Ultrasound contrast diagnosis method and system

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultrasonic contrast diagnosis method and system. The method comprises the following steps: determining a region of interest and an imaging section, performing ultrasonic scanning, and synchronously generating a tissue grayscale image and a contrast video; radiography data in the radiography video within selected time are collected, and corresponding radio frequency data are obtained; obtaining perfusion characteristics based on the contrast data; extracting blood vessel blood flow parameters based on the radio frequency data; and comprehensively diagnosing the region of interest according to the perfusion characteristics and the blood vessel blood flow parameters. According to the method, perfusion characteristics and blood vessel blood flow parameters are combined, the perfusion condition of the blood vessel in the region of interest is analyzed from the macroscopic perspective, and blood flow dynamic information and blood vessel form information in the blood vessel in the region of interest are analyzed from the microscopic perspective. The perfusion characteristics and the blood vessel blood flow parameters are synchronously obtained based on the same time, the information synchronism of the perfusion characteristics and the blood vessel blood flow parameters is higher, the combinability is higher, analysis and judgment of the focus area are more accurate, and medical staff can deeply know the focus area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasound contrast imaging diagnosis, and in particular to an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnosis method and system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of modern medical imaging diagnosis, ultrasound contrast imaging, as a radiation-free, real-time and high-resolution technical means, has become an important tool for evaluating vascular distribution, blood perfusion and tissue lesion characteristics, and is widely used in the diagnosis of diseases of various organs such as the heart, liver, kidney, thyroid, etc. Traditional ultrasound contrast imaging refers to the technology of imaging the injected contrast agent to enhance the echo.

[0003] On the one hand, the existing technology, contrast imaging technology, by intravenously injecting contrast agents and observing their perfusion characteristics in the lesion area, provides doctors with intuitive information about vascular structure, blood flow velocity and blood perfusion volume. However, this method mainly relies on the macroscopic perfusion process and distribution of contrast agents, and is not capable of capturing the details of the specific movement trajectory, morphological changes and dynamic characteristics of individual contrast agent microbubbles in blood vessels or tissues, resulting in a rough diagnosis result and a lack of basis for in-depth analysis.

[0004] With the continuous advancement of medical imaging technology and the increasing clinical needs, the perfusion characteristics obtained only by contrast imaging can reflect the blood flow status of the lesion area, but often lack detailed tracking and analysis of the movement trajectory of contrast agent microbubbles at the microscopic level, resulting in insufficient understanding of the morphological and hemodynamic information of the lesion area, and unable to make a more accurate diagnosis. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method and system to solve the problem that the contrast imaging technology in the prior art mainly relies on the macroscopic distribution of contrast agents and has insufficient ability to capture details of contrast agent microbubbles in blood vessels or tissues.

[0006] To achieve one of the above-mentioned purposes of the invention, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method, the method comprising: determining a region of interest and an imaging section of an object, ultrasonically scanning the region of interest and synchronously generating a tissue grayscale image and a contrast imaging video;

[0007] Collecting the angiography data in the angiography video within a selected time and acquiring corresponding radio frequency data, wherein the radio frequency data and the angiography data correspond to each other in a time dimension;

[0008] Obtaining perfusion characteristics of contrast agent in the region of interest based on the contrast data;

[0009] Obtaining morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest based on the radio frequency data analysis, and extracting vascular blood flow parameters therein;

[0010] The region of interest is comprehensively diagnosed based on the perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: the ultrasonic scanning of the region of interest and synchronously generating the tissue grayscale image and the contrast video includes:

[0012] Transmitting ultrasonic signals;

[0013] An ultrasonic echo signal is received, and a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video are generated according to the echo signal.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes the specific steps of collecting radio frequency data and correspondingly obtaining the imaging data in the imaging video, including:

[0015] Detecting and receiving a data acquisition instruction during the ultrasound scanning process, wherein the data acquisition instruction is generated at least once according to the real-time status of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video;

