Puncture guiding device and method, electronic equipment, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a puncture guiding device and method, electronic equipment, a storage medium and a program product, and the device comprises an ultrasonic data collection module which is used for transmitting plane wave ultrasound with the frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold value to a muscle part and collecting echo signals to generate an ultrasonic image; the muscle texture recognition module is used for determining a scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasonic image, dividing the ultrasonic image into a normal region and an abnormal region based on the scattering coefficient, and generating muscle texture information based on the normal region; the dangerous area identification module is used for constructing a dangerous area avoidance map based on the blood vessel identification result, the skeleton identification result and the nerve identification information; and the puncture guide line generation module is used for generating a puncture guide line based on the muscle texture information and the dangerous area avoidance map and displaying the puncture guide line. Under the condition that safety is ensured, objective and accurate recognition of lesion muscle textures is achieved, visual puncture guidance is provided, and accuracy, safety and the operation standardization degree are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of medical image processing technology, and in particular to a puncture guidance device, method, electronic device, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] This section is intended to provide background or context for embodiments of this disclosure. The description herein is not intended to imply that it is prior art simply because it is included in this section.

[0003] Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in children. Although it has a low incidence, it is a serious disease, and early diagnosis is crucial for prognosis.

[0004] Currently, muscle biopsy is one of the important methods for diagnosing JDM.

[0005] However, open muscle biopsies are highly invasive and leave noticeable scars, placing a burden on the child's physical and mental well-being. While ultrasound-guided cryoablation of muscle is minimally invasive, its success is highly dependent on the surgeon's experience, especially in identifying muscle textures that are blurred or edematous due to disease. Furthermore, it is prone to accidentally injuring blood vessels, nerves, or bones during the puncture process and lacks a real-time guidance mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in the related art, this disclosure provides a puncture guidance device, method, electronic device, storage medium, and program product.

[0007] In view of the above objectives, a first aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a puncture guidance device, comprising: An ultrasound data acquisition module is configured to emit plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold toward a target muscle area and acquire echo signals, and generate an ultrasound image based on the echo signals. A muscle texture recognition module is configured to determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal region. The danger zone identification module is configured to identify blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology, identify bones in the ultrasound image based on bone echo recognition technology, match the ultrasound image with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural recognition information, and construct a danger zone avoidance map based on the blood vessel identification results, the bone identification results, and the neural recognition information. The puncture guide line generation module is configured to generate and display the puncture guide line based on the muscle texture information and the danger zone avoidance map.

[0008] Based on the same inventive concept, a second aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a puncture-guided method, comprising: A plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold is emitted toward the target muscle area and the echo signal is acquired. An ultrasound image is generated based on the echo signal. Determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal region. The ultrasound image is identified using ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology to obtain blood vessel identification results, and the ultrasound image is identified using bone echo recognition technology to obtain bone identification results. The ultrasound image is matched with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural identification information. A danger zone avoidance map is constructed based on the blood vessel identification results, the bone identification results, and the neural identification information. Based on the muscle texture information and the danger zone avoidance map, a puncture guide line is generated and displayed.

[0009] Based on the same inventive concept, a third aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect.

[0010] Based on the same inventive concept, a fourth aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program / instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect.

[0011] Based on the same inventive concept, a fifth aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect.

[0012] The technical solution provided in this disclosure has the following advantages compared with the prior art: This disclosure, while ensuring high safety (effectively avoiding blood vessels, nerves, and bones), achieves objective and accurate identification of the texture of diseased muscles and provides intuitive real-time puncture guidance, thereby significantly reducing reliance on the operator's personal experience and improving the accuracy, safety, and standardization of ultrasound-guided muscle biopsy (especially for JDM patients with unclear structures). Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and the originals and elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a puncture guidance device provided for an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a muscle texture recognition interface provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a puncture guidance interface provided for an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a puncture guidance method provided for an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0017] It is understood that before using the technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application, users should be informed of the types, scope of use, and usage scenarios of the personal information involved in this application in an appropriate manner in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and user authorization should be obtained.

