Method for creating a spatial graphical representation of an organ of a body
AssigneeAimitari Medtech Pte. Ltd.
InventorsBoon Huat LIM, Ravintharan S/O THARMALINGAM, Sebastian Johan ZILLIACUS, Brian James TRACEY, Rajashekar DURAI
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Abstract
A method for creating a spatial graphical representation 4 of an organ of a body 5 from a multitude of 2-dimensional ultrasound images 8, the method comprising the following steps: —providing a medical ultrasound transducer system 1 with an ultrasound transducer unit 6 and with a display unit 7 for displaying a digital video signal as a 2D Ultrasound image 8 that represents what the ultrasound transducer unit 6 captures during the operation of the medical ultrasound transducer system 1.
Claims9
A method for creating a spatial graphical representation of an organ of a body from a multitude of 2-dimensional ultrasound images 8, the method comprising the following steps:
- providing a medical ultrasound transducer system with an ultrasound transducer unit and with a display unit for displaying a digital video signal as a 2D Ultrasound image that represents what the ultrasound transducer unit captures during the operation of the medical ultrasound transducer system,
- providing a spatial attitude measurement unit that is attached to the medical ultrasound transducer unit, wherein the attitude measurement unit comprises at least one linear accelerometer and/or at least one rotational gyroscope for each one of at least three spatial directions (x, y, z, a, p, y), wherein the at least one linear accelerometer and/or the at least one rotational gyroscope are provided in MEMS technology,
- providing a measurement computer system that is electrically connected with the display unit and the attitude measurement unit, and that is provided for receiving and storing:
- a plurality of digital video signals and
- a plurality of digital attitude measurement signals from the attitude measurement unit,
- in an initialization phase:
- moving the medical ultrasound transducer to an initial attitude, initializing the spatial position and/or orientation measurement unit, and recording an initial video signal together with an initial attitude in a recording phase:
- moving the medical ultrasound transducer to a series of consecutive delta attitudes, a preceding delta attitude being different from a following delta attitude,
- recording a series of delta video signals together with an associated series of delta attitude measurement signals,
- in an evaluation phase:
- inspecting the recorded initial video signal and the recorded series of delta video signals for image points that are characteristic of a surface of a pre-determined bodystructure,
- determining the absolute positions of the characteristic surface image points from the associated delta attitude measurement signals,
- providing a 3D-model of the pre-determined bodystructure by outputting the characteristic surface image points together with their absolute positions.
A measurement computer system for providing a spatial graphical representation of an organ of a body from a multitude of 2-dimensional ultrasound images 8, the measurement computer system comprising:
- a video input connector for receiving a digital video signal that a medical ultrasound transducer system sends to a display unit, the video signal comprising a 2D Ultrasound picture 8 that represents what the ultrasound transducer unit captures during the operation of the medical ultrasound transducer system, —an attitude input connector for receiving a digital attitude signal from a spatial attitude measurement unit that is attachable to a medical ultrasound transducer,
- wherein the measurement computer system is provided for receiving and storing:
- a plurality of digital video signals and
- a plurality of digital attitude measurement signals,
- wherein the measurement computer system is further provided for:
- recording a series of delta video signals together with an associated series of delta attitude measurement signals, and for
- inspecting the recorded initial video signal and the recorded series of delta initial video signals for image points that are characteristic of a surface of a pre-determined bodystructure, and for
- determining the absolute positions of the characteristic surface image points S from the associated delta attitude measurement signals, and for
- providing a 3D-measurement model of the pre-determined bodystructure by outputting the characteristic surface image points together with their absolute positions.
A spatial attitude measurement unit for providing a plurality of digital attitude measurement signals to a measurement computer system for providing a spatial graphical representation of an organ of a body from a multitude of 2-dimensional ultrasound images, the spatial attitude measurement unit comprising an attitude output connector for sending a digital attitude signal and a digital camera module for supplying a digital camera signal, wherein the spatial attitude measurement unit is attachable to a medical ultrasound transducer, wherein the attitude measurement unit comprises at least one linear accelerometer and/or at least one rotational gyroscope for each one of at least three spatial directions, wherein the at least one linear accelerometer and the at least one rotational gyroscope are provided in MEMS technology.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.