Method and device for ultrasonic scanning, computing equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasonic scanning method and device, computing equipment and a storage medium. The method may include: obtaining a first measurement result from a first displacement sensor and a second measurement result from a second displacement sensor, the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor being disposed at different positions of an ultrasonic probe; obtaining a third measurement result from an angular velocity sensor arranged on the ultrasonic probe; and determining probe pose data of the ultrasonic probe based on the first measurement result, the second measurement result and the third measurement result.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of data processing, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, computing device and storage medium for ultrasound scanning. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, doctors often make medical diagnosis by using medical images sequences obtained by medical scanning devices. Among them, an ultrasound acquisition device is one of the common medical scanning devices. SUMMARY

[0003] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for ultrasound scanning is provided, comprising: obtaining a first measurement result from a first displacement sensor and a second measurement result from a second displacement sensor, the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor being disposed at different positions of an ultrasound probe; obtaining a third measurement result from an angular velocity sensor disposed at the ultrasound probe; and determining probe pose data of the ultrasound probe based on the first measurement result, the second measurement result and the third measurement result.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computing device is provided, comprising: a memory, a processor and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method for ultrasound scanning according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium is provided, having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method for ultrasound scanning according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method for ultrasound scanning according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] In the following description of example embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example system in which various methods described herein can be implemented, according to an example embodiment; Figure 2is a flowchart illustrating a method for ultrasound scanning according to an example embodiment; Figure 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating an ultrasound probe according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating an ultrasound image processing scenario according to an example embodiment; Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an apparatus for ultrasound scanning according to an example embodiment; Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer device to which example embodiments can be applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] In the present disclosure, the use of the terms “first”, “second”, etc. to describe various elements is not intended to limit the positional relationship, the timing relationship, or the importance relationship of these elements, and such terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. In some examples, the first element and the second element can refer to the same instance of the element, and in some cases, based on the context of the description, they can also refer to different instances.

[0010] The terms used in the description of various described examples in the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific examples, and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the number of elements is specifically limited, the element can be one or more, if the number of elements is not specifically limited. As used herein, the term “plurality” means two or more, and the term “based on” should be interpreted as “at least partially based on”. In addition, the terms “and / or” and “at least one of” cover any one of the listed items and all possible combinations thereof.

[0011] Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example system 100 in which various methods described herein can be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0013] Referring to Figure 1 The system 100 includes a client device 110, a server 120, and a network 130 communicatively coupling the client device 110 and the server 120.

[0014] The client device 110 includes a display 114 and a client application (APP) 112 that can be displayed via the display 114. The client application 112 can be an application program that needs to be downloaded and installed before running or a lite app that is a small program of a lightweight application. In the case where the client application 112 is an application program that needs to be downloaded and installed before running, the client application 112 can be pre-installed on the client device 110 and activated. In the case where the client application 112 is a lite app, the user 102 can directly run the client application 112 on the client device 110 without installing the client application 112 by searching for the client application 112 in a host application (e.g., by the name of the client application 112, etc.) or scanning a graphic code (e.g., a bar code, a two-dimensional code, etc.) of the client application 112, etc. In some embodiments, the client device 110 can be any type of mobile computer device, including a mobile computer, a mobile phone, a wearable computer device (e.g., a smart watch, a head-mounted device, including smart glasses, etc.), or other types of mobile devices. In some embodiments, the client device 110 can alternatively be a stationary computer device, such as a desktop computer, a server computer, or other types of stationary computer devices. In some alternative embodiments, the client device 110 can also be or can include a medical image printing device.

[0015] The server 120 is typically a server deployed by an Internet service provider (ISP) or an Internet content provider (ICP). The server 120 can represent a single server, a cluster of multiple servers, a distributed system, or a cloud server providing a basic cloud service such as a cloud database, cloud computing, cloud storage, cloud communication. It will be understood that, although Figure 1 Although the server 120 is shown in FIG. 1 communicating with only one client device 110, the server 120 can simultaneously provide background services for multiple client devices.

[0016] Examples of the network 130 include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN), and / or a combination of communication networks such as the Internet. The network 130 can be a wired or wireless network. In some embodiments, data exchanged over the network 130 is processed using technologies and / or formats including hypertext markup language (HTML), extensible markup language (XML), etc. In addition, all or some links can be encrypted using encryption technologies such as the secure sockets layer (SSL), transport layer security (TLS), a virtual private network (VPN), Internet Protocol security (IPsec), etc. In some embodiments, custom and / or proprietary data communication technologies and / or formats can also be used instead of or in addition to the above technologies.

