Method and system for automatic quantification of ultrasound images during live scans

Abstract

A method (100) for automatic ultrasound quantification comprises: (i) receiving (120) a plurality of ultrasound images of an object while a user performs an ultrasound examination on the object; (ii) automatically providing (130) the received plurality of ultrasound images of the subject to a quantification algorithm; (iii) automatically performing (140) a quantitative analysis on the provided plurality of ultrasound images, where the quantitative analysis is performed without requiring a user to activate or input the quantization algorithm; (iv) when the user still performs an ultrasound examination on the object, automatically notifying (150) of the user of an ultrasound quantification system that quantification results of the plurality of ultrasound images provided by the user are available for review; (v) receiving (160) input instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user; and (vi) displaying (170) the quantitative analysis to the user via the user interface.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 351,979, filed on June 14, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for automated ultrasound quantification during ultrasound scanning. Background Art

[0004] Automation of ultrasound quantification is a very beneficial aspect of patient care. During the current state-of-the-art workflow, a user (e.g., an ultrasound clinician) first acquires an ultrasound image and then clicks a freeze button or its equivalent, at which point the user is presented with quantification options (e.g., a button). The user then selects an option (e.g., clicks a button) to initiate the quantification process. Upon completion, the quantification results (which may be any quantification results for the acquired ultrasound image or images) are provided to the user via a user display of the ultrasound system.

[0005] As a non-limiting example only, for an echocardiogram, a sonographer may obtain a 2D or 3D transthoracic apical 4-chamber (A4C) image of the heart that adheres to the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) guidelines (e.g., non-foreshortened images, visualization of adequate endocardial border contrast, adequate coverage of the vertical septum and left ventricle (LV) on the image). After acquiring the image, the sonographer clicks the freeze button, at which point a quantify button is displayed to the user. The user will then click the button to initiate the quantification process. Upon completion, the quantification results (which may be the LV delineated in the two-dimensional image, and the measurements may be extrapolated to the third dimension to measure end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), global longitudinal strain (GLS), and cardiac output (CO) with heart rate (HR)) are provided to the user via a user display of the ultrasound system.

[0006] However, the workflow relies on the sonographer to first acquire a high quality cycle and then initiate the automatic quantification module after the image has been acquired. Prior art analysis solutions can also be run on a cart in a retrospective mode or are available using off-cart analysis software. However, these prior art approaches are not particularly feasible in a critical care setting, as the time available to acquire images is minimal and imaging the patient is difficult. Summary of the invention

[0007] Therefore, there is a continuing need for ultrasound system methods and systems that can quantify patients in a fast-paced critical care environment. Embedding automatic quantification into real-time imaging workflows can reduce the overhead of ultrasound examiners and enable them to focus on acquisition, which will help achieve these goals. Therefore, various embodiments and implementations herein are directed to ultrasound quantification methods and systems for automatic ultrasound quantification. When a user performs an ultrasound examination of the heart of an object, an ultrasound quantification system receives multiple ultrasound images of the heart of the object from an ultrasound transducer probe. While the user is still performing an ultrasound examination of the heart of the object, the system automatically provides some or all of the multiple ultrasound images of the heart of the object received to a quantification algorithm. Once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided to the quantification algorithm, the quantification algorithm automatically performs a quantitative analysis on the multiple ultrasound images provided without the user activating the quantification algorithm or the vectorization algorithm for input. While the user is still performing an ultrasound examination of the heart of the object, the system then automatically notifies the user via a user interface of the ultrasound quantification system that the quantification results of the multiple ultrasound images provided are available for review. The system receives input from the user via the user interface, instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user. Then, the system provides the quantitative analysis to the user using the user interface.

[0008] In general, in one aspect, a method for automatic ultrasound quantification using an ultrasound quantification system including an ultrasound transducer probe is provided. The method includes: (i) receiving multiple ultrasound images of an object from an ultrasound transducer probe while a user performs ultrasound examination on the object; (ii) automatically providing some or all of the received multiple ultrasound images of the object to a quantification algorithm while the user is still performing ultrasound examination on the object; (iii) once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided by the quantification algorithm, the quantification algorithm automatically performs a quantitative analysis on the provided multiple ultrasound images, wherein the quantitative analysis is performed without the user activating the quantification algorithm or providing input to the quantification algorithm; (iv) while the user is still performing ultrasound examination on the object, automatically notifying the user via a user interface of the ultrasound quantification system that the quantification results of the provided multiple ultrasound images are available for review; (v) receiving input from the user via the user interface to instruct the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user; and (vi) displaying the quantitative analysis to the user via the user interface.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound image is a two-dimensional apical four-chamber image. According to an embodiment, the plurality of ultrasound images is a video.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving input from a user via a user interface to modify the quantitative analysis. According to an embodiment, the input is to delete the quantitative analysis. According to an embodiment, the input is to edit the quantitative analysis, and the method further comprises modifying the quantitative analysis based on the edit.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving input from the user via the user interface to cause the user to return to performing an ultrasound examination of the object.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises analyzing the quantization of the provided multiple ultrasound images by a quantization algorithm to determine when the quantization results meet a predetermined quality threshold, wherein only when the quantization results meet the predetermined quality threshold will the user be notified that the quantization results of the provided multiple ultrasound images are available for review.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises storing the provided plurality of ultrasound images and / or the quantitative analysis in a memory of the ultrasound quantification system.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the quantitative analysis is displayed to a user via a user interface as one or more labeled images.

