Method for displaying pressure state of ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic imaging system

Abstract

According to the method for displaying the pressure state of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging system, the ultrasonic probe comprises an ultrasonic probe body, a sound head and a plurality of pressure sensors, the sound head and the pressure sensors are arranged on the ultrasonic probe body, and the pressure sensors are distributed on the two sides of the long axis or the two sides of the short axis of the sound head. The method comprises the following steps: sampling pressure signals collected by the plurality of pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; pressure state information and pressure balance information are output according to the pressure values corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values of the pressure values, and the pressure state information is used for reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue. The pressure balance information comprises at least one of the following information: pressure balance information on the same side of the long axis of the sound head, pressure balance information on the opposite side of the long axis of the sound head, pressure balance information on the same side of the short axis of the sound head, and pressure balance information on the opposite side of the short axis of the sound head. According to the invention, the detection accuracy of the elasticity imaging can be improved, and the repeatability and stability of the elasticity imaging can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and more particularly to a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic imaging system. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasound elastography is widely used in clinical research and diagnosis of thyroid, breast, musculoskeletal, liver, and vascular elasticity. It can qualitatively determine the firmness of a lesion relative to surrounding tissues, or quantitatively determine the firmness of both. This assessment of tissue firmness can effectively assist in the diagnosis and evaluation of cancer lesions, benign and malignant tumors, and postoperative recovery.

[0003] Conventional elastography (e.g., compression elastography) uses a probe to compress tissue and calculates tissue displacement and strain in real time to reflect elastic parameters within the ROI (Region of Interest) and generate images, indirectly reflecting the softness and hardness of different tissues. However, since each tissue compression is performed manually, the degree of compression, frequency of compression, and probe pressure are difficult to maintain, making it difficult to guarantee the repeatability and stability of conventional elastography.

[0004] Shear wave elastography uses a conventional ultrasound probe to excite a focused ultrasound beam, generating acoustic radiation force, which creates a shear wave source within the tissue and produces transversely propagating shear waves. By identifying and detecting the shear waves generated within the tissue and their propagation parameters (such as propagation velocity and Young's modulus—which can be calculated from propagation velocity and density) and imaging these parameters, shear wave elastography can quantitatively and visually determine differences in tissue stiffness. Because shear waves are excited by the acoustic radiation force generated by the focused ultrasound beam and no longer rely on operator pressure, shear wave elastography improves upon conventional elastography in terms of stability and reproducibility. Furthermore, quantitative shear wave measurements make diagnoses more objective, making it a commonly used elastography method. However, in clinical applications of shear wave elastography, tissue elasticity measurements of tissues such as the thyroid, breast, and muscle can vary due to variations in probe tightness, leading to unstable and inaccurate tissue elasticity. Only when the pressure applied by the probe to the tissue is within a certain range can stable elasticity measurements be obtained, allowing for more accurate differentiation between benign and malignant lesions. However, there is currently no similar technology on the market to regulate the range of pressure applied by the probe. It only relies on the doctor's operating experience, so the elasticity measurement results obtained by different operators will also be relatively different. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The Summary of the Invention introduces a series of simplified concepts that will be further described in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention is not intended to limit the key features and essential features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0006] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe. The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and multiple pressure sensors. The multiple pressure sensors are distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head. The method includes:

[0007] Sampling the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor;

[0008] Pressure status information and pressure balance information are output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values. The pressure status information is used to reflect the pressure status between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure balance information includes at least one of the following: pressure balance information on the same side as the long axis of the acoustic head, pressure balance information on the opposite side to the long axis of the acoustic head, pressure balance information on the same side as the short axis of the acoustic head, and pressure balance information on the opposite side to the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0009] In some embodiments, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the same sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor;

[0010] Alternatively, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits correspondingly, and the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure sensors.

[0011] In some embodiments, outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors includes:

[0012] The pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor is outputted respectively according to the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

[0013] In some embodiments, the display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor corresponds to the spatial position of the pressure sensor.

[0014] In some embodiments, outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors includes:

[0015] The pressure state information of the entire ultrasound probe is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors.

[0016] In some embodiments, outputting the overall pressure state information of the ultrasound probe according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors includes:

[0017] Outputting pressure state information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head according to statistics of pressure values ​​corresponding to a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head; and / or

[0018] The pressure state information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head is output according to the statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0019] In some embodiments, the pressure status information includes a graphic reflecting the magnitude of the pressure value.

[0020] In some embodiments, the color of the graphic represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

[0021] In some embodiments, the pressure state information includes a numerical value of the pressure value.

[0022] In some embodiments, the color of the numerical value represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

[0023] In some embodiments, outputting pressure balance information according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors includes at least one of the following:

[0024] Outputting pressure balance information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head;

[0025] Outputting pressure balance information on the side opposite to the long axis of the acoustic head according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​thereof corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the side opposite to the long axis of the acoustic head;

[0026] Outputting pressure balance information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head;

[0027] The pressure balance information on the side opposite to the short axis of the acoustic head is output according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​thereof corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the side opposite to the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method is used before and / or during elastic imaging, and the elastic imaging is at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging.

[0029] In some embodiments, the plurality of pressure sensors are disposed on the surface of the ultrasound probe body or inside the ultrasound probe body.

[0030] In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

[0031] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe, wherein the ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and multiple pressure sensors, wherein the multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The method includes:

[0032] The pressure signals collected by the plurality of pressure sensors are sequentially sampled by the sampling circuit to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor;

[0033] Pressure state information is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, where the pressure state information is used to reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method further includes: outputting pressure balance information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, wherein the pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method is used before and / or during elastic imaging, and the elastic imaging is at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging.

[0036] In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

[0037] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe, wherein the ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and a plurality of pressure sensors. The method includes:

[0038] Obtaining pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors based on the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors;

[0039] Performing elastic imaging on the target tissue using the ultrasound probe to obtain an elastic imaging result of the target tissue;

[0040] Before performing elastic imaging on the target tissue, and / or during performing elastic imaging on the target tissue, pressure state information is output based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, and the pressure state information is used to reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

[0041] In some embodiments, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the same sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure sensors; or, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors at the same time to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure sensors.

[0042] In some embodiments, it further includes:

[0043] Before the elastic imaging, the pressure value is compared with a first preset condition, and first prompt information is displayed according to the comparison result between the pressure value and the first preset condition, wherein the first prompt information is used to reflect whether elastic imaging can be performed currently.

[0044] In some embodiments, it further includes:

[0045] During or after the elastic imaging, the pressure value is compared with a second preset condition, and second prompt information is displayed according to the comparison result between the pressure value and the second preset condition, wherein the second prompt information is used to reflect whether the elastic imaging result is valid.

[0046] In some embodiments, outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors includes:

[0047] The pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor is outputted respectively according to the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

[0048] In some embodiments, the display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor corresponds to the spatial position of the pressure sensor.

[0049] In some embodiments, outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors includes:

[0050] The pressure state information of the entire ultrasound probe is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors.

[0051] In some embodiments, outputting the overall pressure state information of the ultrasound probe according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors includes:

[0052] Outputting pressure state information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head according to statistics of pressure values ​​corresponding to a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head; and / or

[0053] The pressure state information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head is output according to the statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0054] In some embodiments, the pressure status information includes a graphic reflecting the magnitude of the pressure value.

[0055] In some embodiments, the color of the graphic represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

[0056] In some embodiments, the pressure state information includes a numerical value of the pressure value.

[0057] In some embodiments, the color of the numerical value represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

[0058] In some embodiments, the method further includes: outputting pressure balance information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, wherein the pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe.

[0059] In some embodiments, the elastic imaging is at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging.

[0060] In some embodiments, the plurality of pressure sensors are disposed on the surface of the ultrasound probe body or inside the ultrasound probe body.

