US 12,458,322 B2
Ultrasound guidance method and system
Shyam Bharat, Arlington, MA (US); Alvin Chen, Cambridge, MA (US); Grzegorz Andrzej Toporek, Cambridge, MA (US); Balasundar Iyyavu Raju, North Andover, MA (US); and Jonathan Thomas Sutton, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/795,752
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Jan. 25, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/051540
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/151804, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 5, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/967,796, filed on Jan. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 20157878 (EP), filed on Feb. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0066948 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/12 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC A61B 8/42 (2013.01) [A61B 8/0883 (2013.01); A61B 8/12 (2013.01); A61B 8/461 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01); A61B 8/56 (2013.01); G06T 7/0016 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20081 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20084 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30048 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of guiding a user of an ultrasound system during an imaging procedure of a subject's body, wherein the ultrasound system comprises an ultrasound probe having a moveable location relative to the subject, the method comprising:
controlling, during the imaging procedure, the ultrasound probe to obtain ultrasound data representative of a plurality of imaging views while the user moves the ultrasound probe from a first location of the subject's body to a second location of the subject's body, wherein the plurality of imaging views comprises a first imaging view of an anatomy corresponding to the first location and a second imaging view of the anatomy corresponding to the second location;
determining a recommended movement for the ultrasound probe based solely on the plurality of imaging views and without physically tracking the ultrasound probe,
wherein the recommended movement comprises:
changing the ultrasound probe to be in a third location of the body; or
maintaining the ultrasound probe at the second location,
wherein determining the recommended movement comprises:
generating a plurality of ratings for the plurality of imaging views,
wherein the plurality of ratings comprises a first rating for the first imaging view and a second rating for the second imaging view, wherein the first rating and the second rating comprise quantitative representations of a visual appearance of the anatomy in the first imaging view and the second imaging view, respectively;
determining a change between the first rating and the second rating; and
outputting, to a display, guidance to the user based on the recommended movement, wherein the guidance is configured to provide feedback for assisting the user in real-time during the imaging procedure to physically control the ultrasound probe to change the ultrasound probe to the third location or maintain the ultrasound probe at the second location.