[0015] According to an embodiment, automatically notifying the user via the user interface that the quantification results of the provided plurality of ultrasound images are available for review further includes displaying the number of heartbeats of the subject that has been quantified by the quantitative analysis.

[0016] According to an embodiment, automatically notifying a user via a user interface that the provided quantification results of the plurality of ultrasound images are available for review further comprises displaying an indicator of the confidence or quality of the quantification analysis.

[0017] According to another aspect, an ultrasound quantification system for automatic ultrasound quantification is provided. The system includes: an ultrasound transducer probe configured to obtain multiple ultrasound images of an object; an ultrasound quantification algorithm configured to automatically perform a quantitative analysis on the provided multiple ultrasound images once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided to the quantification algorithm, wherein the quantitative analysis can be provided without the need for a user to activate the quantification algorithm or the vectorization algorithm for input; a user interface; and a processor configured to: (i) cause the ultrasound quantification algorithm to perform a quantitative analysis on the provided multiple ultrasound images; (ii) cause the user interface to automatically notify the user that the quantification results of the provided multiple ultrasound images are available for review; (iii) receive input via the user interface indicating that the system provides the quantitative analysis to the user; and (iv) in response to the received input, cause the user interface to display the quantitative analysis. According to an embodiment, the processor is also configured to receive input to modify the quantitative analysis via the user interface.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the processor is also configured to analyze the quantization results of the quantization algorithm on the multiple ultrasound images provided to determine when the quantization results meet a predetermined quality threshold, wherein only when the quantization results meet the predetermined quality threshold, the user is notified that the quantization results of the multiple ultrasound images provided are available for review.

[0019] It should be understood that all combinations of the above-described concepts and the additional concepts discussed in more detail below (assuming such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of the subject matter of the claims are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be understood that terms explicitly employed herein, which may also appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference, should be given the meaning that best matches the specific concepts disclosed herein.

[0020] These and other aspects of the embodiments will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals generally refer to the same parts in different views. The accompanying drawings illustrate features and modes of implementing various embodiments and should not be interpreted as limiting other possible embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Likewise, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, but the emphasis is on illustrating the principles of the various embodiments.

[0022] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for automatic ultrasound quantification according to an embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound quantification system according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method for automatic ultrasound quantification according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for automatic ultrasound quantification according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method for automatic ultrasound quantification according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The present disclosure describes various embodiments of systems and methods configured to perform ultrasound quantification. More generally, the applicant has recognized and appreciated that it would be beneficial to provide an improved method and system for automatic quantification of ultrasound images. Therefore, when a user performs an ultrasound examination on the heart of an object, an ultrasound quantification tool configured for automatic ultrasound quantification receives multiple ultrasound images of the object from an ultrasound transducer probe. While the user is still performing an ultrasound examination on the object, the system automatically provides some or all of the multiple ultrasound images of the heart of the object received to a quantification algorithm. Once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided to the quantification algorithm, the quantification algorithm automatically performs a quantitative analysis on the multiple ultrasound images provided without the user activating the quantification algorithm or the vectorization algorithm for input. While the user is still performing an ultrasound examination on the object, the system then automatically notifies the user via a user interface of the ultrasound quantification system that the quantification results of the multiple ultrasound images provided are available for review. The system receives input from the user via the user interface, instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user. Then, the system provides the quantitative analysis to the user using the user interface.

[0028] According to embodiments, in some non-limiting embodiments, the systems and methods described or contemplated herein may be implemented as components of commercial products for ultrasound imaging or analysis (e.g., ), or implemented as a component of a commercial product for cardiovascular analysis, e.g. Cardiovascular (ISCV) (available from Royal Philips NV of the Netherlands), or implemented as a component of a commercial product for patient analysis or monitoring, such as the Philips Patient Flow Capability Suite (PFCS) or any suitable system.