[0061] In some embodiments, the plurality of pressure sensors are symmetrically or asymmetrically, and evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0062] In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

[0063] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe, wherein the ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and a plurality of pressure sensors. The method includes:

[0064] Obtaining pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors based on the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors;

[0065] acquiring pressure balance information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, wherein the pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe;

[0066] Prompt information is output based on the pressure balance information.

[0067] In some embodiments, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the same sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure sensors; or, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors at the same time to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each of the pressure sensors.

[0068] In some embodiments, the prompt information includes prompting the user whether the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to different positions of the target tissue is uniform.

[0069] In some embodiments, the prompt information includes: prompting the user whether the two scans of the ultrasound probe are at the same scanning angle.

[0070] In some embodiments, the plurality of pressure sensors are symmetrically or asymmetrically, and evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0071] In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

[0072] A fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present invention provides an ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

[0073] An ultrasonic probe, comprising an ultrasonic probe body and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasonic probe body;

[0074] a sampling circuit, configured to sample the pressure signal collected by the pressure sensor to obtain a pressure value corresponding to the pressure sensor;

[0075] a transmitting circuit, configured to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target tissue;

[0076] A receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo signal;

[0077] a processor, configured to execute the above-mentioned method for displaying the pressure state of the ultrasound probe to generate the pressure state information and / or the pressure balance information;

[0078] A display is used to display the pressure status information and / or the pressure balance information.

[0079] In some embodiments, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; alternatively, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors at the same time to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

[0080] The method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe and the ultrasound imaging system of an embodiment of the present invention can prevent the ultrasound probe from applying excessive pressure to the target tissue, causing the target tissue to appear as a false positive in elastic imaging, thereby effectively improving the detection accuracy of elastic imaging while ensuring the repeatability and stability of elastic imaging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through a more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0082] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0083] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart showing a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0084] Figure 3A A schematic structural diagram of an ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0085] Figure 3B A structural block diagram of an ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0086] Figure 4AA schematic structural diagram of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0087] Figure 4B A structural block diagram of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0088] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A schematic diagram illustrating pressure values ​​corresponding to a plurality of pressure sensors displayed on a display according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0089] Figure 6A and Figure 6B A schematic diagram showing the display of the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors on a display according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0090] Figure 7A and Figure 7B A schematic diagram showing a display showing graphics reflecting pressure values ​​corresponding to a plurality of pressure sensors, respectively, on a display according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0091] Figure 8A and Figure 8B A schematic diagram showing a graph reflecting the overall pressure value of an ultrasound probe outputted by a plurality of pressure sensors displayed on a display according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0092] Figure 9 A schematic flow chart showing a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0093] Figure 10 A schematic flow chart showing a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0094] Figure 11 A schematic flow chart showing a method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0095] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present invention described in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0096] In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well known in the art are not described to avoid confusion with the present invention.

[0097] It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0098] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0099] In order to fully understand the present invention, a detailed structure will be provided in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present invention. Optional embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention may also have other implementations.

[0100] Next, first refer to Figure 1 An ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural block diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] like Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 100 includes an ultrasound probe 110, a sampling circuit 130, a transmitting circuit 112, a receiving circuit 114, a processor 116, and a display 118. Furthermore, the ultrasound imaging system may further include a transmit / receive selection switch 120 and a beamforming module 122. The transmitting circuit 112 and the receiving circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 via the transmit / receive selection switch 120.

[0102] The ultrasound probe 110 includes multiple transducer elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, or a convex array. The transducer elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves based on excitation electrical signals or convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each transducer element can be used to convert electrical pulse signals into and from ultrasonic waves, thereby transmitting ultrasonic waves to tissue in the target area of ​​the subject and receiving ultrasonic echoes reflected from the tissue.

[0103] During ultrasound imaging, transmit and receive sequences can be used to control which transducer elements are used to transmit and which are used to receive ultrasound waves, or to control the time slots used by the transducer elements to transmit and receive ultrasound echoes. Transducer elements involved in ultrasound transmission can be excited simultaneously by electrical signals, thereby emitting ultrasound waves simultaneously; alternatively, transducer elements involved in ultrasound beam transmission can be excited by multiple electrical signals separated by a certain time interval, thereby continuously emitting ultrasound waves separated by a certain time interval.

[0104] During ultrasound imaging, the transmitting circuit 112 generates a transmission sequence under the control of the processor 116. The transmission sequence is used to control some or all of the multiple transducer elements to transmit ultrasound waves toward the target tissue. The transmission sequence parameters include the number of transducer element positions used for transmission and the ultrasound beam transmission parameters, such as amplitude, frequency, number of transmissions, transmission interval, transmission angle, waveform, etc. In some cases, the transmitting circuit 112 is also used to phase delay the transmitted beam so that different transducer elements transmit ultrasound waves at different times. The transmission sequence parameters corresponding to different imaging modes may be different. After the ultrasound echo signal is received by the receiving circuit 114 and processed by subsequent modules and corresponding algorithms, ultrasound images of different imaging modes can be generated.

[0105] The receiving circuit 114 may include one or more amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, and the like. The amplifiers are used to amplify received ultrasonic echo signals after appropriate gain compensation, while the analog-to-digital converters are used to sample the analog echo signals at predetermined intervals and convert them into digitized signals. The digitized echo signals retain amplitude, frequency, and phase information. The receiving circuit 114 transmits the ultrasonic echo signals to the beamforming module 122 for processing.

[0106] The beamforming module 122 performs processing on the ultrasonic echo signals, including focusing delay, weighting, and channel summing, before sending them to the processor 116. The processor 116 performs signal detection, signal enhancement, data conversion, and logarithmic compression on the ultrasonic echo signals to form an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image generated by the processor 116 can be displayed on the display 118 or stored in the memory 124.

[0107] Before or during ultrasound imaging, sampling circuit 130 obtains the pressure value between ultrasound probe 100 and target tissue and sends it to processor 116. Processor 116 processes the pressure signal. The processed data can be displayed on display 118 or stored in memory 124.

[0108] Optionally, the processor 116 may be implemented as software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof, and may use one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more general-purpose integrated circuits, one or more microprocessors, one or more programmable logic devices, or any combination of the foregoing circuits and / or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 116 may control other components in the ultrasound imaging system 100 to execute the corresponding steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this specification.

[0109] The display 118 is connected to the processor 116 and can be a touch screen display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. Alternatively, the display 118 can be an independent display such as a liquid crystal display or a television that is independent of the ultrasound imaging system 100. Alternatively, the display 118 can be a display screen of an electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. There can be one or more displays 118 .

[0110] The display 118 can display the ultrasound image and / or data processing results obtained by the processor 116. Furthermore, while displaying the ultrasound image, the display 118 can also provide the user with a graphical interface for human-computer interaction. One or more controlled objects can be set on the graphical interface, allowing the user to input operating instructions using a human-computer interaction device to control these controlled objects and thereby perform corresponding control operations. For example, icons can be displayed on the graphical interface, and the human-computer interaction device can be used to operate these icons to perform specific functions, such as drawing a region of interest on the ultrasound image.

[0111] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include other human-computer interaction devices in addition to the display 118, which are connected to the processor 116. For example, the processor 116 may be connected to the human-computer interaction device via an external input / output port. The external input / output port may be a wireless communication module, a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input / output port may also be implemented based on USB, a bus protocol such as CAN, and / or a wired network protocol.

[0112] The human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information. The input information may be, for example, a control instruction for the timing of ultrasonic transmission / reception, an operation input instruction for drawing a point, line, or frame on an ultrasonic image, or other instruction types. The input device may include one or a combination of a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen display, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc. The human-computer interaction device may also include an output device such as a printer.

[0113] The ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include a memory 124 for storing instructions executed by the processor, received ultrasound echoes, ultrasound images, data processing results, and the like. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, and the like. The memory may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory, and may be a removable memory and / or a non-removable memory.

[0114] It should be understood that Figure 1 The components included in the ultrasound imaging system 100 are merely exemplary, and the system may include more or fewer components, which is not a limitation of the present invention.

