Ultrasound Imaging View Consistency via Reference Data Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Longitudinal ultrasound imaging of patients over time faces challenges due to probe position drift and inconsistency in image acquisition views, leading to measurement errors that can affect medical interventions.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a distributed computing system to store reference ultrasound image data and compare it with live data for similarity, generating alerts and guiding operators to maintain consistent image views across time and operators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual probe manipulation is used for ultrasound imaging, then the operator can acquire desired views, but probe position drift occurs over time leading to inconsistent image views
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to the operator by displaying a visual indicator (e.g., color-coded overlay or graphical cue) that shows whether the current probe position matches the reference view. This feedback loop enables the operator to adjust the probe manually while maintaining consistent imaging views across multiple time points.
Solution Approach 2:
The system stores a reference ultrasound image acquired at a previous time point and uses it as a template for subsequent imaging sessions. The reference image is retrieved and compared with live images to ensure view consistency, effectively copying the optimal viewing geometry across time.
2Productivity
If multiple clinicians perform ultrasound measurements at different time points, then continuous monitoring is enabled, but measurement consistency decreases due to operator variability
Solution Approach 1:
A reference ultrasound image is acquired and stored beforehand, establishing a gold standard for the desired view. Subsequent operators use this pre-established reference to guide their image acquisition, ensuring that all measurements are taken from the same anatomical perspective regardless of which clinician is performing the scan.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time visual feedback to operators during image acquisition, indicating whether their current view matches the reference. This feedback mechanism standardizes the imaging process across multiple operators, reducing variability in measurement precision while enabling continuous monitoring.
3Adaptability or versatility
If image data varies in view depiction, then different anatomical perspectives can be captured, but measurement errors increase affecting medical interventions
Solution Approach 1:
The system retrieves and displays a reference image that serves as a template for the correct anatomical view. By copying the viewing geometry from the reference image, the system ensures that all subsequent measurements are taken from the same standardized perspective, eliminating errors caused by view variability while maintaining the ability to capture necessary anatomical information.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method is provided for facilitating the acquisition of ultrasound imaging data over an extended period of time. with improved consistency in the image view which is captured. A first set of ultrasound imaging data, comprising one or more images representing one or more views of the anatomy of a patient, is acquired and stored in a datastore. This image data is then used as reference data for subsequent image acquisition, wherein subsequent image data is compared in real time with the reference image data to obtain a measure of a degree of correspondence between the views depicted. This can be used to guide the acquisition of the new image data so that it is consistent with the previous image data. For example. when the view represented in the newly acquired image data sufficiently matches that in the reference data. an alert message can be issued to the user.