[0029] refer to Figure 1 , in one embodiment, is a flow chart of a method 100 for automatic ultrasound quantification using an ultrasound quantification system. The methods described in conjunction with the figures are provided only as examples and should be understood not to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The ultrasound quantification system may be any system described or contemplated herein. The ultrasound quantification system may be a single system or a plurality of different systems.

[0030] In step 110 of the method, an ultrasound quantification system 200 is provided. Figure 2 , for example, the system includes one or more of a processor 220, a memory 230, a user interface 240, a communication interface 250, and a memory 260, which are interconnected via one or more system buses 212. It should be understood that Figure 2In some respects, the ultrasound quantification system 200 is abstracted, and the actual organization of the components of the system 200 may be different and more complex than that shown. Additionally, the ultrasound quantification system may be any system described or contemplated herein. Other elements and components of the ultrasound quantification system 200 are disclosed and / or contemplated elsewhere herein.

[0031] In step 120 of the method, when the user performs an ultrasound examination on the heart of the object, the ultrasound quantification system receives multiple ultrasound images of the heart of the object. The user can be any user who can perform or is authorized to perform ultrasound, such as an ultrasound examination physician, a nurse, a physician, an emergency medical technician, a caregiver, or any other individual. Any ultrasound device or system can be used to collect ultrasound image data, which can be any device or system suitable for collecting or receiving ultrasound image data of a patient. The ultrasound image data can be obtained as 2D or 3D data. The ultrasound image data can be obtained as video data. One or more parameters of the ultrasound device can be set, adjusted, preprogrammed, or otherwise determined by a medical professional. The ultrasound device or system can be a remote device, a local device, or a component of the ultrasound quantification system. The ultrasound device or system includes an ultrasound transducer probe configured to collect ultrasound images.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound device or system is a fixed device, a portable device or a handheld device. As a non-limiting example only, the ultrasound device or system is a portable handheld ultrasound device that can be connected to a smartphone and is based on an application, such as Philips' Lumify ultrasound system. Many other ultrasound devices and systems are feasible.

[0033] According to an embodiment, multiple ultrasound images of any part of the object are obtained. For example, ultrasound image data of the heart of the object or any other part of the object can be obtained. For example, the ultrasound image data can be a two-dimensional apical four-chamber image.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound quantification system may include patient data about the object on which the ultrasound examination is to be performed. Patient data may be any information about the patient that the ultrasound quantification system can or can utilize for analysis, as described or contemplated herein. According to an embodiment, the patient data includes one or more of the following: demographic information about the patient, the patient's medical history, the diagnosis for the patient, and the reason for the ultrasound examination to be performed. For example, the demographic information may include information about the patient, such as name, age, body mass index (BMI), and any other demographic information. The patient's medical history may be any historical admission or discharge information, historical treatment information, historical diagnosis information, historical examination or imaging information, and / or any other information. The diagnosis for the patient may be any information about the patient's history and / or current medical diagnosis. The reason for the ultrasound examination to be performed may be any purpose, reason, need, or other examination motivation.

[0035] Patient data is received from one or more different sources. According to an embodiment, the patient data is received, retrieved or otherwise obtained from an electronic medical record (EMR) database or system. The EMR database or system may be local or remote. The EMR database or system may be a component of the ultrasound quantification system, or may communicate locally and / or remotely with the ultrasound quantification system. The received patient data may be used immediately, or may be stored in a local or remote memory for use in further steps of the method.

[0036] In step 130 of the method, while the user is still performing an ultrasound examination on the object, some or all of the multiple ultrasound images of the object received are automatically provided to the quantification algorithm. Thus, as the user performs more ultrasound examinations on the object, some or all of the images may be sent to the algorithm in the background.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound system includes one or more quantization algorithms. Alternatively, the ultrasound system can communicate with an ultrasound quantization system that includes an ultrasound quantization algorithm. For example, the ultrasound device can send images to a local or remote device, such as a smartphone or other computer, and the smartphone or other computer may contain a quantization algorithm.

[0038] According to an embodiment, the quantification algorithm is configured to analyze the received ultrasound image to provide a quantification result to the user. For example, the quantification algorithm can be programmed, taught or designed to segment or delineate the physiological structure in the obtained image, and then the size, volume and other physiological parameters can be quantitatively measured. For example, a quantification algorithm of a cardiac ultrasound image can delineate the left ventricle (LV) in one or more 2D images, and extrapolate the measurement results to the third dimension, thereby measuring the end-diastolic volume (EDV), the end-systolic volume (ESV), the stroke volume (SV), the ejection fraction (EF), the global longitudinal strain (GLS), and if the heart rate (HR) is available, then the cardiac output (CO) can also be measured. Many other quantification algorithms are also possible.

