US 12,333,783 B2
System and method for ultrasound spine shadow feature detection and imaging thereof
Frank William Mauldin, Jr., Charlottesville, VA (US); and Adam Dixon, Charlottesville, VA (US)
Assigned to Rivanna Medical, Inc., Charlottesville, VA (US)
Appl. No. 16/316,432
Filed by Rivanna Medical LLC, Charlottesville, VA (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 18, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/047472
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 9, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/035392, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 22, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/376,770, filed on Aug. 18, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0192114 A1, Jun. 27, 2019
Int. Cl. G06V 10/764 (2022.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); G06F 18/24 (2023.01); G06T 7/12 (2017.01); G06T 7/13 (2017.01); G06V 20/64 (2022.01); G16H 30/40 (2018.01)
CPC G06V 10/764 (2022.01) [A61B 8/0841 (2013.01); A61B 8/085 (2013.01); A61B 8/0875 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/5246 (2013.01); G06F 18/24 (2023.01); G06V 20/653 (2022.01); A61B 8/4427 (2013.01); G06T 7/12 (2017.01); G06T 7/13 (2017.01); G06V 2201/03 (2022.01); G16H 30/40 (2018.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, ultrasound data generated based on one or more ultrasound signals from an imaged region of a subject;
determining, by the processor, a shadow profile based on:
(1) creating a shadow intensity image from the ultrasound data by calculating a weighted integrated sum of ultrasound data of a plurality of depth samples having values greater in depth than a current depth sample plus an offset, wherein the offset is greater than zero, and wherein the plurality of depth samples used to calculate the weighted integrated sum change depending on a depth or depths of the ultrasound data of the plurality of depth samples; and
(2) determining from each A-line of a plurality of A-lines of the shadow intensity image a depth corresponding to a location of a boundary between a shadow region and tissue;
convolving, by the processor, the shadow profile with a matched shadow profile filter approximating a location or locations of one or more known anatomical landmarks, thereby creating a filtered shadow profile;
identifying, by the processor, an anatomical landmark present in the filtered shadow profile by using at least one of a most prominent peak or a subpeak of the most prominent peak located in the shadow profile;
classifying, by the processor, the anatomical landmark using the at least one or more of the most prominent peak or the subpeak of the most prominent peak located in the shadow profile;
displaying, on a display of a handheld ultrasound imager, a composite image based on the ultrasound data and based on the identified and classified anatomical landmark; and
performing a probe insertion procedure based on the displayed composite image.