Ultrasonic imaging equipment and vascular access assessment method

Abstract

According to the ultrasonic imaging equipment and the vascular access evaluation method provided by the invention, various internal arteriovenous fistula and various arteriovenous connection modes are displayed for a user to select, and then the corresponding vascular profile diagram is generated according to the internal arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection modes selected by the user; displaying the blood vessel diagram and marking the positions of a plurality of measurement sites of the blood vessel access on the blood vessel diagram; and performing ultrasonic scanning on each measurement site based on the operation of the user to obtain a measurement result of each measurement site of the vascular access. Therefore, a doctor does not need to manually draw the vascular access and can obtain the prompt of each measurement site position, so that the efficiency of evaluating the vascular access of the patient by the doctor is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to an ultrasonic imaging device and a method for evaluating a vascular access. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasound equipment, as a visual, convenient, and non-invasive examination device, is becoming increasingly popular in clinical departments such as nephrology. Although there is a prescribed vascular access assessment process in the ultrasound department, the measurement location and results cannot meet the needs of the nephrology department, and the nephrology department often needs to re-perform ultrasound assessments. The location and content of vascular assessments in the nephrology department are based on professional guidelines and consensus references. Existing ultrasound equipment lacks an assessment and scanning process that meets the needs of nephrology. Currently, before using ultrasound equipment for vascular access assessment in the nephrology department, doctors need to manually record patient information on a paper report and then depict the location of the blood vessels. During the ultrasound scan, they also need to manually record measurements and abnormal results. This paper report is not convenient for saving and reviewing historical examination results, which affects the efficiency of nephrologists in assessing patients' vascular access. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention mainly provides an ultrasonic imaging device and a vascular access evaluation method, aiming to improve the efficiency of doctors in evaluating patients' vascular access.

[0004] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic imaging device, including: An ultrasonic probe, used for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving corresponding ultrasonic echoes; A transmitting and receiving control circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echoes; Human-computer interaction device; Processor for: The human-computer interaction device displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for the user to select, and also displays a variety of arteriovenous connection methods for the user to select; Generate a corresponding blood vessel shape diagram based at least on the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; the blood vessel shape diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; Displaying the blood vessel shape diagram through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device, and marking the positions of multiple measurement sites of the blood vessel pathway on the blood vessel shape diagram; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular pathway.

[0005] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic imaging device, including: An ultrasonic probe, used for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving corresponding ultrasonic echoes; A transmitting and receiving control circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echoes; Human-computer interaction device; Processor for: Obtaining a vascular access schematic diagram; the vascular access schematic diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula of the vascular access, the arteriovenous connection method, and the human body location where the fistula is located; Displaying multiple measurement sites of the vascular pathway through the human-computer interaction device; each measurement site corresponds to a section; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain measurement results for each measurement site of the vascular pathway. When each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned, the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway. After obtaining an ultrasonic image of a section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, the ultrasonic image of the section is associated with the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway that marks the position of the currently scanned measurement site and saved.

[0006] In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by one embodiment, the processor is further configured to: Generate a corresponding vascular access diagram based at least on the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; the vascular access diagram is used to graphically present: the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user, the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, and the human body part where the fistula is located; The vascular access schematic diagram is displayed through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device, and the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the vascular access schematic diagram.

[0007] In the ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, the processor is further configured to display multiple vascular branches for selection by the user through the human-computer interaction device; the processor generates a corresponding vascular course diagram or vascular pathway schematic diagram based on at least the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, including: Based on the user's selections of: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous connection mode, and vascular branches, a corresponding vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway schematic is generated; the vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway schematic is also used to graphically present the vascular branches selected by the user.

[0008] In an ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, the processor generates a corresponding vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway diagram based on the user's selection of: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous connection mode, and vascular branching, including: generating a vascular shape diagram or a vascular pathway diagram for presenting the trend of the arteriovenous shape according to the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, and displaying the vascular shape diagram or the vascular pathway diagram through the human-computer interaction device; After the user selects a blood vessel branch, the blood vessel branch selected by the user is added to the blood vessel shape diagram or the blood vessel pathway diagram.

[0009] In the ultrasound imaging device provided by one embodiment, the processor displays multiple measurement sites of the vascular pathway through the human-computer interaction device, including: The human-computer interaction device displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for the user to select, and also displays a variety of arteriovenous connection methods for the user to select; generating a corresponding blood vessel shape diagram based on at least the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; The positions of multiple measurement sites of the vascular access are marked on the vascular course map.

[0010] In the ultrasound imaging device provided by one embodiment, when the processor performs ultrasound scanning on each measurement site based on the user's operation, the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the blood vessel shape map.

[0011] In an ultrasound imaging device provided by one embodiment, each measurement site corresponds to a section; when the processor performs an ultrasound scan on each measurement site based on a user's operation, after obtaining an ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, the processor associates and saves the ultrasound image of the section with a schematic diagram of the vascular pathway that marks the position of the currently scanned measurement site.

[0012] In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by one embodiment, the processor is further configured to: After receiving an instruction for opening the ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the measurement site, in response to the instruction, the ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the measurement site and the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway associated with the ultrasound image of the section are displayed through the human-computer interaction device.

[0013] In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by one embodiment, each measurement site corresponds to a measurement item; when the processor performs ultrasonic scanning on each measurement site based on the user's operation, the measurement item corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site is displayed through the human-computer interaction device; after obtaining the measurement result of the measurement item, the measurement result of the measurement item is displayed through the human-computer interaction device.

[0014] In the ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, when the processor performs an ultrasound scan on each measurement site based on the user's operation, the human-computer interaction device displays multiple annotations reflecting the type of vascular abnormalities for the user to select, and the human-computer interaction device displays the annotation selected by the user for the measurement site currently scanned.

[0015] In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by one embodiment, the processor is further configured to: An evaluation report is generated based on the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular access and the annotations selected by the user.

[0016] In the ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, the human-computer interaction device includes a main display and a touch screen; the main display is used to display the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway, the ultrasound image obtained by ultrasonic scanning of each measurement site based on the user's operation, and the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular pathway; the touch screen is used to display the multiple arteriovenous fistulas, multiple arteriovenous connection methods, multiple vascular branches, and vascular course diagrams.

[0017] In the ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, the processor displays multiple arteriovenous fistulas for the user to select through the human-computer interaction device, including: The human-computer interaction device displays schematic diagrams of multiple arteriovenous fistulas for users to select.

[0018] In the ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, the processor displays multiple vascular branches for user selection through the human-computer interaction device, including: The branch modification area of the display interface of the human-computer interaction device displays a variety of blood vessel branch schematics for the user to select; the branch modification area also displays: a first button for tracing blood vessel branches, and / or a second button for deleting the selected blood vessel branches.

[0019] In an ultrasound imaging device provided by an embodiment, the blood vessel branch schematic diagram can be dragged onto the blood vessel shape diagram; and after the user selects a blood vessel branch, the processor adds the user-selected blood vessel branch to the blood vessel shape diagram, including: After receiving an instruction for dragging the selected blood vessel branch schematic diagram onto the blood vessel shape diagram through the human-computer interaction device, in response to the instruction, the selected blood vessel branch schematic diagram is merged with the blood vessel shape diagram, thereby adding the blood vessel branch selected by the user to the blood vessel shape diagram.

