US 12,217,445 B2
Probability map-based ultrasound scanning
Joon Hwan Choi, Bothell, WA (US)
Assigned to Verathon Inc., Bothell, WA (US)
Filed by Verathon Inc., Bothell, WA (US)
Filed on May 11, 2018, as Appl. No. 15/977,091.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/504,709, filed on May 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2018/0330518 A1, Nov. 15, 2018
Int. Cl. G06T 7/62 (2017.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/14 (2006.01); G06N 3/045 (2023.01); G06N 3/08 (2023.01); G06N 7/01 (2023.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G16H 30/20 (2018.01); G16H 30/40 (2018.01); G16H 50/20 (2018.01)
CPC G06T 7/62 (2017.01) [A61B 5/7267 (2013.01); A61B 8/085 (2013.01); A61B 8/0866 (2013.01); A61B 8/0883 (2013.01); A61B 8/0891 (2013.01); A61B 8/14 (2013.01); A61B 8/42 (2013.01); A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01); A61B 8/5292 (2013.01); A61B 8/565 (2013.01); G06N 3/045 (2023.01); G06N 3/08 (2013.01); G06N 7/01 (2023.01); G06T 7/0014 (2013.01); G16H 30/20 (2018.01); G16H 30/40 (2018.01); G16H 50/20 (2018.01); A61B 5/4325 (2013.01); A61B 5/4381 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20081 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20084 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30084 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a hand-held probe configured to be positioned on an external surface of a patient's body, and configured to:
transmit ultrasound signals to a target of interest, wherein the target of interest comprises the patient's bladder or prostate, and
receive echo information associated with the transmitted ultrasound signals; and at least one processing device configured to:
process the received echo information using a machine learning algorithm to generate probability information associated with the target of interest, wherein the probability information comprises a value indicating whether a portion of an image associated with the processed echo information is within the target of interest,
process the probability information generated by the machine learning algorithm to identify the target of interest, wherein when processing the probability information, the at least one processing device is configured to binarize the probability information to identify portions of the image within the target of interest,
calculate, based on the processed binarized probability information, a second value corresponding to a volume or size-related measurement associated with the target of interest,
output image information corresponding to the target of interest based on the processed binarized probability information, and
output the second value.