Ultrasonic image display method and system for nerve block

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultrasound image display system for nerve block. The ultrasound image display system comprises a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the system to: acquire a first image including the needle body and a second image, where the second image is an image acquired temporally after the first image; determining a first needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the second image; determining whether the difference between the gray scale of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; and if the difference between the gray scale of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value, displaying an angle adjustment prompt on a display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical image processing technology, and particularly to an ultrasonic image display method and system for nerve block. Background Art

[0002] Nerve block technology is an important diagnostic and treatment means in the medical field, and particularly plays an irreplaceable role in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and rehabilitation medicine. Its importance is mainly reflected in the following aspects: 1. Precise treatment and reduction of systemic effects: By directly injecting drugs around specific nerves, pain conduction can be precisely blocked for targeted anesthesia and analgesia, avoiding side effects of general anesthesia or systemic analgesic drugs (such as respiratory depression, gastrointestinal reactions, etc.). Nerve block can significantly reduce the use of opioid drugs, reducing the risk of addiction and related complications. 2. Replacement or assistance of general anesthesia: For patients with poor cardiopulmonary function who cannot tolerate general anesthesia (such as the elderly, patients with comorbidities), nerve block can reduce the anesthesia risk and is beneficial to maintaining intraoperative hemodynamic stability. 3. Promotion of rapid postoperative recovery: Nerve block technology can effectively control acute postoperative pain, promote early patient activity, reduce complications such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary infection, and reduce hospitalization costs, meeting the goals of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). 4. Treatment of neuropathic pain: As a core means of chronic pain management, it can be used for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, etc., and improve symptoms by blocking abnormal nerve signals.

[0003] As one of the widely used modern imaging technologies, the development of ultrasound has significantly improved the accuracy and safety of nerve block, reducing the risk of complications (such as nerve injury, pneumothorax). The core of ultrasound-guided nerve block technology is to clearly display the needle body. However, in the in-plane technique, the needle body needs to be kept parallel to the ultrasound probe throughout the process. Slight deviation of the needle body from the parallelism with the ultrasound probe will cause the needle body to "disappear". Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the defects of the prior art, the present invention proposes an ultrasonic image display method for nerve block. The method of the present invention can identify the risk of the needle body "disappearing" in advance by comparing the gray levels of the needle body in each frame, and display relevant information on the display to prevent the needle body from "disappearing"; in addition, the method of the present invention can adjust the frame rate of the acquired video frames in real time, so as to obtain images at a higher frame rate before the needle body is about to "disappear", thereby obtaining more information; furthermore, the method of the present invention allows automatic storage of the images before the needle body "disappears", so that medical staff can obtain auxiliary information from these images.

[0005] The present invention provides an ultrasonic image display system for nerve block, including: A processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: obtain a first image including a needle body and a second image, where the second image is an image acquired after the first image in time; determine a first needle body part in the second image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; determine whether a difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, display an angle adjustment prompt on a display.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: after displaying the angle adjustment prompt, obtain a third image including the needle body, where the third image is an image acquired after the second image in time; determine a second needle body part in the third image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; determine whether the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, display a reverse angle adjustment prompt on the display.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: determine whether a difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, continue to display the angle adjustment prompt; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, stop displaying the angle adjustment prompt or the reverse angle adjustment prompt.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, an original frame rate of acquiring images is a first frame rate, where the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, increase the first frame rate and start a timer; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, reset the timer and further increase the increased first frame rate; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, decrease the increased first frame rate; if the timer times out, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired images to the first frame rate; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired images to the first frame rate.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the instructions can also be executed by a processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value, start storing the acquired image; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, start displaying the stored image on the display; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, do not display the stored image on the display; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value, delete the stored image.

