Bimodal brain function imaging device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of biomedical imaging, in particular to a bimodal brain function imaging device. The ultrasonic imaging module and the electrophysiology detection module are integrated, the ultrasonic imaging module covers a large-area brain area by emitting plane waves and generates ultrasonic image data, and the defect of electrophysiology detection in the aspect of space imaging view can be overcome; the electrophysiology detection module collects electrical activity signals of cerebral neurons and generates pure electrophysiology signals, the problem that the direct electrical activity detection capability of ultrasonic imaging on the cerebral neurons is limited is solved, and the electrophysiology detection module and the ultrasonic imaging module work cooperatively through the data processing module and the data analysis module. The ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiology signals are subjected to fusion processing, deep analysis, classification identification and the like, the advantages of the two technologies are fully played, comprehensive and deep detection of brain functional activities is achieved, and the limitation of the single use of one technology and the limitation of the existing bimodal imaging technology in the aspect of ultrasonic and electrophysiology combination is overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of biomedical imaging technology, and particularly to a dual-modal brain functional imaging device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the continuous development of medical imaging technology, significant progress has been made in both ultrasonic imaging and electrophysiological detection in the field of brain function research. Ultrasonic imaging technology has the advantages of being safe, fast, portable, and capable of imaging deep into tissues. It can use highly sensitive ultrasonic imaging to detect changes in cerebral blood volume, and as an indirect indicator of neuronal activity, it reflects the function of the central nervous system. Since functional ultrasonic imaging technology was proposed in 2011, it has been widely used in brain functional imaging of the central nervous system of mice, non-human primates, and humans, and has great application potential in neuroscience and engineering research. It can cover a large field of view of the entire rodent brain, generate volume images of the entire brain, and has high spatio-temporal resolution. It can be applied to animals with fixed heads while awake or freely moving animals. At the same time, electrophysiological detection technology can directly reflect the electrical activity of brain neurons and provide real-time information about the functional state of the brain, and also plays an important role in clinical diagnosis and neuroscience research.

[0003] However, currently, there are certain limitations in using ultrasonic imaging or electrophysiological detection technology alone. Although ultrasonic imaging can provide indirect information on brain function activities, its ability to directly detect the electrical activity of brain neurons is limited. While electrophysiological detection technology can directly reflect neuronal electrical activity, it has deficiencies in spatial resolution and imaging field of view, and it is difficult to comprehensively and accurately reflect the overall functional activities of the brain. In addition, existing dual-modal imaging technologies, although able to achieve the fusion of functional imaging and structural imaging, still lack effective solutions in the combination of ultrasonic imaging and electrophysiological detection, and cannot give full play to the advantages of the two technologies to achieve comprehensive and in-depth detection of brain function activities. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dual-modal brain functional imaging device, aiming to solve the technical problems in the prior art that there are certain limitations in using ultrasonic imaging or electrophysiological detection technology alone. Although ultrasonic imaging can provide indirect information on brain function activities, its ability to directly detect the electrical activity of brain neurons is limited. While electrophysiological detection technology can directly reflect neuronal electrical activity, it has deficiencies in spatial resolution and imaging field of view, and it is difficult to comprehensively and accurately reflect the overall functional activities of the brain. In addition, existing dual-modal imaging technologies, although able to achieve the fusion of functional imaging and structural imaging, still lack effective solutions in the combination of ultrasonic imaging and electrophysiological detection, and cannot give full play to the advantages of the two technologies to achieve comprehensive and in-depth detection of brain function activities.

