 138, and may also identify the location of the touch relative to the surface area of ​​the display 138. For example, a user may select one or more user interface components of the user interface (GUI) shown on the display by touching or contacting the display 138. The user interface components may correspond to icons, text boxes, menu bars, and the like shown on the display 138. The user interface components may be selected, manipulated, utilized, interacted with, and the like by a clinician to instruct the controller circuit 102 to perform one or more operations as described herein. For example, the touch may be applied by at least one of a person's hand, a glove, a stylus, and the like.

[0024] In some examples, the user interface 142 may include a plurality of TGC physical switches 143. The TGC physical switches 143 may be used to control the TGC. In some embodiments, the TGC physical switch 143 may include a sliding switch 144 and a sliding track 145. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the sliding switch 144 and the sliding track 145. Figure 1As shown, multiple sliding switches 144 can be arranged in sequence in the longitudinal direction (corresponding to the depth direction of the ultrasound image). And, any sliding switch 144 can be slid on the corresponding track 145. It can be understood that, although not shown in the figure, the sliding switch 144 is also connected to the corresponding circuit of the TGC physical switch to ensure that the position of each of the TGC physical switches can be detected and assigned different TGC values. The specific configuration mode and structure of the TGC physical switch can be any in the prior art and will not be repeated here. In a non-limiting embodiment, when the sliding switch 144 is in the middle position of the corresponding track 145, its corresponding TGC value can be 0. When the sliding switch slides to the left, its corresponding TGC value can represent a negative gain. The farther the sliding distance to the left, the greater the degree of negative gain represented. On the contrary, when the sliding switch slides to the right, its corresponding TGC value can represent a positive gain, and the farther the sliding distance to the right, the greater the degree of positive gain represented. By positioning different sliding switches at different positions, the user can configure different TGC values ​​for different depths of the ultrasound image. Generally, the assignment of TGC varies according to different parts to be imaged. For example, for a relatively uniform part to be imaged, such as muscle tissue, TGC can be gradually increased from shallow to deep. For special imaging parts such as the heart, due to its complex structure, TGC adjustment may not follow the above rules. In addition to the above possible situations, the assignment of TGC also depends to a large extent on the user's usage habits and experience. Therefore, TGC may be adjusted frequently in actual ultrasound scanning. The TGC physical switch 143 gives the user a good sense of touch and adjustment feedback. In some embodiments, the TGC physical switch 143 can be set on a control panel (not shown) of the ultrasound imaging system 100, so that when the user operates the TGC physical switch 143, the arms and hands can be well supported, thereby improving the user experience.

[0025] Continue to refer Figure 1 , the ultrasound imaging system 100 may include a probe 126 having a transmitter 122, a transmit beamformer 121, and a detector / SAP electronics 110. The detector / SAP electronics 110 may be used to control switching of transducer elements 124. The detector / SAP electronics 110 may also be used to group the transducer elements 124 into one or more sub-apertures.

[0026] The probe 126 may be configured to acquire ultrasound data or information from tissue to be imaged (e.g., a fetus, an organ, a blood vessel, a heart, a bone, etc.). The probe 126 is communicatively connected to the controller circuit 102 via a transmitter 122. The transmitter 122 transmits a signal to the transmit beamformer 121 based on the acquisition settings received by the controller circuit 102. The acquisition settings may define the amplitude, pulse width, frequency, gain setting, scanning angle, power, time gain compensation (TGC), resolution, etc. of the ultrasound pulses emitted by the transducer elements 124. The transducer elements 124 transmit pulsed ultrasound signals into a patient (e.g., a body). The acquisition settings may be defined by a user operating the user interface 142. The signal transmitted by the transmitter 122 then drives a plurality of transducer elements 124 within the transducer array 112.