[0018] For example, upon receiving a user's active request, a prompt message is sent to the user to explicitly inform them that the requested operation will require the acquisition and use of the user's personal information. This allows the user to independently choose whether to provide personal information to the software or hardware, such as the electronic device, application, server, or storage medium performing the operations of this application's technical solution, based on the prompt message.

[0019] As an optional but non-limiting implementation, in response to a user's active request, sending a prompt message to the user can be done via a pop-up window, where the prompt message can be presented in text format. Furthermore, the pop-up window can also include a selection control allowing the user to choose whether to "agree" or "disagree" to provide personal information to the electronic device.

[0020] It is understood that the above notification and user authorization process is merely illustrative and does not limit the implementation of this application. Other methods that comply with relevant laws and regulations may also be applied to the implementation of this application.

[0021] It is understood that the data involved in this technical solution (including but not limited to the data itself, the acquisition or use of the data) shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations and related provisions.

[0022] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0023] It should be understood that the steps described in the method embodiments of this disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0024] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended inclusions, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". Definitions of other terms will be given in the description below.

[0025] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0027] The names of messages or information exchanged between multiple devices in the embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of such messages or information.

[0028] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure, the solutions disclosed herein will be further described below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0029] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this disclosure, but this disclosure may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some, and not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0030] As described in the background section, juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in children. It has a low incidence but is a serious condition, and early diagnosis is crucial for prognosis.

[0031] Currently, muscle biopsy is one of the important methods for diagnosing JDM.

[0032] However, the inventors of this disclosure have found that open muscle biopsies are highly invasive and leave noticeable scars, placing a burden on the physical and mental health of children. Although ultrasound-guided cryoablation of muscle is a minimally invasive technique, its success is highly dependent on the experience of the operating physician, especially in identifying muscle textures that are blurred or edematous due to disease. Furthermore, it is easy to accidentally injure blood vessels, nerves, or bones during the puncture process, and it lacks a real-time guidance mechanism.

[0033] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a puncture-guided procedure, specifically including: An ultrasound data acquisition module is configured to emit plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold to the target muscle area and acquire echo signals, and generate an ultrasound image based on the echo signals; a muscle texture recognition module is configured to determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal regions; a danger area recognition module is configured to identify blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology, identify bones in the ultrasound image based on bone echo recognition technology, match the ultrasound image with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural recognition information, and construct a danger area avoidance map based on the blood vessel recognition results, the bone recognition results, and the neural recognition information; and a puncture guide line generation module is configured to generate and display a puncture guide line based on the muscle texture information and the danger area avoidance map.

[0034] While ensuring high safety (effectively avoiding blood vessels, nerves, and bones), it achieves objective and accurate identification of the texture of diseased muscles and provides intuitive real-time puncture guidance, thereby significantly reducing reliance on the operator's personal experience and improving the accuracy, safety, and standardization of ultrasound-guided muscle biopsy (especially for JDM patients with unclear structures).

[0035] After introducing the basic principles of this disclosure, various non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a puncture guidance device provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] The puncture guidance device 100 includes the following modules: The ultrasound data acquisition module 110 is configured to transmit plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold to the target muscle area and acquire echo signals, and generate an ultrasound image based on the echo signals.

[0038] In practice, the ultrasonic data acquisition module includes: an ultra-high-speed ultrasonic front end, which includes an ultrasonic probe and a transmitting / receiving circuit.

[0039] Among them, the ultrasonic probe is used to convert electrical signals into ultrasonic waves (transmission mode) through the piezoelectric effect or to receive echo signals and convert them into electrical signals (reception mode).

[0040] The transmitting / receiving circuit is used to drive the ultrasonic probe to emit ultrasonic waves and amplify and condition the received weak echo signals. During the transmission phase, the circuit excites the ultrasonic probe elements by precisely controlling the voltage and timing. During the receiving phase, it needs to have a high signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range to accurately capture the signal.

[0041] In practice, plane wave high frame rate ultrasound imaging technology is used to scan the target muscle region and output real-time dynamic ultrasound image data with high frame rate and low motion artifacts.

[0042] As an example, frame rate thresholds range from 1000 fps to 10000 fps.

