Guiding instrument insertion

A system to aid a clinician in selecting an appropriate vein for catheterization, the system comprising:

• a memory to store one or more ultrasound images;
• a neural network implemented at least partially in hardware coupled to the memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the neural network and configured to:
• receive ultrasound echo signals that are reflected from an object in response to ultrasound signals that are sent to the object by an ultrasound probe;
• receive a time series of ultrasound images that includes one or more blood vessels that are generated based on the ultrasound echo signals, the time series of ultrasound images including a current ultrasound image including a first blood vessel and one or more additional ultrasound images preceding the current ultrasound image;
• determine, using the neural network, diameters of each of the one or more blood vessels in the time series of ultrasound images, wherein the first blood vessel in the current ultrasound image has a first diameter caused by a first probe pressure;
• determine that the first blood vessel exists in the one or more additional ultrasound images preceding the current ultrasound image, wherein the first blood vessel in the one or more additional ultrasound images has a second diameter caused by a second probe pressure;
• set a maximum diameter of the first blood vessel based on the first diameter and the second diameter;
• receive a user selection of an instrument size;
• and
• indicate, in the ultrasound image, the first blood vessel of the one or more blood vessels based on the instrument size and the maximum diameter of the first blood vessel, wherein the indicating includes displaying an outline of the first blood vessel;
• assign, using the neural network, one of a vein classification or an artery classification to the one or more blood vessels;
• and
• determine a confidence level for the vein classification or the artery classification assigned to the one or more blood vessels, wherein the displaying the outline of the first blood vessel includes displaying the outline with an opacity based on the confidence level determined for the first blood vessel.