Ultrasonic instantaneous elasticity detection equipment, probe and method

Abstract

According to the ultrasonic instantaneous elasticity detection equipment, probe and method provided by the invention, the ultrasonic image is displayed in the image guide mode, and the region of interest is determined based on the ultrasonic image, so that a user can conveniently avoid a region where a shear wave is obstructed; and then switching to the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode to carry out instantaneous elasticity measurement, and switching to the image guide mode to display the ultrasonic image after an instantaneous elasticity result is obtained, so that a user can conveniently confirm whether the probe shifts or not, and the accuracy of instantaneous elasticity detection is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical devices, specifically to an ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, probe, and method. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasound elastography has become a hot topic in clinical research in recent years. It mainly reflects the elasticity or hardness of tissues and is increasingly used in the auxiliary detection of tissue cancer lesions, the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions, and the evaluation of prognosis and recovery.

[0003] Ultrasonic elastography primarily reflects the stiffness or softness of tissues by imaging elastic-related parameters within a region of interest. Over the past two decades, numerous different elastography methods have emerged, such as quasi-static elastography based on strain induced by probe pressure on tissue, shear wave elastography or elastic measurement based on shear waves generated by acoustic radiation, and transient elastography based on shear waves generated by external vibrations.

[0004] Transient elastography, a non-invasive ultrasound method, reflects the elasticity or stiffness of tissues and is widely used by doctors in clinical liver disease detection, especially in the auxiliary diagnosis of liver fibrosis. Taking liver examination as an example, it generally involves controlling a special probe to vibrate externally when in contact with the body surface, thereby generating shear waves that penetrate deep into the tissue. Axial ultrasound waves are then emitted into the tissue, and the echo signals are received for a period of time to obtain the propagation information of the shear waves. Finally, the propagation velocity of the shear waves is calculated to obtain the quantitative elasticity result of the tissue.

[0005] However, due to the patient's position and breathing during the examination, it is difficult to control the position of the liver during ultrasound examination, which means that the ultrasound waves emitted and received may not necessarily come from the liver tissue. At the same time, since shear waves are difficult to propagate in liquids, if the propagation path happens to pass through large blood vessels or fluid lesions on the liver, it will significantly affect the effectiveness of elasticity measurement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention mainly provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, probe, and method to improve the accuracy of transient elasticity testing.

[0007] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity detection method, comprising the following steps:

[0008] Entering the image-guided mode, the transducer of the ultrasound probe outputs the first transmit / receive sequence corresponding to the image-guided mode, controls the transducer to transmit the first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue, receives the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue, and generates and displays an ultrasound image based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave.

[0009] Region of interest determined based on ultrasound images;

[0010] Switch to instantaneous elasticity measurement mode to perform instantaneous elasticity measurement, and generate a second transmit / receive sequence based on the region of interest. The second transmit / receive sequence is intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity result of the region of interest.

[0011] At least after the ultrasound probe vibrates, a second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasound wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasound wave; the ultrasound probe generates shear waves propagating in the depth direction inside the biological tissue through vibration.

[0012] The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound.

[0013] Switch to image-guided mode, output the first transmit / receive sequence corresponding to the image-guided mode to the transducer of the ultrasound probe, control the transducer to transmit the first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue, and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue; generate an ultrasound image based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and display it.

[0014] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity detection method, comprising the following steps:

[0015] Obtain the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissues;

[0016] Controlling the ultrasound probe to generate vibrations causes shear waves to propagate in the depth direction within biological tissues;

[0017] A second transmit / receive sequence is generated based on the region of interest, the second transmit / receive sequence being intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest;

[0018] The transducer is output with a second transmit / receive sequence to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; wherein, before or after the second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer, a third transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer to control the transducer to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave.

[0019] The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound.

[0020] Based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave, a prompt message is generated to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement, and the prompt message is output.

[0021] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, comprising:

[0022] An ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic probe comprising a vibrator and a transducer;

[0023] The vibrator is used to drive the ultrasonic probe to vibrate, thereby generating shear waves that propagate in the depth direction within the human body's biological tissues.

[0024] The transducer includes at least one array element for emitting ultrasonic waves to biological tissue and receiving echoes of ultrasonic waves returned by the biological tissue.

[0025] Transmit / receive control circuit, used to control the ultrasonic probe to emit ultrasonic waves and receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves;

[0026] Human-computer interaction devices are used for inputting and outputting visual information;

[0027] Processor, used for:

[0028] According to the instructions received by the human-computer interaction device, the system enters the image guidance mode, outputs the first transmission / reception sequence to the transducer of the ultrasound probe through the transmission / reception control circuit, controls the transducer to transmit the first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue, and receives the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue; real-time ultrasound images are generated based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and displayed through the human-computer interaction device.

[0029] Switch to transient elasticity measurement mode to perform transient elasticity measurement, generate a second transmit / receive sequence based on the region of interest, and output the second transmit / receive sequence to the transducer through the transmit / receive control circuit at least after the ultrasonic probe vibrates, controlling the transducer to transmit a second ultrasonic wave to the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; the second transmit / receive sequence is for the purpose of measuring the transient elasticity result of the region of interest, which is determined based on the ultrasonic image;

[0030] The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound.

[0031] After obtaining the instantaneous elasticity result, the system switches to image-guided mode and outputs a first transmit / receive sequence to the transducer of the ultrasound probe through the transmit / receive control circuit. This controls the transducer to transmit the first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue. A real-time ultrasound image is generated based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and displayed through a human-computer interaction device.

[0032] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, comprising:

[0033] An ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic probe comprising a vibrator and a transducer;

[0034] The vibrator is used to drive the ultrasonic probe to vibrate, thereby generating shear waves that propagate in the depth direction within the human body's biological tissues.

[0035] The transducer includes at least one array element for emitting ultrasonic waves to biological tissue and receiving echoes of ultrasonic waves returned by the biological tissue.

[0036] Transmit / receive control circuit, used to control the ultrasonic probe to emit ultrasonic waves and receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves;

[0037] Human-computer interaction devices are used for inputting and outputting visual information;

[0038] Processor, used for:

[0039] Obtain the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissues;

[0040] The vibrator is controlled to drive the ultrasound probe to generate vibration, thereby generating shear waves that propagate in the depth direction within the biological tissue.

[0041] A second transmit / receive sequence is generated based on the region of interest, the second transmit / receive sequence being intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest;

[0042] The second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer via a transmit / receive control circuit to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; wherein, before or after the second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer via the transmit / receive control circuit, a third transmit / receive sequence is also output to the transducer via the transmit / receive control circuit to control the transducer to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave;

[0043] The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound.

[0044] Based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave, a prompt message is generated to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement, and the prompt message is output.

[0045] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity measurement probe, comprising:

[0046] A transducer including at least one array element for emitting ultrasonic waves toward biological tissue and receiving echoes of ultrasonic waves returned by the biological tissue.

