Fetal Heart Orientation Detection via Automated Ultrasound Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasound imaging techniques require manual input from users to determine the orientation of the fetal heart, which is time-consuming and prone to errors, especially in assessing abnormal cardiac axis orientations that may indicate congenital heart disease.
Innovation Solution
An automated ultrasound image processing apparatus that uses a processor arrangement to identify the chest region, spine, and ventricular septum from a temporal sequence of ultrasound images, calculating the orientation axis of the fetal heart and chest, and displaying the results in a visually intuitive manner using color coding to indicate normal or abnormal orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual user input is used to determine fetal heart orientation, then measurement precision can be achieved, but productivity is reduced and the process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically identifies anatomical landmarks (spine, chest wall, ventricular septum) and calculates heart axis orientation without requiring manual user input. The processor arrangement performs self-service by autonomously analyzing the temporal sequence of ultrasound images to determine the angle between the heart axis and anteroposterior line, thereby eliminating time-consuming manual measurements while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification and tracking of anatomical structures across multiple frames before final orientation calculation. By pre-identifying the spine, chest wall, and ventricular septum in advance and tracking their positions through the cardiac cycle, the system prepares all necessary data beforehand, enabling rapid and accurate orientation determination without delayed manual intervention.
2Measurement precision
If manual identification of anatomical landmarks is required, then measurement precision is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The processor arrangement autonomously identifies anatomical landmarks including the spine, anterior chest wall, and ventricular septum without requiring operator expertise for manual localization. The system self-services by automatically detecting these structures in the ultrasound images and using them to calculate the heart axis orientation, thereby eliminating the need for skilled manual landmark identification while preserving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the manual mechanical process of landmark identification with an automated image processing algorithm. Instead of requiring operators to visually locate and mark anatomical structures, the processor arrangement uses computational methods to detect and track these landmarks through the temporal sequence of images, substituting human expertise with automated pattern recognition.
3Productivity
If automated processing is implemented, then productivity increases and ease of operation improves, but measurement precision may deteriorate due to lack of manual verification
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by tracking the temporal stability of identified landmarks across multiple frames and adjusting the orientation calculation accordingly. The processor arrangement monitors the consistency of spine, chest wall, and ventricular septum positions throughout the cardiac cycle, using this feedback to validate and refine the heart axis angle measurement, thereby ensuring high reliability without manual verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its analysis by considering the temporal variations in landmark positions during the cardiac cycle. Rather than relying on a single static measurement, the processor arrangement analyzes the dynamic movement patterns of anatomical structures across multiple frames, adjusting its calculations to account for physiological motion, which enhances measurement precision while maintaining automated efficiency.
4Measurement precision
If multiple manual inputs are required for orientation determination, then measurement precision is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processor arrangement performs self-service by automatically identifying all necessary anatomical landmarks and performing the complete orientation calculation workflow without requiring multiple manual inputs from the operator. The system autonomously detects the spine, chest wall, and ventricular septum, tracks their positions, and computes the heart axis angle, thereby simplifying the operational interface while maintaining diagnostic accuracy through automated multi-step processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasound image processing apparatus (16) is disclosed comprising a processor arrangement (46, 50) adapted to receive a temporal sequence (15) of ultrasound images (150) of at least a chest region (151) of a fetal entity (62) from an ultrasound probe (14), said chest region including the fetal heart (171), said temporal sequence capturing at least part of a cardiac cycle of the fetal heart; identify the chest region of the fetal entity in one or more of the ultrasound images of said temporal sequence; identify a portion of the spine in the identified chest region; calculate an orientation axis (160) of the fetal chest from the identified chest region and the identified spine portion; identify the septum of the fetal heart as a linear structure which is temporally more stable than its surrounding structures in said temporal sequence of ultrasound images and which defines a region of convergence of the movements of the fetal heart during said cardiac cycle; calculate an orientation axis (170) of the fetal heart from the identified septum; and calculate an angle (θ) between the orientation axis of the fetal chest and the orientation axis of the fetal heart. Also disclosed are an ultrasound imaging system comprising such an ultrasound image processing apparatus, a computer-implemented method of visualizing an orientation of the heart of a fetal entity within said entity and a computer program product for implementing such a method.