[0010] The present invention also provides an ultrasonic image display method for nerve block, including the following steps: acquiring a first image and a second image including a needle body, wherein the second image is an image acquired after the first image in terms of time; determining a first needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the second image; determining whether the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, displaying an angle adjustment prompt on the display.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes: after displaying the angle adjustment prompt, acquiring a third image including a needle body, wherein the third image is an image acquired after the second image in terms of time; determining a second needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the third image; determining whether the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, displaying a reverse angle adjustment prompt on the display.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes: determining whether the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, continuing to display the angle adjustment prompt; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, stopping displaying the angle adjustment prompt or the reverse angle adjustment prompt.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the original frame rate of the acquired image is the first frame rate. The method further includes: if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and that of the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, increasing the first frame rate and starting a timer; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, resetting the timer and further increasing the increased first frame rate; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, decreasing the increased first frame rate; if the timer times out, restoring the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, restoring the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes: if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and that of the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, starting to store the acquired images; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, starting to display the stored images on a display; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, not displaying the stored images on the display; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, deleting the stored images.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: The present invention provides an ultrasonic image display system and method for nerve block. By comparing the gray levels of the needle body in each frame, the present invention can identify the risk of the needle body "disappearing" in advance and display relevant information on the display to prevent the needle body from "disappearing"; in addition, the method of the present invention can adjust the frame rate of the acquired video frames in real time so as to obtain images at a higher frame rate before the needle body is about to "disappear", thereby obtaining more information; furthermore, the method of the present invention allows automatic storage of the images before the needle body "disappears" so that medical staff can obtain auxiliary information from these images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing ultrasonic-guided nerve block system.

[0017] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an image including a needle body.

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a display angle adjustment prompt according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is another schematic diagram including an image of the needle body.

[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the reverse adjustment angle prompt of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 is an example block diagram of an ultrasonic image display system for nerve block of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 is an example schematic diagram of an ultrasonic image display system for nerve block implemented based on a computer system of an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0024] The following combines with the accompanying drawings to describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention, but it should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing ultrasonic-guided nerve block system. As shown in the figure, the existing ultrasonic-guided nerve block system includes: a host computer, the host computer includes an ultrasonic image display screen 101 and an injection parameter display screen 102; the host computer can be a computer installed with professional software, the computer has well-known computer components, and its memory stores software specifically for ultrasonic-guided nerve block operations (this software is prior art, such as the AcuSee surgical guidance system of Zhendian Technology (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co., Ltd.). The system also includes: an ultrasonic probe 2, a connecting wire 3, and a puncture guiding frame 4; the infusion system includes a syringe push rod 604, a pressure sensor 602 on the surface of the push rod, a syringe 603, and a syringe side fixing clip 604. The system also includes: a pump tube 7, a puncture needle 8, and a control button 801 at the needle tail. Press the control button 801 at the needle tail of the puncture needle. Short-term pressing can remotely control the infusion pump to push the syringe push rod 604. The pressure sensor 602 can measure the injection pressure (such as anesthetic), and transmit the parameters to the host computer. If the current pressure is greater than the set pressure, the injection parameter display screen 102 of the host computer displays: "High pressure" and alarms, reminding the operator to manually adjust the needle tip position; if the current pressure is within the set pressure range, the injection parameter display screen 102 of the host computer displays: "Normal pressure", and the operator can perform the next operation; the operator continuously presses the control button 801 at the needle tail of the puncture needle to complete the injection operation. During the injection process, the injection parameter display screen 102 of the host computer continuously displays "Running", and stops injecting when the control button 801 is released, and the injection parameter display screen 102 of the host computer displays "Paused".

[0026] As described in the background art, in the existing ultrasonic guided nerve block operation, there is a risk that the needle body "disappears" (it should be understood that the so-called disappearance of the needle body means that the needle body "disappears" on the display, that is, on the display, the gray scale of the needle body is approximately the same as that of the background, and the human eye can no longer distinguish the needle body from the background). Once the needle body "disappears", especially when the operator lacks experience, the operator may be flustered and nervous, resulting in the needle body piercing other tissues and causing adverse effects on the patient. Even for an experienced operator, it is very difficult to adjust the angle of the needle body within a short time after the needle body "disappears" so that the needle body reappears on the display. In addition, once the needle body "disappears", since the needle body cannot be seen on the display, it is difficult for the operator to judge the current position of the needle body. During the research process, our research team found that the current ultrasonic guided nerve block system cannot give an early warning of the risk of the needle body "disappearing" and provides insufficient prompts to the operator, which causes the operator to be unable to adjust the direction of the needle body in time. The method proposed by the present invention aims to solve these technical problems.