[0115] Below, we will refer to Figure 2 A method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method 200 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] The ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic probe body, an acoustic head and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasonic probe body, wherein the plurality of pressure sensors are distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head. Figure 2 As shown, a method 200 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0117] In step S210, the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors are sampled to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor;

[0118] In step S220, pressure status information and pressure balance information are output based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values. The pressure status information is used to reflect the pressure status between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure balance information includes at least one of the following: pressure balance information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head, pressure balance information on the opposite side of the long axis of the acoustic head, pressure balance information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head, and pressure balance information on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head.

[0119] The method 200 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be applied before or during elastography. For example, before elastography acquisition, the operator is typically required to hold the ultrasound probe in a stable state, and the patient must not exhibit noticeable breathing, coughing, or movement. Therefore, the method 200 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be used to process pressure signals collected by multiple pressure sensors within a period of time (e.g., 1 second) before elastography acquisition. Based on the output pressure state information and pressure balance information, the pressure signals collected by the ultrasound probe and the patient's target tissue are determined to be relatively stable. Once the pressure is relatively stable, an effective elastography acquisition process can be performed on the patient. For example, during elastography acquisition, if the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe on the target tissue exceeds the pressure range, the elasticity measurement result can be affected. Therefore, the method 200 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be used to process pressure signals collected by multiple pressure sensors during elastography acquisition. Based on the output pressure state information and pressure balance information, the pressure signals collected by the ultrasound probe and the patient's target tissue are determined to be relatively stable. Furthermore, the pressure state information and pressure balance information can be used to determine whether the data collected during elastography is valid, thereby obtaining accurate and stable elasticity measurement results. The elastic imaging may be at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging, which is not limited thereto.

[0120] Based on the above process, this embodiment can directly reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue based on the pressure state information output by the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, so as to help the operator understand the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe on the target tissue (which may include the magnitude of the applied pressure, the angle of the applied pressure, etc.), for the operator's reference to perform appropriate pressure control of the ultrasound probe, and avoid excessive pressure of the ultrasound probe on the target tissue, causing the target tissue to appear as a false positive in elastic imaging, thereby effectively improving the detection accuracy of elastic imaging, while ensuring the repeatability and stability of elastic imaging.

[0121] It should be noted that there is not a single point of contact between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure applied by the ultrasound probe is often inconsistent at different contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. Therefore, this embodiment can collect the pressure conditions at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue through multiple pressure sensors, thereby avoiding data deviation from single-point detection and more accurately reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue as a whole.

[0122] In addition, this embodiment can also reflect whether the pressure applied by the ultrasonic probe at various positions of the target tissue is uniform based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, such as whether the area on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue, whether the area on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue, whether the area on the same side of the short axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue, and whether the area on the opposite side of the short axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue. The pressure balance information can avoid the situation where the local pressure applied by the ultrasonic probe on the target tissue exceeds the pressure range, ensure that the pressure applied by the ultrasonic probe at various positions of the target tissue is within the pressure range, and improve the detection accuracy, repeatability and stability of elastic imaging.

[0123] The ultrasound probe of this embodiment may be a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a biplane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, or a matrix ultrasound probe, etc., without limitation thereto.

[0124] For example, Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the ultrasound probe body 310 includes a probe housing and components such as a board disposed within the probe housing. The ultrasonic head 320 and multiple pressure sensors 330 are disposed on the surface of the ultrasound probe body 310 and connected to the board within the probe housing. Furthermore, the multiple pressure sensors 330 can be evenly or unevenly distributed on the surface of the ultrasound probe 300. For example, the multiple pressure sensors 330 can be evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis of the ultrasonic head 320, or the multiple pressure sensors 330 can be evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the short axis of the ultrasonic head 320, or one or more pressure sensors 330 can be distributed on both sides of the long axis and the short axis of the ultrasonic head 320.

[0125] For example, Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the ultrasonic probe body 410 includes a probe housing and components such as boards arranged in the probe housing. Multiple pressure sensors are arranged inside the ultrasonic probe body 410. The acoustic head 420 is fixed on the supporting structure and connected to the multiple pressure sensors. The multiple pressure sensors can be evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis of the acoustic head 420.

[0126] Typically, when a pressure sensor collects pressure information between an ultrasound probe and target tissue, it outputs an analog signal. To facilitate mathematical processing of the analog signal, it is input into a sampling circuit, which performs analog-to-digital conversion processes such as sampling, quantization, and encoding on the analog signal, converting it into a digital signal.

[0127] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system includes a sampling circuit, and multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The same sampling circuit sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. For example, an ultrasound probe includes four pressure sensors, and the four pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. Before the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe to perform elastic imaging of the target tissue or during elastic imaging, the sampling circuit sequentially performs analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above is only an example of an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors. This embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0128] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system includes multiple sampling circuits, multiple pressure sensors are connected to the multiple sampling circuits in a one-to-one correspondence, and the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Similarly, taking the ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors as an example, each pressure sensor is connected to a sampling circuit. Before the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe to perform elastic imaging of the target tissue or during elastic imaging, the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously perform analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the pressure sensors connected thereto, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above is only an example of an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors and sampling circuits connected thereto in a one-to-one correspondence. This embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors and sampling circuits connected thereto in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0129] In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging system includes multiple sampling circuits. The number of sampling circuits in the imaging system is greater than or equal to two and less than the number of pressure sensors in the ultrasound probe. The multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample pressure signals acquired by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Similarly, taking an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors as an example, the ultrasound imaging system may include two or three sampling circuits. Before or during elastic imaging of the target tissue by the operator manipulating the ultrasound probe, the sampling circuits sequentially perform analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors to obtain digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to each of the four pressure sensors. When the ultrasound system includes two sampling circuits, there are two connection options: 1) Both pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals acquired by the two pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; 2) One pressure sensor is connected to a separate sampling circuit, while the remaining three pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals acquired by the three pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. When the ultrasound system includes three sampling circuits, two pressure sensors are connected to different sampling circuits, while the remaining two pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The same sampling circuit sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the two pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Of course, the above example only uses an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors, and this embodiment is not limited to the ultrasound probe, which can also include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0130] After converting analog signals acquired by multiple pressure sensors into digital pressure values, pressure state information reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue is output based on the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values. Outputting pressure state information based on pressure values ​​means that for each pressure sensor, a digital pressure value directly converted from an analog signal acquired at a certain point in time is used as the pressure state information and outputted. Outputting pressure state information based on statistical values ​​of pressure values ​​means that for each pressure sensor, a statistical calculation is first performed on multiple digital pressure values ​​acquired over a period of time, converted from multiple analog signals acquired by the sensor, and the result of the statistical calculation is then outputted as the pressure state information. Statistical calculations may include mean calculation, median calculation, mode calculation, variance calculation, standard deviation calculation, range calculation, etc. Statistical calculations can reflect the basic characteristics of the multiple digital pressure values, such as the central tendency, degree of dispersion, and distribution pattern of the data, thereby reducing the impact of extreme data and more accurately reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

[0131] Taking the statistical calculation of the pressure values of 4 pressure sensors as an example, for each pressure sensor, all the pressure signals collected within a short period of time can be processed (for example, average processing, median processing, average processing after excluding outliers, maximum or minimum value processing, etc.) to obtain a pressure value. Among them, the short period of time can be any time length such as 50 ms. Taking 50 ms as an example, within 1 s, each pressure sensor can obtain 20 pressure values. The obtained pressure values can be refreshed on the display in real time or stored in the memory for subsequent processing.

[0132] In some embodiments, pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor can be output respectively according to the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. This way can clearly reflect the pressure states at multiple positions between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue, enabling the operator to know the pressure distribution between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue to guide whether the operator applies force evenly. When the pressure state information at a certain position exceeds the preset range, the operator can timely adjust the control angle of the ultrasonic probe to ensure that the pressure state information at multiple positions between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue meets the requirements.