[0016] The radio frequency data representing the ultrasonic echo is collected according to the data collection instruction and the angiography data in the angiography video is extracted synchronously.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: detecting and receiving an acquisition end instruction during the ultrasonic scanning process:

[0018] Detecting and receiving at least one data collection instruction during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0019] The RF data and the angiography data are continuously acquired based on receiving the data acquisition instruction and the acquisition is terminated upon receiving the acquisition end instruction, wherein the acquisition end instruction is generated according to the real-time status of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: presetting the acquisition time:

[0021] Detecting and receiving at least one data collection instruction during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0022] The radio frequency data and the angiography data are collected within the preset time period according to the data collection instruction.

[0023] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: obtaining the perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest based on the contrast data specifically includes:

[0024] Obtaining the average intensity of contrast agent microbubbles when the contrast agent is infused into the region of interest according to the angiography data and generating a curve of average intensity versus time based on the infusion time;

[0025] The time parameter and the intensity parameter in the variation curve are extracted to determine the perfusion characteristics.

[0026] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: obtaining the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest based on the radio frequency data analysis, and extracting the vascular blood flow parameters therein specifically includes:

[0027] filtering the radio frequency data and continuously locating the position of contrast agent microbubbles according to the radio frequency data;

[0028] Tracking the motion trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles to obtain density information and velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles;

[0029] Mapping the density information and the velocity information in the vascular network space and performing morphological imaging and dynamic imaging to obtain morphological and hemodynamic information;

[0030] The vascular blood flow parameters are extracted from the morphological and hemodynamic information.

[0031] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: when collecting the radio frequency data and correspondingly obtaining the angiography data in the angiography video, it also includes:

[0032] The tissue grayscale image is monitored during ultrasound scanning, and the imaging section is adjusted according to the guidance of the tissue grayscale image so that the acquisition process of the radio frequency data and the angiography data is based on the same imaging section.

[0033] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method further includes: obtaining the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest based on the radio frequency data analysis, and extracting the vascular blood flow parameters therein specifically includes:

[0034] Acquire and store multiple frames of tissue grayscale images corresponding to the angiography video along the time dimension, and perform correlation analysis on the stored multiple frames of tissue grayscale images to obtain a motion difference curve of the tissue;

[0035] Acquiring a portion of data frames in the radio frequency data based on the motion difference curve indication, wherein the data frames are characterized as a portion of data in which the motion difference of the scanned section in the radio frequency data meets a preset condition;

[0036] filtering the data frames and continuously locating the positions of contrast agent microbubbles according to the data frames;

[0037] Tracking the motion trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles to obtain density information and velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles;

[0038] Mapping the density information and the velocity information in the vascular network space and performing morphological imaging and dynamic imaging to obtain morphological and hemodynamic information;

[0039] The vascular blood flow parameters are extracted from the morphological and hemodynamic information.

[0040] The present invention also provides an ultrasound imaging diagnostic system, the system comprising: an ultrasound probe for emitting ultrasound waves to an area of ​​interest for ultrasound scanning;

[0041] An ultrasonic diagnostic instrument transceiver control module, electrically connected to the ultrasonic probe, and used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive echo signals of the ultrasonic waves;

[0042] The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging and processing analysis module is electrically connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic transceiver control module and is configured to diagnose the region of interest of the object using the ultrasonic contrast imaging diagnosis method as described in any one of the above items.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: by combining the perfusion characteristics and the vascular blood flow parameters, on the one hand, the perfusion of the blood vessels in the region of interest can be analyzed from a macroscopic perspective, and on the other hand, the dynamic information and morphological information of the blood vessels in the region of interest can be analyzed from a microscopic perspective. Moreover, the perfusion characteristics and the vascular blood flow parameters are synchronously acquired at the same time, and the information synchronization of the perfusion characteristics and the vascular blood flow parameters is higher, and the combination is stronger, so the analysis and judgment of the lesion area is more accurate, which helps medical staff to have a deep understanding of the lesion area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 4 is a flow chart of an ultrasound contrast diagnostic method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 2 It is a specific flow chart of collecting radio frequency data and correspondingly obtaining the angiography data in the angiography video in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 3 It is a specific flow chart of obtaining the perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest based on the contrast data in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 4 It is a specific flow chart of obtaining the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest and extracting vascular blood flow parameters based on radio frequency data analysis in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 5It is a specific flow chart of another embodiment of the present invention for obtaining the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest and extracting vascular blood flow parameters based on radio frequency data analysis.