[0047] A vibrator is used to drive a transducer to vibrate, thereby generating shear waves that propagate in the depth direction within the body's biological tissues.

[0048] A transmit / receive control circuit is used to control the transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves.

[0049] Processor, used for:

[0050] Obtain the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissues;

[0051] The vibrator is controlled to make the transducer vibrate, so as to generate shear waves that propagate in the depth direction inside the biological tissue.

[0052] A second transmit / receive sequence is generated based on the region of interest, the second transmit / receive sequence being intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest;

[0053] The second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer via a transmit / receive control circuit to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; wherein, before or after the second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer via the transmit / receive control circuit, a third transmit / receive sequence is also output to the transducer via the transmit / receive control circuit to control the transducer to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave;

[0054] The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound.

[0055] The echo from the third ultrasound generates a notification message to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement.

[0056] A prompting device for outputting instantaneous elasticity results and / or outputting prompting information.

[0057] One embodiment provides an ultrasonic transient elasticity measurement probe, comprising:

[0058] A transducer including at least one array element for emitting ultrasonic waves toward biological tissue and receiving echoes of ultrasonic waves returned by the biological tissue.

[0059] Vibrating head, used for contact with the human body;

[0060] A vibrator is used to drive a vibrating head to vibrate, thereby generating shear waves that propagate in the depth direction within the body's biological tissues.

[0061] A transmit / receive control circuit is used to control the transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves.

[0062] Processor, used for:

[0063] Obtain the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissues;

[0064] The vibrator is controlled to make the vibrating head vibrate, so as to generate shear waves that propagate in the depth direction inside the biological tissue;

[0065] A second transmit / receive sequence is generated based on the region of interest, the second transmit / receive sequence being intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest;

[0066] The second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer via a transmit / receive control circuit to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; wherein, before or after the second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer via the transmit / receive control circuit, a third transmit / receive sequence is also output to the transducer via the transmit / receive control circuit to control the transducer to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave;

[0067] The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound.

[0068] The echo from the third ultrasound generates a notification message to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement.

[0069] A prompting device for outputting instantaneous elasticity results and / or outputting prompting information.

[0070] According to the ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, probe, and method of the above embodiments, an ultrasonic image is displayed in image-guided mode, and a region of interest is determined based on the ultrasonic image, which helps the user avoid areas that form obstacles to shear waves; then, the transient elasticity measurement mode is switched to perform transient elasticity measurement, and after obtaining the transient elasticity result, the image-guided mode is switched back to display the ultrasonic image, which helps the user to confirm whether the probe has shifted, thus improving the accuracy of transient elasticity testing. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of the ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device provided by the present invention;

[0072] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention;

[0073] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention;

[0074] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention;

[0075] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a linear arrangement of multiple array elements in one embodiment of the ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention;

[0076] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a two-dimensional linear arrangement of multiple array elements in one embodiment of the ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention;

[0077] Figure 7 A flowchart of an embodiment of the ultrasonic transient elasticity detection method provided by the present invention;

[0078] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the region of interest marked by the marker frame in the ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device provided by the present invention;

[0079] Figure 9 Various waveforms of the ultrasonic instantaneous elasticity measurement process;

[0080] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the transmit / receive sequence corresponding to multiple elastic measurements in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0081] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the transmit / receive sequence corresponding to multiple elastic measurements in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0082] Figure 12 A flowchart of an embodiment of the ultrasonic transient elasticity detection method provided by the present invention;

[0083] Figure 13 This is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of the ultrasonic instantaneous elasticity measurement probe provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0084] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are referred to by associated similar element reference numerals. In the following embodiments, many details are described to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that some features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, certain operations related to this application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid obscuring the core parts of this application with excessive description. For those skilled in the art, detailed description of these related operations is not necessary; they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0085] Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can be rearranged or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and drawings are only for the clear description of a particular embodiment and do not imply a necessary order, unless otherwise stated that a particular order must be followed.

[0086] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used only to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0087] Existing ultrasonic transient elasticity testing methods are not intuitive and lack accuracy. This application provides various ultrasonic transient elasticity testing devices and methods to address this problem. In terms of the principles behind the solutions, they can be divided into two types: one that can be implemented in conjunction with existing methods, and the other that can be implemented without them. These two principles will be described in detail below.

[0088] The ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device provided in this embodiment improves the accuracy of transient elasticity measurement by combining with current methods. It can be an ultrasonic imaging device with transient elasticity measurement function. Figure 1 As shown, the device includes: an ultrasonic probe, a transmit / receive control circuit 20, a beamforming module 30, a processor 40, a human-machine interface device, a memory 70, and a pressure sensor 90.

[0089] An ultrasound probe is used to emit and receive ultrasound waves and generate vibrations for instantaneous elastic measurements. Specifically, the ultrasound probe includes a vibrator 50 and a transducer (i.e., an ultrasound transducer) 10. The vibrator 50 is the power source for the ultrasound probe's vibration; that is, the vibrator 50 drives the ultrasound probe to vibrate, causing shear waves to propagate in the depth direction within the biological tissue through vibration. Ultrasound probes can have various structural forms, for example... Figure 2 As shown, the transducer 10 is disposed at the end of the housing 1 of the ultrasonic probe, and part or all of the transducer 10 is exposed outside the housing 1; the vibrator 50 can be built into the housing 1, and the vibrator 50 is connected to the transducer 10 by transmission. The vibrator 50 drives the transducer 10 to vibrate, and after the transducer 10 comes into contact with the human body, the vibration is transmitted to the human body, thereby generating shear waves inside the human body. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the ultrasonic probe also includes a vibrating head 80, which is also disposed at one end of the outer shell 1 of the ultrasonic probe. The vibrating head 80 is adjacent to the transducer 10. Part or all of the vibrating head 80 is exposed outside the outer shell 1. The vibrator 50 can be disposed inside the vibrating head 80 or inside the outer shell 1, and is connected to the vibrating head 80 in a transmission manner. The vibrator 50 drives the vibrating head 80 to vibrate. After the vibrating head 80 contacts the human body, the vibration is transmitted to the human body, thereby generating the shear wave inside the human body. For example... Figure 4As shown, the ultrasound probe also includes a vibrating head 80, which is independent of the outer shell 1 of the ultrasound probe. The vibrating head 80 is electrically connected to a cable 4 extending from the outer shell 1. The cable 4 can be used for power supply and signal transmission of the vibrating head 80. A vibrator 50 is disposed inside the vibrating head 80 and is drively connected to the vibrating head 80. The vibrator 50 drives the vibrating head 80 to vibrate, thereby generating the shear wave inside the biological tissue. Whether it is the vibration of the transducer 10 or the vibration of the vibrating head 80, the vibration waveform can be a sine or cosine waveform with one cycle of 50Hz. In some cases, other waveforms such as square waves or other lengths such as 0.5 cycles can also be used.

