Method and system for providing continuous guided user interface for acquiring target view of structure

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for providing a continuous guided user interface for acquiring a target view of a structure. Systems and methods for acquiring a target ultrasound image include: acquiring an ultrasound image; processing the ultrasound image to identify a position of the ultrasound probe relative to the target view; presenting an ultrasound image and a reference target view image, where the ultrasound image is presented at a first position relative to a second position of the reference target view image on the display system, and where the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe to acquire a target ultrasound image having a target view; tracking a position of the ultrasound probe relative to the target view in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images; and updating the first position on the display system based on the position of the ultrasound probe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Certain embodiments relate to ultrasound imaging. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to a method and system for providing a continuous guidance user interface for acquiring a target view in ultrasound imaging. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasound imaging is a medical imaging technique used to image anatomical structures in the human body, such as organs and soft tissues. Ultrasound imaging uses real-time, non-invasive, high-frequency sound waves to produce two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and / or four-dimensional (4D) (i.e., real-time / continuous 3D images) images.

[0003] Ultrasound imaging is a powerful tool for visualization. Ultrasound images are acquired by an ultrasound probe that can be guided to capture a targeted view of a structure. However, current methods and ultrasound systems for acquiring a targeted view of a structure are complex (i.e., many manual steps), provide no feedback to the user, and require a strong sense of space and familiarity with ultrasound scanners.

[0004] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to those skilled in the art by comparing such systems with certain aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of this application with reference to the accompanying figures. Summary of the invention

[0005] There is provided a system and / or method for continuously guiding a user interface for acquiring a target view of an ultrasound image, substantially as shown and / or described in conjunction with at least one of the accompanying drawings, as more fully set forth in the claims.

[0006] These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of illustrated embodiments thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary ultrasound system operable to provide a continuously guided user interface for acquiring a target view of an anatomical structure in accordance with various embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 is an exemplary display of a user interface for acquiring a target view of a target structure according to various embodiments.

[0009] Figure 3 is a second exemplary display of a user interface for acquiring a target view of a target structure according to various embodiments.

[0010] Figure 4is a third exemplary display of a user interface for acquiring a target view of a target structure according to various embodiments.

[0011] Figure 5 is a fourth exemplary display of a user interface for acquiring a target view of a target structure according to various embodiments.

[0012] Figure 6 is a fifth exemplary display of a user interface for acquiring a target view of a target structure according to various embodiments.

[0013] Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary steps 802 through 816 that may be used to provide a continuously guided user interface for acquiring a target view of a target structure according to various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Certain embodiments may be provided in a method and system for acquiring a target view of an ultrasound image. Aspects of the present disclosure have the following technical effects: providing real-time and continuous feedback about the movement of an ultrasound probe so as to guide a user to a target view of an ultrasound scan. Various embodiments have the following technical effects: presenting to an ultrasound operator the position of the ultrasound probe relative to a target view of an anatomical structure, and for providing continuous feedback as the ultrasound probe moves toward the target view of the target anatomical structure. Certain embodiments have the technical effect of presenting to an ultrasound operator an intuitive user interface that provides customized feedback for acquiring a target view. Aspects of the present disclosure have the technical effect of providing a user interface to a user that includes an ultrasound image and a target view that can be viewed simultaneously on a display.

[0015] When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the following specific embodiments of the foregoing invention content and certain embodiments will be better understood. In terms of the scope of the figures of the functional blocks of each embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, these functional blocks do not necessarily represent the division between hardware circuits. Therefore, for example, one or more functional blocks (e.g., processors or memories) can be implemented in a single piece of hardware (e.g., a general signal processor or random access memory block, a hard disk, etc.) or multiple pieces of hardware. Similarly, a program can be an independent program, can be included in an operating system as a subroutine, can be a function in an installed software package, etc. It should be understood that each embodiment is not limited to the arrangement and tools shown in the accompanying drawings. It should also be understood that embodiments can be combined, or other embodiments can be used, and structural, logical and electrical changes can be made without departing from the scope of various embodiments. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be regarded as a restrictive meaning, and the scope of the present disclosure is limited by the attached claims and their equivalents.

[0016] As used herein, elements or steps listed in the singular and beginning with the word "one" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. In addition, references to "exemplary embodiments," "various embodiments," "certain embodiments," "representative embodiments," etc. are not intended to be interpreted as excluding additional embodiments that also include the features of the narration. In addition, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "comprise," "include," or "have" an element or multiple elements with a particular attribute may include additional elements that do not have that attribute.

[0017] In addition, as used herein, the term "image" refers broadly to both visible images and data representing visible images. However, many embodiments generate (or are configured to generate) at least one visible image. In addition, as used herein, the phrase "image" is used to refer to an ultrasound mode, which can be one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D) or four-dimensional (4D), and includes brightness mode (B mode), motion mode (M mode), color motion mode (CM mode), color flow mode (CF mode), pulsed wave (PW) Doppler, continuous wave (CW) Doppler, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and / or B mode and / or CF mode sub-mode, such as harmonic imaging, shear wave elastic imaging (SWEI), strain elastic imaging, tissue velocity imaging (TVI), power Doppler imaging (PDI), B flow, microangiography (MVI), ultrasound-guided attenuation parameters (UGAP), etc. As used herein, the term "ultrasound image" is used to refer to an ultrasound image and / or an ultrasound image volume, such as a bi-plane image, a single 2D image, a volume rendering (3D / 4D), a 2D bi-plane image slice extracted from a volume (3D / 4D), and / or any suitable ultrasound image.

[0018] Furthermore, as used herein, the term processor or processing unit refers to any type of processing unit that can perform the required computations required by various embodiments, such as a single-core or multi-core CPU, an accelerated processing unit (APU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof.

[0019] It should be noted that various embodiments of generating or forming an image described herein may include processing for forming an image that includes beamforming in some embodiments and does not include beamforming in other embodiments. For example, an image may be formed without beamforming, such as by multiplying a matrix of demodulated data by a matrix of coefficients such that the product is an image and wherein the process does not form any "beams." Furthermore, the formation of an image may be performed using a combination of channels that may originate from more than one transmit event (e.g., synthetic aperture techniques).

[0020] In various embodiments, ultrasound processing to form images, including ultrasound beamforming, such as receive beamforming, is performed, for example, in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. One specific implementation of an ultrasound system having a software beamformer architecture formed according to various embodiments is described in Figure 1 Shown in.

[0021] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary ultrasound system 100 operable to acquire a target view of an anatomical structure using real-time feedback, according to various embodiments. Figure 1 , an ultrasound system 100 and a training system 200 are shown. The ultrasound system 100 includes a transmitter 102, an ultrasound probe 104, a transmit beamformer 110, a receiver 118, a receive beamformer 120, an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter 122, a radio frequency (RF) processor 124, an RF quadrature (RF / IQ) buffer 126, a user input device 130, a signal processor 132, an image buffer 136, a display system 134, and an archive 138.

