Scanning control method and device of ultrasonic scanning system and ultrasonic scanning system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a scanning control method and device of an ultrasonic scanning system and the ultrasonic scanning system.The scanning control method of the ultrasonic scanning system comprises the steps that an ultrasonic scanning related file is obtained, and the ultrasonic scanning related file comprises ultrasonic scanning guidance for at least one to-be-scanned tissue; processing the ultrasound scan-related file using a natural language processing (NLP) model, the processing including processing to guide the ultrasound scan; and generating an ultrasonic scanning protocol about at least one tissue to be scanned based on the processing of the ultrasonic scanning guidance, and configuring the ultrasonic scanning protocol in an ultrasonic scanning system and displaying the ultrasonic scanning protocol. According to the embodiment of the invention, a user can more easily understand scanning and analysis steps in an ultrasonic scanning related file, the time for creating a scanning template is shortened to the greatest extent, guidance is more easily obtained with the help of an ultrasonic scanner, and how to take actions in a more accurate manner is known, so that the variables of scanning and diagnosis are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of ultrasonic scanning technology, and in particular, to a scanning control method and device of an ultrasonic scanning system and an ultrasonic scanning system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of ultrasound, in order to complete a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis in routine scans, it is recommended that sonographers follow guidelines and perform scans proposed by official medical societies. There are also some needs in research where users want to use ultrasound scanners to repeat experiments published in research papers. For both use cases, there are many common / unique operations to follow and a large number of detailed scanning steps, and the entire scanning process can be very complex.

[0003] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only intended to provide a clear and complete description of the technical solution of the present application and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0004] In response to the above problems or other similar problems pointed out in the background technology, the embodiments of the present application provide a scanning control method and device of an ultrasonic scanning system and an ultrasonic scanning system.

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a scanning control method of an ultrasonic scanning system is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Acquiring an ultrasound scanning related document, wherein the ultrasound scanning related document includes an ultrasound scanning guide for at least one tissue to be scanned;

[0007] Processing the ultrasound scan related documents using a natural language processing (NLP) model, wherein the processing includes processing the ultrasound scan instructions;

[0008] An ultrasound scanning protocol for the at least one tissue to be scanned is generated based on processing of the ultrasound scanning guide, and the ultrasound scanning protocol is configured on the ultrasound scanning system and displayed.

[0009] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a scanning control device of an ultrasonic scanning system is provided, the device comprising:

[0010] an acquisition unit, which acquires ultrasound scanning related files, wherein the ultrasound scanning related files include ultrasound scanning instructions for at least one tissue to be scanned;

[0011] a processing unit, which processes the ultrasound scanning related documents using a natural language processing (NLP) model, wherein the processing includes processing the ultrasound scanning guidance;

[0012] A configuration unit generates an ultrasound scanning protocol for the at least one tissue to be scanned based on processing the ultrasound scanning guide, and configures and displays the ultrasound scanning protocol on the ultrasound scanning system.

[0013] According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present application, an ultrasonic scanning system is provided, the ultrasonic scanning system comprising:

[0014] A probe for collecting ultrasound data;

[0015] A memory storing a natural language processing (NLP) model;

[0016] A processor configured to execute the method described in any one of the preceding embodiments; and

[0017] The display device is used for receiving the signal from the processor for display.

[0018] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program has at least one code segment, and wherein the at least one code segment can be executed by a machine so that the machine performs the steps of the method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0019] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is that: according to the embodiments of the present application, it is possible for users to more easily understand the scanning and analysis steps in ultrasound scanning related documents, minimize the time spent on creating scanning templates, more easily obtain guidance with the help of an ultrasound scanner, and know how to take action in a more accurate manner, thereby reducing the variables of scanning and diagnosis.

