Ultrasound Bladder Frame Selection for Accurate Urine Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses face issues with inaccurate urine volume measurement due to erroneous detection of urinary bladder regions and the need for manual selection of suitable frames, leading to decreased accuracy and increased user labor.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus with an image memory, urinary bladder extraction unit, feature quantity calculation unit, candidate frame extraction unit, measurement frame selection unit, and urine volume measurement unit, which automatically selects frames with optimal feature quantities for accurate urine volume measurement, reducing user load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If automatic frame selection is implemented using simple threshold methods, then user workload is reduced, but measurement accuracy decreases due to erroneous detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for frame selection from simple threshold-based detection to feature quantity analysis. By calculating feature quantities (such as bladder area, perimeter, or shape factors) for each frame and selecting frames where these quantities reach local maximums, the system achieves more accurate automatic frame selection without increasing user workload. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction by providing both automation and precision.
2Measurement precision
If manual frame selection is required to ensure accurate measurement, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but user labor and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the system automatically performs frame selection based on calculated feature quantities. The measurement frame selection unit autonomously identifies frames with local maximum feature quantities without requiring user intervention. This self-service approach maintains high measurement accuracy while eliminating the time loss associated with manual frame checking, thereby resolving the contradiction between precision and time efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If simple automatic detection methods are used, then operation is simplified, but reliability of bladder region detection decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism where the system calculates feature quantities for each frame, compares these quantities across multiple frames, and uses this feedback information to identify frames with local maximum values. This feedback-based approach allows the automatic detection system to reliably distinguish true bladder regions from false detections, maintaining both operational simplicity and detection reliability simultaneously.
Data Source
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AI summary
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus (1) includes a urinary bladder extraction unit (9), a feature quantity calculation unit (10), a candidate frame extraction unit (11), and a urine volume measurement unit (13). The urinary bladder extraction unit (9) extracts a urinary bladder region from ultrasound images of a plurality of frames. The feature quantity calculation unit (10) calculates a feature quantity related to the bladder region. The candidate frame extraction unit (11) extracts, from the ultrasound images of the plurality of frames, an ultrasound image of a frame for which the feature quantity becomes a local maximum, as an ultrasound image of at least one candidate frame that serves as a candidate subjected to measurement. The urine volume measurement unit (13) analyzes an ultrasound image of a measurement frame selected from the ultrasound image of the at least one candidate frame to measure a urine volume.