3D ultrasound-based instrument for non-invasive measurement of amniotic fluid volume
AssigneeVerathon Inc.
InventorsVikram Chalana, Gerald McMorrow, Stephen James Dudycha
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Abstract
A hand-held 3D ultrasound instrument is disclosed which is used to non-invasively and automatically measure amniotic fluid volume in the uterus requiring a minimum of operator intervention. Using a 2D image-processing algorithm, the instrument gives automatic feedback to the user about where to acquire the 3D image set. The user acquires one or more 3D data sets covering all of the amniotic fluid in the uterus and this data is then processed using an optimized 3D algorithm to output the total amniotic fluid volume corrected for any fetal head brain volume contributions.
Claims20
A method to determine amniotic fluid volume, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasound transceiver to probe at least a portion of a uterus of a patient, the transceiver configured to obtain a plurality of scanlines;
- enhancing the images of the amniotic fluid regions in the scanline plurality with a plurality of algorithms;
- registering the plurality of scanlines;
- associating the registered scan lines into a composite array, and
- determining the amniotic fluid volume of the amniotic fluid regions within the composite array.
A method to determine amniotic fluid volume, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasound transceiver to probe a first portion of a uterus of a patient, the transceiver configured to obtain a first plurality of scanlines;
- re-positioning the ultrasound transceiver to probe at least one other portion of the uterus to obtain a second plurality of scanlines;
- enhancing the images of the amniotic fluid regions in the scanlines with a plurality of algorithms;
- registering the scan lines of the first plurality and the second plurality;
- associating the registered scanlines into a composite array, and
- determining the amniotic fluid volume of the amniotic fluid regions within the composite array.
A method to determine amniotic fluid volume, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasound transceiver to probe a first portion of a uterus of a patient, the transceiver configured to obtain a first plurality of scanlines;
- re-positioning the ultrasound transceiver to probe a second through sixth portion of the uterus to obtain a second through sixth plurality of scanlines;
- enhancing the images of the amniotic fluid regions in the scanlines with a plurality of algorithms;
- registering the scan lines of the first through sixth plurality;
- associating the registered scanlines into a composite array, and
- determining the amniotic fluid volume of the amniotic fluid regions within the composite array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.