[0090] The transducer 10 includes at least two array elements, which can perform two-dimensional imaging, three-dimensional imaging, etc. For example, the transducer 10 includes multiple array elements arranged in an array (not shown in the figure), with the multiple array elements arranged in a row to form a linear array, such as... Figure 5 As shown, or, multiple array elements are arranged into a two-dimensional matrix to form a surface array, such as... Figure 6 As shown, multiple array elements can also form convex arrays, phased arrays, etc. When using a two-dimensional array of acoustic heads, array elements in different rows can be used simultaneously for the emission control of ultrasound waves within the same plane, resulting in more accurate focusing and improved quality of the two-dimensional image; they can also be used for the emission control of ultrasound waves within different planes to obtain three-dimensional spatial images. Array elements are used to emit ultrasound waves according to excitation electrical signals or to convert received ultrasound waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each array element can be used to realize the mutual conversion between electrical pulse signals and ultrasound waves, thereby realizing the emission of ultrasound waves to biological tissues (such as organs, tissues, blood vessels, etc. in the human or animal body), and can also be used to receive the echo of ultrasound waves reflected back by tissues. For clinical liver examinations, the procedure is generally performed from the right intercostal space. Due to the influence of the intercostal space, the size of the end of the transducer 10 or vibrating head 80 that contacts the human body should generally not be too large, and should be adapted to the intercostal space.

[0091] The transmit / receive control circuit 20 is used to control the ultrasound probe, i.e., the transducer 10, to emit ultrasonic waves and receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves. The transmit / receive control circuit 20 includes a transmit control circuit 210 and a receive control circuit 220. The transmit control circuit 210 generates a transmission sequence according to the control of the processor 40. The transmission sequence controls some or all of the multiple array elements to emit ultrasonic waves toward the biological tissue. The transmission sequence parameters include the position of the transmitting array elements, the number of array elements, and the ultrasonic beam transmission parameters (e.g., amplitude, frequency, number of transmissions, transmission interval, transmission angle, waveform, focusing position, etc.). In some cases, the transmit control circuit 210 is also used to phase delay the emitted beam, so that different transmitting array elements emit ultrasonic waves at different times, so that each emitted ultrasonic beam can be focused in a predetermined region of interest. Different operating modes, such as B-image mode, C-image mode and D-image mode (Doppler mode), may have different transmission sequence parameters. After the echo signal is received by the receiving control circuit 220 and processed by subsequent modules and corresponding algorithms, a B-image reflecting the tissue anatomy, a C-image reflecting the tissue anatomy and blood flow information, and a D-image reflecting the Doppler spectrum image can be generated.

[0092] The receiving control circuit 220 receives and processes ultrasonic echo signals from the transducer 10. The receiving control circuit 220 may include one or more amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), etc. The amplifier amplifies the received echo signal after appropriate gain compensation. The amplifier samples the analog echo signal at predetermined time intervals, converting it into a digitized signal. The digitized echo signal still retains amplitude, frequency, and phase information. The receiving control circuit 220 is connected to the processor 40 via the beamforming module 30. The data output by the receiving control circuit 220 can be sent to the beamforming module 30 for processing or to the memory 70 for storage.

[0093] Human-computer interaction devices are used to receive user input and output visual information; user input can be received via keyboard, operation buttons, mouse, trackball, etc., or via touch screen integrated with the display; visual information output can be via a display.

[0094] Pressure sensor 90 is used to sense the pressure of transducer 10 or vibrating head 80 on target tissue and output the pressure to processor 40.

[0095] The processor 40 is used to execute preset programs to realize various functions of the ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, such as generating B-images or C-images based on ultrasonic echoes and performing ultrasonic transient elasticity testing; taking ultrasonic transient elasticity testing as an example, the processing procedure is as follows: Figure 7 ,include:

[0096] Step S1: Enter image-guided mode to generate and display ultrasound images. Image-guided mode is a working mode that obtains and displays ultrasound images by performing ultrasound scanning on biological tissue. This mode is a common working mode for ultrasound imaging equipment. Specifically, the processor 40 enters image-guided mode according to the instructions received from the human-machine interface device. The transmitter / receiver control circuit 20 outputs a first transmitter / receiver sequence to the transducer 10 of the ultrasound probe. For example, before the ultrasound probe vibrates, the transmitter / receiver control circuit 20 outputs the first transmitter / receiver sequence to the transducer 10 of the ultrasound probe, controlling the transducer 10 to emit a first ultrasound wave towards the biological tissue and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue. An ultrasound image is generated based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and displayed on the display 60 of the human-machine interface device. For example, the processor 40 extracts the amplitude or intensity information of the echo of the first ultrasound wave, and after grayscale or pseudo-color spectral encoding, an ultrasound B-image or C-image can be generated to display the structural information of the target tissue, such as the liver, to facilitate user adjustment of the probe and imaging plane. The system can generate real-time, continuous multi-frame ultrasound images based on the echoes of the first ultrasound wave, which are then displayed on the screen 60 of the human-computer interaction device. This allows users to easily identify the region of interest based on the real-time ultrasound images. Alternatively, a single-frame ultrasound image can be generated based on the echoes of the first ultrasound wave and displayed on the screen 60 of the human-computer interaction device. Users can also identify the region of interest using a single-frame ultrasound image, while reducing the amount of data processing. Of course, the processor 40 can also determine, based on user instructions, whether the ultrasound image generated and displayed based on the echoes of the first ultrasound wave is a real-time, continuous multi-frame image or a single frame. In other words, the ultrasound image generated and displayed in image-guided mode can be a single frame ultrasound image or a continuous multi-frame ultrasound image.

[0097] After the display 60 displays the ultrasound image, the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement can be determined based on the ultrasound image. Specifically, the region of interest can be determined by the user. For example, the processor 40 also displays a bounding box on the ultrasound image to identify the region of interest. Figure 8 The region of interest (ROI) is indicated by a white box. The position and size of this box on the ultrasound image are adjustable. Adjusting the position and size of the box adjusts the position and size of the RIO. Guided by the ultrasound image, the user adjusts the position or angle of the probe, or adjusts the size and position of the RIO, ensuring it falls on the liver tissue and avoids large blood vessels or fluid-filled lesions. The processor 40 detects the user's input through a human-computer interaction device and determines the position and size of the box on the ultrasound image based on the user's input. The area ultimately selected by the box is the RIO.

[0098] Of course, the region of interest can also be determined by the processor 40. For example, the processor 40 can use a preset region of the ultrasound image as the region of interest, such as the area located at a preset angle and within a preset depth range from the center of the image. The processor 40 can also perform image processing on the ultrasound image, such as using boundary recognition algorithms and image segmentation algorithms to identify the area of ​​liver tissue without large blood vessels and fluid lesions as the region of interest. The corresponding bounding box of the region of interest can be displayed synchronously. Although the bounding box cannot be adjusted, the user can ensure the accuracy of the region of interest by adjusting the probe.

[0099] Of course, the above manual and automatic methods can also be combined. The processor 40 can automatically obtain the region of interest in the above manner and display the corresponding marker box on the ultrasound image. Then, the user can fine-tune the region of interest by adjusting the marker box.