[0133] Furthermore, the output pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor is displayed on the display. Among them, the display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor on the display corresponds to the spatial position of the pressure sensor, and each pressure state information represents a pressure sensor. Taking the ultrasonic probe including 4 pressure sensors as an example, the 4 pressure sensors are arranged in a "field" shape on the ultrasonic probe body; correspondingly, the display positions of the pressure state information displayed on the display are also in a "field" shape. The pressure sensor at the upper left position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the upper left position in the "field" shape, the pressure sensor at the lower left position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the lower left position in the "field" shape, the pressure sensor at the upper right position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the upper right position in the "field" shape, and the pressure sensor at the lower right position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the lower right position in the "field" shape. By making the display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor correspond to the spatial position of the pressure sensor, the operator can accurately judge the position of the corresponding pressure sensor according to the display position of the pressure state information. When a certain pressure state information exceeds the preset range, the operator can accurately judge the pressure sensor that needs to adjust the force application.

[0134] In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe's overall pressure status information can also be output based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors. This approach can comprehensively reflect the pressure status between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue, providing a more representative reflection of the pressure status between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The outputted ultrasound probe's overall pressure status information can also be displayed on a display.

[0135] It is worth noting that the pressure state information of the entire ultrasonic probe can be calculated and output based on all pressure sensors, or the pressure state information of a part of the ultrasonic probe can be calculated and output based on some pressure sensors. Taking the output of the pressure state information of a part of the ultrasonic probe as an example, the pressure state information on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasonic probe can be output based on the statistical value of the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasonic probe, the pressure state information on the same side of the short axis of the ultrasonic probe can be output based on the statistical value of the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the short axis of the ultrasonic probe, or the pressure state information of any local area can be output based on the statistical value of the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors in the local area.

[0136] The pressure status information may include a numerical value of the pressure value, that is, the pressure status information may be directly displayed on the display in the form of a numerical value. The numerical value may be the magnitude of the force in Newtons, or it may be a quantitative value without units for evaluating the magnitude of the force. When the pressure status information corresponding to each pressure sensor is output, each numerical value displayed on the display represents a pressure sensor; when the pressure status information of the entire ultrasound probe is output, each numerical value displayed on the display represents a plurality of pressure sensors. In addition, in order to allow the operator to know more clearly whether the pressure status information exceeds the preset range, the displayed numerical value may have a color, and the color of the numerical value represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors. For example, under the preset threshold conditions, pressure values ​​greater than the threshold are displayed in red, and pressure values ​​not greater than the threshold are displayed in green. Of course, the numerical values ​​may also have other color display modes, which are not limited. In addition, the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors may have different preset thresholds. Among them, Figure 5A A schematic diagram showing pressure values ​​corresponding to four sensors displayed on a display, wherein none of the four pressure values ​​is greater than a threshold value; Figure 5B A schematic diagram showing pressure values ​​corresponding to four sensors displayed on a display, in which all four pressure values ​​are greater than a threshold value; Figure 6A A schematic diagram showing the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is displayed on a display, in which the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe is not greater than a threshold value; Figure 6BA schematic diagram showing the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is shown on a display. In the figure, the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe is not greater than a threshold.

[0137] Alternatively, the pressure status information may include a graphic reflecting the size of the pressure value, that is, the pressure status information may be displayed on the display in the form of a graphic. When the pressure status information corresponding to each pressure sensor is output, each graphic displayed on the display represents a pressure sensor; when the pressure status information of the ultrasonic probe as a whole is output, each graphic displayed on the display represents a plurality of pressure sensors. In addition, in order to allow the operator to know more clearly whether the pressure status information exceeds the preset range, the color of the graphic may be used to represent the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors. For example, under preset threshold conditions, pressure values ​​greater than the threshold are displayed as red graphics, and pressure values ​​less than the threshold are displayed as green graphics. Of course, the graphics may also have other color display modes, which are not limited. In addition, the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors may have different preset thresholds. Among them, Figure 7A A schematic diagram showing graphics reflecting pressure values ​​corresponding to six sensors on a display is shown, wherein the pressure values ​​represented by the six graphics are all less than a threshold value; Figure 7B A schematic diagram showing graphics reflecting pressure values ​​corresponding to six sensors on a display is shown. In the figure, the pressure values ​​represented by two graphics are not greater than a threshold value, while the pressure values ​​represented by the remaining four graphics are greater than the threshold value. Figure 8A A schematic diagram showing a graph reflecting the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is displayed on a display, wherein the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe represented by the graph is not greater than a threshold value; Figure 8B A schematic diagram is shown in which a graph reflecting the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is displayed on a display. The pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe represented by the graph is greater than a threshold.

[0138] After converting the analog signals collected by multiple pressure sensors into digital pressure values, pressure balance information reflecting whether the pressures at different positions of the ultrasound probe are balanced can also be output based on the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values. For the pressure balance information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head, it can be obtained based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head. The process of obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head can refer to the description above and will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head, it can be determined whether the area on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasonic probe exerts uniform pressure on the target tissue by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. For the pressure balance information on the opposite side of the long axis of the acoustic head, it can be obtained based on the pressure values ​​or their statistical values ​​corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the opposite side of the long axis of the acoustic head. The process of obtaining the pressure value or its statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the long axis of the acoustic head can refer to the description above, which will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value or its statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the long axis of the acoustic head, it can be judged by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. to determine whether the area on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasonic probe exerts uniform pressure on the target tissue. For the pressure balance information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be obtained based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head. The process of obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head can refer to the description above, which will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be judged by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. to determine whether the area on the same side of the short axis of the ultrasonic probe exerts uniform pressure on the target tissue. The pressure balance information on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head can be obtained based on the pressure values ​​or their statistical value outputs corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head. The process of obtaining the pressure value or its statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head can refer to the above description and will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value or its statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be determined whether the area opposite to the short axis of the acoustic head of the ultrasound probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc.

[0139] The following combination Figure 9 A method 900 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present application is described. The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and multiple pressure sensors, wherein the multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. Figure 9 As shown, the method 900 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasound probe may include the following steps:

[0140] In step S910 , the pressure signals collected by the plurality of pressure sensors are sampled in sequence by a sampling circuit to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

[0141] In step S920 , pressure state information is output according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors. The pressure state information is used to reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

[0142] The method 900 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be applied before or during elastography. For example, before elastography acquisition, the operator is typically required to hold the ultrasound probe in a stable state, and the patient must not exhibit noticeable breathing, coughing, or movement. Therefore, the method 900 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be used to process pressure signals collected by multiple pressure sensors within a period of time (e.g., 1 second) before elastography acquisition. Based on the output pressure state information, the pressure signals collected by the ultrasound probe and the patient's target tissue are determined to be relatively stable. Once the pressure state is relatively stable, an effective elastography acquisition process can be performed on the patient. For example, during elastography acquisition, if the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe on the target tissue exceeds the pressure range, the elasticity measurement result can be affected. Therefore, the method 900 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be used to process pressure signals collected by multiple pressure sensors during elastography acquisition. Based on the output pressure state information, the pressure signals collected by the ultrasound probe and the patient's target tissue are determined to be relatively stable. Furthermore, the pressure state information can be used to determine whether the data collected during elastography is valid, thereby obtaining accurate and stable elasticity measurement results. The elastic imaging may be at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging, which is not limited thereto.

[0143] Based on the above process, this embodiment can directly reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue based on the pressure state information output by the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, so as to help the operator understand the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe on the target tissue (which may include the magnitude of the applied pressure, the angle of the applied pressure, etc.), for the operator's reference to perform appropriate pressure control of the ultrasound probe, and avoid excessive pressure of the ultrasound probe on the target tissue, causing the target tissue to appear as a false positive in elastic imaging, thereby effectively improving the detection accuracy of elastic imaging, while ensuring the repeatability and stability of elastic imaging.

[0144] It should be noted that there is not a single point of contact between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure applied by the ultrasound probe is often inconsistent at different contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. Therefore, this embodiment can collect the pressure conditions at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue through multiple pressure sensors, thereby avoiding data deviation from single-point detection and more accurately reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue as a whole.