[0039] In step 140 of the method, a quantization algorithm of the ultrasound quantization system automatically performs a quantitative analysis on the provided multiple ultrasound images. The quantitative analysis may be any quantitative analysis performed by any quantization algorithm, including the quantitative analysis described or contemplated herein. According to an embodiment, once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided to the quantization algorithm, the quantization algorithm automatically performs the quantitative analysis. For example, the quantization algorithm or ultrasound quantization system may count or track the number of images or frames obtained by the device, and may automatically trigger the quantitative analysis once a predetermined number of images or frames are obtained. According to another embodiment, once one or more ultrasound images of a predetermined quality are provided to the vectorization algorithm, the quantization algorithm automatically performs the quantitative analysis. For example, the quantization algorithm or ultrasound quantization system may analyze the quality of the multiple ultrasound images obtained, where the quality may be determined by programming, learning, or otherwise. In addition to many other parameters, the quality may depend on the presence of one or more physiological structures in the image.

[0040] Notably, the quantification algorithm of the ultrasound quantification system automatically performs the quantification analysis without any user activation or input to the quantification algorithm or the ultrasound quantification system. In this way, the quantification algorithm performs the analysis in the background while the user is still performing some or all of the remaining portion of the ultrasound examination.

[0041] Thus, the quantification algorithm of the ultrasound quantification system generates a quantitative analysis that is available for review by a user or another individual and includes any information generated or generable by the quantification algorithm regarding the plurality of acquired ultrasound images.

[0042] In an optional step 142 of the method, the quantification algorithm and / or ultrasound quantification system analyzes the generated quantification analysis to determine when the quantification analysis meets a predetermined quality threshold. For example, the system may wait until the quantification algorithm analyzes a certain number of images, until the quantification algorithm determines or measures a predetermined number of physiological parameters, until the quantification algorithm determines or measures one or more specific physiological parameters, or until another predetermined trigger is met or occurs before proceeding to the next step in the method or process.

[0043] In step 150 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system automatically notifies the user that the quantification of the provided plurality of ultrasound images is available for review. This notification is provided to the user while the user is still performing at least a portion of an ultrasound examination of the patient. Thus, the system's quantification algorithm has automatically performed the quantitative analysis and it is ready for the user to review. If the system performs a quality check on the quantitative analysis, a notification is provided to the user if the quantitative analysis passes the quality check.

[0044] Importantly, the ultrasound quantification system provides notification that the quantification analysis is available without any input from the user. For example, the user does not need to pause the ultrasound examination and check another screen, page, window, or other area to determine whether an ultrasound quantification result is available for review. This saves the user from wasting valuable ultrasound examination time to check whether an ultrasound quantification result is available for review, which may occur multiple times during a single examination.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the automatic notification is provided via a user interface of the ultrasound quantification system, such as via a screen including an ultrasound examination window, as well as other screens or other notification interfaces. Alternatively, the automatic notification is provided through another computer or system, such as a smartphone, watch, wearable device, or other user interface. The automatic notification can be any mechanism for providing information to the user. For example, the automatic notification can be a pop-up item, a new or changed icon or button, a highlighted icon or button, a tactile notification, a noise, a message, or any other notification.

[0046] According to an embodiment, the automatic notification further comprises an indicator showing the confidence or quality of the quantitative analysis. According to an embodiment, the automatic notification further comprises displaying the number of heartbeats of the subject that has been quantified by the quantitative analysis. This may be, for example, a number, an icon or other display mechanism.

[0047] In step 152 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system stores the provided plurality of ultrasound images and / or the generated quantitative analysis in a memory of the ultrasound quantification system. The system may also store information about the patient, the user, or any other aspect of the ultrasound examination and analysis. The memory may be a component of the ultrasound quantification system, or may be in local and / or remote communication with the ultrasound quantification system. The stored patient data may be used immediately, or may be stored in a local or remote memory for use in further steps of the method.

[0048] In step 160 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system receives input from the user, instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user. In other words, the system notifies the user that there is a quantitative analysis available for review, and waits for user input to display the quantitative analysis to the user. Therefore, the user can decide whether or when it is an appropriate time to pause or interrupt the ultrasound examination to review the ultrasound quantitative analysis. The input can be received via any user interface, whether it is a component of the ultrasound quantification system or a user interface that communicates with the ultrasound quantification system. For example, if the notification is provided via a screen such as an ultrasound examination window, the user can click or touch or voice select the notification or another button or interactive element to instruct the system to provide quantitative analysis. For another example, if the automatic notification is provided via another computer or system (such as a smartphone, watch, wearable device, or other user interface), the user can click, touch, or voice select the notification to instruct the system to provide quantitative analysis.