[0043] Through the above exemplary embodiments, high frame rate plane wave ultrasound imaging provides high-resolution, low-motion-artifact real-time images, and can obtain clear muscle structure images even when faced with the child's involuntary slight movements or breathing, reducing the problem of texture blurring caused by motion from the data source.

[0044] The muscle texture recognition module 120 is configured to determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal regions and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal regions.

[0045] In some exemplary embodiments, the muscle texture recognition module 120 is configured to: The ultrasound image is divided into several regions, and the scattering coefficient of each region is determined. Based on the distribution and statistical characteristics of the scattering coefficient, the normal region and the abnormal region are determined; Texture features of the normal region are extracted based on an image gradient analysis algorithm, and muscle texture information is generated based on the texture features.

[0046] In practice, the muscle texture recognition module, whose input is connected to the output of the ultrasound data acquisition module, is configured to receive real-time dynamic ultrasound image data, process the data based on scattering imaging technology, quantify the differences in scattering characteristics of muscle tissue, and automatically identify and output texture direction feature data that characterizes the direction of muscle fibers.

[0047] The scattering coefficient is calculated for pixels or regions in real-time dynamic ultrasound image data; based on the distribution and statistical characteristics of the scattering coefficient, normal muscle fiber regions with regular "feather-like" or "striped" scattering patterns are distinguished from edematous or inflammatory regions with disordered scattering patterns; continuous texture direction lines are extracted from the scattering images of normal muscle fiber regions using image gradient analysis, directional filters, or texture tracking algorithms, and output as texture direction feature data.

[0048] Through the above exemplary embodiments, texture recognition and region segmentation based on scattering coefficients enable quantitative analysis of muscle microstructure. This technology can objectively distinguish between abnormal scattering regions caused by inflammation and edema and normal muscle fiber regions that retain a "feathered" structure, thereby automatically and objectively extracting effective muscle texture direction information. This directly reduces reliance on the operator's personal experience and subjective judgment, solving the fundamental difficulty of manually identifying texture direction due to structural ambiguity caused by the disease itself, and providing a reliable basis for accurately planning puncture paths along the texture.

[0049] The danger zone identification module 130 is configured to identify blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology, identify bones in the ultrasound image based on bone echo recognition technology, match the ultrasound image with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural recognition information, and construct a danger zone avoidance map based on the blood vessel identification results, the bone identification results, and the neural recognition information.

[0050] In some exemplary embodiments, the hazardous area identification module 130 is configured to: The ultrasound image is used to identify moving targets based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology to obtain the blood vessel identification result; The contour information of the bones is identified by threshold segmentation of the ultrasound image based on skeletal echo recognition technology, which is used as the bone recognition result. Using the muscle texture information as a spatial reference, the ultrasound image is matched with a preset neural atlas to identify the nerve location in the ultrasound image, which is then used as the nerve identification information.

[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the hazardous area identification module 130 is configured to: The blood vessel recognition results, the bone recognition results, and the nerve recognition information are respectively mapped to the same three-dimensional coordinate system with the ultrasound probe as the reference. Based on the voxel labeling method, in the three-dimensional coordinate system, spatial locations containing blood vessels, bones, and nerves are labeled as first values, and spatial locations not containing blood vessels, bones, and nerves are labeled as second values, generating a binarized three-dimensional spatial mesh. A morphological dilation operation is performed on the voxels marked with the first value in the three-dimensional spatial grid to form a safety boundary around blood vessels, bones, and nerves, generating a three-dimensional spatial mask as a map to avoid the danger zone.

[0052] In practice, the danger zone identification module, whose input end is connected to the output end of the ultrasound data acquisition module, is configured to receive real-time dynamic ultrasound image data and process the data based on ultra-fine blood flow imaging technology and bone echo recognition technology, automatically identifying and outputting danger zone distribution data containing information on the location of blood vessels, nerves and bones.