[0017] The system 100 can also include an image acquisition device 140. In some embodiments, Figure 1 The image acquisition device 140 shown can be a medical scanning device, including but not limited to a scanning or imaging device used in a Positron emission tomography (PET), Positron emission tomography with computerized tomography (PET / CT), Single photon emission computed tomography with computerized tomography (SPECT / CT), Computerized tomography (CT), Medical ultrasonography, Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Cardiac angiography (CA), Digital radiography (DR), and the like. For example, the image acquisition device 140 can include a digital subtraction angiography scanner, a magnetic resonance angiography scanner, a tomographic angiography scanner, a positron emission tomography scanner, a positron emission computed tomography scanner, a single photon emission computed tomography scanner, a computerized tomography scanner, a medical ultrasonography device, a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging scanner, a magnetic resonance imaging scanner, a digital radiography scanner, and the like. The image acquisition device 140 can be connected with a server (e.g., the server 120 in the system 100 or a separate server of the imaging system that is not shown in the figure) to enable processing of image data, including but not limited to conversion of scan data (e.g., into a medical image sequence), compression, pixel correction, three-dimensional reconstruction, and the like. Figure 1

[0018] The image acquisition device 140 can be connected with the client device 110, e.g., through the network 130, or otherwise directly connected to the client device to communicate with the client device.

[0019] ​Optionally, the system can also include a smart computing device or a computing card 150. The image acquisition device 140 can include or be connected (e.g., removably connected) to such a computing card 150, etc. As one example, the computing card 150 can implement processing of image data, including but not limited to conversion, compression, pixel correction, reconstruction, etc. As another example, the computing card 150 can implement methods for ultrasound scanning according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] The system can also include other parts not shown, such as a data storage. The data storage can be a database, a data repository, or other form of one or more devices for data storage, which can be a conventional database, and can include a cloud database, a distributed database, etc. For example, raw image data formed by the image acquisition device 140 or medical image sequences or three-dimensional image data obtained after image processing, etc. can be stored in the data storage for later retrieval by the server 120 and the client device 110 from the data storage. In addition, the image acquisition device 140 described above can also directly provide raw image data or medical image sequences or three-dimensional image data obtained after image processing, etc. to the server 120 or the client device 110, etc.

[0021] The user can use the client device 110 to control the acquisition of images or images, view the acquired images or images (including raw image data or images obtained after analysis and processing, etc.), view analysis results, interact with the acquired images or analysis results, input acquisition instructions, configure data, etc. The client device 110 can send configuration data, instructions or other information to the image acquisition device 140 to control the acquisition of the image acquisition device, process data, etc.

[0022] For the purposes of embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 1In the example, client application 112 can be an image sequence management application that provides various functions, such as storage management, indexing, sorting, and classification of acquired image sequences. Correspondingly, server 120 can be a server used in conjunction with the image sequence management application. Server 120 can provide image sequence management services to client application 112 running on client device 110 based on user requests or instructions generated according to embodiments of this disclosure. For example, it can manage image sequence storage in the cloud, store and classify image sequences according to specified indexes (including, but not limited to, sequence type, patient identifier, body part, acquisition target, acquisition stage, acquisition machine, presence of lesions, severity, etc.), and retrieve and provide image sequences to client devices according to specified indexes, etc. Alternatively, server 120 can also provide or allocate such service capabilities or storage space to client device 110, whereby client application 112 running on client device 110 provides corresponding image sequence management services based on user requests or instructions generated according to embodiments of this disclosure, etc. It is understood that the above is only one example, and this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 200 for ultrasound scanning according to an exemplary embodiment. Method 200 can be performed on a client device (e.g., Figure 1 The execution is performed at the client device 110 shown, that is, the execution entity of each step of method 200 can be... Figure 1 The client device 110 shown. In some embodiments, method 200 can be performed on a server (e.g., Figure 1 The method 200 is executed at server 120 (as shown in the figure). In some embodiments, the method 200 may be executed in combination by a client device (e.g., client device 110) and a server (e.g., server 120).

[0024] The steps of method 200 are described in detail below.

[0025] refer to Figure 2 In step 210, a first measurement result from the first displacement sensor and a second measurement result from the second displacement sensor are obtained. The first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor can be set at different positions on the ultrasonic probe.

[0026] At step 220, a third measurement result is obtained from the angular velocity sensor disposed on the ultrasonic probe.

[0027] At step 230, the probe pose data of the ultrasonic probe is determined based on the first measurement result, the second measurement result, and the third measurement result.

[0028] By the above method, by fusing the data of the two displacement sensors separated in space and the data of the angular velocity sensor, a low-cost and high-precision hybrid positioning system can be constructed. By setting two displacement sensors, more dimensional pose measurement results can be obtained by using simple displacement sensors and different positions, thereby facilitating comprehensive calculation of complex motion of the probe. It can be understood that in other embodiments, more than two displacement sensors can also be provided to obtain more comprehensive calculation.

[0029] It can be understood that the ultrasonic probe provided with the sensors (the first displacement sensor, the second displacement sensor, the angular velocity sensor) can include one or more of the sensors integrally formed with the ultrasonic probe, removably attached, non-removably fixed, or associated with the ultrasonic probe by other means, and the sensors in the first displacement sensor, the second displacement sensor, and the angular velocity sensor can be integrally formed with the plurality of sensors or attached or fixed to the ultrasonic probe respectively.