[0005] To achieve the above object, a dual-modal brain functional imaging device adopted by the present invention includes an ultrasonic imaging module, an electrophysiological detection module, a data processing module, a data analysis module, a display module and a control module. The ultrasonic imaging module includes an ultrasonic transmitting unit, an ultrasonic receiving unit and an ultrasonic signal processing unit. The electrophysiological detection module includes an electrode array unit, a signal amplification unit and a filtering unit. The data processing module includes a data fusion unit and a feature extraction unit. The data analysis module includes a pattern recognition unit and a statistical analysis unit. The ultrasonic imaging module is connected to the electrophysiological detection module, the electrophysiological detection module is connected to the data processing module, the data processing module is connected to the data analysis module, the data analysis module is connected to the display module, and the ultrasonic imaging module, the electrophysiological detection module, the data processing module, the data analysis module and the display module are all further connected to the control module;

[0006] The ultrasonic transmitting unit is used to transmit plane waves to cover a large area of the brain;

[0007] The ultrasonic receiving unit is used to receive echo signals and transmit them to the signal processing unit;

[0008] The ultrasonic signal processing unit is used to process the echo signals and generate ultrasonic image data;

[0009] The electrode array unit is used to collect brain neuron electroactivity signals;

[0010] The signal amplification unit is used to amplify the electroactivity signals;

[0011] The filtering unit is used to filter the amplified electroactivity signals and generate pure electrophysiological signals;

[0012] The data fusion unit is used to perform fusion processing on the ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiological signals;

[0013] The feature extraction unit is used to deeply analyze the fused data and extract feature information related to brain functional activities;

[0014] The pattern recognition unit is used to classify and identify the extracted feature information and judge the brain functional state;

[0015] The display module is used to display the ultrasonic images and the processed feature information in the form of images, and display the electroactivity signals and the processed feature signals in the form of waveforms, etc.

[0016] Wherein, the ultrasonic transmitting unit adopts a two-dimensional matrix probe, which is composed of a two-dimensional array, the ultrasonic receiving unit is composed of multiple array elements, and the ultrasonic signal processing unit adopts the pulsed Doppler method.

[0017] Among them, the electrode array unit uses multi-channel electrodes, the signal amplification unit uses an amplifier, and the filtering unit uses a band-pass filter.

[0018] Among them, the data fusion unit uses an image reconstruction method, the feature extraction unit uses a two-dimensional motion estimation algorithm, and the pattern recognition unit uses a support vector machine algorithm.

[0019] Among them, the display module includes an image display unit and a signal waveform display unit. The data analysis module is connected to the image display unit and the signal waveform display unit, and both the image display unit and the signal waveform display unit are connected to the control module;

[0020] The image display unit is used to display the ultrasound imaging results and the spatio-temporal distribution of electrophysiological signals in the form of two-dimensional / three-dimensional images;

[0021] The signal waveform display unit is used to display the original data or processing results of electrophysiological signals in the form of time-domain / frequency-domain waveforms.

[0022] Among them, the display module further includes a data annotation unit. The data analysis module is also connected to the data annotation unit, and the data annotation unit is connected to the control module;

[0023] The data annotation unit is used to overlay annotation information on the image / waveform.

[0024] Among them, the display module further includes an interactive control unit. The data analysis module is also connected to the interactive control unit, and the interactive control unit is connected to the control module;

[0025] The interactive control unit is used to provide a user interaction interface, allowing researchers to dynamically adjust the display content.

[0026] A dual-modal brain function imaging device of the present invention integrates the ultrasound imaging module and the electrophysiological detection module. The ultrasound imaging module covers a large area of the brain by emitting plane waves and generates ultrasound image data, which can make up for the deficiency of electrophysiological detection in terms of spatial imaging field of view; the electrophysiological detection module collects the electrical activity signals of brain neurons and generates pure electrophysiological signals, solving the problem that the ultrasound imaging has limited ability to directly detect the electrical activity of brain neurons. The two work together through the data processing module and the data analysis module to perform fusion processing, in-depth analysis, classification and recognition on the ultrasound image data and the pure electrophysiological signals, giving full play to the advantages of the two technologies, realizing a comprehensive and in-depth detection of brain function activities, and overcoming the limitations of using only one technology and the existing dual-modal imaging technology in the combination of ultrasound and electrophysiology. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of the dual-modal brain function imaging device of the present invention.