[0100] The processor 40 is also used to display the distance from the body surface to the liver capsule on the display interface of the monitor 60. This distance is one of the indicators for clinical diagnosis of liver disease. On the one hand, this distance may be related to the body surface fat content and can help predict the degree of fatty liver. On the other hand, it is generally recommended that the elasticity measurement area (region of interest) be selected within a preset depth range below the liver capsule. Therefore, measuring the distance from the body surface to the liver capsule is beneficial for optimizing the elasticity measurement area. The distance from the body surface to the liver capsule can be measured by the user through a human-computer interaction device based on ultrasound images, or it can be obtained by the processor 40 through image processing of ultrasound images. For example, the processor 40 can automatically measure the distance from the body surface to the liver capsule based on ultrasound images using image processing algorithms such as boundary recognition algorithms and image segmentation algorithms.

[0101] Step S2: After determining the region of interest, switch to the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode to perform instantaneous elasticity measurement. The instantaneous elasticity measurement mode is a working mode used for instantaneous elasticity measurement. Specifically, the processor 40 activates the vibrator 50 to drive the transducer 10 or the vibrating head 80 to generate instantaneous vibration (e.g., a 50Hz, 20ms long cosine waveform, such as...). Figure 9 As shown), this generates shear waves that are transmitted into the liver tissue; a second transmit / receive sequence is generated based on the region of interest, and at least after the transducer 10 or the vibrating head 80 vibrates, the second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer 10 via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, controlling the transducer 10 to transmit the second ultrasound wave to the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasound wave (as shown). Figure 9 (As indicated by the middle arrow). The second transmit / receive sequence is intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest.

[0102] The processor 40 calculates the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest based on the echo of the second ultrasound. For example, the processor 40 detects the vibration or displacement state of liver tissue as shear waves propagate from superficial to deep regions based on the echo of the second ultrasound. Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the shear wave propagation velocity is calculated to obtain the instantaneous elastic result, which is then displayed on the display 60. In addition to the shear wave propagation velocity, the instantaneous elastic result may also include elastic-related values ​​such as Young's modulus and shear modulus.

[0103] In one embodiment, the ultrasound scan in image-guided mode may not be performed in the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode; that is, real-time ultrasound B-mode or C-mode imaging is not performed. Instead, a frame of ultrasound image obtained in image-guided mode is simultaneously displayed during the instantaneous elasticity measurement in the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode. This allows the user to correlate the instantaneous elasticity result with the ultrasound image while saving processor computing resources. Alternatively, in an optional embodiment, the display of the ultrasound image in the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode is selected by the user. For example, in the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode, after the processor 40 obtains the instantaneous elasticity result, it displays it. Upon receiving an input command for displaying the ultrasound image (input by the user via a human-computer interaction device), it displays a frame of ultrasound image obtained in image-guided mode.

[0104] In one embodiment, ultrasound scanning in image-guided mode can also be performed in transient elasticity measurement mode. For example, the processor 40 controls the transducer 10 to intermittently emit first ultrasound waves towards the biological tissue during the emission of second ultrasound waves to generate and display an ultrasound image. This allows the user to obtain the ultrasound image during transient elasticity measurement, facilitating the user's judgment of whether the measured area has shifted. Intermittent emission of the first ultrasound wave can be understood as a significantly smaller number of second ultrasound wave emissions compared to a single second ultrasound wave emission. Specifically, a single frame of the first ultrasound wave can be emitted in transient elasticity measurement mode to obtain the corresponding ultrasound image and display it on the display 60. This intermittent emission design maintains the real-time performance of the ultrasound image while saving processor computing resources.

[0105] Because shear wave propagation requires a certain amount of time, the ultrasonic transmission / reception sequence (second transmission / reception sequence) used for detection generally needs to last for a period of time (e.g., about 100ms), and the end time of detection must not be earlier than the end time of vibration. The start time of outputting the second transmission / reception sequence to transducer 10 can be before the start time of vibration, simultaneously with the start time of vibration, later than the start time of vibration, or within a preset time after the ultrasonic probe ends vibration. In other words, the ultrasonic wave corresponding to the second transmission / reception sequence can be transmitted before vibration, simultaneously with vibration, later than vibration, or within a preset time after the ultrasonic probe ends vibration. The preset time can be the time from the start of the ultrasonic probe ending vibration to the end of the shear wave reaching the region of interest, thus ensuring that the ultrasonic wave can detect the propagation of the shear wave in the region of interest. In some embodiments, the preset time can be 10ms-20ms, or a longer time period (e.g., 10ms-30ms or 10ms-40ms), or it can start at a later time after the ultrasound probe stops vibrating (e.g., 20ms after the vibration ends). A preferred embodiment is that the start time of the second transmit / receive sequence output to the transducer 10 is earlier than the start time of the vibration, and it continues for a preset first time, such as 100ms, after the vibration ends. This allows the ultrasound to record the original state of the tissue before the vibration begins, facilitating subsequent calculation of tissue displacement, while ensuring that the shear wave propagates to a sufficient depth.

[0106] After obtaining the transient elasticity result, the process returns to step S1, where the processor 40 switches back to image-guided mode. The first transmit / receive sequence is still output to the transducer 10 of the ultrasound probe via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, controlling the transducer 10 to emit the first ultrasound wave towards the biological tissue and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue. A real-time ultrasound image is generated based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and displayed on the display 60 of the human-computer interaction device. Due to the patient's position and breathing, it is difficult to control the liver's position during ultrasound examination. However, in this embodiment, after obtaining the transient elasticity result, the process automatically returns to image-guided mode, allowing the user to see the ultrasound image after the transient elasticity measurement. This allows the user to determine if the region of interest has shifted during the measurement process, enabling a direct assessment of the validity of the transient elasticity result and improving the accuracy of transient elasticity detection. It also facilitates image guidance before the next measurement.

[0107] If multiple instantaneous elasticity measurements are required, the ultrasonic instantaneous elasticity testing equipment alternates between instantaneous elasticity measurement mode and image-guided mode multiple times. That is, the mode switching is as follows: Image-guided mode → Elasticity measurement mode → ... → Image-guided mode → Elasticity measurement mode → Image-guided mode. The corresponding ultrasonic waves are also emitted alternately, such as... Figure 10 As shown, a preset second time interval can be spaced between two repeated second transmit / receive sequences (second transmit / receive sequences output in two adjacent elastic measurement modes). The second time can be set by the system and is usually optimized based on the frame rate requirements and the stability capability of the user-controlled probe.