[0053] The application of ultra-fine blood flow imaging algorithm to process real-time dynamic ultrasound image data has a higher blood flow detection sensitivity than conventional color Doppler imaging (ultra-fine blood flow precisely locates microvessels: 10-20 times more sensitive than conventional color Doppler, and can identify vessels with a diameter <0.1mm), in order to identify and mark the spatial location of microvessels in the image, generate vascular distribution data, and serve as the first-class danger area data.

[0054] High-intensity, high-continuity echo structures in real-time dynamic ultrasound image data are identified, and bone locations are determined based on morphological features to generate bone distribution data as data for the second type of danger zone.

[0055] The vascular distribution data and skeletal distribution data are fused together and combined with pre-set common anatomical atlas data of nerve pathways (common anatomical atlas data of nerve pathways are used as the third type of danger area data) to jointly constitute the danger area distribution data.

[0056] Through the above exemplary embodiments, ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology significantly improves the detection sensitivity of microvessels (e.g., diameter <0.1mm), enabling the identification of perforating vessels that are difficult to visualize with traditional color Doppler ultrasound. This achieves refined and highly sensitive identification of vascular networks, effectively avoiding the risk of accidental puncture and bleeding due to incomplete vascular visualization. Skeletal echo recognition technology can automatically locate skeletal interfaces with characteristic strong echoes. By combining this with a preset neural atlas for matching, key anatomical prior knowledge is introduced, compensating for the poor direct visualization of nerves in conventional ultrasound images. This enables intelligent prediction and labeling of high-risk nerve pathways. The "danger zone avoidance map" constructed by integrating the above multi-source information systematically visualizes and quantifies the three key dangerous structures—blood vessels, nerves, and bones—in three-dimensional space, providing clear spatial no-go zone constraints for subsequent path planning. This proactively avoids the risk of accidental puncture at the system level, greatly improving operational safety.

[0057] The puncture guide line generation module 140 is configured to generate and display the puncture guide line based on the muscle texture information and the danger zone avoidance map.

[0058] In some exemplary embodiments, the puncture guide line generation module 140 is configured to: The muscle texture information is used as the optimization target for the puncture guide line; The danger zone avoidance map is used as a spatial no-go zone constraint for the puncture guide line; The insertion point of the puncture needle is taken as the starting point of the puncture guide line; Calculate the path from the starting point that satisfies the optimization objective and the spatial restricted area constraint, and use it as the puncture guide line and display the puncture guide line.

[0059] In practice, texture direction feature data is used as the main optimization target for path direction; dangerous area distribution data is used as the spatial no-go zone constraint for the path; puncture point data specified by the user or automatically suggested by the system are received; under the conditions of satisfying direction optimization and spatial constraints, one or more paths starting from the puncture point with the best comprehensive evaluation index are calculated. The evaluation index includes at least the degree of conformity between the path and the texture direction and the distance between the path and the nearest dangerous area. The output is recommended puncture path data containing a three-dimensional spatial coordinate sequence.

[0060] In practice, the puncture guide line generation module has its input end connected to the output end of both the muscle texture feature recognition block and the danger area recognition module. It is configured to receive texture direction feature data and danger area distribution data, and based on a preset path optimization algorithm, generate and output one or more recommended puncture path data that conform to the texture direction and avoid danger areas.

[0061] The recommended puncture path data is converted into virtual guide line graphic data, and this graphic data is superimposed and fused into real-time dynamic ultrasound image data. The fused guide ultrasound image is then output and displayed.

[0062] refer to Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a muscle texture recognition interface provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] The document showcases the muscle texture recognition results. As an example, it demonstrates how recommended puncture path data is converted into virtual guideline graphic data, and this graphic data is then overlaid and fused in real-time onto a display. Figure 2 The muscle texture recognition results shown output and display the fused guided ultrasound image.

[0064] As an example, see reference Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a puncture guidance interface provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Specifically, the recommended puncture path data is converted into virtual guide line graphic data 142, and this graphic data 142 is superimposed and fused into real-time dynamic ultrasound image data, and the fused guide ultrasound image is output and displayed.