[0020] In the ultrasound imaging device provided by one embodiment, the processor displays multiple measurement sites of the vascular pathway through the human-computer interaction device, including: The measurement site area of the display interface of the human-computer interaction device displays multiple measurement site identifiers of the vascular access; the measurement site area also displays: a third button for adding a measurement site, and / or a fourth button for deleting a measurement site.

[0021] In an ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment, each measurement site corresponds to a section; the processor performs an ultrasound scan on each measurement site based on a user's operation to obtain measurement results for each measurement site of the vascular pathway, including: Initiating ultrasound scanning of the sections corresponding to the respective measurement sites in sequence according to a preset scanning order, and displaying the section identifiers arranged in the preset scanning order through the human-computer interaction device; After initiating an ultrasonic scan of a section corresponding to a measurement site, the ultrasonic probe is controlled by a transmitting and receiving control circuit to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive corresponding ultrasonic echoes; the ultrasonic echoes are processed to generate an ultrasonic image, and the ultrasonic image is displayed by the human-computer interaction device; wherein the ultrasonic image and the section identifiers arranged in the preset scanning order are displayed on the same screen; The blood vessel region in the ultrasound image is measured based on the user's measurement operation to obtain a measurement result of the current measurement site.

[0022] In the ultrasound imaging device provided by one embodiment, the measurement site markers can be dragged to adjust the scanning order.

[0023] One embodiment provides a method for assessing vascular access, comprising: Displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for users to choose from, and also displays a variety of arteriovenous connection methods for users to choose from; Generate a corresponding blood vessel shape diagram based at least on the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; the blood vessel shape diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; displaying the vascular course map and marking positions of multiple measurement sites of the vascular pathway on the vascular course map; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular pathway.

[0024] One embodiment provides a method for assessing vascular access, comprising: Obtaining a vascular access schematic diagram; the vascular access schematic diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula of the vascular access, the arteriovenous connection method, and the human body location where the fistula is located; Multiple measurement sites showing vascular access; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain measurement results for each measurement site of the vascular pathway. When each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned, the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway. After obtaining an ultrasonic image of a section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, the ultrasonic image of the section is associated with the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway that marks the position of the currently scanned measurement site and saved.

[0025] One embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon. The program can be executed by a processor to implement the method described above.

[0026] According to the ultrasound imaging device and vascular access assessment method of the above-described embodiment, multiple arteriovenous fistulas and multiple arteriovenous connection methods are displayed for the user to select. A corresponding vascular course map is generated based on the user-selected arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous connection method. The vascular course map is displayed and the locations of multiple measurement sites of the vascular access are marked on the map. Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain measurement results for each measurement site of the vascular access. This eliminates the need for doctors to manually draw the vascular access and provides prompts indicating the locations of each measurement site, improving the efficiency of doctors' vascular access assessments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an embodiment of an ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention; Figure 2 A flowchart of an embodiment of a method for evaluating vascular access provided by the present invention; Figure 3a In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, the main display shows a schematic diagram of the vascular access pattern; Figure 3b In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, the touch screen displays a schematic diagram of an arteriovenous fistula and an arteriovenous connection mode; Figure 4 In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, the touch screen displays a diagram of the blood vessel shape and a schematic diagram of the branch modification area; Figure 5a In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, the main display displays a schematic diagram of the blood vessel pathway and a schematic diagram of the ultrasonic image; Figure 5b In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, the touch screen displays a diagram of the blood vessel shape and a schematic diagram of the measurement site area; Figure 6a In the ultrasound imaging device provided by the present invention, the main display displays a schematic diagram of the vascular pathway, an ultrasound image, and an annotated schematic diagram; Figure 6b In the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, the touch screen displays a schematic diagram of the blood vessel shape and an annotation selection area; Figure 7a A schematic diagram of an ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention, wherein a main display displays an evaluation report; Figure 7b A schematic diagram of the display interface corresponding to the touch screen when the main display displays the evaluation report in the ultrasonic imaging device provided by the present invention; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of vascular access Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an embodiment; Figure 9is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a vascular access schematic diagram; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of a vascular access schematic diagram; Figure 11 for Figure 2 Flowchart of step 3 of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present invention will be further described in detail below by means of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are numbered with associated similar elements. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable the present application to be better understood. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that some of the features may be omitted in different circumstances, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid the core portion of the present application being overwhelmed by excessive descriptions, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail. They will fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0029] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification may be combined in any appropriate manner to form various embodiments. Furthermore, the steps or actions in the method description may be reordered or adjusted in a manner readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are provided solely for the purpose of clearly describing a particular embodiment and are not intended to be mandatory, unless otherwise specified.

[0030] Component numbers used herein, such as "first" and "second," are used solely to distinguish the components being described and do not convey any sequential or technical meaning. References to "connection" and "coupling" in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (couplings).

[0031] The present invention uses ultrasound imaging equipment to electronically perform vascular access assessment, which reduces the complexity of manual operations for doctors and facilitates subsequent tracing. It also streamlines vascular access assessment, which is conducive to standardizing and unifying the vascular access assessment process. This is described in detail below through some embodiments.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound imaging device may include an ultrasound probe 10 , a transmission and reception control circuit 20 , a processor 30 , a human-computer interaction device 50 , and a memory 40 .

[0033] The ultrasound probe 10 is used to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive corresponding ultrasonic echoes. The ultrasound probe 10 may include a transducer (not shown) composed of multiple array elements arranged in an array. The array elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves in response to excitation electrical signals or to convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each array element can be used to convert electrical pulse signals into and from ultrasonic waves, thereby transmitting ultrasonic waves to the target biological tissue and receiving ultrasonic echoes reflected from the tissue.

[0034] The transmit and receive control circuit 20 is used to control the ultrasound probe 10 to transmit ultrasound waves and receive ultrasound echo signals. For example, the transmit and receive control circuit 20 is used to control the ultrasound probe 10 to transmit ultrasound waves toward the target tissue and to control the ultrasound probe 10 to receive ultrasound echo signals reflected from the region of interest. In some specific embodiments, the transmit and receive control circuit 20 is used to generate a transmit sequence and a receive sequence and output them to the ultrasound probe 10. The transmit sequence is used to control some or all of the multiple array elements in the ultrasound probe 10 to transmit ultrasound waves toward the target tissue. The transmit sequence parameters include the number of array elements used for transmission and ultrasound transmission parameters (such as amplitude, frequency, number of transmissions, transmission interval, transmission angle, waveform, and / or focus position). The receive sequence is used to control some or all of the multiple array elements to receive ultrasound echoes after they pass through the tissue. The receive sequence parameters include the number of array elements used for reception and echo reception parameters (such as reception angle and depth). Depending on the application of the ultrasound echo or the image generated based on the ultrasound echo, the ultrasound parameters in the transmit sequence and the echo parameters in the receive sequence may vary. The transmit and receive control circuit 20 may include a transmit circuit 210 and a receive circuit 220. Of the aforementioned functions of the transmit and receive control circuit 20, the transmit circuit 210 may perform functions related to transmission, while the receive circuit 220 may perform functions related to reception. For example, the transmit circuit 210 may be used to control the ultrasound probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves, such as by stimulating the ultrasound probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves toward a target object under the control of the processor 30. The receive circuit 220 may be used to control the ultrasound probe 10 to receive ultrasonic echoes, such as by receiving ultrasonic echoes returned from a target object through the ultrasound probe 10 to obtain ultrasonic echo signals, and may also process the ultrasonic echo signals. The receive circuit 220 may include one or more amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and the like.