[0049] In step 170 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system provides the quantitative analysis to the user via a user interface. The quantitative analysis can be provided to the user via any known mechanism for providing the quantitative analysis. For example, the quantitative analysis can be provided on the ultrasound examination window, in another window or another screen as a visual display such as a projector or a wearable device, and via any other mechanism. The displayed quantitative analysis may include any element of the quantitative analysis, and may optionally include other information, such as patient demographics or medical information and / or any other information. For example, the quantitative analysis can be displayed to the user in the form of one or more labeled images via the user interface.

[0050] In step 180 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system receives input from the user to modify the quantitative analysis. The modification input can be received through a user interface (e.g., a window, screen, or other display) of the system, whether the user interface is a component of the ultrasound quantification system or a user interface that communicates with the ultrasound quantification system. The input can be provided by any mechanism that provides feedback using the user interface. For example, the user can click, touch, or voice select a button or interactive element to provide a modification input for the quantitative analysis. For another example, if the user interface is provided by another computer or system, such as a smartphone, watch, wearable device, or other user interface, the user can click, touch, or voice select a button or interactive element of the other computer or system to provide the modification input.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the modification input may be any command or instruction from a user to modify the quantitative analysis. For example, the user may change the quantitative decision through the quantitative analysis, correct or modify the parameter or boundary through the quantitative analysis, and / or make any other modification input. According to an embodiment, the modification input includes a command or instruction from a user to save or delete or refresh or update the quantitative analysis.

[0052] As another example, the modification input includes a command or instruction from a user to edit the quantitative analysis. Therefore, in step 182 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system executes the command or instruction provided by the user. For example, the modification input can be a command or instruction to change the quantitative decision of the quantitative analysis, correct or modify the parameters or dividing lines of the quantitative analysis, or a command or instruction from the user to save or delete or refresh or update the quantitative analysis. After receiving the modification input, the ultrasound quantification system can implement the modification input accordingly.

[0053] In step 190 of the method, the ultrasound quantification system receives input from the user, indicating that the system returns to a state in which the user can continue to perform ultrasound examinations on the patient. For example, this can be as simple as minimizing or deleting a window or display showing the quantitative analysis. As another example, returning the system to a state in which the user can continue to perform ultrasound examinations on the patient may be more complex, such as closing one system and reopening it or otherwise returning to another system. Input can be received from the user via a user interface (e.g., a window, screen, or other display) of the system, whether the user interface is a component of the ultrasound quantification system or a user interface that communicates with the ultrasound quantification system. Input can be provided by any mechanism that provides feedback using a user interface. For example, a user can click, touch, or voice select a button or interactive element. For another example, if the user interface is provided by another computer or system, such as a smartphone, watch, wearable device, or other user interface, the user can click, touch, or voice select a button or interactive element of the other computer or system.

[0054] refer to Figure 3 , in one embodiment, is a flow chart of a method 300 for automatic ultrasound quantification using an ultrasound quantification system. In this embodiment, a user views ultrasound images and ultrasound quantification via a handheld device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or other device, and interacts with the ultrasound quantification system. However, the display and user interface of the ultrasound quantification system can be any possible display or user interface. Furthermore, in this example, the user is acquiring ultrasound images of a patient's heart, but the ultrasound quantification system can be used for any ultrasound analysis.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the user starts a live scan and attempts to acquire a transthoracic A4C view of the patient's heart. Different images (LR310a, 310b, 310c) in the live scan mode represent different time points during the live scan. When certain conditions described or envisioned herein are met, (one or more) quantification results become available, and an indicator / button 320 is automatically displayed on the live scan user interface without any user input. When the user clicks the button, the system switches to review mode 330 and shows all available quantifications in thumbnails, where the first one is automatically selected for full display. The user can edit the automatic contour (and the quantification will be automatically updated accordingly), or if they are satisfied with the results, they can return to the live scan mode at any time (e.g., by clicking the "Live Scan" button in window 330). There is also an option to delete (one or more) quantification results. As can be understood, the user can voluntarily enter the review mode to review the quantification results. This may also occur at the end of the scan. Please note that the user does not need to take any explicit action to perform the quantification-it is a seamless process that occurs automatically during the live scan.

[0056] refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment, while the user is performing a live scan, the acquired frames are continuously fed into a "quantization pipeline" that includes an initial image quality (IQ) check and then triggers the quantization algorithm if enough consecutive frames are available (e.g., at least 2 heartbeats, but could be more or less). According to an embodiment, at least 2 heartbeat segments are fed into the quantization engine in sequence such that there can be overlap (i.e., heartbeat 1+2, heartbeat 2+3, heartbeat 3+4, or: 1+2+3+4, 3+4+5+6, 5+6+7+8, etc.).