[0108] In this embodiment, the first transmit / receive sequence and the second transmit / receive sequence are different. The first transmit / receive sequence, also known as the image-guided sequence, is mainly used to generate ultrasound images such as B-images or C-images. B-images can provide information on tissue anatomy and help the user adjust the probe position and angle in real time to ensure that the actual area for elasticity measurement is the user's region of interest. C-images, in addition to providing information on tissue anatomy, can also provide information on blood flow distribution. The second transmit / receive sequence is mainly used to perform instantaneous elasticity measurement on the region of interest. Once the user establishes the region of interest, the elasticity measurement process can be triggered, i.e., step S2 can be triggered. This can be triggered by the user operating a human-machine interface device (e.g., a button on the device), by the control key 3 on the probe, or by the processor 40 automatically triggering the process based on the ultrasound image at the current section or region of interest through intelligent judgment. For example, the processor 40 determines whether the region of interest in the ultrasound image is liver tissue and whether it contains blood vessels exceeding a preset diameter. If the region of interest is liver tissue and does not contain blood vessels exceeding a preset diameter, the process is triggered; otherwise, it is not triggered, and a corresponding prompt is output on the display 60. Of course, in some embodiments, the first transmit / receive sequence and the second transmit / receive sequence can also be the same transmit / receive sequence.

[0109] In this embodiment, in conjunction with the second principle, the processor 40 is also used to output a third transmission / reception sequence to the transducer 10 via the transmission / reception control circuit 20 before or after outputting the second transmission / reception sequence to the transducer 10, controlling the transducer 10 to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or a region of interest and to receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave. The third transmission / reception sequence is mainly used for location confirmation, and it can appear in pairs with the second transmission / reception sequence, such as... Figure 11As shown. The third transmit / receive sequence is similar to the first transmit / receive sequence in its transmit / receive method. The range of transmission and reception can be exactly the same as the first transmit / receive sequence, or it can be limited to the region of interest in the transient elastography measurement. Its purpose is to obtain ultrasound images (tissue images) during the transient elastography measurement to facilitate confirmation of whether probe vibration or patient breathing has caused movement of the cross-section, thereby confirming the validity of the current measurement. The smaller the range of transmission and reception of the third transmit / receive sequence (position confirmation sequence), the more time and computational resources are saved. In this embodiment, its transmission and reception range is the region of interest. Furthermore, the first transmit / receive sequence is generally performed continuously in real time, continuously acquiring multiple frames of images. The third transmit / receive sequence, however, typically only needs to acquire one frame of ultrasound image, its purpose being to confirm whether an unacceptable change in position has occurred. When performing multiple consecutive transient elastography measurements, the third transmit / receive sequence also repeats synchronously and periodically.

[0110] The processor 40 generates a prompt message based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement and outputs the prompt message to the display 60. The prompt message includes at least one of the following: an ultrasonic image generated based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave, a judgment result on the validity of the instantaneous elasticity result, and a judgment result on whether the change in the region of interest is within a preset acceptable range. When the prompt message indicates that the change in the current region of interest has exceeded the acceptable range, the processor 40 can control the detection device to switch from the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode back to the image-guided mode, re-determine the region of interest under image guidance, and then perform the instantaneous elasticity measurement again.

[0111] For example, an ultrasound image generated from the echo of a third ultrasound wave can be directly output as a notification indicating the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement. Users can determine whether unacceptable changes have occurred in the region of interest based on the content of the output ultrasound image, thus confirming the validity of the completed instantaneous elasticity measurement.

[0112] For example, the prompt information includes a judgment result on whether the transient elasticity result is valid; the processor 40 obtains at least one of the following information from the echo of the third ultrasound wave: signal-to-noise ratio of the third ultrasound wave, whether the region of interest is liver tissue, whether the region of interest contains blood vessels, and whether the region of interest contains fluid-filled lesions. Based on this information, the processor 40 judges whether the transient elasticity result is valid and outputs the judgment result. This method does not limit whether the third ultrasound wave is one-dimensional or two-dimensional. The processor 40 can also obtain a second ultrasound image from the echo of the third ultrasound wave, compare this second ultrasound image with the ultrasound image obtained in step S1, and determine whether the change in the position of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range. If the position change exceeds the allowable range, the processor can further calculate the judgment result on whether the transient elasticity result is valid based on the position change and output the judgment result. Alternatively, the prompt information output by the processor 40 can be more than just a simple valid or invalid. Instead, it can output a score based on the degree of conformity between the elasticity measurement location and the location of the region of interest. The higher the score, the better the conformity and the higher the reliability / validity of the instantaneous elasticity result.

[0113] For example, the prompt message may include the result of judging whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range; the processor 40 generates an ultrasound image based on the echo of the third ultrasound wave, compares this ultrasound image with the ultrasound image obtained in step S1, and judges whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within the preset allowable range. If it exceeds the allowable range, a corresponding prompt is output. In this case, the third ultrasound echo can be two-dimensional. Judging whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within the preset allowable range can be done by the user or automatically by the processor 40 after comparing the two ultrasound images. If the change in the location of the region of interest exceeds the preset allowable range, the processor 40 controls the transducer 10 to emit ultrasound waves to the biological tissue to reacquire the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement, facilitating subsequent remeasurement.

[0114] Instantaneous elasticity measurement requires probe vibration, which can easily lead to probe movement or poor contact. Furthermore, the shear wave detection time for instantaneous elasticity is often long, and breathing interference or changes in the shear plane may occur during this period. All of these factors can cause elasticity measurement failure or inaccurate results. The third transmit / receive sequence helps in timely judgment of anomalies, especially important when performing multiple consecutive instantaneous elasticity measurements. The prompt information can be displayed along with the instantaneous elasticity results for user reference. Of course, the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 90 can also be displayed on the interface for user reference, facilitating more appropriate probe control and ensuring the quality of the elasticity measurement.

[0115] The above content introduces a technical solution based on one principle to improve the accuracy of transient elasticity detection. The following focuses on a technical solution based on another principle. The ultrasonic transient elasticity detection device provided in this embodiment has the same hardware structure and function as the above embodiment, so it will not be described in detail. The main difference lies in the process of ultrasonic transient elasticity detection performed by the processor 40. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the process in this embodiment includes:

[0116] Step S1': The processor 40 acquires the region of interest (ROI) for transient elasticity measurement of biological tissue. For example, the processor 40 uses a region with a preset position and size along the direction of ultrasound emission as the ROI for transient elasticity measurement of biological tissue; the coordinate position of the transducer 10 is determined, the emission direction is known, and the preset position and size are pre-set, so the processor 40 can automatically obtain the ROI. Another example: the processor 40 outputs a first transmission / reception sequence to the transducer 10 of the ultrasound probe via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, controlling the transducer to emit a first ultrasound wave towards the biological tissue and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue; a first ultrasound image is generated based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and displayed on the display 60; the ROI for transient elasticity measurement is determined based on the first ultrasound image. The ROI for transient elasticity measurement can be determined based on the first ultrasound image; specifically, the ROI can be determined by the user. For example, the processor 40 also displays an identification box on the first ultrasound image to identify the ROI, such as... Figure 8 The white box in the image shows the region of interest. The position and size of this marker box on the first ultrasound image are adjustable. The processor 40 detects user input through a human-computer interaction device and determines the position and size of the marker box on the first ultrasound image based on the user input. The area selected by the marker box is the region of interest. The specific process is the same as in the previous embodiment and will not be described again here.