[0066] Through the exemplary embodiments described above, the objective quantitative information (muscle texture direction, danger zone map) generated in the preceding steps is fused and calculated to automatically generate an optimized puncture path that conforms to the texture and avoids all dangerous structures. The generated puncture guide line is then overlaid and displayed in real time on the dynamic ultrasound image, providing the operating physician with intuitive and continuous visual navigation. This is equivalent to providing a real-time, online intelligent navigation system, transforming the physician's operation from a mode entirely dependent on experience to a precise execution mode under clear visual guidance, significantly reducing the difficulty of operation and the learning curve.

[0067] In some exemplary embodiments, the puncture guidance device 100 further includes a puncture monitoring and early warning module (not shown in the figure), configured to: The ultrasound images are analyzed to determine the position of the puncture needle tip. The puncture depth is determined based on the position information of the puncture needle tip; In response to the puncture depth being greater than a puncture depth threshold, an early warning message is generated and output.

[0068] In practice, the puncture monitoring and early warning module is connected to the output of the ultrasound data acquisition module and is configured to receive real-time dynamic ultrasound image data. It tracks the position of the puncture needle tip through real-time image analysis, calculates the puncture depth, and generates and outputs an early warning signal when the depth reaches or approaches a safety threshold preset according to the target muscle thickness.

[0069] In summary, this disclosure, while ensuring high safety (effectively avoiding blood vessels, nerves, and bones), achieves objective and accurate identification of the texture of diseased muscles and provides intuitive real-time puncture guidance. This significantly reduces reliance on the operator's personal experience and improves the accuracy, safety, and standardization of ultrasound-guided muscle biopsy (especially for JDM patients with unclear structures). It solves the problem of difficult needle path planning caused by insufficient physician experience or unclear muscle structure in ultrasound-guided muscle biopsy, achieving precise minimally invasive diagnosis that is "scarless" and "fearless."

[0070] For ease of description, the above apparatus is described in terms of its functions, divided into various modules. Of course, in implementing this disclosure, the functions of each module can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0071] Based on the same inventive concept, corresponding to the puncture guidance device provided in any of the above embodiments, this disclosure also provides a puncture guidance method.

[0072] refer to Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a puncture guidance method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. The method can be executed by a puncture guidance device, which is implemented in hardware and typically integrated into an electronic device. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps: Step S210: Emit plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than the frame rate threshold to the target muscle area and acquire echo signals, and generate an ultrasound image based on the echo signals.

[0073] Step S220: Determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal region.

[0074] In some exemplary embodiments, step S220 specifically includes: The ultrasound image is divided into several regions, and the scattering coefficient of each region is determined. Based on the distribution and statistical characteristics of the scattering coefficient, the normal region and the abnormal region are determined; Texture features of the normal region are extracted based on an image gradient analysis algorithm, and muscle texture information is generated based on the texture features.

[0075] Step S230: Based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology, the ultrasound image is identified to obtain blood vessel identification results; based on bone echo recognition technology, the ultrasound image is identified to obtain bone identification results; the ultrasound image is matched with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural identification information; and a danger zone avoidance map is constructed based on the blood vessel identification results, the bone identification results, and the neural identification information.

[0076] In some exemplary embodiments, step S230 specifically includes: The ultrasound image is used to identify moving targets based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology to obtain the blood vessel identification result; The contour information of the bones is identified by threshold segmentation of the ultrasound image based on skeletal echo recognition technology, which is used as the bone recognition result. Using the muscle texture information as a spatial reference, the ultrasound image is matched with a preset neural atlas to identify the nerve location in the ultrasound image, which is then used as the nerve identification information.

[0077] In some exemplary embodiments, step S230 specifically includes: The blood vessel recognition results, the bone recognition results, and the nerve recognition information are respectively mapped to the same three-dimensional coordinate system with the ultrasound probe as the reference. Based on the voxel labeling method, in the three-dimensional coordinate system, spatial locations containing blood vessels, bones, and nerves are labeled as first values, and spatial locations not containing blood vessels, bones, and nerves are labeled as second values, generating a binarized three-dimensional spatial mesh. A morphological dilation operation is performed on the voxels marked with the first value in the three-dimensional spatial grid to form a safety boundary around blood vessels, bones, and nerves, generating a three-dimensional spatial mask as a map to avoid the danger zone.