[0049] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an ultrasound contrast diagnostic system in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional changes made by a person skilled in the art based on these embodiments are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] The imaging diagnosis of the present invention includes diagnosis of two-dimensional imaging and diagnosis of three-dimensional imaging.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method is provided, which can integrate multiple types of data (ultrasound radio frequency data, ultrasound tissue grayscale images, ultrasound contrast imaging videos) to form multi-scale ultrasound contrast imaging images to diagnose potential lesion areas.

[0053] In the field of the present invention, imaging section is an important concept used in medical imaging to acquire and analyze images. Imaging section can clearly show the structure, morphology and distribution of various tissues and organs inside the human body. By analyzing the image presented by the imaging section, it can be determined whether there is a lesion, such as a tumor, cyst, inflammation, etc., and the nature, size, location of the lesion and its relationship with the surrounding tissue can be preliminarily determined. Imaging sections include cross-sections, longitudinal sections, coronal planes and sagittal planes. In the present invention, an ultrasonic probe is used to transmit a sound beam to scan the section, and the probe array element direction and depth direction constitute the xz section. Among them, the x-axis usually represents the array element direction of the probe (that is, the scanning range in the width direction of the probe), and the z-axis represents the depth direction of the sound beam (that is, the direction in which the sound wave penetrates the tissue).

[0054] In the field of the present invention, a region of interest (ROI) refers to a region or object of particular concern in an image. These regions usually contain key information that is desired to be identified, analyzed or processed. In the medical field, they specifically refer to potential lesion areas.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the imaging section can be selected by medical personnel according to actual conditions.

[0056] Specifically, the medical staff determines whether the current section of the tissue grayscale image contains the area of ​​interest, i.e., the suspected lesion area, and then starts the contrast injection. When analyzing the radiofrequency data to extract the vascular blood flow parameters, the area of ​​interest can be further manually selected. When obtaining the perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the area of ​​interest based on the contrast data, the area of ​​interest can also be further manually selected.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound contrast diagnosis method includes at least the following steps:

[0058] Step S1: determine the region of interest and imaging section of the object, perform ultrasonic scanning on the region of interest and synchronously generate a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video.

[0059] The radiographic video includes a plurality of radiographic images that are continuous in a time dimension.

[0060] Before ultrasonic scanning of the region of interest and synchronously generating tissue grayscale images and contrast videos, contrast agents need to be injected. Ultrasonic contrast agents are usually a substance that can absorb or reflect sound waves of a specific wavelength. When they are injected into the body, they are scanned by ultrasound, and the signals returned by the scan are processed to extract the microbubble signals of the contrast agent. At this time, the signals of the surrounding tissues are suppressed, and only the microbubble signals are retained. Analyzing the microbubble signals in the body can help doctors identify the lesion more accurately. Ultrasonic scanning is to emit ultrasound to the region of interest.

[0061] In the present invention, the tissue grayscale image generally refers to a grayscale image generated by scanning the internal tissue structure of the human body through ultrasound B mode, that is, the grayscale imaging mode.

[0062] In the present invention, the contrast video generated by ultrasound contrast imaging is a medical image that is obtained by injecting contrast agents into the body to enhance the backscattered signals flowing through tissues or organs, thereby making them more prominent in the image.

[0063] By scanning the area of ​​interest with ultrasound, a tissue grayscale image and contrast video of the area of ​​interest are generated. The flow of contrast agent in the blood vessels causes dynamic changes in the contrast video. When the contrast agent begins to be injected into the area of ​​interest, the contrast video changes dynamically in real time according to the flow of the contrast agent.

