Systems and methods for detecting tissue contact by an ultrasound probe

A method comprising:

• classifying, by a contact detection system, each pixel in a plurality of pixels included in an ultrasound image captured by an ultrasound probe located within a patient as either showing tissue or showing non-tissue;
• determining, by the contact detection system, an average pixel classification representative of a number of pixels classified as showing tissue compared to a number of pixels classified as showing non-tissue;
• determine, by the contact detection system if the average pixel classification is above a first contact state threshold, that the ultrasound probe is in a first contact state that indicates that the ultrasound probe is in operative physical contact with the tissue of the patient;
• and
• determine, by the contact detection system if the average pixel classification is below a second contact state threshold lower than the first contact state threshold, that the ultrasound probe is in a second contact state that indicates that the ultrasound probe is not in operative physical contact with the tissue of the patient.

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

• classify each pixel in a plurality of pixels included in an ultrasound image captured by an ultrasound probe located within a patient as either showing tissue or showing non-tissue;
• determine an average pixel classification representative of a number of pixels classified as showing tissue compared to a number of pixels classified as showing non-tissue;
• determine, if the average pixel classification is above a first contact state threshold, that the ultrasound probe is in a first contact state that indicates that the ultrasound probe is in operative physical contact with the tissue of the patient;
• and
• determine, if the average pixel classification is below a second contact state threshold lower than the first contact state threshold, that the ultrasound probe is in a second contact state that indicates that the ultrasound probe is not in operative physical contact with the tissue of the patient.