[0029] 1 - Ultrasonic imaging module, 2 - Electrophysiological detection module, 3 - Data processing module, 4 - Data analysis module, 5 - Display module, 6 - Control module, 7 - Ultrasonic transmitting unit, 8 - Ultrasonic receiving unit, 9 - Ultrasonic signal processing unit, 10 - Electrode array unit, 11 - Signal amplification unit, 12 - Filtering unit, 13 - Data fusion unit, 14 - Feature extraction unit, 15 - Pattern recognition unit, 16 - Statistical analysis unit, 17 - Image display unit, 18 - Signal waveform display unit, 19 - Data annotation unit, 20 - Safety monitoring unit, 21 - Interactive control unit, 22 - System control unit, 23 - Synchronization control unit, 24 - User interaction unit. Detailed Embodiments

[0030] The following will describe in detail the embodiments of the present invention. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions from beginning to end. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1, the present invention provides a dual-modal brain functional imaging device, including an ultrasonic imaging module 1, an electrophysiological detection module 2, a data processing module 3, a data analysis module 4, a display module 5 and a control module 6. The ultrasonic imaging module 1 includes an ultrasonic transmitting unit 7, an ultrasonic receiving unit 8 and an ultrasonic signal processing unit 9. The electrophysiological detection module 2 includes an electrode array unit 10, a signal amplification unit 11 and a filtering unit 12. The data processing module 3 includes a data fusion unit 13 and a feature extraction unit 14. The data analysis module 4 includes a pattern recognition unit 15 and a statistical analysis unit 16. The ultrasonic imaging module 1 is connected to the electrophysiological detection module 2, the electrophysiological detection module 2 is connected to the data processing module 3, the data processing module 3 is connected to the data analysis module 4, the data analysis module 4 is connected to the display module 5, and the ultrasonic imaging module 1, the electrophysiological detection module 2, the data processing module 3, the data analysis module 4 and the display module 5 are all further connected to the control module 6;

[0032] The ultrasonic transmitting unit 7 is used to transmit plane waves to cover a large area of the brain;

[0033] The ultrasonic receiving unit 8 is used to receive echo signals and transmit them to the signal processing unit;

[0034] The ultrasonic signal processing unit is used to process the echo signals and generate ultrasonic image data;

[0035] The electrode array unit 10 is used to collect brain neuron electroactivity signals;

[0036] The signal amplification unit 11 is used to amplify the electroactivity signals;

[0037] The filtering unit 12 is used to filter the amplified electroactivity signals and generate pure electrophysiological signals;

[0038] The data fusion unit 13 is used to perform fusion processing on the ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiological signals;

[0039] The feature extraction unit 14 is used to deeply analyze the fused data and extract feature information related to brain functional activities;

[0040] The pattern recognition unit 15 is used to classify and identify the extracted feature information to judge the brain functional state;

[0041] The display module 5 is used to display the ultrasonic images and the processed feature information in the form of images, and display the electroactivity signals and the processed feature signals in the form of waveforms, etc.

[0042] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic imaging module 1 of the present design emits plane waves through the ultrasonic transmitting unit 7 to cover a large area of the brain. The ultrasonic receiving unit 8 receives the echo signals and generates ultrasonic image data through the ultrasonic signal processing unit 9, and indirect information on the structure and function of the brain can be obtained. The electrophysiological detection module 2 uses the electrode array unit 10 to collect the electroactivity signals of brain neurons, and generates pure electrophysiological signals after being amplified by the signal amplification unit 11 and filtered by the filtering unit 12, which can directly reflect the electroactivity of brain neurons. The dual-modal data acquisition method overcomes the limitations of using only ultrasonic imaging or electrophysiological detection techniques, and can obtain more comprehensive information related to brain functional activities. The data fusion unit 13 of the data processing module 3 performs fusion processing on the ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiological signals. The feature extraction unit 14 deeply analyzes the fused data and extracts feature information related to brain functional activities. The pattern recognition unit 15 of the data analysis module 4 classifies and identifies the extracted feature information to judge the brain functional state. This data processing and analysis process can fully exploit the information in the dual-modal data and improve the detection and analysis capabilities of brain functional activities.