[0030] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the first and second displacement sensors can be optical navigation sensors or mechanical sensors, or other sensors capable of measuring relative displacement. Exemplarily, the angular velocity sensor can adopt a gyroscope.

[0031] In some embodiments, the method can further include obtaining an ultrasound image sequence acquired by the ultrasonic probe for a target human body, and obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the probe pose data and the ultrasound image sequence.

[0032] Through such an embodiment, using the calculated high-precision pose data, the system can accurately restore the two-dimensional ultrasound image sequence to three-dimensional volume data. This enables the doctor to observe the spatial structural relationship that is difficult to present in the conventional two-dimensional section, thereby improving the accuracy of diagnosis.

[0033] It can be understood that the three-dimensional reconstruction result can be a volume rendering image, a multi-planar reconstruction view, or a panoramic stitching image, and the above are only examples, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, it can be understood that the acquired sensor measurement data can be acquired at least two time instants associated with the ultrasound image sequence, for example, can be acquired during the acquisition of the ultrasound image sequence, for example, can be acquired synchronously or asynchronously with the ultrasound image sequence, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0034] As an example, in case of synchronous acquisition, each ultrasound image can correspond to a sensor measurement acquired at the same time instant, e.g. each frame of ultrasound image has a corresponding frame of first measurement, a corresponding frame of second measurement and a corresponding frame of third measurement, respectively. In this case, the probe pose at the acquisition time of the corresponding ultrasound image and / or the image pose of the corresponding ultrasound image can be calculated, modified or corrected based on the corresponding sensor measurement.

[0035] As another example, in case of asynchronous acquisition, the acquisition frequency of the sensor measurements can be approximately equal to, lower than or higher than the acquisition frequency of the ultrasound images. Illustratively, interpolation can be performed based on the relationship between the acquisition time instants of the sensor measurements. Or, the closest one or more time instants can be found based on the timestamps for matching. Additionally and / or alternatively, in case one or more sensor acquisition frequencies are much higher than the ultrasound acquisition frequency, the system can select multiple frames of sensor measurements within a time window of ultrasound image acquisition to average or weightedly fuse to reduce measurement noise. In further optional embodiments, if the acquisition frequency of one or more sensors (e.g. a certain displacement sensor) is low, the system can perform predictive compensation in combination with high frequency data of additional sensors (e.g. angular velocity / inertial sensors). In some embodiments, the system can also dynamically adjust the acquisition strategy, e.g. reduce the sampling rate when the probe is detected to be stationary to save power consumption. It can be appreciated that the above are merely examples and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0036] In some embodiments, the method can further comprise determining image pose information of at least two images in the sequence of ultrasound images based on the probe pose data. In such embodiments, obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the probe pose data and the sequence of ultrasound images can comprise obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the image pose information and the sequence of ultrasound images.

[0037] According to such embodiments, the raw readings of the physical sensors or the pose results of the probe are converted into specific coordinate matrices of each frame of image in the virtual space. This establishes a one-to-one correspondence between the image content and the physical space, ensuring that each pixel is placed in the correct position during the reconstruction process. Determining the image pose information can be performed by coordinate system transformation, e.g. from the sensor coordinate system to the probe head coordinate system, and then to the global world coordinate system or the reference image coordinate system. The image pose information can take the form of a transformation matrix to describe the position and rotation state of a frame of image relative to the global coordinate system or the reference coordinate system (e.g. the first frame of image or the optimal image selected from the image sequence according to a predetermined rule, etc.), or can take any other form as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0038] In some embodiments, determining the probe pose data of the ultrasound probe can include determining at least one first degree of freedom component of the probe pose data based on the first measurement and the second measurement. The method can further include determining at least one second degree of freedom component of the probe pose data based on the third measurement.

[0039] With such embodiments, the system achieves a reasonable distribution of different degrees of freedom calculation tasks. By utilizing two displacement sensors to obtain at least one first degree of freedom, and utilizing different data characteristics of the angular velocity sensor to solve different second degrees of freedom, the limitations of a single sensor in certain dimensions are avoided, and the robustness of the overall positioning is improved.

[0040] In some embodiments, the at least one first degree of freedom component can include at least one position coordinate component. Illustratively, the at least one first degree of freedom component can include planar coordinate x, y components of the probe on the skin surface. Illustratively, the position coordinates can be obtained by averaging the first and second measurements or calculated according to the positioning of the two displacement sensors on the probe, to more accurately reflect the motion position of the probe center. Illustratively, determining the probe pose data of the ultrasound probe can include obtaining the at least one position coordinate component based on the average / weighted average of the first measurement and the second measurement.

[0041] In some embodiments, the at least one second degree of freedom component can include at least one of a pitch angle and a roll angle of the ultrasound probe.

