CPC A61B 8/0866 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4236 (2013.01); A61B 8/5292 (2013.01); G06T 5/40 (2013.01); G06T 7/0014 (2013.01); G16H 30/20 (2018.01); G16H 50/30 (2018.01); G06T 2207/10132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30044 (2013.01)] | 14 Claims |
1. A method of identifying, from a number of ultrasound images acquired during an ultrasound examination of a subject, an ultrasound image best suited to analyze a pre-determined anatomical structure of the subject, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a number of ultrasound images acquired during an ultrasound examination of the subject;
providing at least one biometric parameter related to the anatomical structure, the biometric parameter being derived from a physical examination of the subject, and/or from the subject's medical history;
retrieving a reference image from a database, the reference image showing a target view of the anatomical structure;
for each of the number of ultrasound images, calculating an image similarity index between the ultrasound image and the reference image;
for at least the ultrasound image(s) having an image similarity index above a certain threshold, or having the best image similarity index, determining a biometric parameter from the ultrasound image, and calculating a biometric similarity index, which is a measure of the agreement between the biometric parameter, as determined from the ultrasound image, and the corresponding biometric parameter as derived from the physical examination and/or the subject's medical history;
based on the biometric similarity index, and optionally on the image similarity index, selecting an ultrasound image, the selected ultrasound image, as being best suited to analyze the anatomical structure; and
for at least the selected ultrasound image, automatically fitting a pre-determined curve or geometrical shape to an anatomical structure shown in the selected ultrasound image, and determining at least a coefficient of the fitted geometrical shape or curve.
|