[0022] The transmitter 102 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces and / or codes that are operable to drive the ultrasound probe 104. The ultrasound probe 104 may include a two-dimensional (2D) array of piezoelectric elements. In various embodiments, the ultrasound probe 104 may be a matrix array transducer or any suitable transducer that is operable to acquire 2D and / or 3D (including 4D) ultrasound image data sets. The ultrasound probe 104 may include a group of transmitting transducer elements 106 and a group of receiving transducer elements 108 that generally constitute the same elements. In certain embodiments, the ultrasound probe 104 is operable to acquire ultrasound image data covering at least a majority of an anatomical structure (such as an abdomen, heart, fetus, lungs, blood vessels, or any suitable anatomical structure).

[0023] The transmit beamformer 110 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code operable to control the transmitter 102 to drive the set of transmit transducer elements 106 via the transmit sub-aperture beamformer 114 to transmit ultrasound transmit signals into a region of interest (e.g., a person, an animal, an underground cavity, a physical structure, etc.). The transmitted ultrasound signals may be backscattered from structures in the object of interest (such as blood cells or tissue) to produce echoes. The echoes are received by the receive transducer elements 108.

[0024] The set of receive transducer elements 108 in the ultrasound probe 104 are operable to convert received echoes into analog signals, sub-aperture beamformed by the receive sub-aperture beamformer 116, and then transmitted to the receiver 118. The receiver 118 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to receive the signals from the receive sub-aperture beamformer 116. The analog signals may be transmitted to one or more of the plurality of A / D converters 122.

[0025] The plurality of A / D converters 122 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces, and / or codes that are operable to convert analog signals from the receiver 118 into corresponding digital signals. The plurality of A / D converters 122 are disposed between the receiver 118 and the RF processor 124. Nevertheless, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. Therefore, in some embodiments, the plurality of A / D converters 122 may be integrated within the receiver 118.

[0026] The RF processor 124 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces, and / or codes that are operable to demodulate the digital signals output by the plurality of A / D converters 122. According to an embodiment, the RF processor 124 may include a complex demodulator (not shown) that is operable to demodulate the digital signals to form I / Q data pairs representing corresponding echo signals. The RF or I / Q signal data may then be transferred to the RF / IQ buffer 126. The RF / IQ buffer 126 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces, and / or codes that are operable to provide temporary storage of the RF or I / Q signal data generated by the RF processor 124.

[0027] The receive beamformer 120 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code operable to perform digital beamforming processing, such as summing delayed channel signals received from the RF processor 124 via the RF / IQ buffer 126 and outputting a beam summed signal. The resulting processed information may be a beam summed signal output from the receive beamformer 120 and communicated to the signal processor 132. According to some embodiments, the receiver 118, the plurality of A / D converters 122, the RF processor 124, and the beamformer 120 may be integrated into a single beamformer, which may be a digital beamformer. In various embodiments, the ultrasound system 100 comprises a plurality of receive beamformers 120.

[0028] The user input device 130 may be used to input patient data, scan parameters, settings, select a target view of a target structure, select a reference target view image of an anatomical structure, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the user input device 130 is operable to configure, manage, and / or control the operation of one or more components and / or modules in the ultrasound system 100. In this regard, the user input device 130 is operable to configure, manage, and / or control the operation of the transmitter 102, the ultrasound probe 104, the transmit beamformer 110, the receiver 118, the receive beamformer 120, the RF processor 124, the RF / IQ buffer 126, the user input device 130, the signal processor 132, the image buffer 136, the display system 134, and / or the archive 138. The user input device 130 may include a button, a rotary encoder, a touch screen, motion tracking, voice recognition, a mouse device, a keyboard, a camera, and / or any other device capable of receiving user instructions. In certain embodiments, for example, one or more of the user input devices 130 may be integrated into other components such as the display system 134 or the ultrasound probe 104. For example, user input device 130 may include a touch screen display.

[0029] The signal processor 132 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces and / or codes that are operable to process ultrasound scan data (i.e., summed IQ signals) to generate ultrasound images for presentation on a display system 134. The signal processor 132 is operable to perform one or more processing operations based on a plurality of selectable ultrasound modalities on the acquired ultrasound scan data. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal processor 132 may be used to perform display processing and / or control processing, etc. The acquired ultrasound scan data may be processed in real time during a scanning session as echo signals are received. Additionally or alternatively, the ultrasound scan data may be temporarily stored in the RF / IQ buffer 126 during a scanning session and processed in a less real-time manner in an online operation or an offline operation. In various embodiments, the processed image data may be presented at the display system 134 and / or may be stored at an archive 138. The archive 138 may be a local archive, a picture archive and communication system (PACS), a remote archive, or any suitable device for storing images and related information.

[0030] The signal processor 132 may be one or more central processing units, microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc. For example, the signal processor 132 may be an integrated component, or may be distributed in various locations. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal processor 132 may include an image acquisition processor 140, a positioning processor 150, a probe tracking processor 160, a target processor 170, and a graphics processor 180. The signal processor 132 may be capable of receiving input information from the user input device 130 and / or the archive 138, generating output that may be displayed by the display system 134, and manipulating the output in response to the input information from the user input device 130, etc. For example, the signal processor 132, the image acquisition processor 140, the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160, the target processor 170, and the graphics processor 180 may be capable of executing any of the methods and / or instruction sets discussed herein according to various embodiments.

[0031] The ultrasound system 100 may be operable to continuously acquire ultrasound scan data at a frame rate suitable for the imaging situation under consideration. Typical frame rates are in the range of 20 to 120, but may be lower or higher. The acquired ultrasound scan data may be displayed on the display system 134 at a display rate that is the same as the frame rate, or at a display rate that is slower or faster than the frame rate. An image buffer 136 is included to store processed frames of acquired ultrasound scan data that are not scheduled for immediate display. Preferably, the image buffer 136 has sufficient capacity to store ultrasound scan data frames equivalent to at least several minutes. The frames of ultrasound scan data are stored in a manner that is easy to retrieve from them according to their acquisition order or time. The image buffer 136 may be embodied as any known data storage medium.

[0032] The signal processor 132 may include an image acquisition processor 140 that includes suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to acquire ultrasound images in order to determine the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view of the target structure. For example, when the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward the target structure, the image acquisition processor 140 may obtain an ultrasound image and / or a series of ultrasound images in order to obtain the target view of the target structure. In some examples, the obtained ultrasound image may be provided to the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160, the target processor 170, and / or the graphics processor 180. Additionally and / or alternatively, the ultrasound image may be stored in the archive 138.

[0033] Figure 2 FIG. 3 is an exemplary display 300 of a user interface 310 for acquiring a target view of an anatomical structure according to various embodiments. Figure 2, the display 300 includes a user interface 310 that includes a reference target view image 320 having a target view 324 of a target structure 322 and an ultrasound image 330 having a target view 334. The ultrasound image 330 may represent the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the reference target view image 320 on the display 300, which represents the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target structure 322. Although Figure 2 An ultrasound image 330 is depicted indicating the probe position, but the probe position may be a pointer, graphic, animation, graphical marker, or other indicator, by way of non-limiting example.