[0020] With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, the specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application is disclosed in detail, indicating the way in which the principle of the embodiment of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the implementation of the present application is not limited in scope. Within the scope of the spirit and clauses of the attached claims, the implementation of the present application includes many changes, modifications and equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The included drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application, which constitute a part of the specification, are used to illustrate the implementation methods of the present application, and together with the text description, explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic scanning system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a scanning control method of an ultrasonic scanning system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of obtaining ultrasound scanning related files through an ultrasound scanning system;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of extracting the content of ultrasound scanning guidance through the NLP model;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound scanning image 50 during an ultrasound scanning process;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another ultrasound scanning image 60 during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another ultrasound scanning image 70 during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another ultrasound scanning image 80 during the ultrasound scanning process;

[0030] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a scanning control device of an ultrasonic scanning system according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] With reference to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of the embodiments of the present application will become apparent through the following description. In the description and the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are specifically disclosed, which show some embodiments in which the principles of the embodiments of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the embodiments of the present application include all modifications, variations and equivalents that fall within the scope of the attached claims.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements in terms of title, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, etc., and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprising", "including", "having", etc. refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components or components.

[0033] In the embodiments of the present application, the singular forms "a", "the", etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood as "a kind" or "a type" rather than being limited to the meaning of "one"; in addition, the term "said" should be understood to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least in part according to...", and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least in part based on...", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0034] Features described and / or shown for one embodiment may be used in one or more other embodiments in the same or similar manner, combined with features in other embodiments, or replace features in other embodiments. The term "includes / comprising" when used herein refers to the presence of a feature, an entirety, a step, or a component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, entireties, steps, or components.

[0035] Figure 1 It is an intention of the ultrasonic scanning system of the embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasonic scanning system 100 includes:

[0036] The transmit beamformer 101 and the transmitter 102 drive the element 104 in the probe 106 to transmit the pulsed ultrasound signal into the subject. The probe 106 can be any type of probe, including a linear probe, a curved array probe, a 1.25D array, a 1.5D array, a 1.75D array or a 2D array probe. In addition, the probe 106 can also be a mechanical probe, such as a mechanical 4D probe or a hybrid probe.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, the probe 106 may be used to collect 4D ultrasound data, which contains information about how the volume changes over time. Each volume may include multiple 2D images or slices. Figure 1 , the pulsed ultrasound signal is backscattered from structures in the subject (such as blood cells or muscle tissue), generating echoes that return to element 104. The echoes are converted by element 104 into electrical signals or ultrasound data, which are received by receiver 108. The electrical signals representing the received echoes pass through receive beamformer 110, which outputs ultrasound data.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the probe 106 may include electronic circuits to perform all or part of the transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming operations. For example, all or part of the transmit beamformer 101 , the transmitter 102 , the receiver 108 , and the receive beamformer 110 may be located in the probe 106 .

[0039] In an embodiment of the present application, the term "scan" or "scanning" may also be used to refer to the acquisition of data by the process of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals; the terms "data" and "ultrasound data" may be used to refer to one or more data sets acquired using an ultrasonic scanning system.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present application, the user interface 115 can be used to control the operation of the ultrasound scanning system 100. The user interface 115 can be used to control the input of the subject data, or to select various modes, operations and parameters, etc. The user interface 115 may include one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, hard keys, a touch pad, a touch screen, a trackball, a rotary control, a slider, a soft key, or any other user input device.

[0041] In the embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound scanning system 100 also includes a processor 116, which controls the transmit beamformer 101, the transmitter 102, the receiver 108 and the receive beamformer 110. Among them, the receive beamformer 110 can be a conventional hardware beamformer or a software beamformer. If the receive beamformer 110 is a software beamformer, it may include one or more of the following components: a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) or any other type of processor capable of performing logical operations. In addition, the receive beamformer 110 can be configured to implement conventional beamforming techniques as well as techniques such as retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB).

[0042] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor 116 can communicate electronically with the probe 106. For example, the processor 116 can control the probe 106 to collect ultrasound data. For another example, the processor 116 can control which elements 104 are activated and the shape of the beam emitted from the probe 106. In addition, the processor 116 can also communicate electronically with the display device 118. For example, the processor 116 can process the ultrasound data into an image for display on the display device 118.

[0043] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "electronic communication" may be defined as including wired connections and wireless connections. According to one embodiment, the processor 116 may include a central processing unit (CPU). According to other embodiments, the processor 116 may include other electronic components capable of performing processing functions, such as a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or any other type of processor. According to other embodiments, the processor 116 may include multiple electronic components capable of performing processing functions. For example, the processor 116 may include two or more electronic components selected from a list of electronic components including: a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a graphics processing unit (GPU). According to another embodiment, the processor 116 may include a complex demodulator (not shown) that demodulates RF data and generates raw data. In another embodiment, demodulation may be performed earlier in the processing chain. The processor 116 may be adapted to perform one or more processing operations on the data according to a plurality of selectable ultrasound modalities. As the echo signal is received, the data may be processed in real time during the scanning phase.