[0035] The memory 40 is used to store various types of data.

[0036] The ultrasound imaging apparatus may further include a beamforming module 70 and an IQ demodulation module 80 .

[0037] The beamforming module 70 is signal-connected to the receiving circuit 220 and is used to perform beamforming processing, such as delay and weighted summation, on the echo signals. Because the distances between the ultrasound receiving points in the tissue being measured and the receiving elements vary, the channel data from the same receiving point output by different receiving elements have different delays. This requires delay processing, phase alignment, and weighted summation of the different channel data from the same receiving point to produce beamformed ultrasound image data. The ultrasound image data output by the beamforming module 70 is also referred to as radio frequency data (RF data). The beamforming module 70 outputs the RF data to the IQ demodulation module 80. In some embodiments, the beamforming module 70 may also output the RF data to the memory 40 for caching or storage, or directly output the RF data to the processor 30 for image processing.

[0038] The beamforming module 70 can perform the above functions in the form of hardware, firmware or software. The beamforming module 70 can be integrated into the processor 30 or set separately, which is not limited in the present invention.

[0039] The IQ demodulation module 80 removes the signal carrier through IQ demodulation, extracts the tissue structure information contained in the signal, and performs filtering to remove noise. The resulting signal is called a baseband signal (IQ data pair). The IQ demodulation module 80 outputs the IQ data pair to the processor 30 for image processing. In some embodiments, the IQ demodulation module 80 also outputs the IQ data pair to the memory 40 for caching or storage, so that the processor 30 can read the data from the memory 40 for subsequent image processing.

[0040] The IQ demodulation module 80 may also be implemented in hardware, firmware, or software to perform the above functions. Similarly, the IQ demodulation module 80 may be integrated into the processor 30 or may be independently configured, which is not limited in the present invention.

[0041] The processor 30 is configured to be a central control circuit (CPU), one or more microprocessors, a graphics controller circuit (GPU) or any other electronic component that can process input data according to specific logical instructions. It can control peripheral electronic components according to input instructions or predetermined instructions, or read and / or save data from the memory 40. It can also process the input data by executing the program in the memory 40, for example, performing one or more processing operations on the collected ultrasound data according to one or more working modes. The processing operations include but are not limited to adjusting or limiting the form of ultrasound waves emitted by the ultrasound probe 10, generating various image frames for subsequent display on the display of the human-computer interaction device 50, or adjusting or limiting the content and form displayed on the display, or adjusting one or more image display settings displayed on the display (such as ultrasound images, interface components, and positioning areas of interest).

[0042] As echo signals are received, the acquired ultrasound data may be processed by the processor 30 in real time during scanning, or may be temporarily stored on the memory 40 and processed in quasi-real time in either online or offline operation.

[0043] In this embodiment, the processor 30 controls the operation of the transmitting circuit 210 and the receiving circuit 220, for example, controlling the transmitting circuit 210 and the receiving circuit 220 to operate alternately or simultaneously. The processor 30 may also determine an appropriate operating mode, such as B-image mode, C-image mode, and D-image mode (Doppler mode), based on a user's selection or program settings, form a transmission sequence corresponding to the current operating mode, and send the transmission sequence to the transmitting circuit 210, so that the transmitting circuit 210 uses the appropriate transmission sequence to control the ultrasound probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves.

[0044] The processor 30 is also used to process the ultrasound data to generate a grayscale image showing the signal strength changes within the scanning range. The grayscale image reflects the internal anatomical structure of the tissue, which is called a B image. The processor 30 can output the B image to the display of the human-computer interaction device 50 for display.

[0045] Human-computer interaction device 50 is used for human-computer interaction, such as outputting visual information and receiving user input. Human-computer interaction device 50 includes an input device and at least one display. The input device is used to receive user input and can be a keyboard, operation buttons, mouse, trackball, touchpad, touch screen, etc.

[0046] The process of the processor 30 controlling the ultrasound imaging device to perform vascular access assessment may be shown in FIG3 , and includes the following steps: Step 1: Obtain a vascular access diagram. Specifically, processor 30 obtains a vascular access diagram. The vascular access diagram graphically displays the arteriovenous fistula (showing the arterial and venous types), the arteriovenous connection method, and the location of the fistula on the human body. This diagram allows the user to understand which artery and vein the fistula was created in, as well as the connection method between the artery and vein.

[0047] A vascular trajectory map may also be obtained. Specifically, the processor 30 obtains the vascular trajectory map. The vascular trajectory map is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula (showing the arterial and venous types) and the arteriovenous connection method of the vascular pathway. In other words, the vascular trajectory map allows the user to understand which artery and vein the fistula was created in the patient, as well as the connection method between the artery and vein.

[0048] There are many ways to obtain the vascular access schematic diagram and the vascular shape diagram, such as the user hand-drawing and then taking a photo and uploading it, that is, the processor 30 receives the vascular access schematic diagram and vascular shape diagram uploaded by the user through the human-computer interaction device 50, or the processor 30 selects the vascular access schematic diagram and vascular shape diagram suitable for the current patient from multiple vascular access schematic diagrams and vascular shape diagrams preset by the ultrasound imaging device, or generates the vascular access schematic diagram and vascular shape diagram in a user-defined manner. This embodiment uses the latter as an example.

[0049] In this embodiment, Figure 3b As shown, the processor 30 displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 for the user to select. For example, the processor 30 displays a variety of schematic diagrams of arteriovenous fistulas AVF ( Figure 3b AVFs 1, 2, and 3 are shown in the figure for the user to select. This diagram clearly illustrates the type of arteriovenous fistula, making it easy for the user to quickly select the current patient's AV fistula type. An AV fistula represents the artery and vein where the fistula is created. The user selects a type of AV fistula, specifically the artery and vein to be created. Types of AV fistulas include, but are not limited to, radial artery-cephalic vein, brachial artery-cephalic vein, brachial artery-basilic vein, and brachial artery-cephalic vein. If the actual fistula type is not one of the aforementioned types, the user can manually draw the shape and name of the artery and vein. The processor 30 receives the vascular shape diagram and the names of the arteries and veins in the diagram uploaded by the user via the human-computer interface 50. The vascular shape diagram can display the arteriovenous shape trend. Regardless of the method, the ultrasound imaging system can be informed of the patient's AV fistula for subsequent graphical presentation. The processor 30 also displays multiple arteriovenous connection methods (shown as end-to-end connection, end-to-side connection, and side-to-side connection in the figure) on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 for user selection. This allows the user to select the appropriate AVF and arteriovenous connection method based on the patient's specific needs. The processor 30 generates a corresponding vascular pathway schematic diagram and / or vascular shape diagram based on at least the user-selected arteriovenous fistula (e.g., the user-selected schematic diagram of the arteriovenous fistula, AVF) and the user-selected arteriovenous connection method. The resulting vascular pathway schematic diagram and vascular shape diagram can graphically present the arteriovenous fistula, AVF, and arteriovenous connection method of the vascular pathway.