[0042] According to such embodiments, the angular velocity sensor (in addition, can also be combined with gravity acceleration sensing) is utilized to monitor the tilt state of the probe. This can be when scanning a curved surface or when the direction of the probe changes due to the operation direction of the operator, the system can correctly record the angle change of the probe relative to the horizontal plane, thereby helping to obtain more accurate and distortion-free three-dimensional reconstruction results, and reducing the workload of the algorithm level when splicing three-dimensional images, and increasing the processing speed.

[0043] In some embodiments, determining the probe pose data of the ultrasound probe can further include determining at least one third degree of freedom component of the probe pose data based on the first measurement, the second measurement, and the distance between the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor.

[0044] In such embodiments, by the spacing between the displacement sensors, it is possible to calculate the rotation from the linear displacement readings, thereby further obtaining more accurate and low-computational three-dimensional reconstruction results.

[0045] In some embodiments, the at least one third degree of freedom component can be a yaw angle of the ultrasound probe.

[0046] In such examples, by means of two displacement sensors, the yaw angle, which is difficult to accurately measure by conventional inertial sensors, can be obtained. The yaw angle can refer to the angle of rotation of the probe around a vertical axis in the scanning plane. By comparing the measurement results of the two displacement sensors, it can be distinguished whether the probe has undergone a translation or a rotation in place, etc. pose change. Thus, more accurate three-dimensional reconstruction images can be obtained at a lower cost.

[0047] In some embodiments, the at least one third degree of freedom component can be determined based on a difference between a longitudinal displacement component of the first displacement sensor and a longitudinal displacement component of the second displacement sensor. In such embodiments, the method can comprise calculating a rotation component of the ultrasound probe in the scanning plane based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result and a distance between the different positions of the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor.

[0048] Since the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor have a fixed physical distance on the probe, when the probe undergoes a rotational motion in the scanning plane, due to the different radii of rotation, the two sensors will produce different longitudinal displacement amounts, the rotation angle of the probe Δθ, the longitudinal displacement difference of the two sensors ΔY and the distance D between the two sensors satisfy a certain geometric relationship.

[0049] In an exemplary calculation manner, the rotation angle change of the probe can be calculated by the following relationship or its equivalent transformation:

[0050] where Y right and Y left represent the longitudinal displacement readings of the right and left displacement sensors in the same sampling period, respectively, and D represents the lateral distance between the sensing centers of the two sensors. The system obtains the current yaw angle of the probe by integrating or accumulating Δθ in consecutive sampling periods.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor can be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the central axis of the ultrasound probe, for example, the left and right sides.

[0052] By such embodiments, the symmetric layout simplifies the mathematical model of the pose solution. When calculating the central position, only a simple arithmetic mean is needed; when calculating the rotation, the moment arms on both sides are equal, making the sensitivity of the sensors to rotation consistent. This not only reduces the calculation complexity, but also improves the linearity and stability of the measurement.

[0053] In some other embodiments, the sensors can be arranged at other locations of the probe, and the above are only examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] In some embodiments, the probe pose data can be six degrees of freedom pose data. The six degrees of freedom can include displacement along X, Y, Z axes and rotation around X, Y, Z axes. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, through a dual displacement sensor configuration such as optical navigation / mechanical roller ball, etc., one or more rotation angles can be measured in addition to displacement in a two-dimensional plane. Exemplarily, in embodiments relying only on the dual displacement sensor and angular velocity sensor, the Z-axis displacement can be assumed as a constant value. In some other exemplary embodiments, the degree of freedom z in the vertical direction can be obtained by solving the image, for example by analyzing the scaling change or the change in definition of the texture features to estimate the depth or pressure change of the probe relative to the subcutaneous structure.

[0055] Exemplarily, the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor can be selected from one or a combination of the following group: optical navigation sensor, mechanical roller ball sensor. In other embodiments, other types of displacement sensors can also be applicable, which can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0056] The optical navigation sensor can utilize LED or laser to irradiate the surface and analyze the texture movement through the CMOS imaging array; the mechanical roller ball sensor can drive the encoder through the physical contact of the rolling ball. In some additional embodiments, a specific type of sensor can be selected according to the application environment of the probe, such as whether a coupling agent is used, for example, an optical sensor using a specific wavelength light source capable of penetrating the coupling agent. It can be understood that the above are only examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0057] Exemplarily, the angular velocity sensor can comprise a gyroscope. The angular velocity sensor can be independently encapsulated inside the probe, or can exist as part of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and in such additional embodiments, data from the gyroscope of the IMU can additionally be used for determination and / or correction of the probe pose data. It can be appreciated that the measurements from the angular velocity sensor can be taken at at least two time instances associated with the ultrasound image sequence, for example can be taken during the acquisition of the ultrasound image sequence, for example can be taken synchronously or asynchronously with the ultrasound image sequence, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In general case, the measurement frequency of the gyroscope can be much higher than the frame rate of the ultrasound images, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, in case of asynchronous acquisition, the sampling frequency of the angular velocity sensor can be approximately equal to, lower than, or higher than the frame rate of the ultrasound images, and synchronous acquisition can also be employed. The angular velocity measurements can be fused with the ultrasound image data and / or displacement sensor data using various ways as described herein, including but not limited to one-to-one correspondence, difference, weighted average, etc. It can be appreciated that the above are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0058] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the probe pose data and the ultrasound image sequence can comprise obtaining a relative displacement amount of at least two images in the ultrasound image sequence based on the probe displacement amount associated with the at least two images. The relative displacement amount can be used to generate or correct the three-dimensional reconstruction result. The probe displacement amount associated with the at least two images in the ultrasound image sequence can be obtained based on one or more degrees of freedom related to probe displacement.