[0027] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the method of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the method of the present invention includes the following steps: Step 1: Obtain a first image and a second image including the needle body, where the second image is an image acquired after the first image in terms of time; in one example, for example, if the first image is acquired at time t, the second image can be an image acquired at time t + t1, where t1 can be any value such as 0.1s, 0.2s, 0.3s, 0.4s, 0.5s, 1s, etc., and this value can be freely set by the operator on the software setting interface; an example of the first image and the second image can be seen in Figure 3 , it should be noted that since the actual ultrasonic image is not clear enough, in the present invention, schematic diagrams are used to illustrate the ultrasonic image so as to clearly express the specific implementation manner of the present invention. It should be understood that since Figure 3 are only schematic diagrams, in order to clearly show the content in the figure, Figure 3 the size ratio between the needle body and the display screen is adjusted. In the real ultrasonic image, the needle body may be thinner than that shown in Figure 3 . In addition, it should be understood that Figure 3 for the purpose of illustration, the background is shown as black and the needle body is shown as white (in the first image). In the actual ultrasonic image, the background may be a gray background with a gray scale greater than 0, and the needle body may also be a gray needle with a gray scale less than 255. As Figure 3As shown, in the first image, since the operator has just inserted the needle into the patient's body, the needle body is parallel to the ultrasound probe at this time. At this time, the contrast between the needle body and the background is the largest. In the second image, the operator further inserts the needle body deeper into the patient's body so that the needle body can reach the medication position. However, due to the forward movement of the needle body, the needle body may gradually deviate from parallel with the ultrasound probe at this time. At this time, the needle body changes from white to gray (the contrast between the needle body and the background becomes smaller. When the contrast becomes smaller to a certain extent, the human eye cannot distinguish the needle body from the background, and at this time the needle body "disappears"), and the length of the needle body in the second image is longer than that in the first image; Step 2: Determine the first needle body part in the second image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; the first needle body part is the part corresponding to the original length in the first image in the subsequent frame (i.e., the second image); in Figure 3 the part enclosed by the red frame is the first needle body part. The main purpose of determining the first needle body part is to more accurately judge the gray difference between the needle body in the first image and the needle body in the second image; specifically, our research team found that in the second image, since the needle body has lost its parallel relationship with the ultrasound probe, at this time in the second image, the gray level from the needle tip to the tail of the needle on the far right of the display (this tail of the needle is not the actual tail of the needle, but only the tail of the part of the needle body that the display can show) is a gradually changing value. If the gray level of the needle body part outside the part enclosed by the red frame is calculated, it may result in an incorrect judgment result; The sample code for determining the first needle body part in the second image corresponding to the needle body in the first image is as follows: "import cv2 import numpy as np cap = cv2.VideoCapture('needle_video.mp4') # Read the reference frame (the first frame) ret, ref_frame = cap.read() gray_ref = cv2.cvtColor(ref_frame, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY) # Hough line detection parameter settings hough_params = { 'rho': 1, 'theta': np.pi / 180, 'threshold': 50, 'minLineLength': 30, 'maxLineGap': 10 } # Detect the needle in the reference frame edges_ref = cv2.Canny(gray_ref, 50, 150) lines_ref = cv2.HoughLinesP(edges_ref, **hough_params) # Select the longest line segment as the target needle ref_needle = max(lines_ref, key=lambda x: np.linalg.norm(x[0][2:]-x[0][:2])) x1_ref, y1_ref, x2_ref, y2_ref = ref_needle[0] ref_length = np.hypot(x2_ref-x1_ref, y2_ref-y1_ref) # Calculate the direction vector of the reference needle direction = np.array([x2_ref-x1_ref, y2_ref-y1_ref]) / ref_length while cap.isOpened(): ret, frame = cap.read() if not ret: break # Process the current frame gray = cv2.cvtColor(frame, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY) edges = cv2.Canny(gray, 50, 150) lines = cv2.HoughLinesP(edges, **hough_params) if lines is not None: # Find the best matching line segment best_match = None min_cost = float('inf') for line in lines: x1, y1, x2, y2 = line[0] curr_vec = np.array([x2 - x1, y2 - y1]) # Calculate direction similarity cos_sim = np.dot(direction, curr_vec) / (np.linalg.norm(curr_vec)+1e-5) # Calculate position similarity (midpoint distance) mid_ref = [(x1_ref + x2_ref) / 2, (y1_ref + y2_ref) / 2] mid_curr = [(x1 + x2) / 2, (y1 + y2) / 2] pos_dist = np.linalg.norm(np.array(mid_ref) - np.array(mid_curr)) # Comprehensive cost function cost = (1 - cos_sim) * 100 + pos_dist * 0.1 if cost < min_cost: min_cost = cost best_match = line[0] if best_match is not None: x1, y1, x2, y2 = best_match curr_length = np.hypot(x2 - x1, y2 - y1) # Determine endpoint correspondence ref_points = np.array([[x1_ref, y1_ref], [x2_ref, y2_ref]]) curr_points = np.array([[x1, y1], [x2, y2]]) # Calculate the distance matrix between endpoints dist_matrix = np.linalg.norm(ref_points[:, None] - curr_points, axis = 2) # Obtain the optimal endpoint matching matches = np.unravel_index(np.argmin(dist_matrix), dist_matrix.shape) base_point = curr_points[matches[1]] # Calculate the original length part original_end = base_point + direction * ref_length # Convert to integer coordinates base_point = tuple(map(int, base_point)) original_end = tuple(map(int, original_end)) # Draw the original part (green) cv2.line(frame, base_point, original_end, (0, 255, 0), 2) # Draw the current complete detection result (red) cv2.line(frame, (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (0, 0, 255), 2) # Display the result cv2.imshow('Needle Tracking', frame) if cv2.waitKey(30)&0xFF == ord('q'): break cap.release() cv2.destroyAllWindows(). Those skilled in the art can understand that the foregoing code is only an exemplary code for implementing step 2, and any other code that can implement the function of step 2 is applicable to the present invention. The code for implementing step 2 can be programmed by hiring professional programmers.

