Method for breast ultrasound scanning
By applying colored or fluorescent acoustic guide glue to the end of the ultrasound probe, the color is used to identify the areas of the breast that have been scanned and not scanned, which solves the problem of missing scans during ultrasound scans of breasts, and achieves cost-free effective scanning.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411931885.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-28
AI Technical Summary
In the existing breast ultrasound scanning technology, it is difficult to effectively prevent scan leakage, and the solution to increase cameras will make patients uncomfortable and increase equipment costs.
By applying acoustic guide glue with color or fluorescent agent to the end surface of the ultrasound probe, move the ultrasound probe along the preset track on the breast surface, and use color to identify the scanned and unscanned parts to ensure that the breast surface is evenly coated with color to avoid leakage.
This method helps the scanner to easily identify the parts of the breast that have been scanned and not scanned, effectively avoiding missing scans and not increasing equipment costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN119700202A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical equipment, and in particular to a method for breast ultrasound scanning. Background Art
[0002] Currently, breast scans are usually performed through breast X-rays. Breast X-rays can show changes and abnormalities in breast tissue, but X-rays are harmful to the human body and should not be used excessively. At the same time, X-rays cannot diagnose dense breasts very well.
[0003] Ultrasound can be used to scan and diagnose breast diseases. When scanning the breast, the doctor holds the probe and scans the patient's breast. Due to the complex structure of the breast, the requirements for the doctor are high. The doctor needs to know how to scan and understand the ultrasound image.
[0004] Because the breast has a large surface area, it is possible that some parts of the breast may be missed during the scan. To avoid missed parts, some solutions are to set up cameras in the scan area and use the cameras and visual recognition methods to determine whether there are missed parts. Adding cameras will make patients feel uncomfortable and increase the cost of the equipment. Summary of the invention
[0005] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and to provide a method for preventing missed scans during breast ultrasound scanning.
[0006] To achieve the above technical objectives, the present application provides a method for breast ultrasound scanning, which comprises:
[0007] Applying acoustic conductive glue on the end surface of the ultrasonic probe, wherein the acoustic conductive glue is colored or contains a fluorescent agent;
[0008] Place the ultrasound probe on the breast surface and move it along a preset trajectory to perform ultrasound scan of the breast;
[0009] Identify scanned and unscanned areas of the breast by the color of the breast surface;
[0010] Move the ultrasound probe further so that the entire surface of the breast is covered with color.
[0011] Furthermore, in two adjacent scans, while the ultrasound probe is moving and in contact with the breast, the end of the ultrasound probe at least partially overlaps with the previous scan area in the scanning surface direction of the ultrasound probe.
[0012] Furthermore, the preset trajectory is parallel to the up and down direction of the human body.
[0013] Furthermore, the scanning surface of the ultrasonic probe is parallel to the left-right direction of the human body.
[0014] Furthermore, during the scanning, when a suspicious lesion is found, the ultrasound probe is prompted to be rotated 90 degrees and moved along the left and right directions of the human body to observe a cross-sectional view of the suspicious lesion at another angle.
[0015] Furthermore, a suitable scanning guide interface is selected according to the length of the breast in the left-right direction of the human body and the length of the ultrasound probe. The scanning guide interface includes a plurality of scanning areas of equal width extending in the up-down direction of the human body, and the width of each scanning area is less than the length of the ultrasound probe.
[0016] Furthermore, during the scanning, when a suspicious lesion is found, the movement of the probe is stopped and the location of the suspicious lesion is marked on the scanning guide interface.
[0017] Furthermore, during the scan, the moving speed of the probe is estimated based on the image changes between consecutive frames of the ultrasound image. If the moving speed is less than a preset threshold, it indicates that a suspicious lesion has been found.
[0018] Furthermore, during the scan, suspicious lesions are automatically identified based on artificial intelligence. If a suspicious lesion is found, a color mark is provided at the suspicious lesion.
[0019] Furthermore, the ultrasound image frames in which suspicious lesions are found are marked and saved.
[0020] The method for breast ultrasound scanning of the present application can help the scanning doctor to easily identify the scanned and unscanned parts of the breast and avoid missing parts by marking the scanned parts and unscanned parts of the breast with different colors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of breast ultrasound scanning of the present application.
[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning guidance interface.
[0023] Figure 3 Ultrasound image of a suspicious lesion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0025] In order to simplify the drawings, only the parts related to the present invention are schematically shown in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, in some figures, only one of the parts with the same structure or function is schematically drawn or marked. In this article, "one" not only means "only one", but also means "more than one".
[0026] It should be further understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.
[0027] In this document, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0028] In addition, in the description of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the specific implementation methods of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.
[0030] See also Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a method for breast ultrasound scanning, comprising:
[0031] Step 101, applying acoustic conductive glue on the end surface of the ultrasonic probe, wherein the acoustic conductive glue is colored or contains a fluorescent agent;
[0032] Step 102, placing an ultrasound probe on the surface of the breast and moving it along a preset trajectory to perform ultrasound scanning on the breast;
[0033] Step 103, identifying scanned parts and unscanned parts of the breast by the color of the breast surface;
[0034] Step 104, further moving the ultrasound probe so that the surface of the breast is colored.
