Acquisition-orientation-dependent features for model-based segmentation of ultrasound images

An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

• a processing system configured to be coupled to an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound images of a target to be segmented, the ultrasound probe configured to acquire the ultrasound images of the target at a plurality of orientations;
• and
• a memory operatively associated with the processing system, wherein the memory comprises:
• a plurality of clusters of ultrasound images, wherein the plurality of images are clustered into a given cluster based on an orientation of the target with respect to the ultrasound probe such that each cluster is associated with a different orientation of the plurality of orientations;
• one or more models associated with each of the plurality of clusters, the one or more models including at least one aspect comprising a plurality of instances, each aspect associated with the orientation of a respective cluster;
• and
• wherein the memory further comprises executable instructions for:
• a comparison unit configured to compare an ultrasound image acquired with the ultrasound probe to images in one or more of the plurality of clusters to determine a closest matching orientation by determining a closest matching cluster, and further configured to select at least one model instance based upon the closest matching orientation;
• and
• a model adaptation module configured to adapt the at least one model instance to the ultrasound image and identify the orientation of the target to be segmented.