[0043] Further, the ultrasonic transmitting unit 7 uses a two-dimensional matrix probe, which consists of a two-dimensional array. The ultrasonic receiving unit 8 consists of multiple array elements, and the ultrasonic signal processing unit 9 uses the pulsed Doppler method.

[0044] In this embodiment, by using a two-dimensional matrix probe for the ultrasonic transmitting unit 7, which consists of a two-dimensional array, this design can more flexibly control the emission direction and focus point of the ultrasonic beam, thereby more accurately covering a large area of the brain, improving the quality and efficiency of ultrasonic imaging, and obtaining more comprehensive brain structure and function information. The ultrasonic receiving unit 8 consists of multiple array elements, and multiple array elements can receive echo signals simultaneously, increasing the richness and accuracy of the received signals, and helping to improve the resolution and quality of the ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic signal processing unit 9 uses the pulsed Doppler method, which can effectively process the echo signals, extract information related to brain blood flow, etc., and further enrich the brain functional activity information reflected by ultrasonic imaging, providing more valuable data for subsequent data fusion and analysis.

[0045] Further, the electrode array unit 10 uses multi-channel electrodes, the signal amplification unit 11 uses an amplifier, and the filtering unit 12 uses a band-pass filter

[0046] In this embodiment, the electrode array unit 10 adopts multi-channel electrodes, which can simultaneously collect the electroactivity signals of brain neurons at multiple positions, improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of electroactivity signal collection and helping to more comprehensively understand the electroactivity of brain neurons; the signal amplification unit 11 adopts an amplifier, which can effectively amplify weak electroactivity signals, ensuring the quality and reliability of the signals in subsequent processing and avoiding information loss due to overly weak signals; the filtering unit 12 adopts a band-pass filter, which can filter out the noise and interference signals in the electroactivity signals, generate pure electrophysiological signals, improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the electrophysiological signals, and provide a more accurate data basis for subsequent data fusion and feature extraction.

[0047] Further, the data fusion unit 13 adopts an image reconstruction method, the feature extraction unit 14 adopts a two-dimensional motion estimation algorithm, and the pattern recognition unit 15 adopts a support vector machine algorithm.

[0048] In this embodiment, by adopting the image reconstruction method in the data fusion unit 13, the ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiological signals can be effectively fused to generate more comprehensive and accurate data, giving full play to the advantages of the two-modal data and improving the overall understanding ability of brain functional activities; the feature extraction unit 14 adopts a two-dimensional motion estimation algorithm, which can deeply analyze the fused data and accurately extract the feature information related to brain functional activities. The pattern recognition unit 15 adopts a support vector machine algorithm, which has strong classification and recognition capabilities and can accurately classify and recognize the extracted feature information, thereby judging the functional state of the brain and providing important reference information for the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.

[0049] Further, the display module 5 includes an image display unit 17 and a signal waveform display unit 18. The data analysis module 4 is connected to the image display unit 17 and the signal waveform display unit 18, and both the image display unit 17 and the signal waveform display unit 18 are connected to the control module 6;

[0050] The image display unit 17 is used to display the ultrasonic imaging results and the spatio-temporal distribution of electrophysiological signals in the form of two-dimensional / three-dimensional images;

[0051] The signal waveform display unit 18 is used to display the original data or processing results of electrophysiological signals in the form of time-domain / frequency-domain waveforms.

[0052] In this embodiment, the image display unit 17 in the display module 5 is used to display the ultrasonic imaging results and the spatio-temporal distribution of electrophysiological signals in the form of two-dimensional / three-dimensional images. This intuitive display method can help researchers more clearly observe the spatial distribution of brain structure and functional activities, as well as the variation law of electrophysiological signals over time, contributing to a deeper understanding of the mechanism of brain functional activities. The signal waveform display unit 18 is used to display the original data or processing results of electrophysiological signals in the form of time-domain / frequency-domain waveforms. Through time-domain and frequency-domain analysis, researchers can obtain more characteristic information of electrophysiological signals, providing more comprehensive data support for the study of brain functional activities.