[0027] The transducer element 124 transmits a pulsed ultrasound signal into a body (e.g., a patient) or volume corresponding to an acquisition setting along one or more scanning planes. The ultrasound signal may include, for example, one or more reference pulses, one or more push pulses (e.g., shear waves), and / or one or more pulsed wave Doppler pulses. At least a portion of the pulsed ultrasound signal is backscattered from the tissue to be imaged (e.g., organs, bones, heart, breast tissue, liver tissue, cardiac tissue, prostate tissue, neonatal brain, embryo, abdomen, etc.) to produce an echo. Depending on the depth or movement, the echo is delayed in time and / or frequency and received by the transducer element 124 within the transducer array 112. The ultrasound signal can be used for imaging, for generating and / or tracking shear waves, for measuring changes in position or velocity within an anatomical structure, differences in compression displacement of tissue (e.g., strain), and / or for treatment and other purposes. For example, the probe 126 can deliver low energy pulses during imaging and tracking, deliver medium and high energy pulses to generate shear waves, and deliver high energy pulses during treatment.

[0028] The transducer element 124 converts the received echo signal into an electrical signal that can be received by the receiver 128. The receiver 128 may include one or more amplifiers, analog / digital converters (ADCs), etc. The receiver 128 may be configured to amplify the received echo signal after appropriate TGC, and convert the analog signals received from each transducer element 124 into digitized signals sampled uniformly in time. The digitized signals representing the received echo are temporarily stored in the memory 106. The digitized signals correspond to the backscattered waves received by each transducer element 124 at different times. After digitization, the signal can still retain the amplitude, frequency, and phase information of the backscattered waves.

[0029] Alternatively, the controller circuit 102 may retrieve the digitized signal stored in the memory 106 for use with the beamformer processor 130. For example, the controller circuit 102 may convert the digitized signal to a baseband signal or compress the digitized signal.

[0030] The beamformer processor 130 may include one or more processors. Optionally, the beamformer processor 130 may include a central processing unit (CPU), one or more microprocessors, or any other electronic component capable of processing input data according to specific logic instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the beamformer processor 130 may execute instructions stored on a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 106) to perform beamforming calculations using any suitable beamforming method, such as adaptive beamforming, synthetic transmit focusing, aberration correction, synthetic aperture, clutter suppression, and / or adaptive noise control, etc. Optionally, the beamformer processor 130 may be integrated with and / or be part of the controller circuit 102. For example, operations described as being performed by the beamformer processor 130 may be configured to be performed by the controller circuit 102.

[0031] The beamformer processor 130 performs beamforming on the digitized signals of the transducer elements and outputs a radio frequency (RF) signal. The RF signal is then provided to an RF processor 132 that processes the RF signal. The RF processor 132 may include one or more processors. As desired, the RF processor 132 may include a central processing unit (CPU), one or more microprocessors, or any other electronic component capable of processing input data according to specific logic instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the RF processor 132 may execute instructions stored on a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 106). Optionally, the RF processor 132 may be integrated with the controller circuit 102 and / or as part of the controller circuit. For example, operations described as being performed by the RF processor 132 may be configured to be performed by the controller circuit 102.

[0032] The RF processor 132 may generate different ultrasound image data types and / or modes for multiple scan planes or different scan modes based on the predetermined settings of the first model, such as B-mode, color Doppler (e.g., color blood flow, velocity / power / variance), tissue Doppler (velocity), and Doppler energy. For example, the RF processor 132 may generate tissue Doppler data for multiple scan planes. The RF processor 132 collects information related to multiple data slices (e.g., I / Q, B-mode, color Doppler, tissue Doppler, and Doppler energy information) and stores the data information in the memory 106, which may include time stamps and orientation / rotation information.

[0033] Optionally, the RF processor 132 may include a complex demodulator (not shown) that demodulates the RF signal to form an IQ data pair representing the echo signal. The RF or IQ signal data may then be provided directly to the memory 106 for storage (e.g., temporary storage). Optionally, the output of the beamformer processor 130 may be communicated directly to the controller circuit 102.

[0034] The controller circuit 102 may be configured to process the acquired ultrasound data (e.g., RF signal data or IQ data pairs) and prepare and / or generate ultrasound image data frames representing anatomical structures of interest for display on the display 138. The acquired ultrasound data may be processed by the controller circuit 102 in real time as echo signals are received during a scanning or treatment procedure for an ultrasound examination. Additionally or alternatively, the ultrasound data may be temporarily stored in the memory 106 during the scanning procedure and processed in a less real-time manner in an on-the-go or off-line operation.