[0064] Step S2: collecting the angiography data in the angiography video within a selected time and acquiring the corresponding radio frequency data, wherein the radio frequency data and the angiography data correspond to each other in the time dimension.

[0065] The radio frequency data of the ultrasonic echo is collected based on the data collection instruction, and the radio frequency data includes multiple frames of data. The contrast data in the contrast video is collected while the radio frequency data is collected. The contrast data is a collection of multiple consecutive frames of contrast images in the contrast video. The radio frequency data represents the echo signal of the contrast agent microbubbles generated when the contrast agent microbubbles in the section are scanned by ultrasound. The scanning section includes a region of interest.

[0066] The correspondence between the radio frequency data and the angiography data in the time dimension can be understood as that the radio frequency data and the angiography data are collected at the same time and the collection is terminated at the same time.

[0067] In one embodiment, the RF data and the contrast data may be acquired multiple times.

[0068] Step S3: Obtaining perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest based on the contrast data.

[0069] The situation of the lesion in the region of interest can be analyzed by the difference between the perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest and the perfusion characteristics in other regions.

[0070] In one embodiment, the perfusion feature includes the enhancement amount of contrast agent perfusion. Based on analyzing the perfusion feature, the situation of the lesion in the region of interest, such as a malignant tumor or a benign tumor, can be obtained.

[0071] The morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest is obtained based on the radio frequency data analysis, and the vascular blood flow parameters therein are extracted.

[0072] The contrast agent flows in the blood vessels within the region of interest, and the morphological and hemodynamic information of the blood vessels are obtained based on the flow detection of the contrast agent in the blood vessels. Among them, the morphological information of the blood vessels mainly focuses on the structure and morphological characteristics of the blood vessels. The hemodynamic information of the blood flow mainly focuses on the flow characteristics of the blood in the blood vessels.

[0073] In one embodiment, the blood vessel blood flow parameters include blood flow velocity, blood vessel density, tortuosity and complexity in the blood vessel.

[0074] In this way, the detection of vascular blood flow parameters helps to assess the severity of vascular lesions. For example, in cardiovascular angiography, the severity of coronary heart disease can be judged by parameters such as blood flow velocity, vascular density, tortuosity and complexity in the blood vessels. Before interventional treatment (such as vascular embolization, chemoembolization, etc.), understanding the vascular conditions in the lesion area through angiography helps to formulate accurate interventional treatment plans and reduce the occurrence of complications.

[0075] Step S4: Comprehensively diagnose the region of interest based on the perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters.

[0076] In this way, by combining perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters, on the one hand, the perfusion of blood vessels in the region of interest can be analyzed from a macroscopic perspective, and on the other hand, the dynamic information and morphological information of blood vessels in the region of interest can be analyzed from a microscopic perspective. In addition, the radio frequency data and angiography data are acquired synchronously at the same time, making the information of perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters more synchronized and more combinable, making the analysis and judgment of the lesion area more accurate, and helping medical staff to have a deeper understanding of the lesion area.

[0077] In the present invention, the perfusion feature is generated based on the contrast data in the contrast video, and the contrast video is generated by ultrasonic detection of the contrast agent; the vascular blood flow parameters are generated based on the radio frequency data in the echo signal of the contrast agent by ultrasonic wave. The perfusion feature and the vascular blood flow parameters are based on the same imaging section and both originate from ultrasonic detection of the contrast agent. In the present invention, the perfusion feature focuses on the perfusion information of the contrast agent in the region of interest from a macroscopic perspective; the vascular blood flow parameters focus on the dynamic information and vascular morphology information of the intravascular contrast agent metabolism with blood flow from a microscopic perspective. Both are combined from both macroscopic and microscopic scales to diagnose the lesion area.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic scanning of the region of interest and synchronously generating a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video comprises:

[0079] Transmitting ultrasonic signals;

[0080] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic signal may be transmitted in a focused manner, a weakly focused manner, or a non-focused manner (eg, a plane wave or a diverging wave).