[0035] At the beginning of the scan, the end surface of the probe is coated with acoustic glue, which is colored acoustic glue. The acoustic glue is generally light blue, but can also be other colors. After applying the acoustic glue, the probe is placed on the surface of the breast, and the breast is ultrasonically scanned along the preset trajectory. The scanned part of the breast is covered with the colored acoustic glue, which is distinguished from the unscanned part. After the breast scan is completed, the acoustic glue can be wiped off.
[0036] During the movement of the probe, the acoustic glue on the probe surface may be used up. In this case, just pick up the probe and continue to apply the acoustic glue on the end face of the probe. Then place the ultrasound probe on the surface of the breast and continue scanning along the place where the last scan was performed. At this point, the position of the probe during the last scan can be identified by the color of the breast surface. When the surface of the breast is coated with colored acoustic glue, it means that the breast has been scanned. The colored acoustic glue can make it easy for doctors to identify whether the breast has been fully scanned without increasing costs.
[0037] Although in a preferred embodiment, the acoustic conductive glue is colored, in other embodiments, the acoustic conductive glue may also be doped with a fluorescent agent. The fluorescent agent can also be used to identify whether the breast has been completely scanned. When the fluorescent agent is contained, the surface of the breast can be colored by illumination to distinguish the scanned area from the unscanned area.
[0038] See also Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As described above, in two adjacent scans, while the ultrasound probe 4 (i.e., the probe) is moving and in contact with the breast, the end of the ultrasound probe 4 at least partially overlaps with the previous scan area in the scanning surface direction of the ultrasound probe 4. This setting can ensure that no scan is missed between two adjacent scans. Figure 2 The illustration shows the right breast, but in actual application, it can also be applied to the left breast.
[0039] Preferably, the preset trajectory 3 is parallel to the up-down direction of the human body, that is, the head-to-foot direction of the human body.
[0040] The scanning surface 5 of the ultrasonic probe 4 is parallel to the left-right direction of the human body.
[0041] During the scan, when a suspicious lesion 61 is found, it is prompted to rotate the ultrasound probe 4 90 degrees and move the ultrasound probe 4 along the left-right direction of the human body to observe a cross-sectional view of the suspicious lesion 61 at another angle. At this time, the scanning surface 5 of the ultrasound probe 4 is perpendicular to the left-right direction of the human body. The suspicious lesion 61 is observed from different angles to determine whether the lesion 61 is benign or malignant. For the ultrasound image 6 that is considered to contain the suspicious lesion 61, a label index is established on the ultrasound image 6 and displayed on the screen. When reading the image later, click the label on the screen to find the ultrasound image 6 containing the suspicious lesion. At the same time, an index is also established to mark the position of the probe 4 in the breast when the suspicious lesion 61 is detected on the guidance interface. When the doctor reads the image later, he can know the approximate area of the suspicious lesion 61 in the breast 2.
[0042] According to the length of the breast 2 in the left-right direction of the human body 1 and the length of the ultrasound probe 4, a suitable scanning guide interface is selected, and the scanning guide interface includes a plurality of scanning areas 3 of equal width extending in the up-down direction of the human body, and the width of each scanning area 3 is less than the length of the ultrasound probe 4. A preset track is provided on the guide interface. In this embodiment, the preset track is along the up-down direction of the human body, and in other embodiments, it may also be along the left-right direction of the human body, or scattered from the nipple 21 to the periphery, or converged from the periphery to the nipple 21, which is not limited here.
[0043] The position of the nipple 21 on the scanning guide interface is adjustable, and the boundary of the breast 2 is also adjustable. Since each person's breast is different, the nipple and breast on the scanning guide interface are adjustable, so that the breast on the scanning guide interface can be better matched with the patient's breast, and the position of the suspicious lesion on the breast can be better identified.
[0044] The length of the breast 2 in the left-right direction of the human body 1 and the length of the probe 4 can be measured with a ruler, and a suitable scanning guide interface can be selected according to the sizes of the two. If the length of the breast in the left-right direction of the human body (i.e., the bottom diameter of the breast) is 10 cm and the length of the probe is 5 cm, a three-column scan can be set. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the scanning guide interface is provided with six rows of scanning areas. During scanning, the end of the ultrasonic probe 4 is placed outside the scanning area to ensure that no scan is missed.
[0045] In this embodiment, the length of the ultrasonic probe 4 is greater than the width of each column of the scanning area 3. During scanning, the two ends of the probe 4 in the length direction are located outside each column of the scanning area 3, so that the ultrasonic scanning of two adjacent columns will not be missed. After each column is scanned, the corresponding column on the scanning guide interface is marked as scanned and moved to the next column for scanning. The scanned columns and the unscanned columns can be marked with different colors. During the scanning, when the probe touches the nipple, the position of the nipple 21 is marked at the corresponding position of the scanning guide interface.
[0046] During the scanning, when a suspicious lesion 61 is found, the movement of the ultrasound probe 4 is stopped, and the position of the suspicious lesion 61 is marked on the scanning guide interface, that is, the position of the probe on the scanning guide interface.