[0057] refer to Figure 5 In one embodiment, while the user is performing a live scan, the acquired frames are continuously fed into a "quantization pipeline" which triggers the quantization algorithm when there are enough consecutive frames available (e.g., like at least 2 heartbeats, but could be more or less). The result of the quantization algorithm is then checked to see if it is feasible, and if so, it is retained, otherwise it is discarded.

[0058] According to an embodiment, for each successful quantization, at least two items are saved to system memory: (i) all image frames used for quantization (referred to as an "image cycle"); and (ii) all numerical values ​​derived from the quantization algorithm (and, e.g., labeled to the corresponding image cycle).

[0059] According to an embodiment, if at least one quantification is available, the user is notified via a button (or other indicator) on the system live scan screen. The user can click the button to switch it to "review" mode, in which they can review all quantifications acquired so far (and the underlying image loops), and can accept, edit, or reject each one as is.

[0060] According to an embodiment, the notification button can show a visible integer indicating how many beats have been effectively quantified so far. Each time the notification button is pressed, the beat counter can be reset to zero and can continue to update until it is pressed.

[0061] Depending on the embodiment, some or all of the notification buttons may include a color that indicates the latest image quality. For example, the color may be directly associated with the output of the initial image quality check. For another example, the color may be associated with the quality of the latest output of the quantization engine (i.e., orange if the confidence is low, green if the confidence is high, etc.).

[0062] According to an embodiment, an indication may be provided to the user that the automatic acquisition of sufficient image quality has begun, while also indicating the progress of acquiring the required or desired number of beats, for example, via a circle filled in clockwise to indicate what percentage of the required or desired number of heartbeats has been acquired. This will encourage the user to keep the probe still and improve the acquisition success rate.

[0063] refer to Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound quantification system 200. The system 200 may be any system described or contemplated herein and may include any components described or contemplated herein. It should be understood that Figure 2 Some aspects are abstracted, and the actual organization of components of system 200 may be different and more complex than shown.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the system 200 includes a processor 220, which is capable of executing instructions stored in the memory 230 or the memory 260 or processing data to, for example, perform one or more steps of the method. The processor 220 may be formed by one or more modules. The processor 220 may take any suitable form, including but not limited to a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a plurality of microcontrollers, a circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a single processor, or a plurality of processors.

[0065] The memory 230 may take any suitable form, including non-volatile memory and / or RAM. The memory 230 may include various memories, such as L1, L2 or L3 cache or system memory. Thus, the memory 230 may include static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM) or other similar memory devices. The memory may store an operating system, etc. The processor uses RAM to temporarily store data. According to an embodiment, the operating system may include code that controls the operation of one or more components of the system 200 when executed by the processor. It is apparent that in an embodiment where the processor implements one or more functions described herein in hardware, software corresponding to such functions described in other embodiments may be omitted.

[0066] The user interface 240 may include one or more devices for realizing communication with the user. The user interface may be any device or system that allows to convey and / or receive information, and may include a display, a mouse and / or a keyboard for receiving user commands. In certain embodiments, the user interface 240 may include a command line interface or a graphical user interface that may be presented to the remote terminal via the communication interface 250. The user interface may be located together with one or more other components of the system, or may be located at a position away from the system and communicated via a wired and / or wireless communication network.

[0067] The communication interface 250 may include one or more devices for implementing communication with other hardware devices. For example, the communication interface 250 may include a network interface card (NIC) configured to communicate according to the Ethernet protocol. In addition, the communication interface 250 may implement a TCP / IP stack for communicating according to the TCP / IP protocol. Various alternative or additional hardware or configurations for the communication interface 250 will be apparent.

[0068] The storage device 260 may include one or more machine-readable storage media, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, or a similar storage medium. In various embodiments, the storage device 260 may store instructions for execution by the processor 220 or data that the processor 220 may operate on. For example, the storage device 260 may store an operating system 261 for controlling various operations of the system 200.

[0069] It will be apparent that the various information stored in memory 260 may be stored in addition or alternatively in memory 230. In this regard, memory 230 may also be considered to constitute a storage device, and storage device 260 may be considered to be a memory. Various other arrangements will be apparent. In addition, both memory 230 and memory 260 may be considered to be non-transitory machine-readable media. As used herein, the term non-transitory will be understood to exclude transient signals but include all forms of storage devices, including volatile and non-volatile memory.