[0081] An ultrasonic echo signal is received, and a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video are generated according to the echo signal.

[0082] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the specific steps of collecting radio frequency data and correspondingly obtaining the imaging data in the imaging video include:

[0083] Step S2.1: Detecting and receiving a data acquisition instruction during the ultrasound scanning process, wherein the data acquisition instruction is generated at least once according to the real-time conditions of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video.

[0084] Step S2.2: Collect radio frequency data representing ultrasonic echoes according to the data collection instruction and simultaneously extract angiography data in the angiography video.

[0085] The process of contrast agent perfusion to the region of interest includes the contrast agent perfusion stage, the contrast agent display intensity peaking and the contrast agent gradual circulation metabolism exit elimination stage. In one embodiment, the data acquisition instruction is generated at any time during the perfusion stage. In one embodiment, the data acquisition instruction is generated at any time during the contrast agent disappearance stage. In one embodiment, the data acquisition instruction is generated at any time during the perfusion stage and at any time during the contrast agent disappearance stage, that is, once during the perfusion stage and once during the disappearance stage. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the number of times the data acquisition instruction is generated is not limited.

[0086] In one embodiment, the data collection instruction is automatically generated according to a preset time. In one embodiment, the data collection instruction is manually generated according to the observation of the medical staff.

[0087] Among them, according to the real-time status of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video, it can be understood that the data acquisition instruction is generated based on the stable state of the tissue grayscale image and the flow of the contrast agent shown in the angiography video (such as the contrast agent begins to enter the region of interest).

[0088] Based on the above implementation, in one embodiment, it further includes detecting and receiving a collection end instruction during the ultrasonic scanning process:

[0089] Detecting and receiving at least one data collection instruction during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0090] The RF data and the angiography data are continuously acquired based on receiving the data acquisition instruction and the acquisition is terminated upon receiving the acquisition end instruction, wherein the acquisition end instruction is generated according to the real-time status of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video.

[0091] In this way, the collection duration can be controlled by controlling the generation of the collection end instruction, and then the collection time can be selectively extended or shortened according to actual conditions. It is more controllable and can facilitate flexible adjustments by medical staff.

[0092] In another embodiment, the collection time is also preset:

[0093] Detecting and receiving at least one data collection instruction during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0094] The radio frequency data and the angiography data are collected within the preset time period according to the data collection instruction.

[0095] In this way, by setting a preset collection time, the system can automatically end the collection of RF data and angiography data, and the collection time can be preset in advance to reduce the workload of medical staff.

[0096] like Figure 3As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, obtaining the perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest based on the angiography data specifically includes:

[0097] Step K3.1: obtaining the average intensity of contrast agent microbubbles when the contrast agent is infused into the region of interest according to the angiography data and generating a curve of average intensity versus time based on the infusion time;

[0098] Step K3.2: extracting the time parameter and the intensity parameter in the variation curve to determine the perfusion characteristics.

[0099] The intensity of the contrast agent microbubbles represents the brightness of the contrast agent microbubbles in the image. The average intensity of the contrast agent microbubbles can be obtained by calculating the sum of the grayscale signals of all contrast agent microbubbles in the region of interest and dividing the sum by the number of contrast agent microbubbles in the region of interest.

[0100] Based on the acquisition time, the average intensity of the contrast agent microbubbles in the region of interest is continuously calculated, and a variation curve of the average intensity is formed according to the time relationship, wherein the abscissa of the variation curve is the time variable, and the ordinate of the variation curve is the average intensity variable.

[0101] In one embodiment, time parameters such as the arrival time of the average intensity, the peak time of the average intensity, and the peak half time, and intensity parameters such as the peak intensity and the peak half intensity are extracted from the change curve. Among them, the arrival time of the average intensity is understood as the time when the contrast agent microbubbles appear in the region of interest, the peak time of the average intensity is understood as the time when the average intensity of the contrast agent microbubbles in the region of interest is the largest, and the peak half time is understood as the time corresponding to the average intensity of the contrast agent microbubbles in the region of interest being half of the maximum intensity.