[0035] The memory 106 includes parameters, algorithms, one or more ultrasound examination protocols, data values, etc. used by the controller circuit 102 to perform one or more operations described in the present application. The memory 106 can be a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as flash memory, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, etc. The memory 106 can be used to store processed frames of acquired ultrasound data that are not planned to be displayed immediately, or to store post-processed images (such as shear wave images, strain images), firmware or software corresponding to, for example, a graphical user interface, one or more default image display settings, programmed instructions, etc. The memory 106 can store medical images such as 4D ultrasound image data sets of ultrasound data, where such 4D ultrasound image data sets are accessed to present real-time 3D images. For example, the 4D ultrasound image data set can be mapped to the corresponding memory 106 and one or more reference planes. The processing of ultrasound data including the ultrasound image data set can be based in part on user input, such as user selections received at the user interface 142.

[0036] The inventors found that although the physical TGC switch can bring advantages such as good operational feedback and precise operational sensitivity, it also has certain disadvantages, especially compared with the virtual TGC switch, the physical TGC switch relies on the user's manual operation. For example, the virtual TGC switch can automatically adjust the TGC by automatically adjusting the position of each virtual switch by the ultrasound imaging system. And, since the switch is virtual, the TGC parameters can be easily saved in the system for next use. This is not the case with the TGC physical switch. The position of each physical switch determines the corresponding TGC value, and it is difficult to achieve efficient adjustment like the virtual TGC.

[0037] In view of this, improvements are provided in the embodiments of the present application. Figure 2The implementation modes of the present application are described in detail. Figure 2 A flowchart 200 for controlling multiple time gain compensation physical switches in some embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0038] In step 201, the current ultrasonic scan is performed. This process can be implemented by the processor of the controller circuit 102 described above. Specifically, the processor can control the probe (such as probe 126) to transmit an ultrasonic signal to the part to be scanned, and the ultrasonic signal is reflected inside the part to be scanned and received by the probe. The processor processes the ultrasonic echo signal received by the probe, that is, it can obtain an ultrasonic image of the current part to be scanned. As described above in this application, the attenuation degree of the ultrasonic echo signal is different at different depths. Positions with deeper depths usually have higher attenuation because of the long distance, so a higher TGC value needs to be configured. Positions with shallower depths usually have lower attenuation because of the short distance, so a lower TGC value needs to be configured. The configuration of the above TGC values ​​is achieved by the user operating multiple TGC physical switches, which will not be repeated.

[0039] In step 202, the current positions of the multiple TGC physical switches are determined. This process can be implemented by a processor. It can be understood that the position of each of the multiple TGC physical switches determines the value of the TGC it represents. In one example, the processor can determine the specific position of the switch based on the value of TGC assigned by any TGC physical switch. For example, if the TGC value controlled by a certain TGC physical switch is 0, it can be determined that it is located in the middle position. Or, if the TGC value controlled by a certain TGC physical switch is a certain negative value, it can be determined that it is located a certain distance to the left of the middle position based on the negative value. It should be noted that the above examples are only for the purpose of clearly illustrating the specific judgment method of the physical switch position, and are not intended to be a unique limitation. For example, the processor can also determine the position of the TGC physical switch in other ways, for example, it can directly judge its position based on signals such as impedance generated by any of the TGC physical switches. No exhaustive enumeration is given here.

[0040] In step 203, the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches are determined. This process can be implemented by a processor. The above-mentioned target positions can be determined in various ways. For example, the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches can be determined based on the target TGC value. As described above, there is a corresponding relationship between the TGC value and the position of the TGC physical switch. On the premise that the target TGC value is determined one by one, the processor can determine the target position corresponding to each TGC physical switch. In addition, the processor can also directly use the position of the required TGC physical switch as the target position, and does not rely entirely on the conversion of the TGC value.

[0041] It should be noted that the target positions of the above-mentioned multiple TGC physical switches can be set manually or automatically by the ultrasonic imaging system. The specific target position definition method and its outstanding advantages will be described exemplarily below.