[0044] For purposes of this disclosure, the term "real time" is defined to include processes that are performed without any intentional delay. The real-time frame or volume rate may vary based on the size of the site or volume for which data is acquired and the specific parameters used in the acquisition process. The data may be temporarily stored in a buffer (not shown) during the scanning phase and processed in a less than real-time manner in live or off-line operations.

[0045] Embodiments of the present application may include multiple processors to handle processing tasks. For example, a first processor may be used to obtain ultrasound scanning related documents, and a second processor may be used to process the ultrasound scanning related documents using an NLP model, and generate an ultrasound scanning protocol for at least one tissue to be scanned, and then configure the ultrasound scanning protocol to the ultrasound scanning system and display it. It should be appreciated that other embodiments may use different processor arrangements. For example, in another embodiment, the above work may be performed by the same processor. For an embodiment in which the receive beamformer 110 is a software beamformer, the processing tasks belonging to the processor 116 and the software beamformer herein above may be performed by a single processor, such as the receive beamformer 110 or the processor 116. Alternatively, the processing functions belonging to the processor 116 and the software beamformer may be distributed in different ways between any number of separate processing components.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the ultrasound scanning system 100 can continuously acquire ultrasound data at a frame rate of, for example, 10 Hz to 30 Hz. Images generated by these data can be refreshed at a similar frame rate. Other embodiments can acquire and display data at different rates. For example, depending on the size of the volume and potential applications, some embodiments can acquire ultrasound data at a frame rate less than 10 Hz or greater than 30 Hz. For example, many applications involve acquiring ultrasound data at a frame rate of 50 Hz. The memory 120 is included therein to store processing frames of acquired data. In an exemplary embodiment, the memory 120 has sufficient capacity to store ultrasound data frames of at least several seconds in length acquired over a period of time. The data frames are stored in a manner that facilitates retrieval according to the order or time of their acquisition. The memory 120 may include any known data storage medium. In addition, the memory 120 may also store an NLP model so that the processor 116 processes the ultrasound scanning related files using the NLP model.

[0047] Optionally, the embodiments of the present application can be performed using contrast agents. When using an ultrasound contrast agent including microbubbles, contrast imaging generates enhanced images of anatomical structures and blood flow in the body. After collecting data using the contrast agent, image analysis includes: separating harmonic components and linear components, enhancing the harmonic components, and generating ultrasound images by using the enhanced harmonic components. Separation of harmonic components from the received signal is performed using appropriate filters. The use of contrast agents in ultrasound imaging is well known to those skilled in the art, so it will not be described in further detail.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present application, the data can be processed by the processor 116 through other or different modules of related modes (e.g., B-mode, color Doppler, M-mode, color M-mode, spectral Doppler, elastic imaging, TVI, strain, strain rate, etc.) to form a 2D or 3D image. For example, one or more modules can generate B-mode, color Doppler, M-mode, color M-mode, spectral Doppler, elastic imaging, TVI, strain, strain rate, and combinations thereof, etc. In an embodiment of the present application, image beams and / or frames are stored, and timing information indicating the time when the data is collected in the memory can be recorded. The module may include, for example, a scan conversion module that performs a scan conversion operation to convert the image frame from the coordinate beam space to the display space coordinate. In an embodiment of the present application, a video processor module may also be provided, which reads the image frame from the memory and displays the image frame in real time while the patient is being operated. The video processor module may store the image frame in the image memory, read the image from the image memory and display it.

[0049] In embodiments of the present application, the ultrasound scanning system 100 may be a console-based system, a laptop computer, a handheld or portable system, or any other configuration.

[0050] The following Figure 1 The embodiment of the present application is described by taking the ultrasonic scanning system shown as an example, but the present application is not limited thereto, and the embodiment of the present application can also be used for other ultrasonic scanning systems.