[0059] Exemplarily, obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the probe pose data and the ultrasound image sequence can comprise obtaining a relative rotation amount of at least two images in the ultrasound image sequence based on the probe attitude angle data associated with the at least two images. In such embodiments, the relative rotation amount can be used to generate or correct the three-dimensional reconstruction result. The probe rotation amount associated with the at least two images in the ultrasound image sequence can be obtained based on one or more degrees of freedom related to probe rotation.

[0060] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating an ultrasound probe according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 3AAs shown, the ultrasonic probe may have two relative displacement sensors 40, such as optical / mechanical rolling ball relative displacement sensors, attached or otherwise configured to sense the displacement of the probe housing relative to the surface of the object being measured. The ultrasonic probe device may include a probe housing 10 having contact end faces for contacting the surface of the object being measured. The ultrasonic probe device may include an ultrasonic transducer assembly 30, housed within the probe housing, for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, such as… Figure 3A As shown, at least two displacement sensors 40 can be disposed at or near the contact end face. The at least two displacement sensors 40 can be optical / mechanical rolling ball relative displacement sensors, which can be located on the front side of the probe and arranged opposite each other left and right. The mechanical rolling ball relative displacement sensor can be a relative displacement sensor based on the magnetic encoding principle. Optionally, the ultrasonic probe can have an angular velocity sensor 20, fixedly disposed within or attached to the probe housing, for sensing the rotational angular velocity of the probe housing. The angular velocity sensor can exemplary be a gyroscope, which can be disposed inside the ultrasonic probe or attached to the outside of the ultrasonic probe.

[0061] In some embodiments, one or more sensors as described in this disclosure may be integrated into an auxiliary positioning accessory configured to be detachably mounted onto the probe housing. In some embodiments, the auxiliary positioning accessory includes a clamping or snap-fit ​​structure for holding the outer wall of the probe housing. This allows for ultrasound probe pose determination and / or 3D reconstruction without updating existing ultrasound probes.

[0062] The following is combined with Figure 3B Describes exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure. For example... Figure 3B As shown, the ultrasonic sensor has two associated optical / mechanical rolling ball relative displacement sensors, located on opposite sides of the ultrasonic sensor. At times t1-t3, as the ultrasonic sensor moves along different trajectories, the left and right sensors also have corresponding and different trajectories. The relative position (dx, dy, dz) and relative horizontal angle da of the ultrasonic sensor can be calculated from the readings of the left and right sensors.

[0063] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the method may further include acquiring optical image data including texture features of at least one subcutaneous structure of the target human body via at least one light source and an optical sensor disposed on the ultrasound probe. The light source may be configured to emit light capable of penetrating the human epidermis. In such embodiments, probe pose data may also be based on the texture features. For example, the texture features may be used to assist in obtaining or correcting one or more degrees of freedom in the probe displacement direction.

[0064] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the physical measurement capability of multiple sensors including displacement sensors and angular velocity sensors can be fully utilized to obtain multi-dimensional probe pose data. On one hand, the introduction of physical sensors provides an objective spatial reference for image alignment, significantly improving the spatial accuracy and geometric fidelity of three-dimensional reconstruction; on the other hand, it also greatly optimizes the computing process. By obtaining data from sensors to assist and constrain in various dimensions such as translation and rotation, it is no longer necessary to rely entirely on high-complexity pure image algorithms for pose inverse solution, thereby significantly reducing the computational workload and difficulty in the process of algorithm simulation, feature iterative matching and image stitching. This reduction in computational load directly improves overall computing efficiency, making it possible to achieve high-quality, real-time or near real-time three-dimensional ultrasound reconstruction on portable devices or limited computing power platforms. In particular, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing at least two displacement sensors, the displacement measurement results of the displacement sensors can be used to obtain more than one degree of freedom of pose, which can be beneficial to obtaining accurate and multi-dimensional probe pose, and can effectively assist and supervise three-dimensional reconstruction.

[0065] In some embodiments, the angular velocity sensor and the displacement sensor can be integrated on an auxiliary positioning accessory. In such embodiments, the auxiliary positioning accessory can be configured to be detachably mounted to the probe housing.