[0042] In step 204, the current positions and the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches are simultaneously displayed on the display. After determining the current positions and target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches, the processor can map the positions of the physical switches to the display for virtual display. The position information displayed on the display can be displayed in proportion to the size and position relationship of the physical switch, or can be enlarged or reduced according to factors such as the actual size of the display. However, it can be understood that the relative relationship between the current position and the target position of any switch in the multiple TGC physical switches is fixed. The target position and the current position displayed at the same time can be configured to be aligned on the display area of ​​the same TGC physical switch. In this way, the difference and relative position between the target position and the current position can be more intuitively reflected on the display. For example, a certain TGC physical switch is left, right or overlapped with its target position, and / or deviates by how much distance, etc.

[0043] Through the above implementation, when operating multiple TGC physical switches, the user can clearly observe how to adjust any TGC physical switch toward the target position. This greatly reduces the reliance on manual labor and experience. Without changing the user's habit of operating the physical TGC switch, it can greatly save manpower and improve work efficiency.

[0044] To further explain the above embodiments of the present application more clearly, please refer to Figure 3 . Figure 3 A schematic diagram 300 is shown of displaying the current position and target position of a TGC physical switch on a display in some embodiments of the present application.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 301 includes a user interface 311 and a display 321. It can be understood that the ultrasound imaging system 301 can also include the software / hardware structure of any of the above embodiments of the present application, for example, Figure 1 One or more of any structures of the ultrasound imaging system 100 shown. The user interface 311 includes a plurality of TGC physical switches 312. The plurality of TGC physical switches 312 can slide under user operation to adjust the TGC.

[0046] Further, the display 321 can be used to display the ultrasound image 322. In some embodiments of the present application, the display 321 also includes a display area 323 for the TGC switch. Figure 3 As shown, the display area 323 includes a virtual mapping of the TGC physical switch 312, which displays the current position 331 (indicated by the blue switch in the figure) and the target position 332 (indicated by the green switch in the figure) of the TGC physical switch 312. The current position and the target position are determined as described in the above embodiments of the present application and will not be described in detail here. When the user needs to adjust the TGC, he can clearly determine how to adjust the TGC to achieve the target TGC by simply observing the display area 323 on the display 321.

[0047] It should be noted that Figure 3 The target position and current position shown are only one of the examples in this application. The two can also be distinguished by other methods, such as selecting any other color / shape, etc. for distinction.

[0048] In addition, as described above in the present application, the target position of the TGC physical switch in the present application can be determined in various ways. According to different determination methods, the embodiments of the present application will bring different technical effects. An exemplary description is given below.

[0049] In some embodiments, determining the target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches may include: analyzing an ultrasound image in the current ultrasound scan, and determining the target position based on the result of the analysis. For example, the processor may evaluate the required TGC value based on the uneven image brightness caused by attenuation at different depths of the current ultrasound image (e.g., ultrasound image 322), and thereby obtain the target position of the TGC physical switch. Figure 3 For example, the ultrasound image 322 represents a specific section of the heart. Due to the complexity and unevenness of the heart structure in the current image, the processor automatically determines that the target position of the TGC physical switch should be a curved shape in depth, and therefore can automatically recommend the target position for the user's reference.

[0050] The above configuration can provide guidance for novice doctors who are not proficient in operation. In particular, for users who are not proficient in adjusting TGC, the above automatic TGC can judge and recommend the target position, which can improve the scanning efficiency and image quality on the one hand, and also play a role in training users on the other hand.

[0051] Furthermore, in some embodiments, determining the target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches may include: recording the positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches in a previous ultrasound scan and using them as the target positions in a current ultrasound scan.

[0052] The inventors realize that the TGC physical switch may be displaced due to inadvertent touch, causing the physical switch position that the user has set to need to be readjusted. For example, when cleaning and disinfecting the ultrasonic imaging system, the TGC physical switch is usually disrupted, resulting in inconsistency in TGC parameters before and after disinfection. This results in a potential reduction in the comparability of ultrasonic images between the previous and subsequent scans. Although this problem does not exist in the virtual TGC, because the TGC switch on the touch screen is usually not easily misoperated. However, in the physical switch, this problem still needs to be effectively solved. In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application, by recording the positions of the multiple TGC physical switches of the previous ultrasonic scan and using them as the target positions of the TGC physical switches of the current ultrasonic scan, the above-mentioned problem can be effectively solved. For example, after the previous scan, the position of the TGC physical switch is recorded in the system. Subsequently, even if the position of the TGC physical switch is changed due to misoperation or cleaning and disinfection, when the current scan is performed again, the TGC physical switch can still be quickly adjusted to the position of the previous scan through the visual indication of the target position and the physical position.