[0117] Of course, the region of interest can also be determined by the processor 40. For example, the processor 40 can use a preset region of the first ultrasound image as the region of interest, such as the region located at a preset angle and within a preset depth range from the center of the image. The processor 40 can also perform image processing on the first ultrasound image, such as using boundary recognition algorithms and image segmentation algorithms to identify the region of liver tissue without large blood vessels and fluid lesions as the region of interest. The corresponding bounding box of the region of interest can be displayed synchronously. Although the bounding box cannot be adjusted, the user can ensure the accuracy of the region of interest by adjusting the probe.

[0118] Of course, the above manual and automatic methods can also be combined. The processor 40 can automatically obtain the region of interest in the above manner and display the corresponding marker box on the first ultrasound image. Then, the user can fine-tune the region of interest by adjusting the marker box.

[0119] The processor 40 is also used to display the distance from the body surface to the liver capsule on the display interface of the display 60. The distance from the body surface to the liver capsule is obtained by the user based on the first ultrasound image, or by image processing of the first ultrasound image. The specific process is the same as in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0120] In step S2', the processor 40 controls the vibrator 50 to drive the ultrasound probe to vibrate, causing shear waves to propagate in the depth direction within the biological tissue. Specifically, the processor 40 activates the vibrator 50 to drive the transducer 10 or the vibrating head 80 to generate instantaneous vibration, thereby generating shear waves that penetrate into the liver tissue.

[0121] In step S3', the processor 40 generates a second transmit / receive sequence based on the region of interest. The second transmit / receive sequence is intended to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest.

[0122] In step S4', the processor 40 outputs a second transmission / reception sequence to the transducer 10 via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, controlling the transducer 10 to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave. As in the above embodiment, the processor 40 outputs the second transmission / reception sequence to the transducer 10 via the transmit / receive control circuit 20. This output can be before the ultrasonic probe vibrates, when the ultrasonic probe starts vibrating, after the ultrasonic probe starts vibrating, or within a preset time after the ultrasonic probe stops vibrating. This embodiment uses outputting before the ultrasonic probe vibrates as an example. Thus, the echo of the second ultrasonic wave can be used to obtain information about the situation before, during, and after the ultrasonic probe vibrates. Furthermore, before or after the processor 40 outputs the second transmission / reception sequence to the transducer 10 via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, it also outputs a third transmission / receive sequence to the transducer 10, controlling the transducer 10 to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or the region of interest and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave. The third transmit / receive sequence is similar to the first transmit / receive sequence in its transmission and reception method. The transmission and reception range can be exactly the same as the first transmit / receive sequence, or it can be limited to the region of interest. The third transmit / receive sequence is used to obtain tissue images at the instant of the transient elastography measurement to facilitate confirmation that probe vibration has caused sectional movement and whether the current measurement is valid. The smaller the transmission and reception range of the third transmit / receive sequence (position confirmation sequence), the more time and computational resources are saved. In this embodiment, its transmission and reception range is the region of interest. Furthermore, the first transmit / receive sequence is generally performed continuously in real time, acquiring multiple frames of images continuously. The third transmit / receive sequence, however, typically only needs to acquire one frame of ultrasound image; its purpose is to confirm whether an unacceptable change in position has occurred. When performing multiple consecutive transient elastography measurements, the third transmit / receive sequence is also synchronously and periodically repeated.

[0123] In step S5', the processor 40 calculates the instantaneous elastic result of the region of interest based on the echo of the second ultrasonic wave. The specific process is the same as in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0124] Step S6': Generate and output a prompt message indicating the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement based on the echo of the third ultrasound. The output prompt message can be displayed on the display 60. The prompt message includes at least one of the following: a second ultrasound image generated based on the echo of the third ultrasound, a judgment result on whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid, and a judgment result on whether the change in the position of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range. The processor 40 can also display the instantaneous elasticity result on the display 60 after obtaining it, and after receiving an input command for displaying an ultrasound image, display either a first ultrasound image or a second ultrasound image on the display 60. Displaying the second ultrasound image allows the user to determine whether the position of the region of interest has shifted, which is helpful in determining whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid. Of course, the change in the position of the region of interest and the validity of the instantaneous elasticity result can also be automatically determined by the processor 40. For example, the prompt message includes a judgment result on whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid. The processor 40 obtains at least one of the following information from the echo of the third ultrasound wave: signal-to-noise ratio of the third ultrasound wave, whether the region of interest (ROI) is liver tissue, whether the ROI contains blood vessels, and whether the ROI contains fluid-filled lesions. Based on this information, the processor determines whether the transient elasticity result is valid and outputs the determination result. This determination result can be obtained directly from the third ultrasound wave echo or after image processing from the second ultrasound image. Alternatively, the processor 40 can obtain the second ultrasound image from the echo of the third ultrasound wave, compare this second ultrasound image with the first ultrasound image obtained in step S1', and determine whether the change in the position of the ROI is within a preset allowable range. If the position change exceeds the allowable range, the processor can further calculate the determination result of whether the transient elasticity result is valid based on this position change and output the determination result. Alternatively, the prompt information output by the processor 40 can be more than just a simple valid or invalid. Instead, it can output a score based on the degree of conformity between the elasticity measurement location and the location of the region of interest. The higher the score, the better the conformity and the higher the reliability / validity of the instantaneous elasticity result.

[0125] For example, the prompt message may include a judgment result regarding whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range. The processor 40 generates a second ultrasound image based on the echo of the third ultrasound wave, compares the second ultrasound image with the first ultrasound image, and determines whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range. If it exceeds the allowable range, a corresponding prompt is output. If the change in the location of the region of interest exceeds the preset allowable range, the processor 40 controls the transducer 10 to emit ultrasound waves towards the biological tissue to reacquire the region of interest from the instantaneous elasticity measurement, facilitating subsequent remeasurement.

[0126] Instantaneous elasticity measurement requires probe vibration, which can easily lead to probe movement or poor contact. Furthermore, the shear wave detection time for instantaneous elasticity is often long, and breathing interference or changes in the shear plane may occur during this period. All of these factors can cause elasticity measurement failure or inaccurate results. The third transmit / receive sequence helps in timely judgment of anomalies, especially important when performing multiple consecutive instantaneous elasticity measurements. The prompt information can be displayed along with the instantaneous elasticity results for user reference. Of course, the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 90 can also be displayed on the interface for user reference, facilitating more appropriate probe control and ensuring the quality of the elasticity measurement.

[0127] If multiple instantaneous elasticity measurements are required, the second and third transmit / receive sequences can be output alternately multiple times. Each alternation can perform one measurement. The corresponding result of each measurement can be output as the instantaneous elasticity result, or the average value of multiple measurement results can be output as the instantaneous elasticity result.