[0066] Through such embodiments, a modular "exoskeleton" design scheme is realized, so that an existing ordinary ultrasound probe can be upgraded to a smart probe with three-dimensional positioning function at low cost by adding the accessory. This design greatly reduces the user's equipment update cost, and also facilitates the maintenance and replacement of sensors, because the sensor module and the expensive ultrasound transducer module are physically decoupled.

[0067] In some other embodiments, the auxiliary positioning accessory can be self-provided with an independent power supply (such as a button cell) and a wireless transmission module, so as not to need to take power from the ultrasound host, further simplifying the compatibility problem with old models of ultrasound equipment. It can be understood that the above is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0068] In some embodiments, the auxiliary positioning accessory can include a clamping structure or a buckle structure for clamping the outer wall of the probe housing.

[0069] According to such embodiments, the physical clamping force provided by the mechanical clamp or buckle ensures a rigid connection between the sensor attachment and the probe body. Such rigid connection is critical as it prevents relative slippage or loosening of the attachment during scanning, thereby ensuring that the transformation relationship between the sensor coordinate system and the probe acoustic coordinate system remains constant at all times, ensuring positioning accuracy. The clamp structure can be a C-shaped elastic clamp, a ring-shaped clamp with screw locking, or a tightening band using a ratchet mechanism. The buckle structure can include male-female buckle fitting, designed for quick assembly and disassembly.

[0070] Additionally and / or alternatively, the inner side of the clamp structure can be lined with a non-slip rubber pad or a layer of silicone, which not only increases friction to prevent slipping, but also adapts to different diameter or shape tolerance of the probe handle, and protects the probe shell from being scratched. It can be understood that the above is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0071] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an ultrasound probe pose determination method is provided, comprising: receiving displacement readings from a first displacement sensor and a second displacement sensor arranged at different positions on the contact surface of the ultrasound probe; receiving angular velocity or angle data from a gyroscope of the ultrasound probe; calculating a rotation component of the ultrasound probe in the scanning plane based on the difference between the displacement readings of the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor, and the preset physical distance between the two sensors; and generating six-degree-of-freedom pose data of the ultrasound probe in combination with the data of the gyroscope and the rotation component.

[0072] According to some embodiments, calculating the rotation component comprises: calculating the difference between the longitudinal displacement component of the first displacement sensor and the longitudinal displacement component of the second displacement sensor, and determining the horizontal rotation angle of the ultrasound probe based on the difference.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the center displacement of the ultrasound probe is obtained by calculating the average of the displacement readings of the first displacement sensor and the displacement readings of the second displacement sensor.

[0074] According to some embodiments, the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor are selected from one or a combination of the following group: optical navigation sensor, mechanical ball sensor.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the plane position and heading angle of the ultrasound probe can be obtained without feature extraction on the ultrasound image content.

[0076] Although various operations can be depicted in the drawings as occurring in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations occur in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. For example, two portions described in serial can be executed concurrently or in reverse order. As another example, one or more of the steps in various embodiments of the present disclosure can be omitted.

[0077] In addition, it can be understood that the method for predicting or determining data involved in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is not a method for directly determining a diagnosis result by a doctor, but involves a data processing or information processing process in a medical process, and the data processing result can be used for reference by a doctor, thereby assisting the medical operation of the doctor. It can be understood that the information processing method, data prediction method, determination method, decision method, etc. involved in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are executed by a computer or a device containing a computer.

[0078] It can be understood that throughout the present disclosure, the image or image sequence can be image data directly acquired and stored or otherwise transmitted to a terminal device for use by a user. The image or image sequence can also be processed image data after various image processing. The image or image sequence can be subjected to other analysis processes (for example, analysis processes for whether there is a lesion feature or a lesion) and contain analysis results (for example, outlining of a region of interest, segmentation results of tissues, etc.). It can be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0079] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an apparatus 400 for ultrasound scanning according to an example embodiment. The apparatus 400 for ultrasound scanning can comprise a displacement obtaining unit 401, an angular velocity obtaining unit 402, and a pose determining unit 403. The displacement obtaining unit 401 can be configured to obtain a first measurement from a first displacement sensor and a second measurement from a second displacement sensor, the first and second displacement sensors being disposed at different positions of an ultrasound probe. The angular velocity obtaining unit 402 can be configured to obtain a third measurement from an angular velocity sensor disposed at the ultrasound probe. The pose determining unit 403 can be configured to determine probe pose data of the ultrasound probe based on the first measurement, the second measurement, and the third measurement.