[0034] The user interface 310 may be provided in a Figure 2 The user interface 310 shown may be provided on a main display of the display system 134 and / or may be provided on a touch panel of the display system 134. The user interface 310 may provide the user with options for one or more anatomical structures that the user may select. For example, in response to the image acquisition processor 140 causing the display system 134 to present the ultrasound image 330, the ultrasound operator may provide input via the user input device 130 and / or the touch screen display 130, 134 to select one or more of the anatomical structures as target structures.

[0035] The image acquisition processor 140 may be configured to receive user input selecting a target structure. The user interface 310 may provide a plurality of reference ultrasound images to the user, the plurality of reference ultrasound images including different views of the selected target structure (e.g., different angles, different rotations, different zoom levels, different parts of the structure, etc.). For example, the user interface 310 may provide options to select a target structure and a target view of the target structure, such as a "longitudinal renal view," "intermediate transverse renal view," or "main portal vein into liver view" as non-limiting examples. The reference ultrasound images and / or reference target views may be obtained from the archive 138. The user may select a reference target view of the provided reference ultrasound image, which may be displayed on the user interface 310 as a reference target view image 320. The reference target view image 320 may include a target view 324 that helps provide the user with a view from a specific angle, position, rotation, and / or zoom level to better observe a specific area of ​​the selected structure, thereby providing a diagnosis, and / or obtaining an ultrasound image with a target view of the target structure. In some embodiments, the ultrasound operator may provide input via the user input device 130 and / or the touch screen display 130, 134 to define and / or modify a target view of a selected target structure. In some embodiments, the positioning processor 150 may provide input to select a different target view of a selected target structure and / or select a different target structure.

[0036] The user input selecting the reference target view image 320 may trigger ultrasound image acquisition by the ultrasound probe 104, and / or the user may initiate continuous acquisition of ultrasound images, which may be displayed as ultrasound images 330 in the user interface 310. The ultrasound image 330 may be a 2D image or a volume acquisition. The ultrasound image 330 may be provided by the image acquisition processor 140 to the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160, the target processor 170, and / or the graphics processor 180. Additionally and / or alternatively, the ultrasound image 330 may be stored in the archive 138 and / or any suitable computer-readable medium.

[0037] Reference again Figure 1 , the image acquisition processor 140 may be configured to acquire ultrasound images as the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward the reference target view image 320 of the selected target structure. As the user moves the ultrasound probe 104 toward the target structure, the ultrasound probe may capture ultrasound images and provide updated images to the positioning processor 150 and / or update the ultrasound image 330. In some embodiments, the image acquisition processor 140 may be configured to analyze the acquired ultrasound images to determine the position and / or view of the ultrasound probe 104 as the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward the target structure. The acquired ultrasound images may be provided by the image acquisition processor 140 to the positioning processor 150, the target processor 170, and / or the graphics processor 180. Additionally and / or alternatively, the acquired ultrasound images may be stored in the archive 138 and / or any suitable computer-readable medium, and / or the acquired ultrasound images may be displayed on the display 300. In an exemplary embodiment, if no user input is received within a predefined time period, the image acquisition processor 140 may automatically initiate a subsequent ultrasound image acquisition by the ultrasound probe 104 on the selected target structure 432. The image acquisition processor 140 may be configured to initiate a second ultrasound image acquisition by the ultrasound probe 104 in response to the user input. Additionally, the image acquisition processor 140 may be configured to initiate a subsequent ultrasound image acquisition by the ultrasound probe 104 in response to the expiration of a predefined time period after a previous image acquisition or after the last user input. In some embodiments, the subsequent image acquisition may be continuous and / or real-time to reflect the movement of the ultrasound image 430 representing the position of the ultrasound probe 104 toward the active view 420.

[0038] The signal processor 132 may include a positioning processor 150 including suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to cause the display system 134 to present an ultrasound image acquired by the image acquisition processor 140. For example, the positioning processor 150 may be configured to receive a position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to a target view of a target structure from the ultrasound probe 104, the image acquisition processor 140, and / or the probe tracking processor 160, and / or retrieve the position from the archive 138 and / or any suitable data storage medium, in order to cause the display system to update the position of the ultrasound probe 104 and / or a reference target view image on the display 134.

[0039] In various embodiments, the positioning processor 150 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to cause the display system 134 to present a reference target view image 320 having a target view of a selected target structure. For example, the positioning processor 150 may cause the display system to present the reference target view image 320 having a target view at a first position on the display 134, and present the position of the ultrasound probe 104 at a second position on the display 134. In some embodiments, the position of the ultrasound probe 104 may be represented by an ultrasound image 330. In some other embodiments, the position of the ultrasound probe 104 may be represented by a graphical marker. As the ultrasound probe 104 moves relative to the reference ultrasound image, the positioning processor 150 may continuously update the position of the ultrasound image 330 on the display relative to the position of the reference target view image 320, so that the user may receive real-time feedback as the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward a position to acquire a target view from the target structure.

[0040] In various embodiments, as the ultrasound probe moves, the positioning processor 150 may reflect the movement of the ultrasound probe on the display 134. For example, a slide of the ultrasound probe 104 along a principal plane (e.g., an azimuth direction) will be presented by the positioning processor 150 as a displacement of the ultrasound image 330 on the display 134. In some examples, an angular rotation of the ultrasound probe 104 may also be reflected by the positioning processor 150 on the display 134. The positioning processor 150 may present the movement of the ultrasound probe 104 over a greater distance on the user interface 310 by moving the ultrasound waves 330 closer to the reference target view image 320 and / or manipulating the size and / or shape of the ultrasound waves 330 to reflect the movement of the ultrasound probe toward the reference target view image 320. In some examples, the positioning processor 150 may also modify the size and / or shape of the reference target view image 320 to help reflect the movement of the ultrasound image 330 relative to the reference target view image 342, which movement represents the actual movement of the ultrasound probe 104 toward the target structure.

[0041] The position of the reference target view image 320 may remain fixed on the display while the ultrasound image 330 moves toward the target view, the position of the ultrasound image 330 may be fixed while the position of the reference target view image is updated on the display 134, and / or both the position of the ultrasound image and the position of the target view may change / update on the display 134, and the positioning processor 150 may receive position information of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view from the ultrasound probe 104, the image acquisition processor 140, and / or the probe tracking processor 160. Additionally and / or alternatively, the positioning processor 150 may provide the ultrasound image acquisition and the position information of the ultrasound probe 104 to the target processor 170 and / or the graphics processor 180. Additionally and / or alternatively, the position information of the ultrasound image 330, the continuous ultrasound image acquisitions, and the reference target view image 320 may be stored in the archive 138 and / or any suitable computer-readable medium.