[0050] Some fistula surgeries are performed on branch vessels, and measurements need to be taken on the branch vessels. Therefore, in some embodiments, the vascular access schematic diagram and / or vascular course diagram can also graphically present the vascular branches involved in the patient's fistula. For example, the processor 30 also displays a variety of vascular branches for the user to select through the human-computer interaction device 50. The displayed vascular branches are vascular branches that can be used for fistula creation, and the user can select them based on the actual situation of the patient's fistula creation on the branch vessels. In this way, the processor 30 can generate a corresponding vascular access schematic diagram and / or vascular course diagram based on the user's selections: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous connection method, and vascular branches. The vascular access schematic diagram and / or vascular course diagram obtained in this way can not only graphically present the arteriovenous fistula AVF and arteriovenous connection method of the vascular access, but also graphically present the vascular branch selected by the user where the fistula is located.

[0051] Step 2: Display multiple measurement sites of the vascular access. Specifically, the processor 30 displays multiple measurement sites of the vascular access through the human-computer interaction device 50 to prompt the user at which measurement sites the ultrasound scan should be performed and the corresponding measurements should be performed. Figure 6b and Figure 7b The numbers 1-8 represent 8 different measurement sites.

[0052] Step 3: Perform an ultrasonic scan of each measurement site based on the user's operation to obtain measurement results for each measurement site in the vascular access. Specifically, the processor 30 can receive the user's operation via the human-computer interaction device 50 and, based on the user's operation, perform an ultrasonic scan of each measurement site (e.g., transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to generate an ultrasonic image, storing the image, and performing measurements), to obtain measurement results for each measurement site in the vascular access. During the ultrasonic scan of each measurement site, the processor 30 displays a vascular access schematic diagram F and / or a vascular path diagram via the human-computer interaction device 50. This conveniently and quickly informs the user of the arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous connection method of the current patient's vascular access. In some embodiments, the vascular access schematic diagram F and / or the vascular path diagram can also indicate to the user which vascular branch the fistula was performed on.

[0053] When performing ultrasound scanning on each measurement site, the processor 30 also marks the location of the currently scanned measurement site on the displayed vascular pathway diagram F and / or vascular shape diagram. Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, the measurement sites are pre-numbered. The currently scanned measurement site is 1, and the green dot is the location of the measurement site numbered 1. In other words, the location of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the displayed vascular pathway diagram F. Specifically, the identifier (e.g., the number) of the currently scanned measurement site can be displayed at the location corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site on the displayed vascular pathway diagram F. This clearly indicates to the user which location the ultrasound scan should be performed on.

[0054] It can be seen that through the above-mentioned vascular access assessment process, the user can be prompted which measurement sites need to be measured and which measurement site is currently being scanned and measured, thereby improving the efficiency of doctors in assessing patients' vascular access.

[0055] Ultrasonic imaging equipment has many functions. For different purposes, parts, and tissues and organs, there are usually special examination modes, such as physical examination mode, neonatal mode, obstetrics mode, cardiac mode, elastic imaging mode, etc. The ultrasonic imaging equipment of the present invention also has a vascular access mode. The processor 30 displays multiple examination modes for the user to select through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50. When the user selects the vascular access mode, the vascular access mode is turned on. Figure 2 The vascular access assessment process shown in FIG. 1 is that the processor 30 receives an instruction for selecting a vascular access mode through the human-computer interaction device 50 and executes steps 1, 2, and 3 in response to the instruction. After the user selects the inspection mode, the processor 30 also displays an inspection mode display area A1 on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50, as shown in FIG. Figure 3a As shown, the inspection mode display area A1 is used to display the current inspection mode. In the figure, the current inspection mode is the vascular access mode.

[0056] After the user selects the vascular access mode, in step 1, Figure 3b As shown, the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 displays a vascular template selection area (the area containing the three green dashed boxes) and a connection mode selection area A2. The vascular template selection area is used to display schematic diagrams of various arteriovenous fistulas (AVF), and the connection mode selection area is used to display various arteriovenous connection modes. In this embodiment, the connection mode selection area A2 is presented as a drop-down menu. That is, in Figure 3, each arteriovenous fistula schematic diagram AVF has a drop-down menu. After the user selects the type of arteriovenous fistula, they click the triangle drop-down menu to display the connection mode selection area A2, where they can select the arteriovenous connection mode. The arteriovenous connection modes displayed in the connection mode selection area A2 include, but are not limited to, the following three: end-to-end connection (connection between the vein end and the artery end), end-to-side connection (connection between the vein end and the artery side wall), and side-to-side connection (connection between the vein side wall and the artery side wall).

[0057] In this embodiment, the human-computer interaction device 50 includes a main display and a touch screen. The main display primarily displays visual information, such as ultrasound images, while the touch screen displays a smaller amount of visual information (less than the main display) and receives user input. Multiple examination modes and the examination mode display area A1 can be displayed on the main display. The vascular template selection area and connection method selection area A2 can be displayed on the touch screen, making it very convenient for users to select arteriovenous fistulas and arteriovenous connection methods.

[0058] The processor 30 generates a vascular shape diagram G for presenting the trend of arteriovenous shape according to the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection mode selected by the user, and displays the vascular shape diagram G through the human-computer interaction device 50. For example, the ultrasound imaging device pre-stores a plurality of vascular shape diagrams and / or vascular pathway diagrams F, each of which is associated with an arteriovenous fistula and an arteriovenous connection mode. In this way, the processor can match the vascular shape diagram G and / or vascular pathway diagram F associated with the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection mode selected by the user. Figure 4 As shown, the vascular path diagram G includes a graphic of the artery (indicated by the red line) and the vein (indicated by the blue line) in the user-selected arteriovenous fistula. The connection between the arterial and venous graphics is consistent with the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user. This allows the vascular path diagram G to not only graphically represent the selected arteriovenous fistula but also the trajectory trends (morphology, connection method, etc.) of the arteries and veins within the fistula, providing a visually intuitive presentation.