[0128] This application also provides an ultrasonic instantaneous elasticity measurement probe, such as... Figure 13 As shown, it includes, as described above: a transducer 10, a transmit / receive control circuit 20, a beamforming module 30, a processor 40, a vibrator 50, a memory 70, and a pressure sensor 90; it also includes a housing 1 and a prompting device. It is related to... Figure 1 The differences in the detection devices shown lie in the functions of the processor 40 and the prompting device; other functional modules are the same. The characteristic of this embodiment is... Figure 13 All the functional modules shown are integrated into the probe, forming a portable measuring device. The probe structure can be... Figures 2-4 Any one of them, will be introduced one by one below.

[0129] The shape of the outer shell 1 is not limited; for example, it can be rod-shaped to facilitate one-handed holding. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the transducer 10 is disposed at one end of the housing 1. The vibrator 50, the transmit / receive control circuit 20, and the processor 40 are integrated within the housing 1. The vibrator 50 drives the transducer 10 to vibrate.

[0130] The processor 40 is configured to: acquire a region of interest (ROI) for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissue; control the vibrator 50 to cause the transducer 10 to vibrate, generating shear waves propagating in the depth direction within the biological tissue in contact with the transducer 10; generate a second transmit / receive sequence based on the ROI, the second transmit / receive sequence being designed to measure the instantaneous elasticity of the ROI; output the second transmit / receive sequence to the transducer 10 via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, controlling the transducer 10 to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the ROI and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; wherein, before or after the transmit / receive control circuit 20 outputs the second transmit / receive sequence to the transducer 10, a third transmit / receive sequence is also output to the transducer 10 via the transmit / receive control circuit 20, controlling the transducer 10 to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward the biological tissue or the ROI and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave; calculate the instantaneous elasticity of the ROI based on the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; and generate a prompt message indicating the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave. The alerting device outputs instantaneous elasticity results and / or alert information. For example, the alerting device can be a display. Since it is a portable device, the display is small and cannot display ultrasound images, but it can display instantaneous elasticity results, alert information, and pressure sensed by the pressure sensor. Alternatively, the alerting device can be a speaker, which plays the instantaneous elasticity results and / or alert information in the form of voice.

[0131] As can be seen from the function of processor 40, the ultrasonic transient elasticity measurement probe uses the second principle to improve the accuracy of transient elasticity detection. In this embodiment, the prompting device is a display, which is either housed inside the housing 1 or partially or completely exposed within the housing 1. The prompting information, such as whether the transient elasticity result is valid or whether the change in the region of interest is within a preset allowable range, can be indicated to the user through the color and brightness of indicator lights, thereby saving display area and contributing to the miniaturization of the probe.

[0132] The ultrasonic transient elasticity measurement probe also includes a wireless communication module and a data interface. The wireless communication module is electrically connected to the processor 40 and is used to transmit the data output by the processor 40 to the outside. The processor 40 can also transmit data to the outside through the data interface. Although the processor 40 in this embodiment cannot display the ultrasonic image on the display on the housing 1, it can transmit data to the outside through the wireless communication module or the data interface, so that the ultrasonic image, prompt information, and transient elasticity results can be displayed on an external display. This is slightly different from the function of the processor in the above embodiment, but other functions are the same, so they will not be described in detail.

[0133] For instantaneous elasticity measurement, the application area is generally the liver tissue, and the image is taken from the right intercostal space. However, in clinical practice, the cross-section of the liver is not easy to determine. When the cross-section is not suitable, the elasticity measurement area may be located in the area of ​​the major blood vessels in the liver, the gallbladder tissue area, etc., in which case the elasticity result is unreliable. Therefore, prompts for the measurement area are very important. In this embodiment, a third ultrasound wave for location confirmation is emitted before or after the elasticity measurement. The processor 40 uses image segmentation, feature judgment and other algorithms based on the echo signal of this ultrasound wave to determine whether the region of interest has shifted too much, thereby generating prompt information and displaying it on the display, so that the user can adjust the target area of ​​measurement in time. The pressure is also prompted to guide the user to adjust the pressure to ensure that the probe makes good contact with the tissue and can form a shear wave in the tissue well during vibration. For desktop detection devices where the display and probe are separate, the user's hands need to operate the probe, and the line of sight needs to switch back and forth between the display and the probe, which is not conducive to hand-eye coordination. The prompts and pressure information in this application are displayed directly on the screen on the surface of the portable probe, allowing the user to focus their attention on the probe and concentrate on the operation, thereby further improving the convenience and accuracy of instantaneous elasticity detection.

[0134] Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the transducer 10 is the component that comes into contact with and vibrates on the human body, while Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the transducer 10 does not induce shear waves. Instead, the sampling vibrating head 80 contacts the human body, and the vibration of the vibrating head 80 induces shear waves within the tissue. In other words, the ultrasonic transient elastography probe also includes a vibrating head 80. The vibrating head 80 is used to vibrate and induce the shear waves within the biological tissue. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compared to the example Figure 2 The difference lies in the part of the structure that transmits vibrations to the human body to generate shear waves; the other structures and functions are the same or similar, so they will not be elaborated upon.

[0135] This document describes various exemplary embodiments with reference to them. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of this document. For example, various operational steps and components for performing operational steps can be implemented in different ways depending on the specific application or considering any number of cost functions associated with the operation of the system (e.g., one or more steps can be deleted, modified, or combined with other steps).

[0136] Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, the principles herein can be reflected in a computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium pre-loaded with computer-readable program code. Any tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be used, including magnetic storage devices (hard disks, floppy disks, etc.), optical storage devices (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), flash memory, and / or the like. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to form a machine, such that instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, can generate means for performing a specified function. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to operate in a particular manner, such that instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium can form an article of manufacture, including means for implementing the specified function. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to perform a series of operational steps on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, can provide steps for implementing the specified function.

[0137] While the principles herein have been illustrated in various embodiments, numerous modifications to the structure, arrangement, proportions, elements, materials, and components, particularly suited to specific environmental and operational requirements, may be used without departing from the principles and scope of this disclosure. These modifications and other alterations or alterations will be included within the scope of this document.

[0138] The foregoing specific descriptions have been described with reference to various embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, considerations for this disclosure are to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and all such modifications are to be included within its scope. Similarly, advantages, other advantages, and solutions to problems with respect to various embodiments have been described above. However, benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that produce these, or make them more explicit, should not be construed as critical, essential, or necessary. The term “comprising” and any other variations thereof as used herein are non-exclusive inclusion, meaning that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed or not part of the process, method, system, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the term “coupled” and any other variations thereof as used herein refer to physical connections, electrical connections, magnetic connections, optical connections, communication connections, functional connections, and / or any other connections.

