Systems and methods for detecting tissue contact by an ultrasound probe

A method comprising:

• controlling, by one or more processors included in a computer-assisted surgical system, a manipulator arm coupled to an ultrasound probe to position the ultrasound probe within a patient;
• generating, by the one or more processors included in a computer-assisted surgical system, an ultrasound image based on sound waves detected by the ultrasound probe while located within the patient;
• determining, by the one or more processors included in the computer-assisted surgical system, a plurality of local descriptor values each corresponding to a different pixel included in a plurality of pixels included in the ultrasound image, the local descriptor values characterizing at least one of an intensity distribution or a spatial autocorrelation for each pixel in the plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels including at least a first pixel corresponding to a first local descriptor value included in the plurality of local descriptor values and a second pixel corresponding to a second local descriptor value included in the plurality of local descriptor values;
• and
• classifying, by the one or more processors included in the computer-assisted surgical system, each pixel in the plurality of pixels individually as either showing tissue or showing non-tissue, the classifying comprising classifying the first pixel as showing tissue or showing non-tissue based only on the first local descriptor value and classifying the second pixel as showing tissue or showing non-tissue based only on the second local descriptor value.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, direct a processor of a computing device to perform a process comprising:

• controlling a manipulator arm coupled to an ultrasound probe to position the ultrasound probe within a patient;
• generating an ultrasound image based on sound waves detected by the ultrasound probe while located within the patient;
• determining a plurality of local descriptor values each corresponding to a different pixel included in a plurality of pixels included in the ultrasound image, the local descriptor values characterizing at least one of an intensity distribution or a spatial autocorrelation for each pixel in the plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels including at least a first pixel corresponding to a first local descriptor value included in the plurality of local descriptor values and a second pixel corresponding to a second local descriptor value included in the plurality of local descriptor values;
• and
• classifying each pixel in the plurality of pixels individually as either showing tissue or showing non-tissue, the classifying comprising classifying the first pixel as showing tissue or showing non-tissue based only on the first local descriptor value and classifying the second pixel as showing tissue or showing non-tissue based only on the second local descriptor value.