Echocardiogram Measurement Tool Context Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Echocardiogram systems face challenges in managing large lists of measurements, which can obscure important imaging information due to the need for healthcare practitioners to sift through numerous options, often requiring them to select relevant measurements from a lengthy and alphabetically ordered list.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine a contextual subset of echocardiogram measurements based on the view or sub-view of an ultrasound imaging sequence, using a mapping between the anatomy displayed and relevant measurements, with options for autonomous selection based on usability statistics, to prioritize and display only necessary measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a complete list of echocardiogram measurements is displayed, then all available measurement options are provided to practitioners, but the display screen is obscured and important imaging information is hidden
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and displays only the relevant subset of measurements based on the current view context, removing unnecessary measurements from the displayed list. This is achieved by analyzing the current echocardiogram view and automatically filtering measurements to show only those applicable to the displayed anatomy, thereby preserving screen real estate for imaging information while maintaining measurement completeness for the relevant context.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement list is segmented into context-relevant and context-irrelevant portions. The system divides the complete measurement set into subsets based on the current view type (e.g., apical, parasternal, subcostal views), displaying only the appropriate segment. This segmentation allows practitioners to access view-specific measurements without being overwhelmed by the complete list.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a lengthy list of measurements is presented alphabetically, then all measurement options are available, but practitioners spend excessive time sifting through options to find relevant measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary filtering of measurements based on the current view context before presenting the list to the practitioner. By pre-analyzing the displayed echocardiogram view and determining which measurements are relevant, the system prepares a shortened, context-appropriate list in advance, eliminating the need for practitioners to manually search through the complete alphabetical list.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the current view state to dynamically adjust the measurement list. By continuously monitoring the active view type and automatically updating the displayed measurements accordingly, the system provides context-aware suggestions that reduce search time. The measurement list adapts in real-time based on the practitioner's current imaging context.
3Area of stationary object
If context-based measurement filtering is implemented, then the number of displayed measurements is reduced and screen space is preserved, but the system complexity increases due to view analysis and mapping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the measurement selection module) that acts as a mediator between the view analysis component and the measurement database. This intermediary automatically maps view characteristics to relevant measurements using pre-defined relationships, reducing the complexity burden on the main system by handling the filtering logic in a dedicated component with clear input-output interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (100) includes an echocardiogram measurement tool (150) that determines a subset (152) of measurements from a list of echocardiogram measurements according to a view of an ultrasound imaging sequence (110) and a mapping (154) between the view and the subset of measurements.