# US 12,217,428 B2 · Motion analysis of the digestive tract > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,217,428 B2 - Document ID: US12217428B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/477,867 - Filed: 2021-09-17 - Published: 2022-03-17 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-17 - Assignees: Motilent Limited - Applicants: Motilent Limited - Inventors: Alexander Menys; Thomas S. Robbins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217428B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - G06T 7/0016: {involving temporal comparison} - A61B 8/08: Clinical applications (A61B8/02, A61B8/04, A61B8/06 take precedence) - A61B 8/5223: {for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data (for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012)} - G06T 7/248: {involving reference images or patches} - G06T 7/269: using gradient-based methods - G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS - G16H 30/40: for processing medical images, e.g. editing - G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems - G06T 2207/10132: Ultrasound image - G06T 2207/30092: Stomach; Gastric - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A method for analyzing a digestive tract of a patient using ultrasound. The method includes receiving a plurality of ultrasound images taken over a time series, determining movement characteristics of objects within the ultrasound images based on movement of one or more pixels in the ultrasound images over the time series, and outputting a visual data that describes the movement characteristics. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for analyzing a digestive tract of a patient comprising: receiving a plurality of brightness beamformed ultrasound images representative of a structure of the digestive tract taken over a time series; determining movement characteristics of the structure of the digestive tract based on movement of one or more pixels in the plurality of brightness beamformed ultrasound images over the time series comprising: determining a vector optical flow for the one or more pixels in the plurality of brightness beamformed ultrasound images through algorithmic image analysis of the one or more pixels; and generating a flow magnitude matrix for the vector optical flow; and outputting a visual data that describes the movement characteristics. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the movement characteristics further comprises: applying a respiratory motion correction algorithm prior to determining optical flow. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the movement characteristics further comprise: filtering the flow magnitude matrix. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the visual data comprises an overlay of movement data on a ultrasound image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting the visual data is done in real-time while the plurality of ultrasound images are captured. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the visual data comprises one or more of: a color map, a movement vector, or a summary statistics vector. ### Claim 7 A system for analyzing a digestive tract comprising: an ultrasound machine including a probe, wherein the ultrasound machine is configured to capture a plurality of image frames representative of a structure of the digestive tract at different points in time; and a processor in electrical communication with the ultrasound machine, wherein the processor is configured to: analyze the plurality of image frames to determine motion characteristics of the structure of the digestive tract over the different points in time using movement of one or more pixels of the plurality of image frames over the different points in time; and transmit for display a visual output representative of the motion characteristics of the structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the image frames are captured as brightness beamformed images. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein to analyze the plurality of image frames, the processor is further configured to: determine a vector optical flow for the one or more pixels within the image frames over the different points in time; and generate a plurality of flow magnitude matrices based on the vector optical flow. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein to analyze the plurality of image frames, the processor is further configured to: apply a respiratory motion correction algorithm prior to determining the vector optical flow of the one or more pixels within the image frames. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein to analyze the plurality of image frames, the processor is further configured to: filter the flow magnitude matrices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to output the visual data as the image frames are captured. ### Claim 13 One or more non-transitory computer readable media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive a plurality of ultrasound images of an abdominal area of a patient, the plurality of images captured over a time series; select a set of pixels in the plurality of ultrasound images, the set of pixels representing a structure of a digestive tract in the abdominal area of the patient; determine movement characteristics of the structure of the digestive tract within the plurality of ultrasound images based on movement of the set of pixels in the plurality of ultrasound images; and output a visual data that describes the movement characteristics of the structure of the digestive tract. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the movement of the set of pixels is a vector optical flow for the set of pixels, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: generate a flow magnitude matrix for the vector optical flow. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors, when determining the movement characteristics of the object, to: apply a respiratory motion correction algorithm prior to determining optical flow. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors, when determining the movement characteristics of the object, to: filter the flow magnitude matrix. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the visual data comprises an overlay of movement data on an ultrasound image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound images are brightness beamformed images. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the algorithmic image analysis comprises a Farnebäck algorithm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the vector optical flow is determined through a Farnebäck algorithm.