[0042] In some embodiments, the positioning processor 150 may provide an intermediate target on the display so that the user can move the ultrasound probe 104 to the intermediate target. In some examples, the intermediate target may represent an anatomical structure or a point in space and time near an anatomical structure. Once the ultrasound probe 104 reaches the anatomical structure and / or the point in space and time, the positioning processor 150 may provide additional intermediate targets for the ultrasound probe 104 to reach until the ultrasound probe 104 is close enough to the target structure, in which case the positioning processor 150 may place the reference target view image 320 as a target on the display 134. Additional visual and / or audible instructions may be provided to the user on the display 134, such as text or graphical instructions that may convey the next movement of the ultrasound probe 104.

[0043] Figure 3 is a second exemplary display of a user interface 410 for acquiring a target view of an anatomical structure according to various embodiments. Figure 3 , the display 400 includes a reference target view image 420 and an ultrasound image 430. The reference target view image 420, the target view 424, the selected target structure 422, the ultrasound image view 434, the target structure 432, and the ultrasound image 430 may be modified by user input received via the user input device 130 and / or the touch screen display 130, 134 to adjust the position and / or size of each. The selected target structure 422, 432 may be provided to the graphics processor 180 by the image acquisition processor 140 and / or the positioning processor 150.

[0044] and Figure 2 compared to, Figure 34 depicts the movement of the ultrasound image 430 toward the reference target view image 420. In some embodiments, when the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward the target structure, the positioning processor 150 causes the ultrasound image 430 on the display 400 to move toward the reference target view image 420. In some other embodiments, the positioning processor 150 causes the reference target view image 420 on the display to move toward the ultrasound image 430 on the display 400. Additionally and / or alternatively, the ultrasound image 430 may be from Figure 3 An updated ultrasound image 430 of the ultrasound image 330 is updated by the image acquisition processor 140 when the ultrasound probe 104 is moved toward the target view of the target structure.

[0045] Reference again Figure 1, the probe tracking processor 160 may include suitable logic components, circuitry, interfaces and / or code that may be operable to track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 (e.g., continuously obtain position information of the ultrasound probe 104). For example, the probe tracking processor 160 tracks the position of the ultrasound probe 104 as the ultrasound probe 104 is moved by the user, and provides real-time and / or feedback to the user by providing the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the reference target view images 320, 420 to the positioning processor 150. The probe tracking processor 160 may track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 by receiving position and / or movement information from the ultrasound probe, comparing the position determined based on comparison of ultrasound images obtained by the image acquisition processor 140 with the reference target view, and / or by using artificial intelligence and / or machine learning to identify anatomical structures and the position of the ultrasound probe relative to the anatomical structures in the obtained ultrasound images and / or volumes with a high probability. For example, an image analysis algorithm, one or more deep neural networks (e.g., a convolutional neural network such as u-net), and / or any suitable form of image analysis technology, artificial intelligence, or machine learning processing functions configured to determine a location based on an acquired ultrasound image may be utilized. Additionally and / or alternatively, image analysis technology, artificial intelligence, or machine learning processing functions configured to determine a location based on an ultrasound image may be provided by different processors, or distributed across multiple processors at the ultrasound system 100 and / or on a remote processor communicatively coupled to the ultrasound system 100. For example, the localization function may be provided as a deep neural network, which may be composed of, for example, an input layer, an output layer, and one or more hidden layers located between the input layer and the output layer. Each layer may be composed of a plurality of processing nodes, which may be referred to as neurons. For example, the localization function may include an input layer having a neuron for each pixel of an ultrasound image and / or a voxel of an ultrasound volume. The output layer may have neurons corresponding to each myocardium, ventricle, and / or any suitable anatomical structure. Each neuron in each layer may perform a processing function and pass the processed ultrasound image information to one of a plurality of neurons in a downstream layer for further processing. As an example, neurons in a first layer may learn to identify edges of structures in an acquired ultrasound image and / or volume. Neurons in a second layer may learn to identify shapes based on detected edges from the first layer. Neurons in a third layer may learn the locations of the identified shapes relative to landmarks in the acquired ultrasound image. The processing performed by the deep neural network may identify anatomical structures and locations of anatomical structures in the acquired ultrasound image with high probability.

[0046] In an exemplary embodiment, the probe tracking processor 160 can track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 and provide the position information of the ultrasound probe 104 to the positioning processor 150 so as to be aligned with the target visual position. Figure 1The ultrasound probe 104 may be displayed on the display system 134. The position of the ultrasound probe 104 may be represented by an ultrasound image and / or any graphical markers on the display 134. For example, if the user moves the ultrasound probe 104 toward the target view of the target structure, the ultrasound image acquisition representing the position of the ultrasound probe moves toward the reference ultrasound image. In other examples, if the user moves the ultrasound probe 104 away from the target structure, the ultrasound image acquisition moves away from the reference ultrasound image. The user may use the ultrasound probe 104 to make other movements, such as left, right, rotation, sliding, swinging, tilting, etc., and the ultrasound image acquisition may move accordingly and provide feedback to the user about the ultrasound movement (e.g., if the ultrasound probe 104 is moving away from the target view, moving toward the target view, moving to the left of the target view, moving to the right of the target view, etc.). Providing real-time and / or continuous feedback to the user about the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view allows the user to intuitively move the ultrasound probe 104 in the appropriate direction and / or to the appropriate position to reach the target view of the selected target structure.

[0047] In some embodiments, the probe tracking processor 160 may store and / or track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 over time and use the stored position to assess how far the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled, whether the ultrasound probe 104 is moving toward or away from a target structure, and / or determine how far the ultrasound probe 104 is from a target structure. For example, the probe tracking processor 160 may store the relative position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to a previous position, the relative position relative to a target view and / or target structure, and any position assessments made over time. The probe tracking processor 160 may provide the position information of the ultrasound probe 104 to the positioning processor 150, the target processor 170, and / or the graphics processor 180. Additionally and / or alternatively, the position information of the position of the ultrasound probe 104 may be stored in the archive 138 and / or any suitable computer-readable medium.

[0048] Figure 4 FIG. 5 is a third exemplary display 500 of a user interface 510 for acquiring a target view of an anatomical structure according to various embodiments. Figure 2 and Figure 3 compared to, Figure 4 The movement of the ultrasound image 530 toward the reference target view image 520 is depicted. Figure 4, the display 500 includes a reference target view image 520 and an ultrasound image 530. When the ultrasound probe 104 changes position, the ultrasound image 530 may move with the movement of the probe. For example, when the probe moves toward the reference target view image 520, the ultrasound image 530 may also move toward the reference target view image 520, thereby providing the user with continuous feedback toward the reference target view image 520. When the ultrasound probe 104 changes position and moves toward the reference target view image 520, the image acquisition may be continuously updated on the display 134, and the position of the ultrasound image 530 may be continuously updated on the screen. For example, the ultrasound image 530 may be from Figure 2 and Figure 3 An updated ultrasound image 530 of the ultrasound images 330 and 430 of the reference target view image 520 and 430 is updated by the image acquisition processor 140 as the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward the target view of the target structure. In some embodiments, as the reference target view image 520 begins to overlap with the ultrasound image 530, the selected target structure 532 may be presented as a graphical outline 540 that represents the selected target structure in the reference target view image 520 and / or the ultrasound image 530.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the probe tracking processor 160 may track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 and provide the position information to the positioning processor 150, the target processor 170, and / or the graphics processor 180. For example, if the user moves the ultrasound probe 104 toward the target structure, the ultrasound image 530 moves toward the reference target view image 520. In other examples, if the user moves the ultrasound probe 104 away from the target structure, the ultrasound image 530 moves away from the reference target view image 520.