[0053] In an optional embodiment, the position of the TGC physical switch of the previous scan can also be combined with different scanning parts. For example, the positions of the TGC physical switches of the previous scan of multiple different tissues to be scanned are recorded at the same time, and the corresponding records are selected as the target position according to the tissue to be scanned currently being scanned. Such a configuration makes the target position more selective. As recorded above in this application, different parts to be scanned usually need to be configured with different TGCs. The above configuration method can combine historical TGC configurations and different scanning parts to provide diverse and targeted TGC physical switch guidance for the current scan.

[0054] According to some embodiments of the present application, the method for controlling multiple TGC physical switches may further include: determining a current TGC curve; determining a target TGC curve; and displaying the current TGC curve and the target TGC curve on a display at the same time.

[0055] This configuration allows the user to more intuitively observe the current TGC curve and the target TGC curve on the display, thereby understanding the difference between the two and being able to adjust the position of the TGC physical switch in a more targeted manner.

[0056] Further, in some embodiments, the current TGC curve and the target TGC curve are configured to be displayed together in the same display area of ​​the display. In other words, the current TGC curve and the target TGC curve can be configured to be displayed at the same coordinates. In other words, the two are configured to be displayed overlappingly. In this way, in the depth direction (vertical direction) and the TGC value direction (horizontal direction), the coordinates of the two are the same, and the size of the TGC value at the same depth can be directly compared, so that the comparison result is more intuitive. For a better explanation, please refer to Figure 4 , showing a display screen 400 showing a TGC physical switch and a TGC curve in some embodiments of the present application.

[0057] like Figure 4 As shown, in addition to the real-time ultrasound image 401, the display screen 400 also includes a TGC switch display area 402 and a TGC curve display area 403. Among them, the TGC switch display area 402 simultaneously displays the current position and target position of multiple TGC physical switches (as described in any of the above embodiments). The TGC curve display area 403 includes a current TGC curve 431 and a target TGC curve 432. Among them, the shape of the current TGC curve 431 is similar to the current position arrangement of the TGC physical switch. The shape of the target TGC curve 432 is similar to the target position arrangement of the TGC physical switch. By displaying the curves 431 and 432 at the same time, the user can more intuitively understand the direction of the TGC in the depth direction, which is more conducive to decision-making.

[0058] It is understandable that in order to make the expression concise, Figure 4 The specific structure of the ultrasonic imaging system and its TGC physical switch is not shown. The specific ultrasonic imaging system can be described in any embodiment of the present application and will not be described in detail. In addition, for the convenience of expression, the TGC line is collectively referred to as a TGC curve in the present application, but it can be understood that in some scenarios, the TGC curve will be represented in the form of a straight line segment.

[0059] The inventors further realized that the positions of the TGC curve and the TGC switch have a high degree of overlap. The combination of the two will be able to save screen space and help users concentrate. To this end, in some embodiments, the present application further proposes improvements. Specifically, the current TGC curve is configured as a line connecting the current position of each of the multiple TGC physical switches displayed on the display; the target TGC curve is configured as a line connecting the target position of each of the multiple TGC physical switches displayed on the display. For a clearer explanation, please refer to Figure 5 , showing a display screen 500 showing a TGC physical switch and a TGC curve in some other embodiments of the present application.