[0102] The perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest are determined based on time parameters such as the average intensity arrival time, the average intensity peak time, and the peak half-time, and intensity parameters such as the peak intensity and the peak half-intensity.

[0103] like Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest is obtained based on the radio frequency data analysis, and the vascular blood flow parameters are extracted specifically including:

[0104] Step Z3.1: Filter the radio frequency data and continuously locate the position of contrast agent microbubbles based on the radio frequency data.

[0105] Step Z3.2: Track the movement trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles to obtain density information and velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles.

[0106] Step Z3.3: Map the density information and the velocity information in the vascular network space and perform morphological imaging and dynamic imaging to obtain morphological and hemodynamic information.

[0107] Step Z3.4: Extract the blood vessel blood flow parameters from the morphological and hemodynamic information.

[0108] In the above-mentioned embodiment, by filtering, positioning and tracking the contrast agent in multiple frames of radio frequency data, background noise and unnecessary interference signals are removed, image quality is improved, and the movement trajectory of the microbubbles is obtained.

[0109] By counting the number of microbubbles per unit volume or unit area, the density distribution of contrast agent microbubbles in blood vessels can be indirectly reflected.

[0110] Based on the duration of data acquisition and the motion trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles, the rate of change of their displacement over time, that is, the velocity information, can be calculated.

[0111] The density information and velocity information are mapped into the vascular network space of the image to perform morphological imaging and dynamic imaging, and the morphological and hemodynamic information of the blood vessels are obtained by analyzing the morphological imaging and dynamic imaging.

[0112] In one embodiment of the present invention, when collecting radio frequency data and correspondingly acquiring imaging data in the imaging video, it also includes:

[0113] The tissue grayscale image is monitored during the ultrasound scanning process, and the imaging section is guided and adjusted according to the tissue grayscale image so that the acquisition process of the radio frequency data and the contrast data is based on the same imaging section.

[0114] In this way, the stability of the imaging section can be guaranteed, and the area corresponding to the data can be prevented from being different from the area of ​​interest due to object deviation during data acquisition.

[0115] like Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest is obtained based on the radio frequency data analysis, and the vascular blood flow parameters are extracted specifically including:

[0116] Step T3.1: Acquire and store multiple frames of tissue grayscale images corresponding to the angiography video along the time dimension, and perform correlation analysis on the stored multiple frames of tissue grayscale images to obtain a motion difference curve of the tissue.

[0117] The motion difference curve describes the motion difference of tissues over time. It is used to show the motion changes within an organization or between different organizations within a specific time period.

[0118] In one embodiment, correlation analysis is to extract features for analysis from each frame of the RF data, such as pixel position, grayscale value, texture features, etc. Image processing technology (such as feature point tracking technology) is used to calculate the displacement of pixels or regions between adjacent frames, thereby obtaining the motion information of the tissue, and based on the motion information, the motion difference within the tissue or between different tissues within a specific time period is calculated.

[0119] Step T3.2: Based on the indication of the motion difference curve, a partial data frame in the radio frequency data is obtained, where the data frame is characterized as partial data in which the motion difference of the scanned section in the radio frequency data meets a preset condition.

[0120] Acquiring some data frames in the radio frequency data may be understood as selecting data frames corresponding to a section of the motion difference curve with a smaller motion difference.

[0121] In one embodiment, the difference satisfies a preset condition, and the preset condition represents a range.

[0122] In another embodiment, the degree of difference may be selected based on observations of medical staff.

[0123] Step T3.3: Filter the data frame and continuously locate the position of the contrast agent microbubble according to the data frame.

[0124] Specifically, high-pass wall filtering is performed on the data frame.

[0125] Step T3.4: Track the movement trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles to obtain density information and velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles.

[0126] Step T3.5: Mapping the density information and the velocity information in the vascular network space and performing morphological imaging and dynamic imaging to obtain morphological and hemodynamic information.