[0139] Those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes can be made to the details of the above embodiments without departing from the basic principles of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined according to the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for ultrasonic transient elasticity testing, characterized in that, The ultrasonic transient elasticity detection includes an image-guided mode and a transient elasticity measurement mode, and the method includes: Entering the image-guided mode, the transducer of the ultrasound probe outputs the first transmit / receive sequence corresponding to the image-guided mode, controls the transducer to transmit the first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue, receives the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue, and generates and displays an ultrasound image based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave. Display a bounding box indicating the region of interest on the ultrasound image; Switch to instantaneous elasticity measurement mode to perform instantaneous elasticity measurement, and generate a second transmit / receive sequence for instantaneous elasticity measurement of the region of interest; At least after the ultrasound probe vibrates, a second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasound wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasound wave; the ultrasound probe generates shear waves propagating in the depth direction inside the biological tissue through vibration. The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound. Switch to image-guided mode, output the first transmit / receive sequence corresponding to the image-guided mode to the transducer of the ultrasound probe, control the transducer to transmit the first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue, and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue; generate an ultrasound image based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave and display it.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that... Also includes: The instantaneous elasticity measurement mode and the image guidance mode are switched alternately multiple times to achieve multiple instantaneous elasticity measurements.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, During instantaneous elasticity measurement in the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode, one frame of ultrasound image obtained in the image guidance mode is simultaneously displayed.

4. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Also includes: In the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode, the instantaneous elasticity result is obtained and displayed. Upon receiving an input command for displaying an ultrasound image, the ultrasound image obtained in the image-guided mode is displayed.

5. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode, the method further includes: The transducer is controlled to intermittently emit the first ultrasound wave towards the biological tissue during the emission of the second ultrasound wave, so as to generate and display an ultrasound image.

6. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that... Also includes: In the instantaneous elasticity measurement mode, before or after outputting the second transmit / receive sequence to the transducer, a third transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer to control the transducer to transmit the third ultrasound wave to biological tissue or to the region of interest and to receive the echo of the third ultrasound wave. Based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave, a prompt message is generated to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement, and the prompt message is output.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The ultrasound image is a B-mode image, a C-mode image, or an M-mode image.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first transmit / receive sequence and the second transmit / receive sequence are different transmit / receive sequences.

9. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The transmission / reception range corresponding to the third transmission / reception sequence is the same as that corresponding to the first transmission / reception sequence, or the transmission / reception range corresponding to the third transmission / reception sequence is limited to the region of interest.

10. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The prompt information includes at least one of the following: an ultrasound image generated based on the echo of the third ultrasound, a judgment result on whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid, and a judgment result on whether the change in the region of interest is within a preset allowable range.

11. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, When the prompt message indicates that the change in the current region of interest has exceeded the preset allowable range, switch back from instantaneous elasticity measurement mode to image-guided mode, re-determine the region of interest in image-guided mode, and then perform instantaneous elasticity measurement again. When the prompt message includes a judgment result on whether the transient elasticity result is valid, the system determines whether the transient elasticity result is valid based on at least one of the following information obtained from the echo of the third ultrasound: signal-to-noise ratio of the third ultrasound echo, whether the region of interest is liver tissue, whether the region of interest contains blood vessels, and whether the region of interest contains fluid lesions, and outputs the judgment result.

12. A method for ultrasonic transient elasticity testing, characterized in that, include: Obtain the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissues; Controlling the ultrasound probe to generate vibrations causes shear waves to propagate in the depth direction within biological tissues; Generate a second transmit / receive sequence for instantaneous elastic measurement of the region of interest; The transducer is output with a second transmit / receive sequence to control the transducer to transmit a second ultrasonic wave toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the second ultrasonic wave; wherein, before or after the second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer, a third transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer to control the transducer to transmit a third ultrasonic wave toward biological tissue or toward the region of interest and receive the echo of the third ultrasonic wave. The instantaneous elasticity of the region of interest is calculated based on the echo of the second ultrasound. Based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave, a prompt message is generated to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement, and the prompt message is output.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The second and third transmit / receive sequences are output alternately multiple times.

14. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissue includes: The region of preset position and size along the direction of ultrasound emission is taken as the region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissue.

15. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The region of interest for instantaneous elasticity measurement of biological tissue includes: A first transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer of the ultrasound probe to control the transducer to transmit a first ultrasound wave to the biological tissue and receive the echo of the first ultrasound wave returned by the biological tissue; a first ultrasound image is generated and displayed based on the echo of the first ultrasound wave. Display a bounding box that identifies the region of interest on the first ultrasound image.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that... Also includes: After obtaining the instantaneous elasticity result, it is displayed, and upon receiving an input command for displaying an ultrasound image, the first ultrasound image is displayed.

17. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The prompt information includes at least one of the following: a second ultrasound image generated based on the echo of the third ultrasound, a judgment result on whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid, and a judgment result on whether the change in the position of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range.

18. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The prompt information includes a judgment result on whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid; the step of generating and outputting prompt information based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement includes: Based on the echo of the third ultrasound, at least one of the following information is obtained: signal-to-noise ratio of the third ultrasound echo, whether the region of interest is liver tissue, whether the region of interest contains blood vessels, and whether the region of interest contains fluid-filled lesions. The validity of the transient elasticity result is then determined and the result is output.

19. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The prompt information includes a judgment result on whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid; the step of generating and outputting prompt information based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement includes: A second ultrasound image is generated based on the echo of the third ultrasound wave. The second ultrasound image is compared with the first ultrasound image to determine whether the change in the position of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range. Based on whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within the preset allowable range, determine whether the instantaneous elasticity result is valid and output the determination result.

20. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The prompt information includes a judgment result on whether the change in the location of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range; the step of generating and outputting prompt information based on the echo of the third ultrasonic wave to indicate the validity of the instantaneous elasticity measurement includes: A second ultrasound image is generated based on the echo of the third ultrasound wave. The second ultrasound image is compared with the first ultrasound image to determine whether the change in the position of the region of interest is within a preset allowable range. If it exceeds the allowable range, a corresponding prompt is output.

21. The method as described in claim 20, characterized in that... Also includes: If the location of the region of interest changes beyond a preset allowable range, the transducer is controlled to emit ultrasound waves toward the biological tissue in order to reacquire the region of interest from the instantaneous elasticity measurement.

22. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The step of outputting the second transmit / receive sequence to the transducer includes: A second transmit / receive sequence is output to the transducer within a preset time before the ultrasonic probe vibrates, when the ultrasonic probe starts vibrating, after the ultrasonic probe starts vibrating, or after the ultrasonic probe stops vibrating.

23. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that Also includes: The distance from the body surface to the liver capsule is displayed on the display interface. This distance is obtained by the user based on a first ultrasound image or by image processing of the first ultrasound image.

24. An ultrasonic transient elasticity testing device, characterized in that, include: An ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic probe comprising a vibrator and a transducer; The vibrator is used to drive the ultrasonic probe to vibrate, thereby generating shear waves that propagate in the depth direction within the human body's biological tissues. The transducer includes at least two array elements, which are used to emit ultrasonic waves to biological tissue and receive echoes of ultrasonic waves returned by biological tissue. Transmit / receive control circuit, used to control the ultrasonic probe to emit ultrasonic waves and receive the echoes of the ultrasonic waves; Human-computer interaction devices are used for inputting and outputting visual information; A processor for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

Images