[0145] The ultrasound probe of this embodiment can be a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a biplane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, or a matrix ultrasound probe, etc., without limitation. Regardless of the type of similar ultrasound probe, the multiple pressure sensors can be symmetrically or asymmetrically distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head, or the multiple pressure sensors can be evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head. For other introductions to the ultrasound probe, please refer to the description of the ultrasound probe in the method 200 for displaying the pressure state of the ultrasound probe above, which will not be repeated here.

[0146] Typically, when a pressure sensor collects pressure information between an ultrasound probe and target tissue, it outputs an analog signal. To facilitate mathematical processing of the analog signal, it is input into a sampling circuit, which performs analog-to-digital conversion processes such as sampling, quantization, and encoding on the analog signal, converting it into a digital signal.

[0147] In this embodiment, multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. For example, an ultrasound probe includes four pressure sensors, and the four pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. Before or during elastic imaging of the target tissue by the operator operating the ultrasound probe, the sampling circuit sequentially performs analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to each of the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above example only uses an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors, and this embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0148] In addition, the method 900 of this embodiment can also output pressure balance information based on the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors. The pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe. Specifically, as described above, since there is no single-point contact between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue, it is necessary to use multiple pressure sensors to collect the pressure conditions at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue to avoid data deviation from single-point detection. In addition, it is also necessary to determine whether the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to each position of the target tissue is uniform. This can avoid the situation where the local pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to the target tissue exceeds the pressure range, ensure that the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to each position of the target tissue is within the pressure range, and improve the detection accuracy, repeatability, and stability of elastography.

[0149] For other introductions to the method 900 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasonic probe, reference may be made to the description of the method 200 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasonic probe in the foregoing text, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] The following combination Figure 10 A method 1000 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present application is described. The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and a plurality of pressure sensors. Figure 10 As shown, the method 1000 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasound probe may include the following steps:

[0151] In step S1010, pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors are obtained according to the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors.

[0152] In step S1020 , elasticity imaging of the target tissue is performed using an ultrasonic probe to obtain an elasticity imaging result of the target tissue.

[0153] In step S1030, before performing elastic imaging on the target tissue, and / or during performing elastic imaging on the target tissue, pressure state information is output based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, and the pressure state information is used to reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

[0154] The method 1000 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be applied before or during elastography. For example, before elastography acquisition, the operator is typically required to hold the ultrasound probe in a stable state, and the patient must not exhibit noticeable breathing, coughing, or movement. Therefore, the method 1000 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be used to process pressure signals collected by multiple pressure sensors within a period of time (e.g., 1 second) before elastography acquisition. Based on the output pressure state information, the pressure signals collected by the ultrasound probe and the patient's target tissue are determined to be relatively stable. Once the pressure state is relatively stable, an effective elastography acquisition process can be performed on the patient. For example, during elastography acquisition, if the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe on the target tissue exceeds the pressure range, the elasticity measurement result can be affected. Therefore, the method 1000 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe in this embodiment can be used to process pressure signals collected by multiple pressure sensors during elastography acquisition. Based on the output pressure state information, the pressure signals collected by the ultrasound probe and the patient's target tissue are determined to be relatively stable. Furthermore, the pressure state information can be used to determine whether the data collected during elastography is valid, thereby obtaining accurate and stable elasticity measurement results. The elastic imaging may be at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging, which is not limited thereto.

[0155] Specifically, before elastic imaging, this embodiment can first compare the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor with a first preset condition, and then output a first prompt message reflecting whether elastic imaging can be performed at present based on the comparison result of the pressure value and the first preset condition. The first preset condition can be a preset pressure threshold, and the specific value of the pressure threshold can be set according to actual conditions. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor exceeds the pressure threshold, the first prompt message reflecting that elastic imaging cannot be performed at present is output. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor exceeds the pressure threshold, the first prompt message reflecting that elastic imaging can be performed at present is output. The output first prompt message can be displayed on the display, for example, text, graphics, etc. indicating that elastic imaging can be performed at present, or text, graphics, etc. indicating that elastic imaging cannot be performed at present are displayed on the display, so as to serve as a reminder to the operator.

[0156] Similarly, in this embodiment, during or after elastic imaging, the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor can be compared with a second preset condition, and then a second prompt message reflecting whether the elastic imaging result is valid is output based on the comparison result of the pressure value and the second preset condition. The second preset condition can be a preset pressure threshold, and the specific value of the pressure threshold can be set according to actual conditions. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor exceeds the pressure threshold, a second prompt message reflecting that the elastic imaging result is invalid is output. When the pressure value obtained by the pressure sensor exceeds the pressure threshold, a second prompt message reflecting that the elastic imaging result is valid is output. The output second prompt message can be displayed on a display, for example, text, graphics, etc. indicating that the elastic imaging result is invalid, or text, graphics, etc. indicating that the elastic imaging result is valid are displayed on the display, so as to serve as a reminder to the operator.

[0157] Based on the above process, this embodiment can directly reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue based on the pressure state information output by the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, so as to help the operator understand the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe on the target tissue (which may include the magnitude of the applied pressure, the angle of the applied pressure, etc.), for the operator's reference to perform appropriate pressure control of the ultrasound probe, and avoid excessive pressure of the ultrasound probe on the target tissue, causing the target tissue to appear as a false positive in elastic imaging, thereby effectively improving the detection accuracy of elastic imaging, while ensuring the repeatability and stability of elastic imaging.

[0158] It should be noted that there is not a single point of contact between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure applied by the ultrasound probe is often inconsistent at different contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. Therefore, this embodiment can collect the pressure conditions at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue through multiple pressure sensors, thereby avoiding data deviation from single-point detection and more accurately reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue as a whole.

[0159] In addition, the method 1000 of this embodiment can also output pressure balance information based on the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors. The pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe. Specifically, as described above, since the ultrasound probe and the target tissue are not in single-point contact, it is necessary to use multiple pressure sensors to collect the pressure conditions at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue to avoid data deviation from single-point detection. In addition, it is also necessary to determine whether the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to each position of the target tissue is uniform. This can prevent the ultrasound probe from applying local pressure to the target tissue that exceeds the pressure range, ensure that the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to each position of the target tissue is within the pressure range, and improve the detection accuracy, repeatability, and stability of elastography.

[0160] The ultrasonic probe of this embodiment can be a linear array ultrasonic probe, a convex array ultrasonic probe, an intracavitary ultrasonic probe, a dual-plane ultrasonic probe, a volume ultrasonic probe or a matrix ultrasonic probe, etc., without limitation. Regardless of the type of similar ultrasonic probe, multiple pressure sensors are arranged on the surface of the ultrasonic probe body or inside the ultrasonic probe body. In addition, multiple pressure sensors can be symmetrically or asymmetrically distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head, or multiple pressure sensors can also be evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head. For other introductions to the ultrasonic probe, please refer to the description of the ultrasonic probe in the method 200 for displaying the pressure state of the ultrasonic probe above, which will not be repeated here.

[0161] Typically, when a pressure sensor collects pressure information between an ultrasound probe and target tissue, it outputs an analog signal. To facilitate mathematical processing of the analog signal, it is input into a sampling circuit, which performs analog-to-digital conversion processes such as sampling, quantization, and encoding on the analog signal, converting it into a digital signal.