[0028] Step 3: Determine whether the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold; in Figure 3 the example, the gray level of the needle body in the first image is 0, and the gray level of the first needle body part is characterized by Figure 3 the average gray level of the needle body part framed by the red box of Step 4: If the gray level difference between the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, an angle adjustment prompt is displayed on the display. The first threshold value needs to be adaptively adjusted according to the proficiency of the operators in each hospital, and the present invention does not make specific limitations. As a principle, if the first threshold value is set relatively small, even if the needle body is slightly offset from parallel to the ultrasound probe, the display will show an angle adjustment prompt. This setting is more suitable for operators with lower proficiency because it can prompt the operator to adjust the needle body angle as early as possible. However, this setting causes the angle adjustment prompt to appear frequently on the screen, which may interfere with experienced operators. An example of displaying the angle adjustment prompt can be seen in Figure 4 , in Figure 4 , the display can be divided into two parts. The main part is used to display the ultrasound image, and the upper part of the display is used to specifically display the prompt information.

[0029] Furthermore, the method further includes: After displaying the angle adjustment prompt, a third image including the needle body is acquired, where the third image is an image acquired after the second image in terms of time. In one example, for instance, if the second image is acquired at time t + t1, the third image can be an image acquired at time t + 2×t1, where t1 can be any value such as 0.1s, 0.2s, 0.3s, 0.4s, 0.5s, 1s, etc., and this value can be freely set by the operator on the software setting interface; Determine the second needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the third image; The method for determining the second needle body part can be seen in the description of step 2; Determine whether the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image; During the research process by our research team, it was found that once the needle body deviates from parallel to the ultrasound probe, the operator cannot accurately judge in which direction to adjust the needle body to make the needle body return to parallel with the ultrasound probe. Therefore, an angle adjustment prompt is displayed on the display, and after the operator adjusts the needle body angle, two situations may occur. One situation is as shown in the third image in the upper right Figure 5 as shown, the needle body tends to return to parallel with the ultrasound probe, so the needle body (and the second needle body part) has a gray level closer to the gray level of the needle body in the first image in the third image shown in the upper right Figure 5 as shown, and the other situation is as shown in the third image in the lower right Figure 5 as shown, the needle body tends to be more deviated from parallel to the ultrasound probe, so the needle body (and the second needle body part) has a gray level more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image in the third image shown in the lower right Figure 5 as shown; If the gray level of the second needle body part deviates more from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, a reverse adjustment angle prompt is displayed on the display. For an example of displaying a reverse adjustment angle prompt on the display, refer to Figure 6 , it should be understood that the reverse adjustment angle should not specifically refer to adjusting in a direction that is 180 degrees different from the current adjustment direction, but rather should refer to adjusting in a direction different from the current adjustment direction, so as to prevent the situation where the needle body deviates from being parallel to the ultrasonic probe from deteriorating further.

