Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, ultrasound diagnosis method and computer-readable storage medium

• US 10,456,112 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oh, Dong-hoon, Hyun, Dong-gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Bo Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/933,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20160166238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00 Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes examination of body cavities or body tracts using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/12; endoscopic instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/04; for surgical purposes A61B17/00; endoscopic surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32; surgical instruments using a laser beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit A61B18/22; Illuminating arrangements therefor for the eyes A61B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/466 adapted to display 3D data 3D imaging and stereoscopic displays in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S15/8993 and G01S7/52068, respectively; 3D image rendering G06T15/00; manipulating 3D models for computer graphics G06T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/523 for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5246 combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus providing a user interface enabling a user to easily move viewpoint. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an image generating unit, which obtains a first ultrasound image by scanning a target object; and a control unit, which obtains first information including a plurality of nodes included in the first ultrasound image, moves a viewpoint based on the first information, and obtains second ultrasound images.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to implement;

an image generation unit configured to generate a first ultrasound image based on ultrasound data obtained by scanning a target object including a tubular object; and

a control unit configured to obtain first information of a plurality of nodes indicating nodal points included in the at least one of plurality of lines through the tubular object, based on the first ultrasound image, determine a node among the plurality of nodes as a viewpoint, and to control the image generator to generate a second ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data and the determined viewpoint,

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

automatically obtain a sequence of nodes regarding at least two of the nodes,

determine the viewpoint according to the obtained sequence of nodes, and

control a display to display the first ultrasound image including the plurality of nodes and the second ultrasound image,

wherein one or more nodes from among the plurality of nodes, at which the second ultrasound image is obtained, is displayed differently from one or more nodes from among the plurality of nodes, at which the second ultrasound image is not obtained, in the first ultrasound image.

2. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains second information including at least one of location and direction of the viewpoint based on the first information,

further comprising a display unit, which displays an image in which at least one of the first information and the second information is displayed on the first ultrasound image.

3. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains trunk lines interconnecting the nodes and the other nodes,

based on the plurality of nodes and trunk lines, the control unit obtains a structure included in the first ultrasound image, and

the first information comprises at least one of the trunk lines and the structure.

4. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 3, wherein the structure is a graph having a tree structure.

5. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input unit configured to receive an input related to first information from a user via a particular location of the first ultrasound image.

6. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform at least one of operations for adding, moving, and deleting at least one of the nodes and trunk lines based on the received input.

7. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 5, wherein the input unit receives an input for selecting at least one node from among the nodes from a user, and

the control unit automatically obtains second ultrasound images based on the selected node(s).

8. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 5, wherein the input unit receives an input for selecting at least one node from among the nodes from a user, and

the control unit controls to automatically obtain second ultrasound images based on nodes other than the selected node(s).

9. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 5, wherein the input unit is further configured to receive an input related to a sequence of nodes regarding at least two from among the nodes from a user, and

the control unit is further configured to determine the viewpoint based on the received input related to the sequence of nodes.

10. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 5, wherein the input unit receives an input related to a speed of moving a viewpoint between nodes from a user, and

the control unit controls to move the viewpoint based on the speed of moving a viewpoint and obtains the second ultrasound images.

11. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input related to a speed of moving a viewpoint comprises moving time between nodes.

12. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit extracts first information comprising the nodes and the trunk lines from the ultrasound image by performing an image processing including a centerline extracting algorithm.

13. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit moves a viewpoint based on the first information and automatically obtains the second ultrasound images.

14. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls to move a viewpoint along trunk lines between the nodes and obtains second ultrasound images.

15. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls to display at least one of the nodes and the trunk lines passed by a viewpoint.

16. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control unit controls to display at least one from among the nodes and the trunk lines passed by a viewpoint in a transparency, a color, or a shape different from the nodes and the trunk lines not passed by the viewpoint.

17. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second ultrasound image comprise a virtual endoscopic image based on ultrasound data.

18. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second ultrasound images comprise at least one of 2D images and 3D images.