[0080] It should be understood that, Figure 4 The various modules of the apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 4 can be as described with reference to Figure 2The various steps in the described method 200 correspond. Thus, the operations, features, and advantages described above for the method 200 and its variants apply equally to the apparatus 400 and its included modules. For the sake of brevity, certain operations, features, and advantages are not repeated here.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computing device is also disclosed, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the steps of the method for ultrasound scanning and its variants according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is also disclosed, having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method for ultrasound scanning and its variants according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer program product is also disclosed, comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method for ultrasound scanning and its variants according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] While specific functions are discussed above with reference to specific modules, it should be noted that the functions of the various modules discussed herein can be split among multiple modules and / or at least some of the functions of multiple modules can be combined into a single module. A specific module performing an action includes that specific module itself performing the action, or alternatively, that specific module invoking or otherwise accessing another component or module that performs the action (or performs the action in conjunction with the specific module). Thus, a specific module performing an action includes that specific module itself performing the action and / or another module invoked or otherwise accessed by the specific module performing the action. For example, various modules or units described in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined in a single module or unit in some embodiments. As another example, two or more modules or units can be described in the context of a single module or unit in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure while in other embodiments similar modules or units can be separate. As used herein, the phrase “entity A initiates action B” or “entity A causes action B to be performed” can mean that entity A issues instructions to perform action B, but entity A itself does not necessarily perform action B. For example, the phrase “display module causes to display” can mean that the display module instructs a display (not shown) or other possible display device to display, and the display module itself does not need to perform the action of “displaying”.

[0085] It should also be understood that various techniques described herein can be described in the general context of software hardware elements or program modules. The above Figure 4The various modules described can be implemented in hardware or in hardware combined with software and / or firmware. For example, the modules can be implemented as computer program code / instructions configured to be executed in one or more processors and stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, the modules can be implemented as hardware logic / circuitry. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of the modules or units described in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented together in a System on Chip (SoC). The SoC can include an integrated circuit chip (which includes one or more of a processor (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), etc.), a memory, one or more communication interfaces, and / or other circuitry), and can optionally execute received program code and / or include embedded firmware to perform functions.

[0086] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computing device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory. The processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the steps of any of the method embodiments described above.

[0087] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the method embodiments described above.

[0088] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the method embodiments described above.

[0089] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 5 Illustrative examples of the computer device, the non-transitory computer- readable storage medium, and the computer program product described are described.

[0090] Figure 5 An example configuration of a computer device 500 that can be used to implement the methods described herein is shown. For example, Figure 1 The server 120 and / or the client device 110 shown in Fig. 1 can comprise an architecture similar to the computer device 500. The devices / apparatuses described above for ultrasound scanning can also be implemented, in whole or at least in part, by the computer device 500 or a similar device or system.

[0091] The computer device 500 can be various different types of devices, such as a server of a service provider, a device associated with a client (e.g., a client device), a system on a chip, and / or any other suitable computer device or computing system. Examples of computer device 500 include, without limitation, a desktop computer, a server computer, a laptop or notebook computer, a mobile device (e.g., a tablet computer, a cellular or other wireless phone (e.g., a smart phone), a notepad computer, a mobile station), a wearable device (e.g., glasses, a watch), an entertainment device (e.g., an entertainment appliance, a set-top box, a game console), a television or other display device, an automobile computer, and so forth. Thus, the computer device 500 can range from a full resource device with substantial memory and processor resources (e.g., a personal computer, game console) to a low-resource device with limited memory and / or processing resources (e.g., a traditional set-top box, hand-held game console).

[0092] The computer device 500 can include at least one processor 502, memory 504, communication interface(s) 506, display device 508, other input / output (I / O) devices 510, and one or more mass storage devices 512, which each can communicate with one another by way of a system bus 514 or other appropriate communication link.

[0093] The processor 502 can be a single processing unit or a plurality of processing units, all of which can include single or multiple computing cores or processing elements. The processor 502 can be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor 502 can be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 504, the mass storage device 512, or any other computer-readable medium; the program codes of an operating system 516, program codes of application programs 518, program codes of other programs 520, and so forth.

[0094] The memory 504 and mass storage device 512 are examples of computer readable storage media for storing instructions which are executed by the processor 502 to practice the various functionalities described above. By way of example, the memory 504 can generally include both volatile memory and nonvolatile memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc.). In addition, the mass storage device 512 can generally include hard disk drives, solid state drives, removable media, including external and removable drives, memory cards, flash memory, floppy disks, optical disks (e.g., CD, DVD), storage arrays, network attached storage, storage area networks, etc. Both the memory 504 and the mass storage device 512 can be collectively referred to herein as memory or computer readable storage media, and can be non-transitory media capable of storing computer readable, processor executable program instructions as computer program code which can be executed by the processor 502 as a particular machine configured to implement the operations and functionalities described in the examples herein.

[0095] A number of program modules can be stored on the mass storage device 512. These programs include an operating system 516, one or more application programs 518, other programs 520, and program data 522, and they can be loaded into the memory 504 for execution. Examples of such application programs or program modules can include, for example, computer program logic (e.g., computer program code or instructions) for implementing components / functions including the method 200 (including any suitable steps of the method 200) and / or additional embodiments described herein.