[0050] The user may utilize the ultrasound probe 104 to make other movements, such as left, right, rotate, slide, swing, tilt, etc., and the first ultrasound image 530 may move accordingly and provide feedback to the user regarding the ultrasound movement (e.g., if the ultrasound probe 104 is moving away from the target view, moving toward the target view, moving to the left of the target view, moving to the right of the target view, etc.). Providing real-time feedback to the user regarding the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view allows the user to intuitively move the ultrasound probe 104 in the appropriate direction and / or to the appropriate position in order to align the ultrasound image 530 with the reference target view image 520 of the target structure 522, 532, which is a representation of the ultrasound probe 104 reaching the target view of the target structure.

[0051] refer to Figure 1The graphics processor 180 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces and / or code that may be configured to overlay a graphic marker on an ultrasound image having a target structure or on a reference target view image in response to user input or automatically based on information provided by the image acquisition processor 140, the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160 and / or the target processor 170. For example, the graphics processor 180 may place a graphic marker on an ultrasound image, a reference image including a target view, and / or a display. For example, the graphic marker may be used to identify the location of a selected target structure and / or the ultrasound probe 104. The graphics processor 180 may be used to provide real-time location information for the ultrasound probe 104 and the selected target structure in the ultrasound image and / or target view. As a non-limiting example, the graphics processor 180 may provide a visual indicator as such. Figures 4 to 6 The graphical indicia processor may also output an alert, such as a sound, a visual indicator, a text indicator, and may change the visual indication based on the proximity of the ultrasound image to the target view.

[0052] Figure 5 FIG. 6 is a fourth exemplary display 600 of a user interface 610 for acquiring a target view of an anatomical structure according to various embodiments. Figures 2 to 4 compared to, Figure 5 The movement of the ultrasound image 630 toward the reference target view image 620 is depicted. Figure 5 , the display 600 includes a reference target view image 620 and an ultrasound image 630. The selected target structure 640 may be presented as a bounding box, colored pixels, an outline, and / or any suitable identifier. For example, when the ultrasound image 630 is moved to align with the reference target view image 620, the selected target structure may be depicted as a graphical outline 640. The graphical outline 640 may be continuously updated by the graphics processor 180 as the ultrasound image moves as the ultrasound probe 104 is moved by the user.

[0053] Despite Figure 5 , but additional graphical markers may be included in the ultrasound image and / or the target view. For example, the graphical markers may be placed to represent the target view and / or the ultrasound image, and / or additional structures within the ultrasound image and / or the target view. The graphics processor 180 may receive information from the image acquisition processor 140, the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160, and / or the target processor 170 to update the location and / or type of the displayed graphical markers.

[0054] refer to Figure 1The target processor 170 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to determine whether the ultrasound probe has reached a target structure and / or a target view of a target structure. The target processor 170 may be configured to receive ultrasound probe 104 position information (e.g., spatial and temporal position of the probe, position relative to the target view) from the probe tracking processor 170 and / or receive a target view of a selected target structure from the image acquisition processor 140. Additionally and / or alternatively, the position of the ultrasound probe 104 may be received directly from the ultrasound probe 104.

[0055] In some embodiments, the target processor 170 may use the position obtained from the probe tracking processor 170 to determine the proximity of the probe to the target view and / or target structure, the relative position of the ultrasound probe 104 to a previous position, the total distance traveled by the ultrasound probe 104, the relative position relative to an intermediate target, etc. The target processor 170 may provide guidance on the display 134 to guide the movement of the ultrasound probe 104 toward the target view by providing real-time feedback (e.g., the ultrasound image moves toward the target view).

[0056] In some embodiments where the distance of the ultrasound probe 104 from the target structure is greater than a threshold distance, the target processor 150 may provide an intermediate target on the display so that the user can move the ultrasound probe 104 to the intermediate target and / or may provide an instruction to the positioning processor 150 to provide the intermediate target on the display. Once the ultrasound probe 104 reaches the intermediate target, the target processor 170 may determine the user's next movement and provide additional intermediate targets to be reached by the ultrasound probe 104 until the selected target structure is within the threshold distance. In some embodiments, once the target structure is within the threshold distance, a reference target view image may be provided on the display 134 so that the user can move the ultrasound probe 104 toward the reference target view image, as described above with reference to FIG. Figures 1 to 6 Additional visual and / or audible instructions may be provided to the user on the display 134 , such as text or graphical instructions that may convey the next movement of the ultrasound probe 104 .

[0057] In some embodiments, if the position of the probe misses the target view or passes through the target view, the target processor 170 may recalculate the proximity of the ultrasound probe 104 to the target view. In addition, the display 134 may be updated by the positioning processor 150 with the position of the ultrasound probe 104 passing through the target view to signal to the user that the ultrasound probe 104 has passed through the selected target structure and / or target view.

[0058] The target processor 170 may determine whether the position information of the ultrasound probe 104 is near the selected target structure and / or the target view in order to determine whether the target view has been acquired by the ultrasound probe 104. In some embodiments, determining whether the target view has been acquired by the ultrasound probe is based on calculating the distance that the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled over a period of time (e.g., since the last image acquisition, in the last few minutes, etc.), the total distance that the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled (e.g., since the first image acquisition), or by evaluating the quality of one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images relative to the target view (e.g., whether most of the ultrasound image overlaps with the target view, whether most of the selected target structures in the ultrasound image are aligned with the selected target structures in the target view, etc.).

[0059] When the ultrasound probe 104 reaches the target view, the target processor 170 may send an output signal. In some examples, the output signal may be a notification, such as a visual (e.g., an alarm on the display system 134), an auditory (e.g., a sound), and / or a physical indicator (e.g., a vibration of the ultrasound probe 104) to notify the user to pause the ultrasound probe 104 at the current position.

[0060] Figure 6 7 is a fifth exemplary display 700 for acquiring a target view of an anatomical structure according to various embodiments. The display 700 includes an ultrasound image of an acquired target view 720 with a selected target structure 730. The ultrasound image 720 with the acquired target view includes one or more selected target structures 730 that have been aligned with the target view and / or the selected target structure in the target view, as described above with reference to FIG. Figures 2 to 5 As described. As the ultrasound probe 104 moves toward the target view of the selected target structure, the position of the ultrasound probe 104 is tracked by the probe tracking processor 160. Once the ultrasound probe 104 reaches the target view, the target processor 170 may output a signal indicating that the target view has been reached. In some examples, the output signal may be a notification, such as a visual (e.g., an alarm on the display system 134), an auditory (e.g., a sound), and / or a physical indicator (e.g., a vibration of the ultrasound probe 104) to notify the user to pause the ultrasound probe 104 at the current position. Additionally or alternatively, as a non-limiting example, the graphics processor 180 may provide a visual indicator, a color pixel, a different graphic effect (e.g., blinking, flashing, pulsing, changing color, etc.), text to indicate to the user that the target view has been reached.