[0070] Although system 200 is shown as including one of each described component, in various embodiments, various components may be multiple. For example, processor 220 may include multiple microprocessors configured to independently perform the methods described herein, or configured to perform the steps or subroutines of the methods described herein, so that multiple processors collaborate to implement the functions described herein. In addition, in the case where one or more components of system 200 are implemented in a cloud computing system, various hardware components may belong to separate physical systems. For example, processor 220 may include a first processor in a first server and a second processor in a second server. Many other variations and configurations are possible.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound quantification system includes or communicates with an electronic medical record system 270, which is an electronic medical record database from which information about the patient, including clinical information and ultrasound data, can be obtained or connected. The electronic medical record database can be a local or remote database and communicate directly and / or indirectly with the ultrasound quantification system 200. Therefore, according to an embodiment, the ultrasound quantification system includes an electronic medical record database or system 270.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the system includes one or more ultrasound devices 280 capable of acquiring the desired ultrasound images or analysis. According to another embodiment, the ultrasound quantification system 200 is in wired and / or wireless communication with a local or remote ultrasound device 280 capable of acquiring the desired ultrasound images or analysis.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the storage device 260 of the system 200 may store one or more algorithms, modules and / or instructions to perform one or more functions or steps of the methods described or contemplated herein. For example, the system may include a quantization algorithm 262 and / or a reporting instruction 263 in addition to other instructions or data.

[0074] According to an embodiment, the quantification algorithm 262 is any program or algorithm configured to analyze the received ultrasound image to provide a quantification result to the user. For example, the quantification algorithm can be programmed, taught or designed to segment or delineate physiological structures in the obtained image, and then can make quantitative measurements of size, volume and other physiological parameters. For example, a quantification algorithm of a cardiac ultrasound image can delineate the left ventricle (LV) in one or more 2D images and extrapolate the measurement results to a third dimension to measure end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), global longitudinal strain (GLS), and if heart rate (HR) is available, then cardiac output (CO) can also be measured. Many other quantification algorithms are also possible.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the report instruction 263 instructs the system to generate and provide information to the user via the user interface, the information including notification that the quantitative analysis is available for review. The report instruction 263 can also instruct the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user for review. Information can be provided to the user via any display, visualization mechanism or otherwise via the user interface. According to an embodiment, information can be transmitted to the user interface and / or another device by wired and / or wireless communication. For example, the system can transmit information to a mobile phone, a computer, a notebook computer, a wearable device and / or any other device configured to allow display and / or transmission of reports. The user interface can be any device or system that allows to convey and / or receive information, and can include a display, a mouse and / or a keyboard for receiving user commands.

[0076] Thus, in the context of the present disclosure, aspects of the embodiments may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more non-transitory computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon. Therefore, according to an embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes computer program code instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enable the processor to perform a method including the following operations: (i) receiving multiple ultrasound images of the heart of the subject while a user performs an ultrasound examination on the heart of the subject; (ii) automatically providing some or all of the multiple ultrasound images of the heart of the subject received to a quantization algorithm while the user is still performing an ultrasound examination on the heart of the subject; (iii) once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided by the vectorization algorithm, the quantization algorithm automatically performs a quantitative analysis on the provided multiple ultrasound images, wherein the quantitative analysis can be provided without the user activating the quantization algorithm or inputting the vectorization algorithm; (iv) while the user is still performing an ultrasound examination on the heart of the subject, automatically notifying the user via a user interface of the ultrasound quantization system that the quantization results of the provided multiple ultrasound images are available for review; (v) receiving input from the user via the user interface, instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user; and (vi) displaying the quantitative analysis to the user via the user interface. The computer program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server, as a stand-alone software package.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the ultrasound quantification system is configured to process thousands or millions of data points to process and analyze the plurality of ultrasound images using a quantification algorithm, as well as provide input to a user, receive input from a user, and possibly modify the quantification results. In fact, generating a quantitative analysis is a process that has been reduced to an algorithm because the human mind cannot perform the analysis within the required time frame or with the required accuracy. It would take millions or billions of calculations to generate a quantitative analysis. By providing an improved ultrasound quantification system that automatically generates a quantitative analysis and automatically notifies a user that it is ready for review, the system can save the user time and distract the user compared to prior art systems, which has a huge positive impact on patient analysis and care.

[0078] The present invention may be a system, method and / or computer program product. A computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or medium) having non-transient computer-readable program instructions thereon, for enabling a system or processor to perform various aspects of the present invention. A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any combination of the foregoing, as well as other possibilities. The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, and / or a wireless network). Various aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood that each frame of the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram may be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0079] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0080] As used herein in the specification and claims, the terms "a" and "an" should be understood to mean "at least one" unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0081] The phrase "and / or" as used in the specification and claims herein should be understood to mean "one or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., the elements are present in combination in some cases, and separately in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" elements so connected. Optionally, other elements may be present in addition to the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.

[0082] As used herein in the specification and claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive, that is, including at least one of several elements or a list of elements, but also including more than one, and optionally, additional unlisted items. Only when the opposite term is clearly indicated, such as "only one" or "exactly one", or when "consisting of..." is used in the claims, it will refer to an exact element in a list of several elements or elements. In general, the term "or" used in this article should be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives only when it is preceded by an exclusive term (i.e., "one or the other but not both"), such as "either", "one of", "only one of" or "exactly one of".