[0051] The present application provides a scanning control method for an ultrasonic scanning system. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a scanning control method of an ultrasonic scanning system according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0052] 210: Acquire ultrasound scanning related documents, where the ultrasound scanning related documents include ultrasound scanning guidance for at least one tissue to be scanned;

[0053] 220: Processing the ultrasound scanning related document using a natural language processing (NLP) model, wherein the processing includes processing the ultrasound scanning guidance;

[0054] 230: Generate an ultrasound scanning protocol for the at least one tissue to be scanned based on the processing of the ultrasound scanning guide, configure the ultrasound scanning protocol in the ultrasound scanning system, and display the protocol.

[0055] It is worth noting that the above Figure 2 The embodiments of the present application are only schematically described, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order of the various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be reduced. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the above appended Figure 2 Records of.

[0056] According to the above embodiment, the ultrasound scanning related documents are processed using the NLP model to obtain the ultrasound scanning protocol for at least one tissue to be scanned, and then the protocol is configured in the ultrasound scanning system and displayed, which can make it easier for users to understand the scanning and analysis steps in the ultrasound scanning related documents, minimize the time used to create scanning templates, and more easily obtain guidance with the help of the ultrasound scanner, and know how to take action in a more accurate manner, thereby reducing the variables of scanning and diagnosis. In addition, after the ultrasound scanning related documents are processed by the NLP model, the scanning template can be automatically generated based on the processing results. Traditional scanning template configuration mainly relies on the manual selection of fixed workflows built into the ultrasound system. In contrast, the embodiments of the present application have higher flexibility and immediacy.

[0057] In operation 210, the ultrasound scanning related documents are, for example, user manuals, ultrasound scanning related guidelines, or ultrasound scanning related papers, including ultrasound scanning guidance for at least one tissue to be scanned (e.g., breast, abdominal cavity, etc.). The contents of these documents are relatively complex and are not necessarily specifically used to guide scanning, but are only phased research results in the field of ultrasound scanning. According to the embodiment of the present application, the NLP model can be used to discover and extract the relevant content of the guidance scanning.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, there is no restriction on the format of the ultrasound scanning related file, which can be in PDF format, word format, etc., as long as it can be used to extract text. In addition, the ultrasound scanning related file can come from a removable storage medium, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc., or from a local area network, or a cloud server, etc., and the present application does not impose any restriction on this.

[0059] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of obtaining ultrasound scanning related files through an ultrasound scanning system, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this example, the ultrasound scanning related file 300 is an ultrasound scanning related guide in PDF format, and the ultrasound scanning related file 300 is obtained through a file input button 301 set in the ultrasound scanning system, for example, called "import with pdf".

[0060] In operation 220, after the ultrasound scanning related files are obtained, the NLP model may be used to process the ultrasound scanning related files, for example, to process the ultrasound scanning instructions of at least one tissue to be scanned included in the ultrasound scanning related files to obtain the ultrasound scanning protocol of the at least one tissue to be scanned.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the ultrasound scanning guidance is processed by extracting the content of the ultrasound scanning guidance at least once through an NLP model to generate several steps for ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned.

[0062] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of extracting ultrasound scanning guidance content through the NLP model. Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , the content of ultrasound scanning guidance is extracted twice. Figure 4 As shown, the process includes:

[0063] 410: Inputting ultrasound scanning guidance of the tissue to be scanned;

[0064] 420: Perform a first extraction on the ultrasound scanning guidance to obtain a first number of steps;

[0065] 430: Extract the first number of steps for a second time to obtain a second number of steps;

[0066] 440: Perform keyword extraction and classification on the second number of steps to obtain an ultrasound scanning protocol for performing ultrasound scanning on the tissue to be scanned.

[0067] For example, in operation 410, the ASE (American Society of Echocardiography) guidelines are input into the NLP model, which include ultrasound scanning instructions for the adult heart and are used to perform comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examinations on adults; in operation 420, the NLP model is used to perform a first extraction of part of the original content of the ASE guidelines to obtain ten steps for transthoracic ultrasound scanning of the heart; in operation 430, the NLP model is used to perform a second extraction of the above ten steps to obtain five steps for transthoracic ultrasound scanning of the heart; thereafter, in operation 440, the NLP model can be used to extract and classify keywords for these five steps according to pre-set categories, thereby obtaining an ultrasound scanning protocol for performing ultrasound scanning of the transthoracic heart.

