US 11,832,987 B2
Ultrasound imaging apparatus and operation method therefor
Dong-gyu Hyun, Hongcheon-gun (KR); Chil-su Kim, Hongcheon-gun (KR); and Ki-sang Yoon, Hongcheon-gun (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD., Hongcheon-gun (KR)
Appl. No. 16/096,350
Filed by SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD., Hongcheon-gun (KR)
PCT Filed Apr. 3, 2017, PCT No. PCT/KR2017/003629
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 25, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/195982, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 16, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2016-0057133 (KR), filed on May 10, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0125294 A1, May 2, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/06 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/06 (2013.01) [A61B 8/08 (2013.01); A61B 8/461 (2013.01); A61B 8/488 (2013.01); A61B 8/0866 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:
a probe configured to receive ultrasound data from a lung of a fetus;
a processor configured to obtain Doppler data based on the ultrasound data, to measure a value about at least one parameter used to estimate lung maturity of the fetus, and to estimate the fetal lung maturity by using the measured value about the at least one parameter; and
a display configured to display a result of estimated lung maturity,
wherein the display is further configured to display a Doppler image of the fetus based on the Doppler data with at least one of estimated gestation of the fetal lung maturity and an index representing the estimated gestation of the fetal lung maturity,
wherein the display is further configured to display the estimated gestation of the fetal lung maturity as a quantitative value by numeral as a number of days,
wherein the at least one parameter comprises:
an acceleration time representing a time period from a reference time point to a point when a blood flow rate is the highest in the pulmonary trunk of the fetus according to contraction of the heart of the fetus; and
an ejection time representing a time period from the reference time point to a point when the blood flow rate in the pulmonary trunk of the fetus is changed according to relaxation of the heart of the fetus, and
wherein the processor is further configured to calculate values about the acceleration time and the ejection time based on the Doppler data including the blood flow rate in the pulmonary trunk of the fetus to estimate the fetal lung maturity.