[0078] Step S240: Generate a puncture guide line based on the muscle texture information and the danger zone avoidance map, and display the puncture guide line.

[0079] In some exemplary embodiments, step S240 specifically includes: The muscle texture information is used as the optimization target for the puncture guide line; The danger zone avoidance map is used as a spatial no-go zone constraint for the puncture guide line; The insertion point of the puncture needle is taken as the starting point of the puncture guide line; Calculate the path from the starting point that satisfies the optimization objective and the spatial restricted area constraint, and use it as the puncture guide line and display the puncture guide line.

[0080] In some exemplary embodiments, the method further includes: The ultrasound images are analyzed to determine the position of the puncture needle tip. The puncture depth is determined based on the position information of the puncture needle tip; In response to the puncture depth being greater than a puncture depth threshold, an early warning message is generated and output.

[0081] The puncture guidance method provided in this disclosure can be executed by the puncture guidance device provided in any embodiment of this disclosure, and has the corresponding beneficial effects of the puncture guidance device.

[0082] It should be noted that the method of this disclosure embodiment can be executed by a single device, such as a computer or server. The method of this embodiment can also be applied to a distributed scenario, where multiple devices cooperate to complete the task. In such a distributed scenario, one of these devices may execute only one or more steps of the method of this disclosure embodiment, and the multiple devices will interact with each other to complete the method described.

[0083] It should be noted that the above description describes some embodiments of this disclosure. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims can be performed in a different order than that shown in the above embodiments and still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0084] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0085] The following is a detailed reference. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a structural schematic suitable for implementing the electronic device 300 in the embodiments of this disclosure. The electronic device 300 in the embodiments of this disclosure may include, but is not limited to, mobile terminals such as mobile phones, laptops, digital broadcast receivers, PDAs (personal digital assistants), PADs (tablet computers), PMPs (portable multimedia players), in-vehicle terminals (e.g., in-vehicle navigation terminals), and fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers. Figure 5 The electronic device shown is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0086] like Figure 5As shown, the electronic device 300 may include a processor (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.) 301, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 302 or a program loaded from a memory 308 into a random access memory (RAM) 303. The RAM 303 also stores various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 300. The processor 301, ROM 302, and RAM 303 are interconnected via a bus 304. An input / output (I / O) interface 305 is also connected to the bus 304.

[0087] Typically, the following devices can be connected to I / O interface 305: input devices 306 including, for example, touchscreens, touchpads, keyboards, mice, cameras, microphones, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.; output devices 307 including, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), speakers, vibrators, etc.; memory devices 308 including, for example, magnetic tapes, hard disks, etc.; and communication devices 309. Communication device 309 allows electronic device 300 to communicate wirelessly or wiredly with other devices to exchange data. Although Figure 5 An electronic device 300 with various devices is shown; however, it should be understood that it is not required to implement or possess all of the devices shown. More or fewer devices may be implemented or possessed alternatively.

[0088] To implement the above embodiments, this disclosure also proposes a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implements the puncture guidance method in the above embodiments.

[0089] In particular, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of this disclosure include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication device 309, or installed from a memory 308, or installed from a ROM 302. When the computer program is executed by the processor 301, it performs the functions defined in the puncture guidance method of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0090] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium described in this disclosure can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination thereof. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example,—but not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this disclosure, a computer-readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium can be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wires, optical fibers, RF (radio frequency), etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0091] In some implementations, clients and servers can communicate using any currently known or future-developed network protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and can interconnect with digital data communication (e.g., communication networks) of any form or medium. Examples of communication networks include local area networks (“LANs”), wide area networks (“WANs”), the Internet (e.g., the Internet of Things), and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks), as well as any currently known or future-developed networks.

[0092] The aforementioned computer-readable medium may be included in the aforementioned electronic device; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the electronic device.

[0093] The aforementioned computer-readable medium carries one or more programs, which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the aforementioned puncture guidance method.

[0094] Electronic devices can be programmed with computer program code in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof to perform the operations of this disclosure. These programming languages ​​include, but are not limited to, object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0095] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0096] The units described in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in software or hardware. The names of the units are not, in some cases, intended to limit the specific unit.