[0047] During the scan, the moving speed of the probe is estimated based on the image changes between consecutive frames of the ultrasound image. If the moving speed is less than the preset threshold, it is prompted that a suspicious lesion 61 is found. In this embodiment, the suspicious lesion 61 is also automatically identified based on artificial intelligence. If a suspicious lesion is found, a color mark prompt is given at the suspicious lesion. The ultrasound image frame where the suspicious lesion is found is marked and saved. During the scan, if there is no suspicious lesion, the moving speed of the ultrasound probe will move at a normal speed. When a suspicious lesion is found, the moving speed of the ultrasound probe will be reduced in order to identify the suspicious lesion. By identifying the moving speed of the probe through continuous ultrasound image frames, it is possible to determine whether there is a suspicious lesion without increasing the hardware cost. When it is determined that a suspicious lesion exists, a label index is automatically established for the ultrasound image at that location for subsequent search.
[0048] During the scan, the ultrasound probe 4 can scan the leftmost column of the breast 2 from top to bottom. When the scan reaches the bottom, the color of the column changes to indicate that the scan is complete. In the column, if a suspicious lesion is found, the movement of the ultrasound probe is stopped, or the movement of the ultrasound probe 4 is slowed down. AI will automatically mark the location of the suspicious lesion, and the scanning doctor will also notice the suspicious lesion. By assisting the scanning doctor in detecting suspicious lesions with AI, the number of missed lesions by the scanning doctor can be reduced, and the workload of the scanning doctor can also be reduced. AI may also miss recognition, and the scanning doctor can also reduce the probability of missed recognition by AI when reading the image. After all the suspicious lesions on the section are scanned, the ultrasound probe 3 continues to move along the scanning area 3. When the ultrasound probe 4 moves to the bottom of the column, the ultrasound probe 4 is moved to another adjacent column, and then moved from the bottom to the top for scanning. When it moves to the top of the column, the ultrasound probe 4 is moved to another adjacent column, and then moved from the top to the bottom for scanning. By analogy, the above is repeated until the scan is completed.
[0049] When there are multiple suspicious lesions on an ultrasound image, the suspicious lesions are numbered or marked with colors so that the doctor can further scan the suspicious lesions in order. Figure 3 In the ultrasound image 6, there are three suspicious lesions, namely the first suspicious lesion 61, the second suspicious lesion 62 and the third suspicious lesion 63. First, the first suspicious lesion 61 is scanned from multiple angles, and the ultrasound probe 4 is rotated to display and save the cross-sectional views of the first suspicious lesion 61 at other angles for subsequent identification. After the view of the first suspicious lesion 61 is saved, the second suspicious lesion 62 is cross-sectionally viewed from other angles and saved. After the view of the second suspicious lesion 62 is saved, the third suspicious lesion 62 is cross-sectionally viewed from other angles and saved. The scanning doctor can determine the benign or malignant nature of the suspicious lesion during the scan. For suspicious lesions that are difficult to identify, the location of the suspicious lesion can be remembered, and the benign or malignant nature of the suspicious lesion can be clarified later through further scanning or other methods.
[0050] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.
Claims
1. A method for breast ultrasound scanning, characterized in that: include: Applying acoustic conductive glue on the end surface of the ultrasonic probe, wherein the acoustic conductive glue is colored or contains a fluorescent agent; Place the ultrasound probe on the breast surface and move it along a preset trajectory to perform ultrasound scan of the breast; Identify scanned and unscanned areas of the breast by the color of the breast surface; Move the ultrasound probe further so that the entire surface of the breast is covered with color.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In two adjacent scans, while the ultrasound probe is moving and in contact with the breast, the end of the ultrasound probe at least partially overlaps with the previous scan area in the scanning surface direction of the ultrasound probe.
3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The preset trajectory is parallel to the up and down direction of the human body.
4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The scanning surface of the ultrasound probe is parallel to the left and right direction of the human body.
5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that During the scan, when a suspicious lesion is found, the ultrasound probe is prompted to rotate 90 degrees and move along the left and right direction of the human body to observe a cross-sectional view of the suspicious lesion from another angle.
6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that According to the length of the breast in the left-right direction of the human body and the length of the ultrasound probe, a suitable scanning guide interface is selected. The scanning guide interface includes several rows of scanning areas with equal width extending along the upper and lower directions of the human body. The width of each scanning area is less than the length of the ultrasound probe.
7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that During the scan, when a suspicious lesion is found, the movement of the probe is stopped and the location of the suspicious lesion is marked on the scan guidance interface.
8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that During the scan, the movement speed of the probe is estimated based on the changes in the image between consecutive frames of the ultrasound image. If the movement speed is less than the preset threshold, it indicates that a suspicious lesion has been found.
9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that During the scan, suspicious lesions are automatically identified based on artificial intelligence. If suspicious lesions are found, color markings are given at the suspicious lesions.
10. The method according to claim 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that The ultrasound image frames where suspicious lesions are found are marked and saved.