[0060] like Figure 5 As shown, the display screen 500 not only displays a real-time ultrasound image 501, but also includes a TGC display area 502. Figure 4 Separate display, Figure 5 The display area 502 also includes the display of the position of the TGC switch 521 and the TGC curve 522. First, observe the current TGC (including the current TGC switch position and the current TGC curve). In the depth direction, the virtual mappings of the current positions of multiple TGC physical switches are arranged in sequence. The switches representing the current positions are connected by line segments, which constitute the current TGC curve as a whole. Secondly, there is a similar setting method for the target TGC (including the target TGC switch position and the target TGC curve). The virtual mappings of the target positions of multiple TGC physical switches are arranged in sequence. The switches representing the target positions are connected by line segments, which constitute the target TGC curve as a whole. In this way, when the user observes the TGC curve or operates the TGC, there is no need to constantly switch his eyes, and he only needs to focus on the display area 502 to complete it.

[0061] It should be noted that in any embodiment, the line connecting the target TGC curve and the current TGC curve can be composed of different types of line segments, such as solid lines and dashed lines, respectively, so as to be more conducive to user distinction.

[0062] The inventors also realize that when the user manually adjusts the TGC physical switch, he may need to observe the position of the physical switch and the ultrasound image or TGC on the screen. This will cause the user's attention to be distracted and reduce work efficiency. In this regard, some embodiments of the present application propose a variety of improvement schemes. The following is a detailed description.

[0063] In some embodiments, in response to one of the multiple TGC physical switches being moved, the operated TGC physical switch is highlighted on the display. With such a configuration, when the user operates the physical switch on the user interface, there is no need to observe the physical switch, but only to focus on the physical switch mapping or TGC curve mapping on the screen, and the highlighted TGC physical switch can be easily observed. It can be understood that no additional equipment is required to detect which TGC physical switch is moved. For example, the physical switch whose electrical signal changes among multiple TGC physical switches can be determined to be moved, and then highlighted on the display. The highlighting method can be various. For example, it can be highlighted with a color different from that of the physical switch that has not been operated. Alternatively, the size of the operated switch can be enlarged, etc., and no exhaustive list is given.

[0064] In some embodiments, in response to one of the multiple TGC physical switches being moved, the relative position relationship between its current position and the target position is determined; and based on the relative position relationship, a visual or auditory indication is provided for its movement. For example, when the processor detects that a current TGC physical switch is moved, it can also determine whether the corresponding target position is on the left, right or aligned with its current position. Based on the above judgment results, a visual or auditory indication can be provided for moving the TGC physical switch. For example, regarding visual indications, visual prompts such as arrows may be included but are not limited to. When the target position is to the left of the current position, an arrow pointing to the left may be displayed. Regarding auditory indications, when the target position is to the left of the current position, a voice prompt such as "move to the left" may be directly generated. The same applies to other situations. Such a configuration method can help users make decisions quickly to adjust the position of the TGC physical switch.

[0065] In some embodiments, the current position of the TGC physical switch that is different from the target position is displayed in a first visual manner; the current position of the TGC physical switch that is not different from the target position is displayed in a second visual manner; the first visual display is different from the second visual display. Such a configuration can further assist the user in making a quick judgment as to which one or more of the multiple TGC physical switches have been / have not been moved to the target position. In one example, the difference in the above visual display may be a difference in color. In another example, the difference in the above visual display may be a difference in display size. Alternatively, it may be a combination of the above two.

[0066] In order to make the above embodiments more clearly explained and the advantages easier to understand. Figure 6 , showing a schematic diagram of the TGC display area 600 in some embodiments of the present application. Figure 6 The ultrasonic imaging system and its additional equipment are not shown in the figure. The specific ultrasonic imaging system can be described in any embodiment of the present application and will not be described in detail.

[0067] The TGC display area 600 includes the current position 601 of the TGC physical switch, the target position 602 of the TGC physical switch, the current TGC curve 603, and the target TGC curve 604. However, it can be understood that the TGC curve and the TGC switch can also be displayed separately as described in the above embodiments of the present application.

[0068] When the switch 611 is operated, the processor may highlight it. For example, the display of the switch 611 is given a different color and / or is enlarged. In this way, the operator can intuitively perceive that the switch 611 is being operated.

[0069] Further, the switch 611 is to the right of its target position 621, and accordingly, the processor may generate a movement indication, such as an arrow 612, near the switch 611. The arrow 612 is located to the right of the switch 611 and / or points to the right. This means that at this time, the user needs to slide the switch 611 to the right until the current position of the switch 611 coincides with the target position 621. In this way, the user can respond to the adjustment of the switch 611 quickly and sensitively.