[0030] Furthermore, the method further includes: Determining whether the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value; the second threshold value needs to be adaptively adjusted according to the proficiency of the operators in each hospital, and the present invention does not make specific limitations. As a principle, if the second threshold value is set to be small, the display may display an angle adjustment prompt for a long time. This setting is more suitable for operators with lower proficiency because this setting can continuously prompt the operator how to adjust the needle body angle. However, this setting causes the angle adjustment prompt to appear on the screen for a long time, which may interfere with experienced operators. If the gray level of the second needle body part does not deviate more from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, the angle adjustment prompt continues to be displayed; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, the angle adjustment prompt or the reverse adjustment angle prompt stops being displayed.

[0031] Furthermore, the original frame rate of the acquired image is a first frame rate. In one example, the first frame rate can be 15 frames / s, 20 frames / s, 25 frames / s, 30 frames / s, etc.; Among them, the method further includes: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, increase the first frame rate and start a timer; in an example, assuming the original frame rate is 15 frames / s, the first frame rate can be increased to 30 frames / s. The reason for this operation is that our research team found that after the needle body has deviated from being parallel to the ultrasonic probe but before the needle body "disappears", the image information during this period is extremely important for the subsequent processing after the needle body "disappears". Therefore, collecting more images in this stage is beneficial for subsequent processing; in addition, during the trial operation of the experimental prototype by the operator (confidential experiment), it is generally reflected that when the frame rate is increased, even without the angle adjustment prompt, the operator can more finely judge the change in the gray level of the needle body, so that the operator can timely adjust the angle of the needle body and the situation where the needle body suddenly "disappears" will not occur; in an example, the timeout time of the timer can be set to 10 s; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, reset the timer and further increase the increased first frame rate; in an example, assuming the original frame rate is 15 frames / s, after the previous increase, the increased first frame rate is, for example, 30 frames / s. Then, after further increasing the increased first frame rate, the frame rate can be 60 frames / s; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, decrease the increased first frame rate; If the timer times out, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate. It should be understood that if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, regardless of whether the timer times out at this time, the frame rate of the currently acquired image should be restored to the first frame rate.

[0032] Furthermore, the method further includes: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, start storing the acquired images; If the gray level of the second needle body part deviates more from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, the stored image is started to be displayed on the display; since the gray level of the second needle body part deviates more from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, this indicates that after the operator adjusts the angle at this time, the needle body further deviates from being parallel to the ultrasonic probe. Our research team found that in this case, there is a high probability that further operation by the operator will cause the needle body to "disappear". At this time, displaying the stored image helps the operator to judge whether the needle body can be reproduced by adjusting the angle of the needle body after the needle body "disappears"; for example, in certain nerve regions, it is strictly prohibited for the operator to adjust the angle of the needle body, but at this time the needle body has "disappeared". Without the operation of the present invention, the operator cannot judge whether the needle body is located in the area where the operator is prohibited from adjusting the angle of the needle body. In this embodiment of the present invention, since the stored image is provided to the operator, the operator can judge whether the needle body is located in the area where the operator is prohibited from adjusting the angle of the needle body; furthermore, the operator can choose to continue the operation or withdraw the needle and start from the very beginning step again; If the gray level of the second needle body part does not deviate more from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, the stored image is not displayed on the display; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, the stored image is deleted.

[0033] Figure 7 is an example block diagram of an ultrasonic image display system for nerve block according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 7 shown, the ultrasonic image display system 700 for nerve block includes: The first module 702: acquiring a first image and a second image including a needle body, wherein the second image is an image acquired after the first image in terms of time; The second module 704: determining a first needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the second image; The third module 706: determining whether the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; The fourth module 708: if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, displaying an angle adjustment prompt on the display.