[0061] Refer again Figure 1The display system 134 may be any device capable of conveying visual information to a user. For example, the display system 134 may include a liquid crystal display, a light emitting diode display, and / or any suitable one or more displays. The display system 134 may be used to present the 2D / 3D ultrasound images 320, 330, 420, 430, 520, 530, 620, 630, 720 and / or any suitable information.

[0062] The archive 138 may be one or more computer-readable memories, such as a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a server, a hard disk, a floppy disk, a CD, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a compact memory, a flash memory, a random access memory, a read-only memory, an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory, and / or any suitable memory, that are integrated with the ultrasound system 100 and / or communicatively coupled (e.g., via a network) to the ultrasound system 100. The archive 138 may include, for example, a database, a library, a collection of information, or other memory that is accessed by and / or associated with the signal processor 132. For example, the archive 138 may be capable of storing data temporarily or permanently. The archive 138 may be capable of storing medical image data, data generated by the signal processor 132, and / or instructions readable by the signal processor 132, etc.

[0063] In various embodiments, the archive 138 stores 2D ultrasound images 320, 330, 420, 430, 520, 530, 620, 630, 720, rendered 3D / 4D volumes, instructions for automatically detecting and tracking target structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 and other anatomical structures 642, 742, instructions for causing the display system 134 to present the 2D ultrasound images 320, 330, 420, 430, 520, 530, 620, 630, 720 and for triggering additional ultrasound image acquisition, instructions for identifying target views 324, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 and other anatomical structures 642, 742. 34, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634 and tracking the ultrasound probe 104 to obtain the acquired target view 730, instructions for overlapping the ultrasound images 320, 330, 420, 430, 520, 530, 620, 630, 720 with graphic marks 540, 640, 740 and dynamically updating the graphic marks 540, 640, 740 on the ultrasound images 320, 330, 420, 430, 520, 530, 620, 630, 720 over time, and instructions for outputting signals when acquiring the acquired target view 730.

[0064] The components of the ultrasound system 100 may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, etc. The various components of the ultrasound system 100 may be communicatively connected. The components of the ultrasound system 100 may be implemented separately and / or integrated in various forms. For example, the display system 134 and the user input device 130 may be integrated into a touch screen display.

[0065] Still refer to Figure 1 , the training system 200 may include a training engine 210 and a training database 220. The training engine 210 may include suitable logic components, circuits, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to train neurons of a deep neural network (e.g., an artificial intelligence model) inferred (i.e., deployed) by the image acquisition processor 140, the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160, the target processor 170, and / or the graphics processor 180. For example, the artificial intelligence model inferred by the image acquisition processor 140 may be trained to automatically identify anatomical structures depicted in an ultrasound image and / or volume using a database 220 of classified ultrasound images of anatomical structures. As another example, the artificial intelligence model inferred by the image acquisition processor 140, the positioning processor 150, the probe tracking processor 160, and / or the target processor 170 may be trained to automatically identify a target structure, surrounding structures, target structure shape, major / minor axis of a target structure, etc. depicted in an ultrasound volume using a database 220 of classified ultrasound volumes of possible target structures.

[0066] In various embodiments, the database 220 of training images may be a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) or any suitable data storage medium. In certain embodiments, the training engine 210 and / or the training image database 220 may be a remote system communicatively coupled to the ultrasound system 100 via a wired or wireless connection, such as Figure 1 Additionally and / or alternatively, components or all of the training system 200 may be integrated with the ultrasound system 100 in various forms. In some examples, the training image database may include an atlas (e.g., a labeled map of an anatomical structure, a raw image, a segmentation mask as a non-limiting example). In some examples, the training image database 220 may be integrated with the archive 138, or vice versa.

[0067] Figure 7 800 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps 802 to 816 that may be used to provide a continuous guided user interface for acquiring a target view according to various embodiments. Certain embodiments may omit one or more steps, and / or perform the steps in a different order than listed, and / or combine certain steps discussed below. For example, some steps may not be performed in certain embodiments. For another example, certain steps may be performed in a different time order than listed below, including simultaneously.

[0068] At step 802, the signal processor 132 of the ultrasound system 100 may be configured to determine a target view 324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634 of a reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620. For example, as a non-limiting example, the image acquisition processor 140 may be configured to receive a user input selecting a target view of a target structure 322, 422, such as a cardiac structure, a gastrointestinal structure, a urinary structure, a reproductive structure, a heart structure, a lung structure, and / or any suitable anatomical structure, via the user input device 130. The image acquisition processor 140 may acquire a first ultrasound image 330 in response to the selection of the target structure 322, 422.

[0069] At step 804, the ultrasound probe 104 of the ultrasound system 100 performs an initial ultrasound image acquisition as the ultrasound image 330. The acquired first ultrasound image 330 of the initial ultrasound image acquisition may be provided to the image acquisition processor 140 and / or stored in the archive 138 and / or any suitable computer readable medium.

[0070] At step 806, the signal processor 132 of the ultrasound system 100 identifies the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view 324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634 of the target structure 322, 422. For example, the probe tracking processor 160 of the signal processor 132 may be configured to obtain the position of the ultrasound probe 104 and provide the position of the ultrasound probe 104 to the positioning processor 150 and / or the target processor 170. The positioning processor 150 may be configured to receive the identification and position of the selected target structure 322, 422 from the image acquisition processor 140 or retrieve it from the archive 138 and / or any suitable data storage medium. The positioning processor 150 may be configured to identify the selected target structure that is positioned by overlapping a marker, a bounding box, colored pixels, a contour, and / or any suitable recognition technique.

[0071] At step 808, the signal processor 13 of the ultrasound system 100 may present the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 at the first location on the display 134 relative to the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 at the second location on the display 134. For example, the graphics processor 180 may be configured to indicate the selected target structure 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 on the display using a graphical marker 540, 640, 740. The positioning processor 150 may automatically determine the location of the selected target structure 322, 422 using information obtained from the image acquisition processor 140 and / or the location of the ultrasound probe 104 obtained from the probe tracking processor 160. The positioning processor 150 may provide the anatomical structure location to the target processor 170 and / or the graphics processor 180, and may provide real-time updates of the anatomical structure location on the display system 134.

[0072] At step 810, the signal processor 132 may provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe 104 acquiring the ultrasound images 330, 430, 530, 630 to acquire the reference target view images 320, 420, 520. As the ultrasound probe 104 moves relative to the reference target view images 320, 420, 520, the positioning processor 150 may continuously update the positions of the ultrasound images 330, 430, 530, 630 relative to the target views 330, 430, 530, 630 so that the user may receive real-time feedback as the ultrasound probe 104 moves to align with the reference target view images 320, 420, 520. Additionally and / or alternatively, the real-time feedback may include notifications such as visual (e.g., an alarm on the display system 134), auditory (e.g., a sound), and / or physical indicators (e.g., vibration of the ultrasound probe 104).