[0068] It is worth noting that the above Figure 4 The embodiments of the present application are only schematically described, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order of the various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be reduced. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the above appended Figure 4 For example, the above operation 430 is optional, and in some embodiments, operation 430 may not be included, so that in operation 440, keyword extraction and classification are performed on the first number of steps obtained in operation 420. And so on.

[0069] exist Figure 4 In the example, two extractions are performed, but the present application is not limited thereto. Other extractions may be performed as needed, such as only one extraction or more than two extractions, for example, depending on the different tissues to be scanned or the length of the ultrasound scanning-related documents. Figure 4 In the example, ten steps are obtained through the first extraction and five steps are obtained through the second extraction. The present application is also not limited to this. Depending on the ultrasound scanning related documents and / or the tissue to be scanned, each extraction may obtain another number of steps.

[0070] In the above example, the NLP model can perform abstractive summarization and generate a summary by paraphrasing. This is similar to writing a summary that contains words and sentences that do not appear in the original text. Abstractive summarization is usually modeled as a sequence-to-sequence task, where the input is a long-form text and the output is a summary.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, there is no restriction on the training and structure of the NLP model. For example, the NLP model can be a ULMFiT model, a Transformer model, a BERT model, a Transformer-XL model, a GPT-2 model, an ELMo model, a Flair model, a StanfordNLP model, etc. For details, please refer to the relevant technology.

[0072] In some embodiments, processing the ultrasound scanning guidance may further include further extracting, expanding or modifying the above steps in response to being operated.

[0073] For example, after obtaining the above-mentioned steps, the NLP model can further extract the steps according to the user's operation to refine the steps; or, after obtaining the above-mentioned steps, the NLP model can expand the steps according to the user's operation to expand the steps; or, after obtaining the above-mentioned steps, the user can modify the steps according to the user's operation, such as adjusting the order of the steps, or adjusting the description of the steps, etc., to improve the steps.

[0074] The aforementioned processing (at least one extraction of the ultrasound scanning guidance content) performed by the NLP model may not meet the user's requirements. Further processing (extraction, expansion or modification) according to this embodiment can make the obtained steps meet the user's requirements and improve the flexibility of the ultrasound scanning configuration.

[0075] In some embodiments, processing the ultrasound scanning guidance may further include extracting keywords from each step, classifying the keywords from a pre-set category, or classifying each step from a pre-set category to obtain classified keywords or steps. Since the NLP model can perform named entity recognition, through named entity recognition, the complete document can be automatically scanned, basic elements can be extracted from the text, and classified, so as to perform relevant configuration and / or display on the ultrasound scanning system.

[0076] In the above embodiments, the pre-set categories may include at least one of the following: target tissue, probe movement, and configuration of ultrasound scanning parameters, but the present application is not limited thereto. Other categories may also be set depending on the target tissue or the ultrasound scanning system, so as to utilize the classified keywords or steps for ultrasound scanning-related configuration and / or display.

[0077] Taking the example of obtaining ten steps through the first extraction of operation 420 and not performing a second extraction on these ten steps, according to the above embodiment, in operation 440, the NLP model can extract keywords for these ten steps according to pre-set categories, and classify the extracted keywords into respective categories. For example, the pre-set categories include three categories, namely, target tissue, probe movement, and configuration of ultrasound scanning parameters. According to the above embodiment, the NLP model can extract keywords belonging to the above three categories from the ten steps obtained by the first extraction, and classify them into their respective categories. For example, target tissue includes 18 keywords, probe movement includes 3 keywords, and configuration of ultrasound scanning parameters includes 5 keywords.

[0078] According to the above embodiment, based on the extracted content, i.e., the abstracted content, the user's operations during the ultrasound scanning process can be classified into different categories, which can cover the target tissue in the scan and the user's expected operations for each step. Thus, the user can know how to use the probe and buttons and what to expect in the scan.