[0070] Further, if Figure 6 As shown, the current position of switch 611 and the target position do not overlap (there is a difference). The current position of switch 613 and the target position overlap (there is no difference). Accordingly, different visual display effects can be configured for switches in different states. For example, the color of switch 612 is configured to be the same as the color of the target position. In this way, the user can intuitively get which switches need to be adjusted from the display.

[0071] In an alternative embodiment, when the TGC curve and the TGC switch position are Figure 6 When combined and displayed as shown, the switching of the above-mentioned visual display may also include a connecting line near the switch (such as a connecting line between the upper and lower segments of switch 612).

[0072] It should be noted that the above figure shows an implementation method of displaying the TGC curve and the TGC switch in the same display area, but when the two are displayed separately, the above implementation method of the present application is also applicable. Figure 6 The above is a concentrated description of various embodiments and their combinations. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present application Figure 6 And other above-mentioned embodiments may be arbitrarily selected or combined.

[0073] Some embodiments of the present application also provide a system for controlling multiple TGC physical switches. The system can be as follows: Figure 1 The ultrasound imaging system shown may also be any other. The system includes: a probe, the probe is used to perform ultrasound scanning on the tissue to be imaged; a user interface, the user interface includes the multiple TGC physical switches; a processor, configured to execute the method of any of the above embodiments; and a display, the display receives a signal from the processor and displays it.

[0074] Some embodiments of the present invention also provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which stores a computer program, wherein the computer program has at least one code segment, and the at least one code segment can be executed by a machine so that the machine performs the steps of the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0075] Accordingly, the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present disclosure may be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computer system, or in a distributed manner in which different elements are distributed over several interconnected computer systems. Any type of computer system or other device suitable for implementing the methods described herein is suitable.

[0076] The various embodiments may also be embedded in a computer program product comprising all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein and which, when loaded into a computer system, is able to carry out these methods. A computer program in this context means any expression in any language, code or notation of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having information processing capabilities to perform certain functions, either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion into another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.

[0077] The purpose of providing the above specific embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive, but the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, equivalent substitutions and changes, etc., may also be made to the present invention, as long as these changes do not violate the spirit of the present invention, they should all be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a plurality of time gain compensation (TGC) physical switches, comprising: Conduct a current ultrasound scan; Determining current positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches; determining target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches; as well as The current positions and the target positions of the multiple TGC physical switches are displayed on a display simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: Also includes: Determine the current TGC curve; Determine the target TGC curve; as well as The current TGC curve and the target TGC curve are displayed on the display simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: The current TGC curve and the target TGC curve are configured to be displayed together in a same display area of ​​the display.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein: The current TGC curve is configured as a line connecting the current positions of each of the plurality of TGC physical switches displayed on the display; The target TGC curve is configured as a line connecting the target positions of each of the plurality of TGC physical switches displayed on the display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: Also includes: In response to one of the plurality of TGC physical switches being moved, the moved TGC physical switch is highlighted on the display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein: Also includes: In response to one of the plurality of TGC physical switches being moved, determining a relative positional relationship between a current position and a target position; as well as Based on the relative position relationship, provide visual or auditory instructions for its movement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein: Also includes: Performing a first visual display of the current position of the TGC physical switch that is different from the target position; A second visual display is performed on the current position of the TGC physical switch that does not differ from the target position; the first visual display is different from the second visual display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: Determining the target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches comprises: The positions of the multiple TGC physical switches are recorded in the previous ultrasound scan and used as the target positions in the current ultrasound scan.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: Determining the target positions of the plurality of TGC physical switches comprises: The ultrasound image is analyzed during the current ultrasound scan, and the target position is determined based on the result of the analysis.

10. A system for controlling a plurality of time gain compensation (TGC) physical switches, comprising: A probe, the probe being used for ultrasonic scanning of the tissue to be imaged; A user interface, wherein the user interface includes the plurality of TGC physical switches; A processor, the processor being configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The display receives the signal from the processor and performs display.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program has at least one code segment, and the at least one code segment can be executed by a machine to enable the machine to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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