Anatomically intelligent echocardiography for point-of-care

An apparatus comprising:

• an imaging probe;
• and
• a user-guidance processor configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via said probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe, wherein said processor is further configured for computing coordinate system transformations corresponding to respective ones of said comparisons, the selecting being respectively based on magnitudes of translational and rotational components of said transformations.

An apparatus comprising:

• an imaging probe;
• and
• a user-guidance processor configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via said probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe, said probe comprising a sensor, said apparatus configured for deciding, based on output of said sensor, that acoustic coupling quality is insufficient and for issuing a user alert upon the decision.

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An apparatus comprising:

• an imaging probe;
• and
• a user-guidance processor configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via said probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe, configured for, responsive to content of imaging dynamically acquired via said probe, issuing a user alert for halting said adjustment.

An apparatus comprising:

• an imaging probe;
• and
• a user-guidance processor configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via said probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe, configured for said segmenting in a relatively coarse mode and in a relatively fine mode and for making a volumetric measurement based on one or more segments formed as a result of the spatially finer segmenting, said making being responsive to completion of said spatially finer segmenting.

An apparatus comprising:

• an imaging probe;
• and
• a user-guidance processor configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via said probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe, an instruction to halt, as part of said feedback, being subject to an outcome of a comparison between a current location, and current orientation, of said probe and a location and orientation derived from said segmenting.

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A computer readable medium embodying a computer program for guiding a user handling an imaging probe, said program including instructions executable by a processor to perform a plurality of acts, said plurality comprising the acts of:

• dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via said probe of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe;
• and
• detecting pauses in the adjusting

A user-guidance device comprising at least one integrated circuit and configured for, via one or more of said at least one integrated circuit:

• dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via an imaging probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with said probe, said arranging selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of said probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via said probe,
• said apparatus being configured for detecting pauses in the adjusting.