[0127] Step T3.6: Extracting the blood vessel blood flow parameters from the morphological and hemodynamic information.

[0128] In this way, by selecting a data frame corresponding to a curve with a smaller difference, the accuracy of the data can be guaranteed.

[0129] In one embodiment of the present invention, when analyzing and processing the motion trajectory of contrast agent microbubbles based on radio frequency data, the velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles is calculated by using the acceleration constraint, so that the calculated information is more accurate and reliable.

[0130] like Figure 6As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnosis system is also provided, which is used to perform ultrasound scanning diagnosis on patients and analyze the situation of the lesion area for reference by medical staff. The ultrasound contrast imaging diagnosis system includes an ultrasound probe 1, an ultrasound diagnostic instrument transceiver control module 2, and an ultrasound diagnostic instrument imaging and processing analysis module 3.

[0131] The ultrasonic probe 1 is used to transmit ultrasonic waves to a region of interest for ultrasonic scanning.

[0132] The ultrasonic diagnostic instrument transceiver control module 2 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic probe, and is used to control the ultrasonic probe 1 to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive echo signals of the ultrasonic waves.

[0133] The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging and processing analysis module 3 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic transceiver control module 2 and is configured to diagnose the region of interest (lesion area) of the object (patient) using the ultrasonic contrast imaging diagnosis method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0134] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument transceiver control module controls the ultrasonic probe to perform tissue imaging and contrast imaging scanning, and can change the time ratio of the two as needed, and can select the transmission mode of the two (focused scanning line, weakly focused wide beam, unfocused plane wave and diffuse wave).

[0135] In summary, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method, which is used to solve the problem that the contrast imaging technology in the prior art mainly relies on the macroscopic distribution of contrast agents and is insufficient in capturing the details of contrast agent microbubbles in blood vessels or tissues. It mainly adopts the injection of contrast agents, ultrasound scanning to generate tissue grayscale images and contrast video, and then synchronously acquires radio frequency data and contrast data, analyzes the radio frequency data and contrast data to obtain perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters, and combines the perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters to analyze and diagnose the situation of the lesion area.

[0136] In order to further improve the accuracy of the data, tissue grayscale images are used to ensure the consistency of imaging sections. At the same time, the tissue grayscale image correlation is processed before the RF data analysis to obtain a section with smaller motion difference, so as to intercept the corresponding partial frames in the RF data, and then analyze the partial data frames to obtain vascular blood flow parameters, thereby improving the accuracy of data analysis.

[0137] Another embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic system based on multi-scale data, the system comprising an ultrasound probe, an ultrasound diagnostic instrument transceiver control module and an ultrasound diagnostic instrument imaging and processing analysis module, and is used for scanning and diagnosis using the ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method.

[0138] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, systems and modules can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method implementation methods and will not be repeated here.

[0139] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, systems and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the system implementation described above is only schematic, for example, the division of the modules is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, systems or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms. The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present implementation scheme.

[0140] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional modules. The above-mentioned integrated module implemented in the form of software functional modules can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The above-mentioned software functional modules are stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for a computer system (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network system, etc.) or a processor (processor) to perform some steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk or an optical disk.

[0141] Finally, it should be noted that the above implementation modes are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned implementation modes, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned implementation modes, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various implementation modes of the present application.

Claims

1. An ultrasound contrast diagnostic method, characterized in that: include: Determine the region of interest and imaging section of the object, perform ultrasonic scanning on the region of interest and synchronously generate a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video; Collecting the angiography data in the angiography video within a selected time and acquiring corresponding radio frequency data, wherein the radio frequency data and the angiography data correspond to each other in a time dimension; Obtaining perfusion characteristics of contrast agent in the region of interest based on the contrast data; Obtaining morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest based on the radio frequency data analysis, and extracting vascular blood flow parameters therein; The region of interest is comprehensively diagnosed based on the perfusion characteristics and vascular blood flow parameters.