[0079] In operation 230, the ultrasound scanning protocol, for example, includes several steps regarding ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned, that is, based on the processing of the ultrasound scanning guidance, several steps regarding ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned are generated. In some embodiments, the steps of the ultrasound scanning protocol corresponding to the current ultrasound scan can also be determined based on the several steps of ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned, and scanning assistance can be provided for the current ultrasound scan based on the determined steps.

[0080] For example, based on the processing of the ultrasound scanning guidance, several steps for ultrasound scanning of the tissue A to be scanned and several steps for ultrasound scanning of the tissue B to be scanned are generated. In the above embodiment, the current ultrasound scan is a scan of the tissue A to be scanned. Therefore, the several steps for ultrasound scanning of the tissue A to be scanned can be used as steps of the above-mentioned ultrasound scanning protocol corresponding to the current ultrasound scan, and scanning assistance is provided for the current ultrasound scan based on the steps.

[0081] In the above embodiments, scanning assistance is provided for the current ultrasound scan, for example: in response to the corresponding step being related to configuring ultrasound scanning parameters, the ultrasound scanning system is automatically configured; or, in response to the corresponding step being related to probe movement, guidance is provided and displayed for the probe movement; or, in response to the corresponding step being related to target tissue, the image of the current ultrasound scan is automatically identified and evaluated.

[0082] In the above embodiment, one step may include multiple categories (such as target tissue, probe movement, and configuration of ultrasound scanning parameters, etc.), so one step may include multiple operations, such as automatic configuration, guidance, image recognition, etc.

[0083] In the above embodiment, an artificial intelligence (AI) model can be used to automatically identify and evaluate the current ultrasound scanned image. This application does not limit the type of AI model, for example, it can include various algorithms such as machine learning and deep learning, which can mainly identify and evaluate the quality of the image.

[0084] According to the above embodiment, according to the steps of the ultrasound scanning protocol corresponding to the current ultrasound scanning, the ultrasound scanning parameters can be automatically configured, and / or the movement of the probe can be guided, and / or the ultrasound scanning image can be automatically identified and evaluated, thereby reducing the workload as much as possible. Figure 5-Figure 8 To further explain in detail, a series of schematic diagrams of ultrasound scanning using a scanning protocol generated by an NLP model are shown.

[0085] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound scanning image 50 during ultrasound scanning. Figure 5 As shown, according to the method of an embodiment of the present application, a reference image 501 of the anatomical features (LV, RV, Ao, LA) corresponding to the scanned tissue can be displayed on the ultrasound scan image 50, so as to facilitate ultrasound physicians to confirm whether the current ultrasound scan image contains these anatomical features.

[0086] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another ultrasound scanning image 60 during the ultrasound scanning process, such as Figure 6 As shown, according to the method of the embodiment of the present application, a reference image 601 of the anatomical features (LA, MV, LV, LVOT, AV, IVS and RV) corresponding to the scanned tissue can be displayed on the ultrasound scan image 60. In addition, according to the method of the embodiment of the present application, the current ultrasound scan image can also be automatically identified and evaluated. For example, whether the ultrasound scan image contains the anatomical features indicated by the reference image 601 can be automatically reviewed and confirmed. The review and confirmation results can be displayed on the current ultrasound scan image by checking (see the dotted box 602). This makes it convenient for ultrasound physicians to directly capture the ultrasound scan image that conforms to the anatomical features on the reference image during the ultrasound scanning process.

[0087] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another ultrasound scanning image 70 during the ultrasound scanning process, such as Figure 7As shown, according to the method of the embodiment of the present application, a reference image 701 of the anatomical features (AV) corresponding to the scanned tissue can be displayed on the ultrasound scan image, so as to facilitate ultrasound physicians to confirm whether the current ultrasound scan image contains these anatomical features.

[0088] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another ultrasound scanning image 80 during the ultrasound scanning process, such as Figure 8 As shown, according to the method of the embodiment of the present application, a reference image 801 of the anatomical features corresponding to the scanned tissue can be displayed on the ultrasound scan image. In addition, according to the method of the embodiment of the present application, the current ultrasound scan image can also be automatically identified and evaluated, for example, whether the ultrasound scan image contains the anatomical features (MV and LA) indicated by the reference image 801 can be automatically reviewed and confirmed, that is, the current ultrasound scan image can be automatically identified and evaluated, and the review and confirmation results can be displayed on the current ultrasound scan image by checking (see the dotted box 802), thereby facilitating ultrasound physicians to directly capture ultrasound scan images that conform to the anatomical features on the reference image during ultrasound scanning.