[0059] In this embodiment, the vascular path diagram G is displayed on the display interface of the touch screen. In step 1, multiple vascular branches and the vascular path diagram G can be displayed on the same display interface (in this embodiment, they are all displayed on the display interface of the touch screen). The display interface showing the vascular path diagram G can also have a function selection area, which is used to switch between the branch modification function, the measurement site modification function, and the annotation addition function. Figure 4As shown, the function selection area may include one or more toggle buttons b1 for user selection, allowing users to switch between branch modification, measurement site modification, and annotation addition. The function selection area displays corresponding content for user operation under different functions, and the touch screen size is kept small, thereby reducing the amount of space occupied by the touch screen display interface. Specifically, when the function selection area switches to the branch modification function, the processor 30 displays multiple vascular branches for the user to select through the human-computer interaction device 50. This may include: displaying a branch modification area A3 in the function selection area of the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 (e.g., the touch screen display interface). The branch modification area A3 displays multiple vascular branch diagrams p for the user to select. The branch modification area A3 is used to add vascular branches to the vascular path diagram G. The function selection area (currently displaying the branch modification area A3) can be displayed adjacent to the vascular path diagram G, making it easier for the user to select and modify vascular branch diagrams p by referring to the vascular path diagram G. The various displayed vascular branches may include: outward-facing vascular branches located on arteries, inward-facing vascular branches located on arteries, outward-facing vascular branches located on veins, inward-facing vascular branches located on veins, etc. The branch modification area A3 also displays a first button b2 for tracing vascular branches, and / or a second button b3 for deleting a selected vascular branch. If the patient's stomated vascular branches differ from all vascular branch diagrams p displayed in the branch modification area A3, the user can manually draw the patient's stomated vascular branches using the first button b2. Specifically, when the user triggers the first button b2, the display interface (e.g., the branch modification area A3) will display a corresponding operation interface for the user to trace the vascular branch. The traced vascular branch will be added as a new vascular branch diagram p in the branch modification area A3, making it available for use by other patients. Of course, if the user selects the wrong vascular branch diagram p, they can simply delete the original vascular branch diagram p using the second button b3 and select another vascular branch diagram p. Branch modification area A3 may also include a confirmation button for confirming the selected vascular branch, thereby determining the vascular path diagram G, if the user has selected a vascular branch. If the user has not selected a vascular branch, the button confirms that the vascular path diagram G does not include any vascular branches, thereby determining the vascular path diagram G. After the vascular path diagram G is determined, ultrasound scanning can be automatically initiated (step 3).

[0060] If the patient's stoma is located on a branch of a vein or artery, the branch needs to be added to the vascular trajectory map G, and measurement sites will be added accordingly. If the patient's stoma is not located on a branch but directly on a vein or artery, selecting (adding) a branch is not necessary. After the user selects a branch, the processor 30 adds the selected branch to the vascular trajectory map G. In one embodiment, the vascular branch diagram p can be dragged onto the vascular trajectory map G. After the user selects a branch (e.g., by long-pressing the vascular branch diagram p), the processor 30 adds the selected branch to the vascular trajectory map G. Specifically, the processor 30 may receive an instruction to drag the selected branch diagram p onto the vascular trajectory map G via the human-computer interaction device 50 (e.g., a touch screen), and then, in response to the instruction, merge the selected branch diagram p with the vascular trajectory map G, thereby adding the selected branch to the vascular trajectory map G. This operation is very convenient for the user to perform on the touch screen. If the patient's fistula is not located on a branch of an artery or vein, the vascular trajectory diagram G usually displays the arterial graph g1 and the venous graph g2 without displaying the vascular branch graph g3. If the user selects a vascular branch, the vascular trajectory diagram G will display the arterial graph g1, the venous graph g2, and the vascular branch graph g3. Figure 4 The small blue line to the right of the vein shown by the middle blue line is the vein's branch. In this way, the vascular shape diagram G not only graphically displays the selected arteriovenous fistula, but also graphically displays the shape trends (morphology, connection method, etc.) of the arteries and veins of the arteriovenous fistula, which is very intuitive.

[0061] Since the vascular pathway diagram F is also generated based on the user-selected arteriovenous fistula, the user-selected arteriovenous connection method, and the user-selected vascular branch (if the user has selected one), the vascular path diagram G can also include the graphic f1 of the artery in the user-selected arteriovenous fistula ( Figure 8 The red line in the middle) and the vein graph f2 ( Figure 8 The connection between the arterial graph f1 and the venous graph f2 is consistent with the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, as shown in the blue line. Figure 8 If the user selects a blood vessel branch, as shown in Figure 9 As shown, the vascular pathway diagram F also includes a vascular branch diagram f3 ( Figure 9 (As shown by the small blue line to the right of the vein indicated by the middle blue line), the vascular access diagram F can include the vascular shape diagram G. In this way, the vascular access diagram F not only graphically presents the selected arteriovenous fistula, but also graphically presents the shape trends (morphology, connection method, etc.) of the arteries and veins of the arteriovenous fistula, making it more intuitive.

[0062] In one embodiment, the processor 30 can superimpose the vascular path diagram G on the body position diagram to obtain a vascular path diagram F. The body position diagram is used to show the body part of the patient where the fistula (internal fistula) is located (such as Figure 8 and 9 (As shown in the figure's arm, the vascular pathway diagram F also graphically represents the location of the fistula.) After being associated with the ultrasound image and stored, the vascular pathway diagram F will also be displayed when the ultrasound image is opened. The information on the vascular pathway diagram F allows the user to identify the associated ultrasound image's location on the body and blood vessels, facilitating tracing.

[0063] In step 2, there are many ways to display the multiple measurement sites of the vascular access, and several examples are given below for illustration.

[0064] In the first method, if Figure 4 and Figure 5b As shown, the processor 30 can mark the locations of multiple measurement sites along the vascular pathway on the vascular course map G and also display the scanning order for these measurement sites. In this embodiment, the vascular course map G displays the multiple measurement site numbers (1-7, 1-8 in the figure) and marks the locations of each measurement site. The measurement site numbers reflect the scanning order, allowing the user to identify which locations require ultrasound scanning and measurement, as well as the scanning order. Measurement sites are located along veins and arteries. If a fistula is created on a venous or arterial branch, there will also be measurement sites on that branch. The multiple measurement sites along the vascular pathway can include multiple of the following seven measurement sites: 1. 3 cm below the elbow, 2. Mid-segment of the vein behind the fistula, 3. 3 cm from the anastomosis, 4. Near the anastomosis, 5. Anastomosis, 6. Mid-segment of the artery before the fistula, and 7. Brachial artery. In this embodiment, after the user selects a vascular branch, not only is a vascular branch graphic g3 added to the vascular course map G, but at least one measurement site is also added. This additional measurement site is located on a vascular branch. This is equivalent to the user not selecting a blood vessel branch, and the measurement site is as follows Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the user selects a blood vessel branch, and the measurement site is as follows Figure 5b As shown in the figure, a measurement site on the vascular branch is added, and the corresponding scanning sequence, measurement site number, etc. are also adjusted and updated.

[0065] In the second method, if Figure 9As shown, processor 30 can mark the locations of multiple measurement sites in the vascular access on vascular access schematic F and also display the scanning order of these measurement sites. In one embodiment, multiple measurement site numbers (1-8 in the figure) are displayed on vascular access schematic F, and the locations of each measurement site are marked. The measurement site numbers reflect the scanning order. Measurement sites are distributed along veins and arteries. If a fistula is created on a venous or arterial branch, there will also be measurement sites on that branch. After the user selects a vascular branch, not only will a vascular branch graphic f3 be added to vascular access schematic F, but at least one measurement site will also be added to vascular access schematic F. This added measurement site is located on the vascular branch. The specific process is the same as the first method and will not be described here.

