Technologies for ultrasound asynchronous resonance imaging (ari) for needle tip localization

An ultrasound scanner device comprising:

• an imaging probe;
• a display;
• and
• a processor, the processor configured at least to:
• a) perform a needle tip detection process, the processor being further configured to:
• a-i) transmit, at a first time, one or more ultrasonic first pulse signals, the one or more ultrasonic first pulse signals configured to cause one or more first echo signals to be produced by adjacent tissue and a needle within the tissue;
• a-ii) receive, upon reaching a second time that is subsequent to the first time by a predetermined delay period, the one or more first echo signals from the needle;
• and
• a-iii) generate needle tip image data corresponding to a location of a tip of the needle based on the one or more first echo signals;
• b) perform a tissue detection process, the processor being further configured to:
• b-i) transmit one or more ultrasonic second pulse signals, the one or more ultrasonic second pulse signals configured to cause one or more second echo signals to be produced by the adjacent tissue and the needle within the tissue;
• b-ii) receive the one or more second echo signals from the adjacent tissue;
• and
• b-iii) generate tissue image data corresponding to the adjacent tissue based on the one or more second echo signals;
• c) generate a compound image that includes a visual indicator of the location of the needle tip with respect to the tissue based on the needle tip image data and the tissue image data;
• and
• d) display the compound image on the display.

A method performed by an ultrasound scanner, the ultrasound scanner having an imaging probe, the method comprising:

• a) performing, by the scanner, a target object detection process, the target object detection process comprising:
• a-i) transmitting, by the imaging probe, at a first time, one or more ultrasonic first pulse signals, the one or more ultrasonic first pulse signals configured to cause one or more first echo signals to be produced by adjacent tissue and a target object within the tissue;
• a-ii) receiving, by the imaging probe, upon reaching a second time that is subsequent to the first time by a predetermined delay period, the one or more first echo signals from the target object;
• and
• a-iii) generating, by the scanner, target object image data corresponding to a location of the target object based on the one or more first echo signals;
• b) performing, by the scanner, a tissue detection process, the tissue detection process comprising:
• b-i) transmitting, via the imaging probe, one or more ultrasonic second pulse signals, the one or more ultrasonic second pulse signals configured to cause one or more second echo signals to be produced by the adjacent tissue and the target object within the tissue;
• b-ii) receiving, at the imaging probe, the one or more second echo signals from the adjacent tissue;
• and
• b-iii) generating, by the scanner, tissue image data corresponding to the adjacent tissue based on the one or more second echo signals;
• c) generating, by the scanner, a compound image that includes a visual indicator of the location of the target object with respect to the tissue based on the target object image data and the tissue image data;
• and
• d) displaying, by the scanner, the compound image on a display.

A method performed by an ultrasound scanner, the ultrasound scanner having an imaging probe, the method comprising:

• a) transmitting, by the imaging probe, at a first time, one or more ultrasonic pulse signals, the one or more ultrasonic pulse signals configured to cause one or more echo signals to be produced by adjacent tissue and a needle within the tissue;
• b) performing, by the scanner, a needle tip detection process, the needle tip detection process comprising:
• b-i) receiving, by the imaging probe, upon reaching a second time that is subsequent to the first time by a predetermined delay period, the one or more echo signals from the needle;
• and
• b-ii) generating, by the scanner, needle tip image data corresponding to a location of a tip of the needle based on the one or more echo signals;
• c) performing, by the scanner, a tissue detection process, the tissue detection process comprising:
• c-i) receiving, at the imaging probe, the one or more echo signals from the adjacent tissue;
• and
• c-ii) generating, by the scanner, tissue image data corresponding to the adjacent tissue based on the one or more echo signals;
• d) generating, by the scanner, a compound image that includes a visual indicator of the location of the needle tip with respect to the tissue based on the needle tip image data and the tissue image data;
• and
• e) displaying, by the scanner, the compound image on a display.