[0096] Although illustrated in Figure 5 the memory 504 of the computer device 500, the modules 516, 518, 520, and 522, or portions thereof, can be implemented using any form of computer readable media that is accessible by the computer device 500. As used herein, "computer readable media" includes both computer storage media and communication media.

[0097] Computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information for access by a computer device.

[0098] In contrast, communication media can embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism. As defined herein, computer storage media does not include communication media.

[0099] The computer device 500 can also include one or more communication interfaces 506 for exchanging data with other devices, such as over a network, direct connection, or the like, as previously discussed. Such communication interfaces can be one or more of: any type of network interface (e.g., network interface card (NIC)), wired or wireless (such as IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) wireless interface, Global Standard for Mobile access (Wi-MAX) interface, Ethernet interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, cellular network interface, Bluetooth interface, near field communication (NFC) interface, or the like. The communication interfaces 506 can facilitate communications over a variety of network and protocol types, including wired networks (e.g., LAN, cable, etc.) and wireless networks (e.g., WLAN, cellular, satellite, etc.), the Internet, and the like. The communication interfaces 506 can also provide communication with external storage devices (not shown), such as storage arrays, network attached storage, storage area networks, and the like. TM TM The computer device 500 can also include one or more communication interfaces 506 for exchanging data with other devices, such as over a network, direct connection, or the like, as previously discussed. Such communication interfaces can be one or more of: any type of network interface (e.g., network interface card (NIC)), wired or wireless (such as IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) wireless interface, Global Standard for Mobile access (Wi-MAX) interface, Ethernet interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, cellular network interface, Bluetooth interface, near field communication (NFC) interface, or the like. The communication interfaces 506 can facilitate communications over a variety of network and protocol types, including wired networks (e.g., LAN, cable, etc.) and wireless networks (e.g., WLAN, cellular, satellite, etc.), the Internet, and the like. The communication interfaces 506 can also provide communication with external storage devices (not shown), such as storage arrays, network attached storage, storage area networks, and the like.

[0100] In some examples, a display device 508, such as a monitor, can be included for displaying information and images to a user. Other I / O devices 510 can be devices that receive various inputs from a user and provide various outputs to the user, and can include touch input devices, gesture input devices, cameras, keyboards, remote controls, mice, printers, audio input / output devices, and the like.

[0101] While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description is to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed subject matter, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the attached claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps not listed in the claims, and the word "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that different features are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that these features cannot be used in combination.

Claims

1. A method for ultrasound scanning, comprising: obtaining a first measurement from a first displacement sensor and a second measurement from a second displacement sensor, the first and second displacement sensors being disposed at different locations of an ultrasound probe; obtaining a third measurement from an angular velocity sensor disposed at the ultrasound probe; and determining probe pose data of the ultrasound probe based on the first, second, and third measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining an ultrasound image sequence acquired by the ultrasound probe for a target human body; and obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the probe pose data and the ultrasound image sequence. Obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the probe pose data and the ultrasound image sequence comprises obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction result based on the image pose information and the ultrasound image sequence. Determining probe pose data of the ultrasound probe comprises:

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining image pose information for at least two images in the sequence of ultrasound images based on the probe pose data, and wherein, determining at least one first degree of freedom component in the probe pose data based on the first and second measurements; and 4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, determining at least one second degree of freedom component in the probe pose data based on the third measurement. The at least one first degree of freedom component comprises at least one position coordinate component. The at least one second degree of freedom component comprises at least one of a pitch angle and a roll angle of the ultrasound probe.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, Determining probe pose data of the ultrasound probe further comprises determining at least one third degree of freedom component in the probe pose data based on the first and second measurements and a distance between the first and second displacement sensors.

6. The method of any one of claims 4-5, wherein, 8. The method of claim 7, the at least one third degree of freedom component is a heading angle of the ultrasound probe.

7. The method of any one of claims 4-6, wherein, The at least one third degree of freedom component is determined based on a difference between a longitudinal displacement component of the first displacement sensor and a longitudinal displacement component of the second displacement sensor. The first and second displacement sensors are symmetrically arranged on two sides of a central axis of the ultrasound probe.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein, The probe pose data is six degree of freedom pose data.

10. The method of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The first and second displacement sensors are selected from one or a combination of the following group: optical navigation sensors, mechanical ball sensors.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein, 13. An apparatus for ultrasound scanning, comprising:

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, a displacement obtaining unit configured to obtain a first measurement from a first displacement sensor and a second measurement from a second displacement sensor, the first and second displacement sensors being disposed at different locations of an ultrasound probe; an angular velocity obtaining unit configured to obtain a third measurement from an angular velocity sensor disposed at the ultrasound probe; and a pose determining unit configured to determine probe pose data of the ultrasound probe based on the first, second, and third measurements.

14. A computing device, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, ​ ​ ​ wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-12.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, wherein, The computer program, which when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-12.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, The computer program, which when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-12.

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