US 11,109,835 B2Granted

Three dimensional mapping display system for diagnostic ultrasound machines

AssigneeMetritrack, Inc.

InventorsCalin Caluser, Fang Lin, Silviu S. Andrei

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Abstract

An automated 3D mapping and display system includes automated ultrasound probe position registration, calculation of the position of each pixel in the ultrasound image in reference to selected anatomical references, and storage of specified information on command. The system, during real time ultrasound scanning, enables ultrasound probe position and orientation to be continuously displayed over a body part diagram, thereby facilitating scanning and images interpretation of stored information. The system can record single or multiple ultrasound free hand frames in a video sequence or cine loop wherein multiple 2D frames of one or more video sequences corresponding to a scanned volume can be reconstructed in 3D volume images corresponding to the scanned region, using known 3D reconstruction algorithms. In later examinations, the exact location and position of the transducer can be recreated along 3D or 2D axis points enabling known targets to be viewed from an exact, known position.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A medical ultrasound system for producing a location of an ultrasound probe and ultrasound frame image in relation to at least one pre-selected anatomical reference, the medical ultrasound system comprising:

a first sensor fixed to a probe head of the ultrasound probe for generating data identifying probe head position;
an anatomical reference sensor for tracking position of at least one pre-selected anatomical reference on a deformable structure of a patient;
a body sensor for dynamically tracking a body orientation of the patient in reference to a known object during an imaging session and independent from the tracked position of the at least one pre-selected anatomical reference, the body sensor registerable with at least one of body axes and planes of the patient;
and
a processor configured to:
process data received from the first sensor, the anatomical reference sensor, the body sensor, and ultrasound frame image data during the imaging session;
register a position of the known object with a spatial reference frame of the ultrasound frame image data;
dynamically reference the probe head position and the ultrasound frame image data to the position of the at least one pre-selected anatomical reference and the body orientation of the patient based on the received data;
load a previous image from a previous examination of the patient, the previous image comprising a marked target associated with a target of the patient;
and
simultaneously display real time probe frame position and orientation and a second probe frame position and orientation from the previous examination over a same body part diagram.

8 more elements

A method for producing a location of an ultrasound probe and ultrasound image frame in relation to at least one pre-selected anatomical reference point on a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

using an anatomical reference sensor to track a position of at least one pre-selected anatomical reference point on a deformable structure of the patient during a current ultrasound procedure;
using a probe sensor to track a position and orientation of the ultrasound probe in a body coordinate system and with respect to the at least one pre-selected anatomical reference point during the current ultrasound procedure;
using a body sensor to track a body orientation of the patient during the current ultrasound procedure independent from the tracked position of the at least one pre-selected anatomical reference;
transmitting data acquired from the anatomical reference sensor, the probe sensor, and the body sensor to a processor;
processing the acquired data to determine anatomical reference position coordinates, ultrasound probe position and orientation, and body orientation of the patient relative to the ultrasound image frame generated from data transmitted from the ultrasound probe;
determining a positional relation between the body orientation of the patient and a position of a reference object;
registering the position of the reference object with a spatial reference frame of the ultrasound image frame;
calculating position coordinates of a target in the ultrasound image frame;
and
determining if the position coordinates of the target are within a selected spatial range from a previously recorded target.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/719,200Filed 18 Dec 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 18 Dec 2011
Published: US 2015/0051489 A119 Feb 2015
Granted: 7 Sep 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

A61B 8/4254
Involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient: using sensors mounted on the…
A61B 8/0825
Clinical applications: for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
A61B 8/10
Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves: eye inspection
A61B 8/13
Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves: tomography