[0066] In the second method, the positions of the various measurement sites are marked on the vascular pathway diagram F. In order to distinguish the position of the measurement site currently being scanned, such as Figure 10 As shown, the position mark of the currently scanned measurement site can be displayed differently from the position marks of other measurement sites, for example, the position mark of the currently scanned measurement site can be highlighted. Figure 10 The measurement site 8 shown is obviously highlighted and is the measurement site currently being scanned. This not only reminds the user which measurement sites need to be scanned, but also makes the measurement site currently being scanned clearly known.

[0067] In the third method, if Figure 5bAs shown, the processor 30 can display multiple preset measurement site identifiers for the vascular pathway in the measurement site area A4 of the display interface of the human-computer interaction device. The measurement site identifiers are used to uniquely identify the measurement sites. For example, when the function selection area is switched to the Modify Measurement Site function, the processor 30 displays the measurement site area A4 on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device (e.g., a touch screen). The measurement site identifiers are displayed in the measurement site area A4, which displays multiple measurement site identifiers for the vascular pathway. The arrangement order of the measurement site identifiers can be the same as the scanning order of the measurement sites. The measurement site identifiers can include the numbers and / or names of the measurement sites. The measurement site area A4 can also display a third button b4 for adding a measurement site and / or a fourth button b5 for deleting a measurement site. Specifically, when the third button b4 is triggered by the user, the display interface (e.g., the measurement site area A4) displays a corresponding operation interface for the user to add a measurement site. For example, an arrow and a corresponding measurement site number are generated on the vascular curve diagram G. Moving the arrow and the corresponding measurement site number to a corresponding position on the vascular curve diagram G adds a measurement site at that location. Of course, if the user feels there are too many measurement sites, they can delete them using the fourth button b5. The order of the measurement site identifiers (i.e., the order in which the measurement sites are scanned) is typically preset and user-adjustable. For example, the measurement site identifiers can be dragged to adjust the scanning order. Specifically, to change the scanning order, the user can long-press the desired measurement site identifier and drag it. Once the scanning order is changed, the measurement sites on the vascular pathway diagram F and the vascular shape diagram G will also be updated synchronously. Measurement sites can also be added or deleted manually by clicking the Add button b4 and the Delete button b5.

[0068] The plurality of measurement sites of the vascular access may be displayed in one or more of the first, second, and third manners.

[0069] In one embodiment, the vascular pathway diagram F can be displayed on the display interface of the main display, such as Figure 5a and Figure 6a As shown, the vascular course diagram G can be displayed on the display interface of the touch screen, so that the user can obtain a variety of information and sufficient guidance on the vascular pathway no matter which screen he or she looks at.

[0070] Each measurement site corresponds to a section, that is, the user needs to perform an ultrasound scan on the section where each measurement site is located to obtain an ultrasound image, and then perform measurements. Each measurement site or each section corresponds to a measurement item. For example, the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site 3cm below the elbow may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section 3cm below the elbow, which can be measured in B mode (ultrasound B image); the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site of the middle section of the fistula vein may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section of the middle section of the fistula vein, measuring the depth from the skin and the thickness of the blood vessel wall in the longitudinal section, etc., which can be measured in B mode; the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site 3cm at the anastomosis may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section 3cm at the anastomosis (such as 3cm at the distal end of the anastomosis), which can be measured in B mode; the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site near the anastomosis The measurement items corresponding to the site may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section near the anastomosis, which can be measured in B mode; the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site of the anastomosis may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section and longitudinal section of the anastomosis, which can be measured in B mode; the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site of the middle section of the artery before the fistula may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section of the middle section of the artery before the fistula, which can be measured in B mode; the measurement items corresponding to the measurement site of the brachial artery may include: measuring the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the cross section of the brachial artery, measuring the blood flow parameters of the brachial artery in the longitudinal section, the inner diameter of the blood vessel in the longitudinal section, blood flow, etc.

[0071] In one embodiment, step 3 may include Figure 11 Multiple steps shown: Step 31: The processor 30 starts ultrasonic scanning of the sections corresponding to the various measurement sites in sequence according to the preset scanning sequence, and displays the section marks H arranged in the preset scanning sequence through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device, as shown in FIG. Figure 5a and Figure 6a As shown. Specifically, when the processor 30 performs ultrasound scanning of each measurement site based on user input, it also displays slice markers H arranged in a preset scanning order via the display interface of the human-computer interaction device (e.g., the display interface of the main display) to inform the user of the scanning order for each measurement site to be scanned. In one embodiment, the slice markers H can be dragged to adjust the scanning order. Specifically, if the user needs to change the scanning order, they can simply long-press the slice marker H to be changed and then drag it, which is very convenient. After the scanning order is changed, the measurement sites on the vascular pathway diagram F and the vascular shape diagram G are also updated synchronously.

[0072] Step 32: After the processor 30 starts an ultrasonic scan of a section corresponding to a measurement site, it controls the ultrasonic probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive corresponding ultrasonic echoes through the transmitting and receiving control circuit 20; the ultrasonic echoes are processed to generate an ultrasonic image. The specific process is described above and will not be repeated here. The processor 30 displays the ultrasonic image through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic image is specifically displayed through the display interface of the main display, such as Figure 5a 、 Figure 6a As shown in the figure, the ultrasound image is displayed on the same screen as the section markers H arranged in a preset scanning order. The section marker H of the currently scanned section (corresponding measurement site) can be displayed differently from other section markers H. For example, the highlighted section marker H in the figure is the section marker H of the currently scanned section. This can clearly remind the user which section is currently being scanned and which section to scan next, making it easier for the user to place the probe and adjust the probe angle in a targeted manner, thereby improving work efficiency. The section marker H can include the section name (such as the Chinese name or English abbreviation) and can also include a graphic for illustration.

[0073] In step 33, the processor 30 measures the vascular region in the ultrasound image based on the user's measurement operation and obtains a measurement result for the current measurement site. When performing ultrasound scans at each measurement site based on the user's operation, the processor 30 may display the measurement item corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device (e.g., the display interface of the main display). This allows the user to measure the current measurement item on the ultrasound image and obtain the measurement result for the current measurement item. This cycle continues to obtain the measurement results for all measurement items corresponding to the measurement sites.

[0074] After obtaining the measurement results of the measurement items, the processor 30 can display the measurement results of the measurement items through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50. In this embodiment, Figure 6a As shown, the display interface of the main display has a result display area I, and the measurement results of the measurement items are displayed in the result display area I. The result display area I can be adjacent to the ultrasound image, so that the measurement results can be viewed in time after the measurement.