[0053] Furthermore, the display module 5 further includes a data annotation unit 19. The data analysis module 4 is also connected to the data annotation unit 19, and the data annotation unit 19 is connected to the control module 6.

[0054] The data annotation unit 19 is used to superimpose annotation information on the image / waveform.

[0055] In this embodiment, the data annotation unit 19 is used to superimpose annotation information on the image / waveform. These annotation information can be explanations and interpretations of brain structure, functional activity regions, electrophysiological signal characteristics, etc., which can help researchers more intuitively understand the information reflected by the image and waveform, improving the efficiency and accuracy of data analysis.

[0056] Furthermore, the display module 5 further includes an interactive control unit 21. The data analysis module 4 is also connected to the interactive control unit 21, and the interactive control unit 21 is connected to the control module 6.

[0057] The interactive control unit 21 is used to provide a user interface, allowing researchers to dynamically adjust the display content.

[0058] In this embodiment, the interactive control unit 21 is used to provide a user interface, allowing researchers to dynamically adjust the display content. This interactive control function improves the flexibility and operability of the device, enabling researchers to adjust the display content at any time according to their research needs and progress, better meeting personalized research requirements.

[0059] Furthermore, the control module 6 includes a system control unit 22 and a synchronization control unit 23. The ultrasonic imaging module 1, the electrophysiological detection module 2, the data processing module 3, the data analysis module 4, and the display module 5 are all also connected to the system control unit 22 and the synchronization control unit 23.

[0060] The system control unit 22 is used to coordinate the startup, stop, parameter configuration, and status monitoring of each module;

[0061] The synchronization control unit 23 is used to achieve spatio-temporal synchronization between ultrasonic imaging and electrophysiological signals.

[0062] In this embodiment, the system control unit 22 controls the pulse frequency of ultrasonic emission and the sampling rate of electrophysiological signals, and the synchronization control unit 23 synchronizes ultrasonic emission and EEG sampling through a trigger signal.

[0063] Furthermore, the control module 6 further includes a user interaction unit 24, and the ultrasonic imaging module 1, the electrophysiological detection module 2, the data processing module 3, the data analysis module 4, and the display module 5 are all further connected to the user interaction unit 24.

[0064] In this embodiment, the user interaction unit 24 is used to provide a graphical interface, allowing the user to set experimental parameters, select analysis methods, and adjust the display mode.

[0065] Furthermore, the control module 6 further includes a safety monitoring unit 20, and the ultrasonic imaging module 1, the electrophysiological detection module 2, the data processing module 3, the data analysis module 4, and the display module 5 are all further connected to the safety monitoring unit 20.

[0066] In this embodiment, the safety monitoring unit 20 is used to monitor the system status in real time, automatically alarm or interrupt the experiment in case of anomalies, and prevent equipment damage or subject injury.

[0067] In the present invention, first, the ultrasonic emission unit 7 uses a two-dimensional matrix probe to emit plane waves to cover a large area of the brain. The ultrasonic reception unit 8 receives echo signals by multiple array elements and transmits them to the ultrasonic signal processing unit 9. The ultrasonic signal processing unit 9 processes the echo signals by using the pulsed Doppler method to generate ultrasonic image data. At the same time, the electrode array unit 10 uses multi-channel electrodes to collect brain neuron electroactivity signals. The signal amplification unit 11 uses an amplifier to amplify the electroactivity signals. The filtering unit 12 uses a band-pass filter to filter the amplified electroactivity signals to generate pure electrophysiological signals. Then, the data fusion unit 13 uses an image reconstruction method to perform fusion processing on the ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiological signals. The feature extraction unit 14 uses a two-dimensional motion estimation algorithm to deeply analyze the fused data and extract feature information related to brain functional activities. Then, the pattern recognition unit 15 uses a support vector machine algorithm to classify and identify the extracted feature information to judge the brain functional state. The statistical analysis unit 16 performs statistical analysis on the data. After that, the data analysis module 4 transmits the processed information to the display module 5. The image display unit 17 in the display module 5 displays the ultrasonic imaging results and the spatio-temporal distribution of electrophysiological signals in the form of two-dimensional / three-dimensional images. The signal waveform display unit 18 displays the original data or processing results of electrophysiological signals in the form of time-domain / frequency-domain waveforms. The data annotation unit 19 superimposes annotation information on the images / waveforms. Finally, researchers can dynamically adjust the display content through the user interaction interface provided by the interaction control unit 21. The entire device completes various operations of brain functional imaging under the unified coordination of the control module 6.

