US 12,456,282 B2
Ultrasound imaging method and system for identifying an anatomical feature of a spine
Jun Ma, Singapore (SG); Kok Kiong Tan, Singapore (SG); Ban Leong Sng, Singapore (SG); and Tiong Heng Sia, Singapore (SG)
Assigned to National University of Singapore, Singapore (SG); and Singapore Health Services Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Appl. No. 17/790,524
Filed by National University of Singapore, Singapore (SG); and Singapore Health Services Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
PCT Filed Dec. 28, 2020, PCT No. PCT/SG2020/050786
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/137761, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10202000060V (SG), filed on Jan. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0034589 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/246 (2017.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); G06T 7/66 (2017.01); G06V 10/10 (2022.01); G06V 10/44 (2022.01); G06V 10/75 (2022.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC G06V 10/764 (2022.01) [A61B 8/085 (2013.01); A61B 8/0875 (2013.01); A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01); A61B 8/5246 (2013.01); G06T 7/248 (2017.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); G06T 7/66 (2017.01); G06V 10/16 (2022.01); G06V 10/44 (2022.01); G06V 10/751 (2022.01); A61B 2017/3413 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30012 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound imaging method for identifying an anatomical feature of a spine, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a transverse ultrasound image of a portion of the spine;
extracting, by the processor, features of the portion of the spine from the transverse ultrasound image based on a distinct pattern associated with the anatomical feature of the spine;
identifying, by the processor, a midline of the portion of the spine in the transverse ultrasound image;
extracting, by the processor, midline features using pixel intensity values of the transverse ultrasound image; and
identifying, by the processor based on a combination of the extracted features of the portion of the spine and the extracted midline features, the anatomical feature in the transverse ultrasound image,
wherein the anatomical feature of the spine includes a neuraxial space,
wherein the extracted features of the portion of the spine include one or more of: a depth of a posterior complex, a depth of an anterior complex, a normalized cross-correlation strength of the posterior complex, a normalized cross-correlation strength of the anterior complex, a location of a left articular process, a location of a right articular process, a normalized cross- correlation value of a left articular process, a normalized cross-correlation value of a right articular process, and a horizontal position of the posterior complex, and a horizontal position of the anterior complex, and
wherein the extracted midline features include a ratio of black pixels in a predefined window and a ratio of white pixels below the posterior complex.