[0089] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the embodiments of the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present application, an NLP model is used to process ultrasound scanning related documents to obtain an ultrasound scanning protocol for at least one tissue to be scanned (for example, several steps for ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned), and then the protocol is configured in an ultrasound scanning system and displayed. This enables users to more easily understand the scanning and analysis steps in ultrasound scanning related documents, minimize the time spent on creating scanning templates, and more easily obtain guidance with the help of an ultrasound scanner and know how to take action in a more accurate manner, thereby reducing the variables of scanning and diagnosis.

[0091] The embodiment of the present application also provides a scanning control device for an ultrasonic scanning system. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the first aspect, its specific implementation can refer to the embodiment of the first aspect, and the same contents will not be repeated.

[0092] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a scanning control device of an ultrasonic scanning system according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 As shown, the scanning control device 900 of the ultrasonic scanning system of the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0093] An acquisition unit 910, which acquires ultrasound scanning related files, wherein the ultrasound scanning related files include ultrasound scanning instructions for at least one tissue to be scanned;

[0094] a processing unit 920, which processes the ultrasound scanning related document using a natural language processing (NLP) model, wherein the processing includes processing the ultrasound scanning guide;

[0095] The configuration unit 930 generates an ultrasound scanning protocol for the at least one tissue to be scanned based on the processing of the ultrasound scanning guide, and configures and displays the ultrasound scanning protocol in the ultrasound scanning system.

[0096] In some embodiments, the ultrasound scanning related file includes at least one of a user manual, an ultrasound scanning related guide, and an ultrasound scanning related paper.

[0097] In some embodiments, the ultrasound scanning related files come from at least one of a removable storage medium, a local area network, and a cloud server.

[0098] In some embodiments, the processing unit 920 processes the ultrasound scanning guidance including:

[0099] The contents of the ultrasound scanning guidance are extracted at least once to generate several steps of ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned.

[0100] In some embodiments, the processing unit 920 further processes the ultrasound scanning guidance including:

[0101] In response to being operated, the steps are further extracted, expanded or modified.

[0102] In some embodiments, the processing unit 920 further processes the ultrasound scanning guidance including:

[0103] Extracting keywords from each of the steps;

[0104] The keyword or each of the steps is categorized from pre-set categories.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the preset category may include at least one of target tissue, probe movement, and configuration of ultrasound scanning parameters.

[0106] In some embodiments, the ultrasound scanning protocol includes several steps related to ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned, and the configuration unit 930 may further perform the following operations:

[0107] The step of determining the ultrasound scanning protocol corresponding to the current ultrasound scanning;

[0108] Scan assistance is provided for the current ultrasound scan.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the configuration unit 930 provides scanning assistance for the current ultrasound scanning, including at least one of the following:

[0110] In response to the corresponding step being associated with configuring ultrasound scanning parameters, automatically configuring the ultrasound scanning system;

[0111] In response to the corresponding step being related to the movement of the probe, providing guidance and displaying the movement of the probe;

[0112] In response to the corresponding step being associated with the target tissue, the image of the current ultrasound scan is automatically identified and evaluated.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the automatic identification and evaluation of the current ultrasound scanned image is performed using an artificial intelligence model. This application does not limit the implementation of the artificial intelligence model, and reference may be made to related technologies.

[0114] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the embodiments of the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0115] According to an embodiment of the present application, an NLP model is used to process ultrasound scanning related documents to obtain an ultrasound scanning protocol for at least one tissue to be scanned (for example, several steps for ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned), and then the protocol is configured in an ultrasound scanning system and displayed. This enables users to more easily understand the scanning and analysis steps in ultrasound scanning related documents, minimize the time spent on creating scanning templates, and more easily obtain guidance with the help of an ultrasound scanner and know how to take action in a more accurate manner, thereby reducing the variables of scanning and diagnosis.

[0116] The present application also provides an ultrasound scanning system, which includes a probe, a memory, a processor, and a display device. The probe is used to collect ultrasound data, the memory is used to store the NLP model, the processor is configured to execute the method described in the first aspect of the embodiment, and the display device is used to receive a signal from the processor for display.