[0162] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system includes a sampling circuit, and multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The same sampling circuit sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. For example, an ultrasound probe includes four pressure sensors, and the four pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. Before the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe to perform elastic imaging of the target tissue or during elastic imaging, the sampling circuit sequentially performs analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above is only an example of an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors. This embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0163] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system includes multiple sampling circuits, multiple pressure sensors are connected to the multiple sampling circuits in a one-to-one correspondence, and the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Similarly, taking the ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors as an example, each pressure sensor is connected to a sampling circuit. Before the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe to perform elastic imaging of the target tissue or during elastic imaging, the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously perform analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the pressure sensors connected thereto, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above is only an example of an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors and sampling circuits connected thereto in a one-to-one correspondence. This embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors and sampling circuits connected thereto in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0164] In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging system includes multiple sampling circuits. The number of sampling circuits in the imaging system is greater than or equal to two and less than the number of pressure sensors in the ultrasound probe. The multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample pressure signals acquired by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Similarly, taking an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors as an example, the ultrasound imaging system may include two or three sampling circuits. Before or during elastic imaging of the target tissue by the operator manipulating the ultrasound probe, the sampling circuits sequentially perform analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors to obtain digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to each of the four pressure sensors. When the ultrasound system includes two sampling circuits, there are two connection options: 1) Both pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals acquired by the two pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; 2) One pressure sensor is connected to a separate sampling circuit, while the remaining three pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals acquired by the three pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. When the ultrasound system includes three sampling circuits, two pressure sensors are connected to different sampling circuits, while the remaining two pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The same sampling circuit sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the two pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Of course, the above example only uses an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors, and this embodiment is not limited to the ultrasound probe, which can also include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0165] After converting analog signals acquired by multiple pressure sensors into digital pressure values, pressure state information reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue is output based on the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values. Outputting pressure state information based on pressure values ​​means that for each pressure sensor, a digital pressure value directly converted from an analog signal acquired at a certain point in time is used as the pressure state information and outputted. Outputting pressure state information based on statistical values ​​of pressure values ​​means that for each pressure sensor, a statistical calculation is first performed on multiple digital pressure values ​​acquired over a period of time, converted from multiple analog signals acquired by the sensor, and the result of the statistical calculation is then outputted as the pressure state information. Statistical calculations may include mean calculation, median calculation, mode calculation, variance calculation, standard deviation calculation, range calculation, etc. Statistical calculations can reflect the basic characteristics of the multiple digital pressure values, such as the central tendency, degree of dispersion, and distribution pattern of the data, thereby reducing the impact of extreme data and more accurately reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

[0166] For example, statistical calculations of pressure values ​​from four pressure sensors can be performed on all pressure signals collected by each pressure sensor within a short period of time (e.g., averaging, median analysis, averaging after excluding outliers, maximum or minimum analysis, etc.) to obtain a single pressure value. A short period of time can be any length, such as 50ms. For example, within 1s, each pressure sensor can obtain 20 pressure values. The resulting pressure value can be displayed in real time on a display or stored in memory for subsequent processing.

[0167] In some embodiments, pressure status information corresponding to each pressure sensor can be output separately based on the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. This approach can clearly reflect the pressure status at multiple locations between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue, allowing the operator to understand the pressure distribution between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue, and guiding the operator to ensure that the force is applied evenly. If the pressure status information at a certain location exceeds the preset range, the operator can promptly adjust the control angle of the ultrasound probe to ensure that the pressure status information at multiple locations between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue meets the requirements.

[0168] Further, the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor is output and displayed on the display. Among them, the display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor on the display corresponds to the spatial position of the pressure sensor, and each pressure state information represents a pressure sensor. Taking the example that the ultrasonic probe includes 4 pressure sensors, the 4 pressure sensors are arranged in a "field" shape on the ultrasonic probe body; correspondingly, the display positions of the pressure state information displayed on the display also form a "field" shape. The pressure sensor at the upper left position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the upper left position in the "field" shape, the pressure sensor at the lower left position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the lower left position in the "field" shape, the pressure sensor at the upper right position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the upper right position in the "field" shape, and the pressure sensor at the lower right position in the "field" shape corresponds to the pressure state information at the lower right position in the "field" shape. By making the display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor correspond to the spatial position of the pressure sensor, the operator can accurately judge the position of the pressure sensor corresponding thereto according to the display position of the pressure state information. When a certain pressure state information exceeds the preset range, the operator can accurately judge the pressure sensor that needs to adjust the force application.

[0169] In some embodiments, the pressure state information of the whole ultrasonic probe can also be output according to the pressure values corresponding to multiple pressure sensors. This method can reflect the pressure state between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue as a whole, and is more representative for reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasonic probe and the target tissue. The output pressure state information of the whole ultrasonic probe can also be displayed on the display.

[0170] It should be noted that the pressure state information of the whole ultrasonic probe can be calculated and output according to all the pressure sensors, or the pressure state information of the local whole of the ultrasonic probe can be calculated and output according to some of the pressure sensors. Taking the output of the pressure state information of the local whole of the ultrasonic probe as an example, the pressure state information on the same side of the long axis of the sound head can be output according to the statistical value of the pressure values corresponding to multiple pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the long axis of the sound head, the pressure state information on the same side of the short axis of the sound head can be output according to the statistical value of the pressure values corresponding to multiple pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the short axis of the sound head, or the pressure state information of any local area can be output according to the statistical value of the pressure values corresponding to multiple pressure sensors in any local area.

[0171] The pressure status information may include a numerical value of the pressure value, that is, the pressure status information may be directly displayed on the display in the form of a numerical value. The numerical value may be the magnitude of the force in Newtons, or it may be a quantitative value without units for evaluating the magnitude of the force. When the pressure status information corresponding to each pressure sensor is output, each numerical value displayed on the display represents a pressure sensor; when the pressure status information of the entire ultrasound probe is output, each numerical value displayed on the display represents a plurality of pressure sensors. In addition, in order to allow the operator to know more clearly whether the pressure status information exceeds the preset range, the displayed numerical value may have a color, and the color of the numerical value represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors. For example, under the preset threshold conditions, pressure values ​​greater than the threshold are displayed in red, and pressure values ​​not greater than the threshold are displayed in green. Of course, the numerical values ​​may also have other color display modes, which are not limited. In addition, the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors may have different preset thresholds. Among them, Figure 5A A schematic diagram showing pressure values ​​corresponding to four sensors displayed on a display, wherein the four pressure values ​​are all less than a threshold value; Figure 5B A schematic diagram showing pressure values ​​corresponding to four sensors displayed on a display, wherein all four pressure values ​​are greater than a threshold value; Figure 6A A schematic diagram showing the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is displayed on a display, in which the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe is not greater than a threshold value; Figure 6B A schematic diagram showing the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is shown on a display. In the figure, the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe is not greater than a threshold.

[0172] Alternatively, the pressure status information may include a graphic reflecting the size of the pressure value, that is, the pressure status information may be displayed on the display in the form of a graphic. When the pressure status information corresponding to each pressure sensor is output, each graphic displayed on the display represents a pressure sensor; when the pressure status information of the ultrasonic probe as a whole is output, each graphic displayed on the display represents a plurality of pressure sensors. In addition, in order to allow the operator to know more clearly whether the pressure status information exceeds the preset range, the color of the graphic may be used to represent the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors. For example, under preset threshold conditions, pressure values ​​greater than the threshold are displayed as red graphics, and pressure values ​​less than the threshold are displayed as green graphics. Of course, the graphics may also have other color display modes, which are not limited. In addition, the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors may have different preset thresholds. Among them, Figure 7A A schematic diagram showing graphics reflecting pressure values ​​corresponding to six sensors on a display is shown, wherein the pressure values ​​represented by the six graphics are all less than a threshold value; Figure 7B A schematic diagram showing graphics reflecting pressure values ​​corresponding to six sensors on a display is shown. In the figure, the pressure values ​​represented by two graphics are not greater than a threshold value, while the pressure values ​​represented by the remaining four graphics are greater than the threshold value. Figure 8A A schematic diagram showing a graph reflecting the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is displayed on a display, wherein the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe represented by the graph is not greater than a threshold value; Figure 8B A schematic diagram is shown in which a graph reflecting the pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe output by multiple pressure sensors is displayed on a display. The pressure value of the entire ultrasound probe represented by the graph is greater than a threshold.