2. The ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic scanning of the region of interest and synchronously generating a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video comprises: Transmitting ultrasonic signals; An ultrasonic echo signal is received, and a tissue grayscale image and an angiography video are generated according to the echo signal.

3. The ultrasound contrast diagnostic method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific steps of collecting radio frequency data and correspondingly obtaining the imaging data in the imaging video include: Detecting and receiving a data acquisition instruction during the ultrasound scanning process, wherein the data acquisition instruction is generated at least once according to the real-time status of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video; The radio frequency data representing the ultrasonic echo is collected according to the data collection instruction and the angiography data in the angiography video is extracted synchronously.

4. The ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes detecting and receiving the end of acquisition command during the ultrasound scan: Detecting and receiving at least one data collection instruction during the ultrasound scanning process; The RF data and the angiography data are continuously acquired based on receiving the data acquisition instruction and the acquisition is terminated upon receiving the acquisition end instruction, wherein the acquisition end instruction is generated according to the real-time status of the tissue grayscale image and the angiography video.

5. The ultrasound contrast diagnostic method according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes preset acquisition durations: Detecting and receiving at least one data acquisition instruction during the ultrasound scanning process; The radio frequency data and the angiography data are collected within the preset time period according to the data collection instruction.

6. The ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obtaining of the perfusion characteristics of the contrast agent in the region of interest based on the contrast data specifically includes: Obtaining the average intensity of contrast agent microbubbles when the contrast agent is infused into the region of interest according to the angiography data and generating a curve of average intensity versus time based on the infusion time; The time parameter and the intensity parameter in the variation curve are extracted to determine the perfusion characteristics.

7. The ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obtaining of the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest based on the radio frequency data analysis and extracting the vascular blood flow parameters therein specifically includes: filtering the radio frequency data and continuously locating the position of contrast agent microbubbles according to the radio frequency data; Tracking the motion trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles to obtain density information and velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles; Mapping the density information and the velocity information in the vascular network space and performing morphological imaging and dynamic imaging to obtain morphological and hemodynamic information; The vascular blood flow parameters are extracted from the morphological and hemodynamic information.

8. The ultrasound contrast imaging diagnostic method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When collecting radio frequency data and correspondingly acquiring imaging data in the imaging video, the method further includes: The tissue grayscale image is monitored during ultrasound scanning, and the imaging section is adjusted according to the guidance of the tissue grayscale image so that the acquisition process of the radio frequency data and the angiography data is based on the same imaging section.

9. The ultrasound contrast diagnostic method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obtaining of the morphological and hemodynamic information of the vascular network in the region of interest based on the radio frequency data analysis and extracting the vascular blood flow parameters therein specifically includes: Acquire and store multiple frames of tissue grayscale images corresponding to the angiography video along the time dimension, and perform correlation analysis on the stored multiple frames of tissue grayscale images to obtain a motion difference curve of the tissue; Acquiring a portion of data frames in the radio frequency data based on the motion difference curve indication, wherein the data frames are characterized as a portion of data in which the motion difference of the scanned section in the radio frequency data meets a preset condition; filtering the data frames and continuously locating the positions of contrast agent microbubbles according to the data frames; Tracking the motion trajectory of the contrast agent microbubbles to obtain density information and velocity information of the contrast agent microbubbles; Mapping the density information and the velocity information in the vascular network space and performing morphological imaging and dynamic imaging to obtain morphological and hemodynamic information; The vascular blood flow parameters are extracted from the morphological and hemodynamic information.

10. An ultrasound contrast diagnostic system, characterized in that: include: An ultrasonic probe, used for transmitting ultrasonic waves to an area of ​​interest for ultrasonic scanning; An ultrasonic diagnostic instrument transceiver control module, electrically connected to the ultrasonic probe, and used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive echo signals of the ultrasonic waves; The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging and processing analysis module is electrically connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic transceiver control module and is configured to diagnose the region of interest of the object using the ultrasonic contrast imaging diagnosis method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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