[0068] The above disclosure is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and of course, it cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the whole or part of the processes of implementing the above embodiments, and the equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present invention still fall within the scope covered by the invention.

Claims

1. A dual-modal brain functional imaging device, characterized in that it includes an ultrasonic imaging module, an electrophysiological detection module, a data processing module, a data analysis module, a display module and a control module. The ultrasonic imaging module includes an ultrasonic transmitting unit, an ultrasonic receiving unit and an ultrasonic signal processing unit. The electrophysiological detection module includes an electrode array unit, a signal amplification unit and a filtering unit. The data processing module includes a data fusion unit and a feature extraction unit. The data analysis module includes a pattern recognition unit and a statistical analysis unit. The ultrasonic imaging module is connected to the electrophysiological detection module, the electrophysiological detection module is connected to the data processing module, the data processing module is connected to the data analysis module, the data analysis module is connected to the display module, and the ultrasonic imaging module, the electrophysiological detection module, the data processing module, the data analysis module and the display module are all further connected to the control module; The ultrasonic transmitting unit is used to transmit plane waves to cover a large area of the brain; The ultrasonic receiving unit is used to receive echo signals and transmit them to the signal processing unit; The ultrasonic signal processing unit is used to process the echo signals and generate ultrasonic image data; The electrode array unit is used to collect brain neuron electroactivity signals; The signal amplification unit is used to amplify the electroactivity signals; The filtering unit is used to filter the amplified electroactivity signals and generate pure electrophysiological signals; The data fusion unit is used to perform fusion processing on the ultrasonic image data and the pure electrophysiological signals; The feature extraction unit is used to deeply analyze the fused data and extract feature information related to brain functional activities; The pattern recognition unit is used to classify and identify the extracted feature information and judge the brain functional state; The display module is used to display the ultrasonic images and the processed feature information in the form of images, and display the electroactivity signals and the processed feature signals in the form of waveforms, etc.

2. The dual-modal brain functional imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultrasonic transmitting unit uses a two-dimensional matrix probe, which is composed of a two-dimensional array. The ultrasonic receiving unit is composed of multiple array elements. The ultrasonic signal processing unit uses the pulsed Doppler method.

3. The dual-modal brain functional imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that the electrode array unit uses multi-channel electrodes, the signal amplification unit uses an amplifier, and the filtering unit uses a band-pass filter.

4. The dual-modal brain functional imaging device according to claim 3, characterized in that the data fusion unit uses an image reconstruction method, the feature extraction unit uses a two-dimensional motion estimation algorithm, and the pattern recognition unit uses a support vector machine algorithm.

5. The dual-modal brain functional imaging device according to claim 4, characterized in that the display module includes an image display unit and a signal waveform display unit. The data analysis module is connected to the image display unit and the signal waveform display unit, and both the image display unit and the signal waveform display unit are connected to the control module; The image display unit is used to display the ultrasonic imaging results and the spatio-temporal distribution of electrophysiological signals in the form of two-dimensional / three-dimensional images; The signal waveform display unit is used to display the original data or processing results of electrophysiological signals in the form of time-domain / frequency-domain waveforms.

6. The dual-modal brain function imaging device according to claim 5, wherein the display module further includes a data annotation unit, the data analysis module is further connected to the data annotation unit, and the data annotation unit is connected to the control module; the data annotation unit is used to superimpose annotation information on the image / waveform.

7. The dual-modal brain function imaging device according to claim 6, wherein the display module further includes an interactive control unit, the data analysis module is further connected to the interactive control unit, and the interactive control unit is connected to the control module; the interactive control unit is used to provide a user interaction interface, allowing researchers to dynamically adjust the display content.

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