[0073] At step 812, the signal processor 132 may track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the reference target view image 320, 420, 520 in one or more subsequently acquired images 430, 530, 630. The probe tracking processor 160 of the signal processor 132 provides real-time position information of the ultrasound probe 104 to the positioning processor 150 so as to update the position of the reference target image 320, 420, 520, 620 and / or the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 on the display 134.

[0074] At step 814, the signal processor 132 updates the first position and / or the second position based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104. When the ultrasound probe 104 moves relative to the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, the positioning processor 150 may continuously update the position of the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 relative to the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 and / or the position of the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 relative to the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620, so that the user can receive real-time feedback when the ultrasound probe 104 moves to align with the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620. The position of the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 may remain fixed on the display while the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 moves toward the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620, the position of the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 may be fixed while the position of the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 is updated on the display 134, and / or the positions of both the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 and the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 may be changed / updated.

[0075] At step 816, the signal processor 132 may output a signal when the ultrasound probe 104 has acquired the acquired target view 740. In some examples, the output signal may be a notification, such as a visual (e.g., an alarm on the display system 134), an auditory (e.g., a sound), and / or a physical indicator (e.g., a vibration of the ultrasound probe 104) to notify the user to pause the ultrasound probe 104 at the current position.

[0076] Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method 800 and a system 100 for acquiring a target ultrasound image 720 having a target view 324, 424, 524, 624 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632, which includes acquiring the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 by the ultrasound probe 104 of the ultrasound system 100. The method 800 may include processing the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 by at least one processor 132, 160 to identify a position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to a reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 of the one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632. The method 800 may include causing, by at least one processor 132, 150, a display system to present an ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 and a reference target view image 320, 420, 520, wherein the ultrasound image 320, 420, 520 is presented at a first position on the display system relative to a second position of the reference target view image 320, 420, 520 on the display system, and wherein the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe 104 to acquire a target ultrasound image 720 with a target view.

[0077] The method 800 may include tracking, by the at least one processor 132, 160, the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the reference target view image 320, 420, 520 in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images 430, 530, 630. The method 800 may include updating, by the at least one processor 132, 150, the first position or the second position of the ultrasound image on the display system 134 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment, the method 800 includes obtaining a target ultrasound image 720 having a target view 730 by aligning the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 with a reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 on a display system. In an exemplary embodiment, the method 800 includes evaluating, by at least one processor 132, 170, whether the ultrasound probe 104 has obtained the target view 324, 424, 524, 624, 730 by calculating a distance that the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled over a period of time, calculating a total distance that the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled, or evaluating a quality of one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images 330, 430, 530, 630 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, method 800 includes overlaying an ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 with a graphical representation of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 by at least one processor 132, 180, and updating the graphical representations 540, 640, 642, 740, 742 of one or more anatomical structures in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 and a first position on the display system 134 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 by at least one processor 132, 180.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the method 800 includes aligning, by at least one processor 132, 150, 180, a graphical representation of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 with the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620. In an exemplary embodiment, the method 800 includes outputting, by at least one processor 132, 170, a signal when the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 has been acquired. In an exemplary embodiment, the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 is a 2D image or a 3D image.

[0081] Various embodiments provide an ultrasound system 100 for acquiring a target ultrasound image 720 having a target view 730 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632, the ultrasound system including an ultrasound probe 104 configured to process the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 to identify a position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to a target view 324, 424, 524, 624 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632.

[0082] The at least one processor 132, 150 may be configured to cause the display system 134 to present the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 and the reference target view image 330, 430, 530, 630, wherein the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 is presented at a first position on the display system 134 relative to a second position of the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 on the display system 134, and wherein the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe 104 to acquire a target ultrasound image 720 having the target view 730. The at least one processor 132, 160 may be configured to track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images 430, 530, 630, 720. The at least one processor 132 , 150 may be configured to update the first position of the ultrasound image 330 , 430 , 530 , 630 , 720 on the display system 134 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104 .

[0083] In a representative embodiment, the at least one processor 132, 150 is further configured to obtain a target ultrasound image 720 having a target view 730 by aligning the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 with the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 on the display system. In a representative embodiment, the at least one processor 132, 170 may be configured to evaluate whether the ultrasound probe 104 has obtained the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 by calculating a distance that the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled over a period of time, calculating a total distance that the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled, or evaluating the quality of one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images 430, 530, 630, 720 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624.

[0084] In a representative embodiment, at least one processor 132, 180 is further configured to overlay the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 with a graphical representation of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720, and wherein at least one processor 132, 180 is further configured to update the graphical representation 540, 640, 642, 740, 742 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 and the first position on the display system 134 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624.

[0085] In a representative embodiment, the at least one processor 132, 150, 180 may be configured to align the graphical representation 540, 640, 642, 740, 742 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 with the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620. In a representative embodiment, the at least one processor 132, 170 may be configured to output a signal when the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 has been acquired.

[0086] Various embodiments provide an ultrasound system 100 for acquiring a target ultrasound image 720 having a target view 730 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632, the ultrasound system including an ultrasound probe 104, at least one processor 132, 140, the ultrasound probe configured to acquire the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, the at least one processor configured to process the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 to identify a position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to a target view 324, 424, 524, 624 of the one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632.

[0087] The at least one processor 132, 150 may be configured to cause the display system 134 to present the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 and the reference target view image 330, 430, 530, 630, wherein the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 is presented at a first position on the display system 134 relative to a second position of the reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620 on the display system 134, and wherein the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe 104 to acquire a target ultrasound image 720 having the target view 730. The at least one processor 132, 160 may be configured to track the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images 430, 530, 630, 720. The at least one processor 132 , 150 may be configured to update the first position of the ultrasound image 330 , 430 , 530 , 630 , 720 on the display system 134 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104 .

[0088] At least one processor 132, 170 may be configured to evaluate whether the ultrasound probe 104 has acquired the target view 324, 424, 524, 624 by calculating the distance the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled over a period of time, calculating the total distance the ultrasound probe 104 has traveled, or evaluating the quality of one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images 430, 530, 630, 720 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624.

[0089] In a representative embodiment, at least one processor 132 , 150 may be configured to align the ultrasound image 330 , 430 , 530 , 630 , 720 with the reference target view image 320 , 420 , 520 , 620 on the display system when acquiring the target view 324 , 424 , 524 , 624 .

[0090] In a representative embodiment, at least one processor 132, 180 is further configured to overlay the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630 with a graphical representation of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720, and wherein at least one processor 132, 180 is further configured to update the graphical representation 540, 640, 642, 740, 742 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in the ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 and the first position on the display system 134 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 104 relative to the target view 324, 424, 524, 624.