[0173] For other introductions to the method 1000 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasonic probe, reference may be made to the description of the method 200 or 900 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasonic probe in the foregoing text, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] The following combination Figure 11 A method 1100 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to another embodiment of the present application is described. The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head disposed on the ultrasound probe body, and a plurality of pressure sensors. Figure 11 As shown, the method 1100 for displaying the pressure status of an ultrasound probe may include the following steps:

[0175] In step S1110 , pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors are obtained based on the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors.

[0176] In step S1120, pressure balance information is obtained based on the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors. The pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe.

[0177] In step S1130, prompt information is output based on the pressure balance information.

[0178] It should be noted that there is not a single point of contact between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure applied by the ultrasound probe is often inconsistent at different contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. Therefore, this embodiment can collect the pressure conditions at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue through multiple pressure sensors, thereby avoiding data deviation from single-point detection and more accurately reflecting the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue as a whole.

[0179] In addition, this embodiment can also reflect whether the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to various positions of the target tissue based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, such as whether the area on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue, whether the area on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue, whether the area on the same side of the short axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue, and whether the area on the opposite side of the short axis of the ultrasonic head of the ultrasonic probe applies uniform pressure to the target tissue. The pressure balance information can avoid the situation where the local pressure applied by the ultrasonic probe on the target tissue exceeds the pressure range, and ensure that the pressure applied by the ultrasonic probe at various positions of the target tissue is within the pressure range, thereby improving the detection accuracy, repeatability and stability of elastic imaging.

[0180] The ultrasound probe of this embodiment can be a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavitary ultrasound probe, a biplane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, or a matrix ultrasound probe, etc., without limitation. Regardless of the type of similar ultrasound probe, the multiple pressure sensors can be symmetrically or asymmetrically distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head, or the multiple pressure sensors can be evenly or unevenly distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head. For other introductions to the ultrasound probe, please refer to the description of the ultrasound probe in the method 200 for displaying the pressure state of the ultrasound probe above, which will not be repeated here.

[0181] Typically, when a pressure sensor collects pressure information between an ultrasound probe and target tissue, it outputs an analog signal. To facilitate mathematical processing of the analog signal, it is input into a sampling circuit, which performs analog-to-digital conversion processes such as sampling, quantization, and encoding on the analog signal, converting it into a digital signal.

[0182] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system includes a sampling circuit, and multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The same sampling circuit sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. For example, an ultrasound probe includes four pressure sensors, and the four pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. Before the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe to perform elastic imaging of the target tissue or during elastic imaging, the sampling circuit sequentially performs analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above is only an example of an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors. This embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0183] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system includes multiple sampling circuits, multiple pressure sensors are connected to the multiple sampling circuits in a one-to-one correspondence, and the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Similarly, taking the ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors as an example, each pressure sensor is connected to a sampling circuit. Before the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe to perform elastic imaging of the target tissue or during elastic imaging, the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously perform analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the pressure sensors connected thereto, thereby obtaining digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to the four pressure sensors. Of course, the above is only an example of an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors and sampling circuits connected thereto in a one-to-one correspondence. This embodiment does not limit the ultrasound probe to include other numbers of pressure sensors and sampling circuits connected thereto in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0184] In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging system includes multiple sampling circuits. The number of sampling circuits in the imaging system is greater than or equal to two and less than the number of pressure sensors in the ultrasound probe. The multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample pressure signals acquired by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Similarly, taking an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors as an example, the ultrasound imaging system may include two or three sampling circuits. Before or during elastic imaging of the target tissue by the operator manipulating the ultrasound probe, the sampling circuits sequentially perform analog-to-digital conversion on the analog signals output by the four pressure sensors to obtain digitized pressure values ​​corresponding to each of the four pressure sensors. When the ultrasound system includes two sampling circuits, there are two connection options: 1) Both pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals acquired by the two pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; 2) One pressure sensor is connected to a separate sampling circuit, while the remaining three pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, which sequentially samples the pressure signals acquired by the three pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. When the ultrasound system includes three sampling circuits, two pressure sensors are connected to different sampling circuits, while the remaining two pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit. The same sampling circuit sequentially samples the pressure signals collected by the two pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Of course, the above example only uses an ultrasound probe including four pressure sensors, and this embodiment is not limited to the ultrasound probe, which can also include other numbers of pressure sensors.

[0185] After obtaining the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors, pressure balance information is obtained based on the pressure values ​​or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​to reflect whether the pressures at different positions of the ultrasound probe are balanced. For the pressure balance information on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasound head, it can be obtained based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasound head. The process of obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasound head can refer to the description above and will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasound head, it can be determined whether the pressure applied to the target tissue by the region on the same side of the long axis of the ultrasound head is uniform by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. For the pressure balance information on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasound head, it can be obtained based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasound head or their statistical values. The process of obtaining the pressure value or statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasound head can refer to the description above and will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value or statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasound head, it can be determined whether the pressure applied to the target tissue by the region on the opposite side of the long axis of the ultrasound head is uniform by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. For the pressure balance information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be obtained according to the pressure value output corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head. The process of obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head can refer to the description above and will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value of each pressure sensor on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be judged by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. to determine whether the area on the same side of the short axis of the ultrasonic probe exerts uniform pressure on the target tissue. For the pressure balance information on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be obtained according to the pressure value or its statistical value output corresponding to the different pressure sensors distributed on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head. The process of obtaining the pressure value or its statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head can refer to the description above and will not be repeated here. After obtaining the pressure value or its statistical value of each pressure sensor on the opposite side of the short axis of the acoustic head, it can be judged by calculating the deviation, variance, standard deviation, etc. to determine whether the area on the opposite side of the short axis of the ultrasonic probe exerts uniform pressure on the target tissue.

[0186] Afterwards, a prompt message can be output based on the pressure balance information to inform the operator whether the pressure at multiple contact positions between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue is uniform, or to inform the operator whether the target tissue is scanned twice by the ultrasound probe at the same scanning angle, and to remind the operator to correct improper pressure operation if it is uneven or not at the same scanning angle.

[0187] In some embodiments, operator hand tremors can cause uneven pressure at multiple contact points between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue, thereby reducing the accuracy, repeatability, and stability of elastography. In this embodiment, prompts are provided to the user to determine whether the ultrasound probe is applying uniform pressure at different locations on the target tissue. This reminds the user to maintain hand stability when uneven pressure is applied, thereby improving the accuracy, repeatability, and stability of elastography.

[0188] In other embodiments, when the operator tilts their hand forward or backward or left or right while scanning the target tissue with the ultrasound probe, this can cause the ultrasound probe to scan the target tissue at different angles, reducing the accuracy, repeatability, and stability of elastography. In this embodiment, a prompt message indicates to the user whether the two scans of the ultrasound probe were performed at the same scanning angle. This prompt reminds the user to maintain a stable hand tilt when the two scans are not performed at the same angle, thereby improving the accuracy, repeatability, and stability of elastography.

[0189] For other introductions to the method 1100 for displaying the pressure status of the ultrasonic probe, reference may be made to the descriptions of the method 200 , 900 or 1000 for displaying the pressure status of the ultrasonic probe in the foregoing text, which will not be repeated here.

[0190] The embodiment of the present invention further provides an ultrasound imaging system for implementing the above-mentioned method 200, 900, 1000 or 1100 for displaying the pressure state of the ultrasound probe. Figure 1 , the ultrasound imaging system can be implemented as follows Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may include an ultrasound probe 110 , a sampling circuit 130 , a transmitting circuit 112 , a receiving circuit 114 , a processor 116 , and a display 118 .

[0191] Among them, the ultrasonic probe 110 includes an ultrasonic probe body and multiple pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasonic probe body; the sampling circuit 130 is used to sample the pressure signal collected by the pressure sensor to obtain the pressure value corresponding to the pressure sensor; the transmitting circuit 112 is used to excite the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the target tissue; the receiving circuit 114 is used to control the ultrasonic probe to receive the echo signal of the ultrasonic wave; the processor 116 is used to execute any one of the methods 200, 900, 1000, and 1100 for displaying the pressure status of the ultrasonic probe to generate pressure status information and / or pressure balance information; the display 118 is used to display pressure status information and / or pressure balance information.

