Ultrasound Doppler Gate Placement for Vascular Wall Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses inaccurately detect vascular walls due to the maximum point of B-mode intensity appearing between anterior and posterior vascular walls, leading to erroneous detection.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a vascular wall detection unit that sets a Doppler gate within a blood vessel region and uses image analysis perpendicular to the blood vessel gradient to accurately detect anterior and posterior vascular walls, employing projection points and predetermined distances along a blood flow perpendicular line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the maximum point of B-mode intensity is used to detect vascular walls, then the detection process is simple, but the detection accuracy deteriorates due to erroneous detection between anterior and posterior vascular walls
Solution Approach 1:
The detection process is segmented into multiple steps: first detecting the blood vessel region, then detecting the blood flow direction, and finally detecting the vascular walls perpendicular to the blood flow direction. This segmentation allows accurate detection by breaking down the complex task into manageable steps, resolving the contradiction between simple process and accurate detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection approach transitions from searching along radial lines over 360° to searching only in the direction perpendicular to blood flow. By changing the search dimension from omnidirectional to targeted perpendicular direction, the method eliminates erroneous detections while maintaining simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If image analysis is performed over the entire 360° range to detect vascular walls, then comprehensive detection is achieved, but the detection accuracy deteriorates due to false maximum points
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform 360° search, the method applies local quality by searching only in the specific direction perpendicular to blood flow where vascular walls are actually located. This localized approach improves accuracy by focusing computational resources on the relevant region rather than the entire circumference.
Solution Approach 2:
The blood flow direction is detected beforehand to establish the perpendicular search direction. This preliminary action enables subsequent vascular wall detection to be performed accurately in the correct direction, preventing false detections while maintaining comprehensive coverage of the actual vascular structure.
3Ease of operation
If the Doppler gate position is adjusted based on detected vascular walls, then optimal blood flow measurement is achieved, but the system reliability deteriorates due to erroneous wall detection
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by detecting blood flow direction and using it to determine the perpendicular search direction for vascular wall detection. This feedback mechanism ensures that wall detection is performed in the correct orientation, improving reliability while enabling optimal Doppler gate positioning for blood flow measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus having: a display that displays a B-mode image in which at least a blood vessel region is imaged; and a processor configured to set a Doppler gate within the blood vessel region on the B-mode image; acquire a blood vessel gradient; and detect an anterior vascular wall and a posterior vascular wall by performing image analysis on the B-mode image, on an outer side of the Doppler gate in a direction perpendicular to the blood vessel gradient.