# US 2014/0194722 A1 · Lesion diagnosis apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194722 A1 - Document ID: US20140194722A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/140,724 - Filed: 2013-12-26 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jae-Cheol LEE; Kyoung-Gu WOO; Yeong-Kyeong SEONG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194722A1 ## CPC - A61B 8/085: {for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules} - A61B 5/0059: {using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455)} - A61B 5/4887: {Locating particular structures in or on the body} - A61B 8/466: {adapted to display 3D data} - A61B 8/54: {Control of the diagnostic device} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems - A61B 8/4254: {using sensors mounted on the probe} - A61B 8/461: {Displaying means of special interest} - A61B 8/467: {characterised by special input means} - G06T 2207/10132: Ultrasound image - G06T 2207/30068: Mammography; Breast - G06T 2207/30096: Tumor; Lesion - G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS - 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 lesion diagnosis apparatus and method for diagnosing images in real time to notify a user that a lesion is detected and providing the user with information about the detected lesion, thereby enhancing accuracy and convenience in a diagnosis. The lesion diagnosis apparatus includes a diagnoser configured to diagnose lesions in images received from a probe; and a guide information provider configured to notify a user that a lesion is detected and to provide guide information, when the lesion is detected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lesion diagnosis apparatus comprising: a diagnoser configured to diagnose lesions in images received from a probe; and a guide information provider configured to notify a user that a lesion is detected and to provide guide information, when the lesion is detected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diagnoser is further configured to diagnose a non-overlapping area in an image using at least one of coordinates, a measuring range, a measured angle, or a measurement direction of the probe. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a store configured to store lesion information when the lesion is detected, and the lesion information comprises at least one of features of the lesion, diagnosis of the lesion, location information of the lesion, or information about the movement of the probe after the lesion is detected. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide information guides the probe toward a location of the lesion, and the guide information comprises at least one of a moving path, a moving distance, a moving direction, or a measured angle of the probe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guide information is provided as at least one of an audio signal, a visual signal, or a tactile signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide information provider notifies the user that a lesion is detected by generating a detection signal and the detection signal comprises at least one of a visual signal, an audio signal, or a tactile signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 3, wherein, in response to a determination being made that the detected lesion is different from a previously detected lesion, the guide information provider is configured to generate a detection signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: an input means configured to receive a confirmation from the user that the detected lesion is recognized; and the lesion information further comprises indication whether the user has recognized the detected lesion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 8, wherein the guide information provider is configured to generate a detection signal when a lesion that has not been recognized by the user is re-detected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 8, wherein the guide information provider is configured to generate a detection signal when a lesion is re-detected and its diagnosis is different from a previous diagnosis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 3, wherein the features of the lesion comprises at least one of shape of the lesion, boundary of the lesion, posterior acoustic shadow of the lesion, echo pattern, microlobulations, hyperechoic halo, hypoechoic nodule, duct extension, compressibility, branching pattern, or density of the lesions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 8, wherein the diagnoser is further configured to exclude the detected lesion that has been recognized by the user, from an area to be diagnosed. ### Claim 13 A lesion diagnosis method comprising: diagnosing lesions in images received from a probe; generating, at a guide information provider, a detection signal to notify a user that the lesion is detected; and providing guide information to guide the probe toward a location of the detected lesion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 13, wherein the diagnosing of lesions comprises diagnosing a non-overlapping area in a received image by using at least one of coordinates, a measuring range, a measured angle, or a measurement direction of the probe. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 13, further comprising storing lesion information when the lesion is detected, and the lesion information comprises at least one of features of the lesion, diagnosis of the lesion, location information of the lesion, or information about the movement of the probe after the lesion is detected. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 13, wherein the guide information comprises at least one of a moving path, a moving distance, a moving direction, or a measured angle of the probe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 16, wherein the providing of the guide information comprises providing the guide information as at least one of an audio signal, a visual signal, or a tactile signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 13, wherein the detection signal comprising at least one of a visual signal, an audio signal, or a tactile signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 15, wherein the generating of the detection signal comprises, generating a detection signal when the detected lesion is different from a previously detected lesion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a confirmation from the user that the detected lesion is recognized, and the lesion information further comprises indication whether the user has recognized the detected lesion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 20, wherein the generating of the detection signal comprises, generating a detection signal when a lesion that has been detected but not recognized by the user is re-detected. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 20, wherein the generating of the detection signal comprises generating a detection signal when a lesion is re-detected and its diagnosis is different from a previous diagnosis. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the features of the lesion comprises at least one of shape of the lesion, boundary of the lesion, posterior acoustic shadow of the lesion, echo pattern, microlobulations, hyperechoic halo, hypoechoic nodule, duct extension, compressibility, branching pattern, or density of the lesions. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 20, wherein the diagnosing of the lesions comprises excluding the detected lesion that has been recognized by the user, from an area to be diagnosed. ### Claim 25 A lesion diagnosis method comprising: diagnosing lesions, in real-time, for images received from a probe; and generating, at a guide information provider, a detection signal to notify a user that the lesion is detected. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 25, wherein the diagnosing lesions in real-time comprises: diagnosing lesions in a first image received from the probe; identifying a non-overlapping area between the first image and a second image received from the probe; and diagnosing lesions only in the non-overlapping area. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 26, wherein the non-overlapping area is identified using at least one of coordinates, a measuring range, a measured angle, or a measurement direction of the probe. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 26, further comprising: providing guide information to guide the probe toward a location of the detected lesion; and receiving a confirmation from the user that the detected lesion is recognized. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 28, wherein the providing of the guide information comprises continuing to provide guide information until the user confirms that the detected lesion is recognized. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The lesion diagnosis method of claim 28, further comprising: storing lesion information when the lesion is detected; and the lesion information comprises at least one of features of the lesion, diagnosis of the lesion, location information of the lesion, information about the movement of the probe after the lesion is detected, or indication whether the user has recognized the detected lesion. ### Claim 31 A lesion diagnosis apparatus comprising: a diagnoser configured to receive an image captured by a probe at a first point in time, and to detect lesions in the image at a second point in time; and a guide information provider configured to provide guide information to compensate for the movement of the probe between the first point in time and the second point in time. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 31, wherein the guide information guides the probe toward a location of the lesion, and the guide information comprises at least one of a moving path, a moving distance, a moving direction, or a measured angle of the probe. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 32, wherein the guide information is provided as at least one of an audio signal, a visual signal, or a tactile signal. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 33, wherein the guide information provider is further configured to generate an increasing volume of a sound or frequency as a user moves the probe closer to the detected lesion. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The lesion diagnosis apparatus of claim 33, wherein the guide information provider is further configured to increase the intensity of vibration of the probe as a user moves the probe closer to the detected lesion.