[0083] As used herein in the specification and claims, the phrase "at least one", in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from one or more of the elements in the listed elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the listed elements. This definition also allows for the optional presence of elements other than the elements specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to the specifically identified elements.

[0084] It should also be understood that, in any method claimed herein that includes more than one step or action, the order of the method steps or actions is not necessarily limited to the order in which the method steps or actions are described unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0085] In the claims and the above description, all transitional phrases such as "include", "comprising", "carrying", "having", "containing", "involving", "holding" shall be understood as open-ended, i.e., meaning including but not limited to the above. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0086] Although several innovative embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, a person skilled in the art will readily envision a variety of other ways and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and / or modifications is shown as being within the scope of the innovative embodiments described herein. More generally, a person skilled in the art will readily recognize that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are intended to be exemplary, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the specific application or application to which the innovative teachings are used. A person skilled in the art will recognize or be able to determine many equivalents of the specific inventive embodiments described herein using no more than routine experimentation. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented only by way of example, and within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the inventive embodiments may be practiced in a manner different from that specifically described and claimed. The innovative embodiments of the present disclosure relate to each individual feature, system, article, material, complete set of equipment, and / or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, are included within the innovative scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method (100) for performing automatic ultrasound quantification using an ultrasound quantification system (200) including an ultrasound transducer probe (270), the method comprising: When a user performs ultrasound on an object, receiving (120) a plurality of ultrasound images of the object from the ultrasound transducer probe; while the user is still performing the ultrasound on the object, automatically providing (130) some or all of the received plurality of ultrasound images of the object to a quantification algorithm; Once a predetermined number of ultrasound images are provided to the quantification algorithm, the quantification algorithm automatically performs (140) a quantitative analysis of the provided plurality of ultrasound images, wherein the quantitative analysis is performed without requiring a user to activate the quantification algorithm or provide input to the quantification algorithm; While the user is still performing the ultrasound on the object, automatically notifying (150) the user via a user interface (240) of the ultrasound quantification system that quantification results of the plurality of ultrasound images provided by the user are available for review; receiving (160) from the user via the user interface an input instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user; and The quantitative analysis is displayed (170) to the user via the user interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrasound image is a two-dimensional apical four-chamber image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of ultrasound images is a video.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving (180) input from the user via the user interface to modify the quantitative analysis.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The input is a deletion of the quantitative analysis.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The input is an edit to the quantitative analysis, and further comprising the step of modifying (182) the quantitative analysis based on the edit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving (190) from the user via the user interface an input for the user to return to performing the ultrasound on the object.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: Analyze (142) the quantization results of the quantization algorithm on the provided multiple ultrasound images to determine when the quantization results meet a predetermined quality threshold, wherein only when the quantization meets the predetermined quality threshold, the user is notified that the quantization results of the provided multiple ultrasound images are available for review.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing (152) the provided plurality of ultrasound images and / or the quantitative analysis in a memory of the ultrasound quantification system.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The quantitative analysis is displayed to the user via the user interface as one or more labeled images.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Automatically notifying the user via the user interface that the quantification results of the provided plurality of ultrasound images are available for review further includes displaying the number of heart beats of the subject that has been quantified by the quantitative analysis.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Automatically notifying the user via the user interface that the provided quantitative results of the plurality of ultrasound images are available for review also includes displaying an indicator of the confidence or quality of the quantitative analysis.

13. An ultrasound quantification system (200) for automatic ultrasound quantification, comprising: an ultrasound transducer probe (270) configured to obtain a plurality of ultrasound images of the subject; an ultrasound quantification algorithm (262) configured to automatically perform a quantitative analysis of the provided plurality of ultrasound images once a predetermined number of ultrasound images have been provided to the quantification algorithm, wherein the quantitative analysis is provided without requiring a user to activate or provide input to the quantification algorithm; User interface (240); A processor (220) is configured to: (i) cause the ultrasound quantification algorithm to perform a quantitative analysis on the provided multiple ultrasound images; (ii) cause the user interface to automatically notify the user that the quantification results of the provided multiple ultrasound images are available for review; (iii) receive input via the user interface instructing the system to provide the quantitative analysis to the user; and (iv) cause the user interface to display the quantitative analysis in response to the received input.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein: The processor is further configured to receive input via the user interface to modify the quantitative analysis.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein: The processor is also configured to analyze the quantization results of the quantization algorithm on the multiple ultrasound images provided to determine when the quantization results meet a predetermined quality threshold, wherein only when the quantization results meet the predetermined quality threshold, the user is notified that the quantization results of the multiple ultrasound images provided are available for review.

Images