[0097] The functions described above in this document can be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components. For example, exemplary types of hardware logic components that can be used, without limitation, include: field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-a-chip (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and so on.

[0098] In the context of this disclosure, a machine-readable medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0099] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features disclosed in this disclosure that have similar functions.

[0100] Furthermore, while the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order. In certain environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0101] Although the subject matter has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological logic, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are merely illustrative examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A puncture guiding device, characterized in that, include: An ultrasound data acquisition module is configured to emit plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold toward a target muscle area and acquire echo signals, and generate an ultrasound image based on the echo signals. A muscle texture recognition module is configured to determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal region. The danger zone identification module is configured to identify blood vessels in the ultrasound image based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology, identify bones in the ultrasound image based on bone echo recognition technology, match the ultrasound image with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural recognition information, and construct a danger zone avoidance map based on the blood vessel identification results, the bone identification results, and the neural recognition information. The puncture guide line generation module is configured to generate and display the puncture guide line based on the muscle texture information and the danger zone avoidance map.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a puncture monitoring and early warning module, which is configured as follows: The ultrasound images are analyzed to determine the position of the puncture needle tip. The puncture depth is determined based on the position information of the puncture needle tip; In response to the puncture depth being greater than a puncture depth threshold, an early warning message is generated and output.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The muscle texture recognition module is configured as follows: The ultrasound image is divided into several regions, and the scattering coefficient of each region is determined. Based on the distribution and statistical characteristics of the scattering coefficient, the normal region and the abnormal region are determined; Texture features of the normal region are extracted based on an image gradient analysis algorithm, and muscle texture information is generated based on the texture features.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hazardous area identification module is configured as follows: The ultrasound image is used to identify moving targets based on ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology to obtain the blood vessel identification result; The contour information of the bones is identified by threshold segmentation of the ultrasound image based on skeletal echo recognition technology, which is used as the bone recognition result. Using the muscle texture information as a spatial reference, the ultrasound image is matched with a preset neural atlas to identify the nerve location in the ultrasound image, which is then used as the nerve identification information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hazardous area identification module is configured as follows: The blood vessel recognition results, the bone recognition results, and the nerve recognition information are respectively mapped to the same three-dimensional coordinate system with the ultrasound probe as the reference. Based on the voxel labeling method, in the three-dimensional coordinate system, spatial locations containing blood vessels, bones, and nerves are labeled as first values, and spatial locations not containing blood vessels, bones, and nerves are labeled as second values, generating a binarized three-dimensional spatial mesh. A morphological dilation operation is performed on the voxels marked with the first value in the three-dimensional spatial grid to form a safety boundary around blood vessels, bones, and nerves, generating a three-dimensional spatial mask as a map to avoid the danger zone.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The puncture guide wire generation module is configured as follows: The muscle texture information is used as the optimization target for the puncture guide line; The danger zone avoidance map is used as a spatial no-go zone constraint for the puncture guide line; The insertion point of the puncture needle is taken as the starting point of the puncture guide line; Calculate the path from the starting point that satisfies the optimization objective and the spatial restricted area constraint, and use it as the puncture guide line and display the puncture guide line.

7. A puncture guidance method, characterized in that, include: A plane wave ultrasound with a frame rate higher than a frame rate threshold is emitted toward the target muscle area and the echo signal is acquired. An ultrasound image is generated based on the echo signal. Determine the scattering coefficient of a region in the ultrasound image, divide the ultrasound image into normal and abnormal regions based on the scattering coefficient, and generate muscle texture information based on the normal region. The ultrasound image is identified using ultra-micro blood flow imaging technology to obtain blood vessel identification results, and the ultrasound image is identified using bone echo recognition technology to obtain bone identification results. The ultrasound image is matched with a preset neural atlas to obtain neural identification information. A danger zone avoidance map is constructed based on the blood vessel identification results, the bone identification results, and the neural identification information. Based on the muscle texture information and the danger zone avoidance map, a puncture guide line is generated and displayed.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method of claim 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It stores a computer program / instruction that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method of claim 7.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method of claim 7.

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