[0117] Since the control method for ultrasonic scanning in the embodiment of the present application has been described in the embodiment of the first aspect, its content is incorporated here and will not be repeated here.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present application, the ultrasonic scanning system also includes other components, which can be specifically referred to in Figure 1 The ultrasonic scanning system shown, and Figure 1 The same content will not be repeated here.

[0119] An embodiment of the present application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which stores a computer program, wherein the computer program has at least one code segment, and the at least one code segment can be executed by a machine so that the machine performs the steps of the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0120] The above devices and methods of the present application can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware combined with software. The present application relates to such a computer-readable program, which, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the above-mentioned devices or components, or enables the logic component to implement the various methods or steps described above. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

[0121] The method / device described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application may be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figure and / or one or more combinations of the functional block diagrams may correspond to various software modules of the computer program flow or to various hardware modules. These software modules may correspond to the various steps shown in the figure, respectively. These hardware modules may be implemented by solidifying these software modules, for example, using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0122] The software module may be located in a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium may be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. The software module may be stored in a memory of a mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if a device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a large-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a large-capacity flash memory device, the software module may be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large-capacity flash memory device.

[0123] For one or more of the functional blocks described in the drawings and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks, it can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in the present application. For one or more of the functional blocks described in the drawings and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks, it can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0124] The present application is described above in conjunction with specific implementation methods, but it should be clear to those skilled in the art that these descriptions are exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the spirit and principles of the present application, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0125] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many features and advantages of these embodiments are clear from this detailed description, and therefore the appended claims are intended to cover all such features and advantages of these embodiments that fall within their true spirit and scope. In addition, since many modifications and variations are easily conceivable to those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the present application are not intended to be limited to the precise structures and operations illustrated and described, but all suitable modifications, variations, and equivalents that fall within their scope may be covered.

Claims

1. A scanning control method for an ultrasonic scanning system, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquiring an ultrasound scanning related document, wherein the ultrasound scanning related document includes an ultrasound scanning guide for at least one tissue to be scanned; Processing the ultrasound scan related documents using a natural language processing model, wherein the processing includes processing the ultrasound scan guidance; An ultrasound scanning protocol for the at least one tissue to be scanned is generated based on processing of the ultrasound scanning guide, and the ultrasound scanning protocol is configured on the ultrasound scanning system and displayed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The ultrasound scanning related documents include at least one of a user manual, an ultrasound scanning related guide and an ultrasound scanning related paper.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing of the ultrasound scanning guidance includes: The contents of the ultrasound scanning guidance are extracted at least once to generate several steps of ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The processing of the ultrasound scanning guidance further includes: In response to being operated, the steps are further extracted, expanded or modified.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The processing of the ultrasound scanning guidance further includes: Extracting keywords from each of the steps; The keyword or each of the steps is categorized from pre-set categories.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The preset category includes at least one of target tissue, probe movement, and configuration of ultrasound scanning parameters.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The ultrasound scanning protocol comprises several steps regarding ultrasound scanning of the at least one tissue to be scanned, the method further comprising: The step of determining the ultrasound scanning protocol corresponding to the current ultrasound scanning; Scan assistance is provided for the current ultrasound scan.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that Providing scanning assistance for the current ultrasound scan includes at least one of the following: In response to the corresponding step being associated with configuring ultrasound scanning parameters, automatically configuring the ultrasound scanning system; In response to the corresponding step being related to the movement of the probe, providing guidance and displaying the movement of the probe; In response to the corresponding step being associated with the target tissue, the image of the current ultrasound scan is automatically identified and evaluated.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The automatic identification and evaluation of the current ultrasound scan image is performed using an artificial intelligence model.

10. An ultrasonic scanning system, characterized in that: The ultrasonic scanning system comprises: A probe for collecting ultrasound data; A memory storing a natural language processing model; A processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9; and The display device is used for receiving the signal from the processor for display.

11. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that The ultrasound scanning related files come from at least one of a removable storage medium, a local area network, and a cloud server.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program has at least one code segment, characterized in that: The at least one code segment can be executed by a machine to cause the machine to perform the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-9.

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