[0192] Optionally, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may further include a transmit / receive selection switch 120 and a beamforming module 122. The transmit circuit 112 and the receive circuit 114 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 110 through the transmit / receive selection switch 120. For the relevant description of each component, please refer to the relevant description above and will not be repeated here.

[0193] Among them, multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in turn to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor, or multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

[0194] The above description only describes the primary functions of the various components of the ultrasound imaging system. For more details, see the description of methods 200, 900, 1000, and 1100 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe. The ultrasound imaging system of embodiments of the present invention is configured to implement methods 200, 900, 1000, and 1100 for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe, and thus possesses similar advantages.

[0195] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as claimed in the appended claims.

[0196] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0197] In the several embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units described is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not implemented.

[0198] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are described. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0199] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present invention and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various features of the present invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this approach to the present invention should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claimed invention requires more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. More precisely, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

[0200] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except where mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus disclosed herein may be combined in any combination. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature providing the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0201] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0202] The various component embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules according to embodiments of the present invention. The present invention can also be implemented as a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for executing a part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present invention can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0203] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0204] The foregoing description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention or an illustration of a specific embodiment. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be readily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention are intended to be encompassed by the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic probe body, an acoustic head and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasonic probe body, wherein the plurality of pressure sensors are distributed on both sides of the long axis or the short axis of the acoustic head. The method includes: Sampling the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; Pressure status information and pressure balance information are output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values. The pressure status information is used to reflect the pressure status between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue. The pressure balance information includes at least one of the following: pressure balance information on the same side as the long axis of the acoustic head, pressure balance information on the opposite side to the long axis of the acoustic head, pressure balance information on the same side as the short axis of the acoustic head, and pressure balance information on the opposite side to the short axis of the acoustic head.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The multiple pressure sensors are connected to a same sampling circuit, and the same sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; Alternatively, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits correspondingly, and the multiple sampling circuits simultaneously sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​includes: The pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor is outputted respectively according to the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor corresponds to the spatial position of the pressure sensor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein Outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​includes: The pressure state information of the entire ultrasound probe is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that Outputting the pressure state information of the entire ultrasound probe according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors includes: Outputting pressure state information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head according to statistics of pressure values ​​corresponding to a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head; and / or The pressure state information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head is output according to the statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressure state information includes a graph reflecting the magnitude of the pressure value.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The color of the graphic represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressure state information includes the numerical value of the pressure value.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The color of the numerical value represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein Outputting pressure balance information according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors includes at least one of the following: Outputting pressure balance information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head; Outputting pressure balance information on the side opposite to the long axis of the acoustic head according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​thereof corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the side opposite to the long axis of the acoustic head; Outputting pressure balance information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head; The pressure balance information on the side opposite to the short axis of the acoustic head is output according to the pressure values ​​or statistical values ​​thereof corresponding to different pressure sensors distributed on the side opposite to the short axis of the acoustic head.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method is used before and / or during elastic imaging, and the elastic imaging is at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of pressure sensors are arranged on the surface of the ultrasound probe body or inside the ultrasound probe body.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein The ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavity ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

15. A method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasound probe body, wherein the plurality of pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the method includes: The pressure signals collected by the plurality of pressure sensors are sequentially sampled by the sampling circuit to obtain a pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; Pressure state information is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, where the pressure state information is used to reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that Also includes: Pressure balance information is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, where the pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method is used before and / or during elastic imaging, and the elastic imaging is at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging.

18. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavity ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

19. A method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasound probe body, and the method includes: Obtaining pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors based on the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors; Performing elastic imaging on the target tissue using the ultrasound probe to obtain an elastic imaging result of the target tissue; Before performing elastic imaging on the target tissue, and / or during performing elastic imaging on the target tissue, pressure state information is output based on the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or the statistical values ​​of the pressure values, and the pressure state information is used to reflect the pressure state between the ultrasound probe and the target tissue.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the same sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; or, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors at the same time to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein Also includes: Before the elastic imaging, the pressure value is compared with a first preset condition, and first prompt information is displayed according to the comparison result between the pressure value and the first preset condition, wherein the first prompt information is used to reflect whether elastic imaging can be performed currently.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein Also includes: During or after the elastic imaging, the pressure value is compared with a second preset condition, and second prompt information is displayed according to the comparison result between the pressure value and the second preset condition, wherein the second prompt information is used to reflect whether the elastic imaging result is valid.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein Outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​includes: The pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor is outputted respectively according to the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein The display position of the pressure state information corresponding to each pressure sensor corresponds to the spatial position of the pressure sensor.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein Outputting pressure state information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​includes: The pressure state information of the entire ultrasound probe is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that Outputting the pressure state information of the entire ultrasound probe according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors includes: Outputting pressure state information on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head according to statistics of pressure values ​​corresponding to a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the long axis of the acoustic head; and / or The pressure state information on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head is output according to the statistical values ​​of the pressure values ​​corresponding to the plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the same side of the short axis of the acoustic head.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein The pressure state information includes a graph reflecting the magnitude of the pressure value.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that The color of the graphic represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

29. The method according to claim 19, wherein The pressure state information includes the numerical value of the pressure value.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein The color of the numerical value represents the pressure range corresponding to the pressure value, wherein different pressure ranges correspond to different colors.

31. The method according to claim 19, wherein Also includes: Pressure balance information is output according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, where the pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe.

32. The method according to claim 19, wherein The elastic imaging is at least one of shear wave elastic imaging, strain elastic imaging, transient elastic imaging, and viscoelastic imaging.

33. The method according to claim 19, wherein The plurality of pressure sensors are arranged on the surface of the ultrasound probe body or inside the ultrasound probe body.

34. The method according to claim 19, wherein The plurality of pressure sensors are distributed on both sides of the long axis and / or the short axis of the acoustic head.

35. The method according to claim 19, wherein The ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavity ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

36. A method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe body, an acoustic head and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasound probe body, and the method includes: Obtaining pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors based on the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors; acquiring pressure balance information according to the pressure values ​​corresponding to the multiple pressure sensors or statistical values ​​of the pressure values, wherein the pressure balance information is used to reflect the pressure balance state between different positions of the ultrasound probe; Prompt information is output based on the pressure balance information.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein The multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the same sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor; or, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors at the same time to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

38. The method according to claim 36, characterized in that The prompt information includes prompting the user whether the pressure applied by the ultrasound probe to different positions of the target tissue is uniform.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein The prompt information includes: prompting the user whether the two scans of the ultrasound probe are at the same scanning angle.

40. The method according to claim 36, wherein The plurality of pressure sensors are distributed on both sides of the long axis and / or the short axis of the acoustic head.

41. The method according to claim 36, wherein The ultrasound probe is at least one of a linear array ultrasound probe, a convex array ultrasound probe, an intracavity ultrasound probe, a dual-plane ultrasound probe, a volume ultrasound probe, and a matrix ultrasound probe.

42. An ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that The ultrasound imaging system comprises: An ultrasonic probe, comprising an ultrasonic probe body and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the ultrasonic probe body; a sampling circuit, configured to sample the pressure signal collected by the pressure sensor to obtain a pressure value corresponding to the pressure sensor; a transmitting circuit, configured to stimulate the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the target tissue; A receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo signal; a processor, configured to execute the method for displaying the pressure state of an ultrasound probe according to any one of claims 1 to 41, so as to generate the pressure state information and / or the pressure balance information; A display is used to display the pressure status information and / or the pressure balance information.

43. The ultrasound imaging system according to claim 42, wherein: The multiple pressure sensors are connected to the same sampling circuit, and the sampling circuit samples the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors in sequence to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor. Alternatively, the multiple pressure sensors are connected to multiple sampling circuits accordingly, and the multiple sampling circuits sample the pressure signals collected by the multiple pressure sensors at the same time to obtain the pressure value corresponding to each pressure sensor.

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