US 11,986,345 B2
Representation of a target during aiming of an ultrasound probe
Marion Douglas, Snohomish, WA (US)
Assigned to Verathon Inc., Bothell, WA (US)
Filed by Verathon Inc., Bothell, WA (US)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/926,055.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/873,564, filed on Jul. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0007710 A1, Jan. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/14 (2006.01); G06N 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4245 (2013.01) [A61B 8/085 (2013.01); A61B 8/14 (2013.01); A61B 8/461 (2013.01); A61B 8/469 (2013.01); A61B 8/483 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/54 (2013.01); G06N 3/02 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:
selecting, by the computing device, an aiming mode for an ultrasound probe;
detecting, by the computing device, a target of interest in a patient's body based on an ultrasound image of the target of interest generated using the ultrasound probe;
displaying, by the computing device, a symbolic or pictographic representation of at least one of the patient's body, a field of view of the ultrasound probe, or a beam of the ultrasound probe on a user interface displayed on a display device associated with the computing device, wherein the user interface does not display the ultrasound image while the aiming mode is selected and the symbolic or pictographic representation of the at least one of the patient's body, the field of view of the ultrasound probe, or the beam of the ultrasound probe is displayed;
displaying, by the computing device, a symbolic or pictographic representation of the target of interest on the user interface in connection with the symbolic or pictographic representation of the at least one of the patient's body, the field of view of the ultrasound probe, or the beam of the ultrasound probe, wherein the user interface does not display the ultrasound image while the aiming mode is selected and the symbolic or pictographic representation of the target of interest is displayed;
determining, by the computing device, a centroid for the detected target of interest based on the ultrasound image of the target of interest;
displaying, by the computing device and on the display device, a center indicator at a position corresponding to the determined centroid on the symbolic or pictographic representation of the target of interest;
detecting, by the computing device, that the center indicator is within a threshold number of pixels or distance of a centerline of the field of view of the ultrasound probe; and
highlighting, by the computing device and on the display device, the displayed center indicator, in response to detecting that the center indicator is within the threshold number of pixels or distance of the centerline.