[0075] When the processor 30 performs ultrasonic scanning on each measurement site based on the user's operation, Figure 6b As shown, the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 can also display a variety of annotations for reflecting the type of vascular abnormalities for the user to select, and the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 can display the annotation selected by the user for the measurement site currently scanned (such as Figure 6a"Calcification" in the function selection area). For example, when the function selection area is switched to the add annotation function, the processor 30 displays the add annotation area A5 on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device (such as the display interface of the touch screen). The add annotation area A5 displays a plurality of preset annotations (such as the name of the annotation) for the user to select. These annotations can be abnormal result annotations, reflecting the abnormal conditions of the blood vessels, such as calcification, stenosis, thrombus, plaque, and hemangioma. The user can select appropriate annotations according to the actual situation of the patient. The add annotation area A5 can also be displayed with: a fifth button b6 for adding annotations, and / or a sixth button b7 for deleting annotations. That is, after the fifth button b6 is triggered by the user, the display interface (such as its add annotation area A5) will display the corresponding operation interface for the user to enter annotations, so that if the user finds that the patient's vascular abnormalities are not in the add annotation area A5, the corresponding annotations can be added conveniently. Of course, if the user feels that there are too many annotations or the wrong annotation is selected, it can be deleted through the sixth button b7. The annotations selected by the user for the measurement site currently scanned can be displayed on the display interface of the main display, adjacent to the ultrasound image (such as Figure 6b If the user finds an abnormality during the scan, they can simply tap the annotation on the touchscreen and the annotation will appear in the lower left corner of the ultrasound image, which is very convenient.

[0076] When performing ultrasound scans of various measurement sites based on user operations, the processor 30 may, after obtaining an ultrasound image of a section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, associate the ultrasound image of the section with a vascular pathway diagram F that marks the location of the currently scanned measurement site and save the associated image. Subsequently, upon obtaining measurement results and / or annotations for the measurement site, the processor 30 may associate and save multiple of the ultrasound image, vascular pathway diagram F, measurement results, and annotations (if any). After the ultrasound image of the current section (measurement site) is saved, the section identifier H may be changed to a thumbnail of the saved ultrasound image to indicate to the user which sections have ultrasound images and which have not. After a vascular access assessment, the assessment process and results may need to be reviewed. For example, a patient may need to review the status of their previous vascular fistulas during a follow-up examination some time after surgery. Ultrasound images of blood vessels are often close together, making it difficult to discern the measurement site and section of the ultrasound image based solely on the ultrasound image. Therefore, the ultrasound image of the section is associated and stored with the vascular access schematic F. Subsequently, the location of the measurement site marked on the vascular access schematic F allows the user to determine the location, blood vessel (artery or vein), and location of the ultrasound image, which is obtained. This is very convenient and quick. Specifically, after receiving an instruction to open the ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the measurement site, the processor 30 responds to the instruction by displaying the ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the measurement site and the vascular access schematic F associated with the ultrasound image of the section on the display interface of the human-computer interaction device (e.g., the display interface of the main display), thereby notifying the user of the measurement site at which the ultrasound image of the section was obtained.

[0077] The processor 30 can also generate an evaluation report based on the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular access and the annotations selected by the user, and display the evaluation report through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device 50 (such as the display interface of the main display). The evaluation report may include a result record form (such as Figure 7a The table shows the measurement results and abnormal conditions (notes) of each measurement site, such as the blood vessel diameter, flow rate, and blood vessel abnormality notes at each measurement site. When displaying the evaluation report, a vascular access diagram F can also be displayed. Figure 7b As shown, the processor 30 may also display a seventh button b8 for exporting the evaluation report and / or an eighth button b9 for uploading the evaluation report via the display interface (e.g., a touch screen) of the human-computer interaction device 50. This allows the user to export the results for patient review or upload them to a server for storage.

[0078] The ultrasound imaging device can provide a highly automated workflow to guide users in vascular access assessment. After the doctor selects the vascular access mode, the main display will show Figure 3aThe display interface shown indicates that the current mode is vascular access. Accordingly, the touch screen will display when the vascular access mode is triggered. Figure 3b The display interface shown is for the doctor to select the patient's arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous connection method. After the doctor selects the arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous connection method, the touch screen will display Figure 4 The display interface shown allows the doctor to select a vascular branch. The doctor can select or not select a vascular branch based on the patient's condition. After the doctor confirms the vascular branch or confirms that there is no vascular branch, the touch screen will display Figure 5b The display interface shown, the main display shows Figure 5a The display interface shown allows doctors to perform ultrasound scans according to the measurement sites and scanning sequence. Measurements can be made during the scanning process, and the corresponding main display shows Figure 6a The display interface shown can also be annotated, and the corresponding touch screen display Figure 6b After scanning all measurement sites, the main display shows Figure 7a The display interface shown is used to display the evaluation report, and the touch screen displays Figure 7b The display interface shown provides buttons for doctors to operate, such as data export and upload. The specific content of this workflow has been detailed in the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here. As can be seen, the present invention provides an automated and standardized vascular access assessment process, presented entirely in a graphical format. It is well suited for vascular access assessment scenarios in nephrology, greatly improving the efficiency of doctors' patient vascular access assessments.

[0079] This document is described with reference to various exemplary embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of this document. For example, the various operational steps and components used to perform the operational steps may be implemented in different ways (e.g., one or more steps may be deleted, modified, or incorporated into other steps) depending on the specific application or any number of cost functions associated with the operation of the system.

[0080] Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the principles herein may be embodied in a computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium pre-installed with computer-readable program code. Any tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be used, including magnetic storage devices (hard disks, floppy disks, etc.), optical storage devices (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), flash memory, and / or the like. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to form a machine, such that the instructions, when executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device, generate a device that implements a specified function. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which may instruct the computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory may form an article of manufacture, including a device that implements a specified function. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, causing the computer or other programmable device to execute a series of operational steps to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, when executed on the computer or other programmable device, provide the steps for implementing the specified function.

[0081] Although the principles of this invention have been shown in various embodiments, many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportion, elements, materials and components that are particularly suitable for specific environments and operational requirements can be used without departing from the principles and scope of this invention. The above modifications and other changes or amendments are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.

[0082] The foregoing detailed description has been described with reference to various embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure will be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications will be included within its scope. Similarly, the advantages, other advantages and solutions to the problems of the various embodiments have been described above. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to the problems and any elements that can produce these, or make them more specific, should not be interpreted as critical, required or necessary. The term "comprising" and any other variants used in this article are all non-exclusive inclusions, so that a process, method, article or device that includes a list of elements includes not only these elements, but also other elements that are not explicitly listed or do not belong to the process, method, system, article or device. In addition, the term "coupled" and any other variants used in this article refer to physical connections, electrical connections, magnetic connections, optical connections, communication connections, functional connections and / or any other connections.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes can be made to the details of the above embodiments without departing from the basic principles of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined from the following claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: include: An ultrasonic probe, used for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving corresponding ultrasonic echoes; A transmitting and receiving control circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echoes; Human-computer interaction device; Processor for: The human-computer interaction device displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for the user to select, and also displays a variety of arteriovenous connection methods for the user to select; Generate a corresponding blood vessel shape diagram based at least on the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; the blood vessel shape diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; Displaying the blood vessel shape diagram through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device, and marking the positions of multiple measurement sites of the blood vessel pathway on the blood vessel shape diagram; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular pathway.

2. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: include: An ultrasonic probe, used for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving corresponding ultrasonic echoes; A transmitting and receiving control circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echoes; Human-computer interaction device; Processor for: Obtaining a vascular access schematic diagram; the vascular access schematic diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula of the vascular access, the arteriovenous connection method, and the human body location where the fistula is located; Displaying multiple measurement sites of the vascular pathway through the human-computer interaction device; each measurement site corresponds to a section; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain measurement results for each measurement site of the vascular pathway. When each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned, the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway. After obtaining an ultrasonic image of a section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, the ultrasonic image of the section is associated with the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway that marks the position of the currently scanned measurement site and saved.

3. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1, wherein The processor is further configured to: Generate a corresponding vascular access diagram based at least on the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; the vascular access diagram is used to graphically present: the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user, the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, and the human body part where the fistula is located; The vascular access schematic diagram is displayed through the display interface of the human-computer interaction device, and the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the vascular access schematic diagram.

4. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein: The processor is further configured to display a plurality of vascular branches for selection by the user through the human-computer interaction device; the processor generates a corresponding vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway schematic diagram based on at least the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, including: Based on the user's selections of: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous connection mode, and vascular branches, a corresponding vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway schematic is generated; the vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway schematic is also used to graphically present the vascular branches selected by the user.

5. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 4, wherein: The processor generates a corresponding vascular shape diagram or vascular pathway diagram based on the user's selection of: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous connection mode, and vascular branching, including: generating a vascular shape diagram or a vascular pathway diagram for presenting the trend of the arteriovenous shape according to the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user, and displaying the vascular shape diagram or the vascular pathway diagram through the human-computer interaction device; After the user selects a blood vessel branch, the blood vessel branch selected by the user is added to the blood vessel shape diagram or the blood vessel pathway diagram.

6. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 2, wherein: The processor displays a plurality of measurement sites of the vascular access through the human-computer interaction device, including: The human-computer interaction device displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for the user to select, and also displays a variety of arteriovenous connection methods for the user to select; generating a corresponding blood vessel shape diagram based on at least the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; The positions of multiple measurement sites of the vascular access are marked on the vascular course map.

7. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: When the processor performs ultrasound scanning on each measurement site based on the user's operation, the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the blood vessel shape map.

8. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 3, wherein: Each measurement site corresponds to a section; when the processor performs an ultrasonic scan on each measurement site based on the user's operation, after obtaining an ultrasonic image of the section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, the ultrasonic image of the section is associated with a schematic diagram of the vascular pathway that marks the position of the currently scanned measurement site and saved.

9. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 2 or 8, characterized in that: The processor is further configured to: After receiving an instruction for opening the ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the measurement site, in response to the instruction, the ultrasound image of the section corresponding to the measurement site and the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway associated with the ultrasound image of the section are displayed through the human-computer interaction device.

10. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: Each measurement site corresponds to a measurement item; when the processor performs ultrasonic scanning on each measurement site based on the user's operation, the measurement item corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site is displayed through the human-computer interaction device; after obtaining the measurement result of the measurement item, the measurement result of the measurement item is displayed through the human-computer interaction device.

11. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the processor performs ultrasonic scanning on each measurement site based on the user's operation, the human-computer interaction device displays a plurality of annotations reflecting the type of vascular abnormalities for the user to select, and the human-computer interaction device displays the annotation selected by the user for the currently scanned measurement site.

12. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 11, wherein The processor is further configured to: An evaluation report is generated based on the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular access and the annotations selected by the user.

13. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that: The human-computer interaction device includes a main display and a touch screen; the main display is used to display the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway, the ultrasound image obtained by ultrasonic scanning of each measurement site based on the user's operation, and the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular pathway; the touch screen is used to display the multiple arteriovenous fistulas, multiple arteriovenous connection methods, multiple vascular branches and vascular course diagrams.

14. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The processor displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for the user to select through the human-computer interaction device, including: The human-computer interaction device displays schematic diagrams of multiple arteriovenous fistulas for users to select.

15. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 5, wherein The processor displays multiple blood vessel branches for the user to select through the human-computer interaction device, including: The branch modification area of the display interface of the human-computer interaction device displays a variety of blood vessel branch schematics for the user to select; the branch modification area also displays: a first button for tracing blood vessel branches, and / or a second button for deleting the selected blood vessel branches.

16. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 15, wherein: The vascular branch schematic diagram can be dragged onto the vascular shape diagram; after the user selects the vascular branch, the processor adds the vascular branch selected by the user to the vascular shape diagram, including: After receiving an instruction for dragging the selected blood vessel branch schematic diagram onto the blood vessel shape diagram through the human-computer interaction device, in response to the instruction, the selected blood vessel branch schematic diagram is merged with the blood vessel shape diagram, thereby adding the blood vessel branch selected by the user to the blood vessel shape diagram.

17. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 2, wherein: The processor displays a plurality of measurement sites of the vascular access through the human-computer interaction device, including: The measurement site area of the display interface of the human-computer interaction device displays multiple measurement site identifiers of the vascular access; the measurement site area also displays: a third button for adding a measurement site, and / or a fourth button for deleting a measurement site.

18. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: Each measurement site corresponds to a section; the processor performs an ultrasonic scan on each measurement site based on the user's operation to obtain measurement results of each measurement site in the vascular pathway, including: Initiating ultrasound scanning of the sections corresponding to the respective measurement sites in sequence according to a preset scanning order, and displaying the section identifiers arranged in the preset scanning order through the human-computer interaction device; After initiating an ultrasonic scan of a section corresponding to a measurement site, the ultrasonic probe is controlled by a transmitting and receiving control circuit to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive corresponding ultrasonic echoes; the ultrasonic echoes are processed to generate an ultrasonic image, and the ultrasonic image is displayed by the human-computer interaction device; wherein the ultrasonic image and the section identifiers arranged in the preset scanning order are displayed on the same screen; The blood vessel region in the ultrasound image is measured based on the user's measurement operation to obtain a measurement result of the current measurement site.

19. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 17, wherein: The measurement site markers can be dragged to adjust the scanning order.

20. A method for evaluating vascular access, characterized in that: include: Displays a variety of arteriovenous fistulas for users to choose from, and also displays a variety of arteriovenous connection methods for users to choose from; Generate a corresponding blood vessel shape diagram based at least on the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; the blood vessel shape diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula selected by the user and the arteriovenous connection method selected by the user; displaying the vascular course map and marking positions of multiple measurement sites of the vascular pathway on the vascular course map; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain the measurement results of each measurement site of the vascular pathway.

21. A method for evaluating vascular access, characterized in that: include: Obtain a schematic diagram of vascular access; The vascular access schematic diagram is used to graphically present the arteriovenous fistula of the vascular access, the arteriovenous connection method, and the human body part where the fistula is located; Multiple measurement sites showing vascular access; Based on the user's operation, each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned to obtain measurement results for each measurement site of the vascular pathway. When each measurement site is ultrasonically scanned, the position of the currently scanned measurement site is marked on the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway. After obtaining an ultrasonic image of a section corresponding to the currently scanned measurement site, the ultrasonic image of the section is associated with the schematic diagram of the vascular pathway that marks the position of the currently scanned measurement site and saved.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The medium stores a program, which can be executed by a processor to implement the method according to claim 20 or 21.

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