[0034] Figure 8 is an example schematic diagram of an ultrasonic image display system for nerve block based on a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 8As shown, the ultrasound image display system 802 for nerve block can include at least one processor 804, a memory (e.g., non-volatile memory) 806, a memory 808, and a communication interface 810, and the at least one processor 804, the memory 806, the memory 808, and the communication interface 810 are connected together via a bus 812. The at least one processor 804 executes at least one computer-readable instruction stored or encoded in the memory (i.e., the elements implemented in software form as described above).

[0035] In one example, the instructions are stored in the memory and can be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: Obtain a first image including a needle body and a second image, where the second image is an image acquired after the first image in terms of time; Determine a first needle body part in the second image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; Determine whether the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, display an angle adjustment prompt on the display.

[0036] Furthermore, the instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: After displaying the angle adjustment prompt, obtain a third image including a needle body, where the third image is an image acquired after the second image in terms of time; Determine a second needle body part in the third image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; Determine whether the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, display a reverse angle adjustment prompt on the display.

[0037] Furthermore, the instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: Determine whether the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, continue to display the angle adjustment prompt; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, stop displaying the angle adjustment prompt or the reverse angle adjustment prompt.

[0038] Furthermore, the original frame rate of the acquired images is a first frame rate, Among them, the instruction can also be executed by the processor to enable the system to perform the following operations: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, increase the first frame rate and start a timer; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, reset the timer and further increase the increased first frame rate; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, decrease the increased first frame rate; If the timer times out, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate.

[0039] Furthermore, the instruction can also be executed by the processor to enable the system to perform the following operations: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, start storing the acquired images; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, start displaying the stored images on the display; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, do not display the stored images on the display; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, delete the stored images.

[0040] As described above, only the specific embodiments of the present invention are provided, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered by the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic image display system for nerve block, characterized in that The system includes: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: acquire a first image and a second image including a needle body, wherein the second image is an image acquired after the first image in time; determine a first needle body part in the second image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; determine whether a difference between a gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, display an angle adjustment prompt on a display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein The instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: after displaying the angle adjustment prompt, acquire a third image including the needle body, wherein the third image is an image acquired after the second image in time; determine a second needle body part in the third image corresponding to the needle body in the first image; determine whether the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, display a reverse angle adjustment prompt on the display.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein The instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: determine whether a difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, continue to display the angle adjustment prompt; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, stop displaying the angle adjustment prompt or the reverse angle adjustment prompt.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The original frame rate of image acquisition is a first frame rate, wherein the instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: if the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, increase the first frame rate and start a timer; if the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, reset the timer and further increase the increased first frame rate; if the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, decrease the increased first frame rate; if the timer times out, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate; if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein The instruction can also be executed by the processor to cause the system to perform the following operations: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value, start storing the acquired image; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, start displaying the stored image on the display; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, do not display the stored image on the display; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, delete the stored image.

6. An ultrasonic image display method for nerve block, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtaining a first image and a second image including a needle body, wherein the second image is an image acquired after the first image in terms of time; Determining a first needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the second image; Determining whether the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value; If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value, display an angle adjustment prompt on the display.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The method further includes: After displaying the angle adjustment prompt, obtaining a third image including the needle body, wherein the third image is an image acquired after the second image in terms of time; Determining a second needle body part corresponding to the needle body in the first image in the third image; Determining whether the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, display a reverse angle adjustment prompt on the display.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The method further includes: Determining whether the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than a second threshold value; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, continue to display the angle adjustment prompt; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, stop displaying the angle adjustment prompt or the reverse angle adjustment prompt.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The original frame rate of the acquired image is a first frame rate, wherein the method further includes: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than a first threshold value, increase the first frame rate and start a timer; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, reset the timer and further increase the increased first frame rate; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, and if the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is greater than the second threshold value, decrease the increased first frame rate; If the timer times out, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, restore the frame rate of the currently acquired image to the first frame rate.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The method further includes: If the difference between the gray level of the needle body in the first image and the first needle body part is greater than the first threshold value, start storing the acquired images; If the gray level of the second needle body part is more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, start displaying the stored images on the display; If the gray level of the second needle body part is not more deviated from the gray level of the needle body in the first image, do not display the stored images on the display; If the difference between the gray level of the second needle body part and the gray level of the needle body in the first image is less than the second threshold value, delete the stored images.

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