[0091] In a representative embodiment, at least one processor 132, 150, 180 may be configured to align a graphical representation 540, 640, 642, 740, 742 of one or more anatomical structures 322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632 in an ultrasound image 330, 430, 530, 630, 720 with a reference target view image 320, 420, 520, 620. In a representative embodiment, at least one processor 132, 170 may be configured to provide visual or auditory guidance to a user to acquire a target view 324, 424, 524, 624. In a representative embodiment, at least one processor 132, 170 may be configured to output a signal when a target view 324, 424, 524, 624 has been acquired. In an exemplary embodiment, the ultrasound image is a 2D image or a 3D image.

[0092] As used herein, the term "circuit" refers to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and / or firmware ("code") that can configure hardware, is executed by hardware, and / or is otherwise associated with hardware. For example, as used herein, when executing one or more first codes, a specific processor and memory may include a first "circuit", and when executing one or more second codes, a specific processor and memory may include a second "circuit". As used herein, "and / or" represents any one or more of the items in the list connected by "and / or". For example, "x and / or y" represents any element in the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. As another example, "x, y and / or z" represents any element in the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. As used herein, the term "exemplary" means used as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "for example" and "such as" lead to a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. As used herein, a circuit is “capable of operation” and / or “configured to” perform a function whenever the circuit includes the necessary hardware and code (if necessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether execution of the function is disabled or not enabled by some user-configurable setting.

[0093] Other embodiments may provide a computer-readable device and / or a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and / or a machine-readable device and / or a non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine code and / or a computer program stored thereon, the machine code and / or the computer program having at least one code segment executable by a machine and / or a computer, so that the machine and / or the computer performs the steps described herein for acquiring a target ultrasound image having a target view of one or more anatomical structures.

[0094] Therefore, the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present disclosure may be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computer system, or in a distributed manner, where different elements are distributed across several interconnected computer systems. Any type of computer system or other device suitable for executing the methods described herein is suitable.

[0095] The various embodiments may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein and which, when loaded into a computer system, is capable of carrying out these methods. A computer program herein refers to any expression of a set of instructions in any language, code or notation, which is intended to cause a system with information processing capabilities to perform specific functions directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion into another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.

[0096] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method (800) for acquiring a target ultrasound image (720) having a target view (324, 424, 524, 624) of one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632), the method comprising: Acquiring an ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630, 720) by an ultrasound probe (104) of an ultrasound system (100); processing, by at least one processor (132, 140), the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) to identify a position of the ultrasound probe (104) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632); The at least one processor (132, 150) causes a display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) to present the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) and a reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620), wherein the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) is displayed on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) relative to the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620). a first position on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) and a second position on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700), and wherein the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe (104) to acquire a target ultrasound image (720) having the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730); tracking, by the at least one processor (132, 160), the position of the ultrasound probe (104) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images (430, 530, 630); and The first position or the second position of the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) is updated by the at least one processor (132, 150) based on the position of the ultrasound probe (104).

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining, by the at least one processor (132, 150), the target ultrasound image (720) having the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) by aligning the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620) on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700).

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising evaluating, by the at least one processor ( 132 , 170 ), whether the ultrasound probe ( 104 ) has acquired the target view ( 324 , 334 , 424 , 434 , 524 , 534 , 624 , 634 , 730 ) by calculating a distance that the ultrasound probe ( 104 ) has traveled over a period of time, calculating a total distance that the ultrasound probe ( 104 ) has traveled, or evaluating a quality of the one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images ( 430 , 530 , 630 ) relative to the target view ( 324 , 334 , 424 , 434 , 524 , 534 , 624 , 634 , 730 ).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying, by the at least one processor (132, 180), the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with a graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630), and generating, by the at least one processor (132, 180) a graphical representation of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) based on the ultrasound probe (1 04) updating the graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) and the first position on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) relative to the position of the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730).

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising aligning, by the at least one processor (132, 180), the graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting, by the at least one processor (132, 170), a signal when the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) has been acquired.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) is a 2D image or a 3D image.

8. An ultrasound system (100) for acquiring a target ultrasound image (720) having a target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) of one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632), the ultrasound system comprising: an ultrasound probe (104), the ultrasound probe being configured to acquire an ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630); At least one processor (132, 140, 150, 160, 170), the at least one processor being configured to: processing the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) to identify a position of the ultrasound probe (104) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) of the one or more anatomical structures; The display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) causes the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) and the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620) to be presented, wherein the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) is displayed on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) relative to the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620). 0, 600, 700) and is presented at a first position on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) and wherein the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe (104) to acquire the target ultrasound image (720) having the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730); tracking the position of the ultrasound probe (104) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images (430, 530, 630); and The first position of the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) is updated based on the position of the ultrasound probe (104).

9. The ultrasound system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor (132, 150) is further configured to obtain the target ultrasound image having the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) by aligning the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620) on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700).

10. The ultrasound system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor (132, 170) is further configured to evaluate whether the ultrasound probe (104) has acquired the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) by calculating a distance that the ultrasound probe (104) has traveled over a period of time, calculating a total distance that the ultrasound probe (104) has traveled, or evaluating a quality of the one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images (430, 530, 630) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730).

11. The ultrasound system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor (132, 180) is further configured to overlay the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with a graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630), and wherein the at least one processor (132, 180) is further configured to overlay the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with a graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) The ultrasound probe (104) updates the graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) and the first position on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) relative to the position of the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730).

12. The ultrasound system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor (132, 180) is further configured to align the graphical representation (540, 640, 642, 740, 742) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632) in the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) with the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620).

13. The ultrasound system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor (132, 170) is further configured to output a signal when the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) has been acquired.

14. An ultrasound system for acquiring a target ultrasound image having a target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) of one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632), the ultrasound system comprising: an ultrasound probe (104), the ultrasound probe being configured to acquire an ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630); At least one processor (132, 140, 150, 160, 170), the at least one processor being configured to: processing the ultrasound image to identify a position of the ultrasound probe (104) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) of the one or more anatomical structures (322, 332, 422, 432, 532, 632); The display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) causes the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) and a reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620) or an intermediate target to be presented, wherein the ultrasound image is displayed relative to the reference target view image (320, 420, 520, 620) or the intermediate target on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 6 00,700) and is presented at a first position on the display system (134,300,400,500,600,700) and wherein the first position and the second position provide feedback for moving the ultrasound probe (104) to acquire the target ultrasound image (720) having the target view (324,334,424,434,524,534,624,634,730); tracking the position of the ultrasound probe (104) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) in one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images (430, 530, 630); updating the first position of the ultrasound image (330, 430, 530, 630) on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) based on the position of the ultrasound probe (104); and Whether the intermediate target or the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) has been acquired is evaluated by calculating the distance that the ultrasound probe (104) has traveled over a period of time, calculating the total distance that the ultrasound probe (104) has traveled, or evaluating the quality of one or more subsequently acquired ultrasound images (430, 530, 630) relative to the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730).

15. The ultrasound system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to align the ultrasound image with the reference target view image or the intermediate target on the display system (134, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) when the target view (324, 334, 424, 434, 524, 534, 624, 634, 730) has been acquired.

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