Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus
First Claim
1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:
- at least one hardware processor which is configured to;
generate an ultrasound image of an inside of a test object based on ultrasound signals reflected and received from the inside of the test object;
extract a plurality of candidate detection regions in a needle position range corresponding to a position of a puncture needle inserted into the test object;
determine a needle identification range including the needle position range from the ultrasound image based on the extracted candidate detection regions;
determine an estimated range of the needle position range in the needle identification range based on a value indicating an aggregation state related to a distribution of the candidate detection regions in the needle identification range; and
perform a process for emphasizing the estimated range in the ultrasound image,wherein the value indicating the aggregation state includes a value indicating a center position in the aggregation of the candidate detection regions existing in the needle identification range, and the at least one hardware processor performs the process for emphasizing the estimated range by performing weighting, using a predetermined window function to reduce the weighting at least on one side of the center position, andwherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to calculate a density of candidate points in each of a plurality of ranges of a predetermined size within the estimated range, to determine whether a ratio of (i) the calculated density of candidate points in each of said plurality of ranges to (ii) the calculated density in a range among said plurality of ranges that includes the center position, is equal to or higher than a predetermined ratio, and to perform the process for emphasizing the estimated range such that a degree of emphasis corresponding to the weighting is not lowered in each of said ranges for which it is determined that the ratio of the calculated density to the density in the range including the center position is equal to or higher than the predetermined ratio.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus generating an ultrasound image of inside of a test object based on ultrasound signals reflected and received from the inside of the test object includes: a candidate region extracting unit which extracts a plurality of candidate detection regions in a needle position range corresponding to a position of a puncture needle inserted into the test object; a needle identification range setting unit which determines a needle identification range including the needle position range from the ultrasound image based on the extracted candidate detection regions; a needle position range estimating unit which determines an estimated range of the needle position range in the needle identification range based on a value indicating an aggregation state related to a distribution of the candidate detection regions in the needle identification range; and a needle emphasizing unit which performs a process for emphasizing the estimated range in the ultrasound image.
-
Citations
8 Claims
-
1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:
-
at least one hardware processor which is configured to; generate an ultrasound image of an inside of a test object based on ultrasound signals reflected and received from the inside of the test object; extract a plurality of candidate detection regions in a needle position range corresponding to a position of a puncture needle inserted into the test object; determine a needle identification range including the needle position range from the ultrasound image based on the extracted candidate detection regions; determine an estimated range of the needle position range in the needle identification range based on a value indicating an aggregation state related to a distribution of the candidate detection regions in the needle identification range; and perform a process for emphasizing the estimated range in the ultrasound image, wherein the value indicating the aggregation state includes a value indicating a center position in the aggregation of the candidate detection regions existing in the needle identification range, and the at least one hardware processor performs the process for emphasizing the estimated range by performing weighting, using a predetermined window function to reduce the weighting at least on one side of the center position, and wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to calculate a density of candidate points in each of a plurality of ranges of a predetermined size within the estimated range, to determine whether a ratio of (i) the calculated density of candidate points in each of said plurality of ranges to (ii) the calculated density in a range among said plurality of ranges that includes the center position, is equal to or higher than a predetermined ratio, and to perform the process for emphasizing the estimated range such that a degree of emphasis corresponding to the weighting is not lowered in each of said ranges for which it is determined that the ratio of the calculated density to the density in the range including the center position is equal to or higher than the predetermined ratio. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
Specification