Navigation among multiple breast ultrasound volumes

• US 20070038085A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U-System Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: U-System Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Zhang, Wei, Chen, Jiayu, Reed, Michael, Neff, Thomas, Rader, Jeanine
• Granted Patent: US 7,727,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/406 using means for diagnosing suspended breasts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 Device being mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• 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 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network

Abstract

Navigation among breast ultrasound volumes derived from different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast is described. On a display of a breast ultrasound workstation, a first image derived from a first ultrasonic volume is displayed. A user selection of a source region of interest (ROI) in the first image is received. A destination ROI within a second ultrasonic volume is identified that at least roughly corresponds to a same locality of tissue in the breast as the source ROI. A second image derived from the second ultrasonic volume and including the destination ROI is displayed, the destination ROI being highlighted.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating review of data associated with different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast, the breast having been compressed in a generally chestward direction by a compressive surface for each of the different volumetric ultrasonic scans, the compressive surface encompassing a nipple of the breast, comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer processing units, first and second data volumes derived respectively from the different volumetric ultrasound scans;

displaying a first image representative of values at a first plurality of known locations within said first data volume;

receiving, at the one or more computer processing units, a selection of a first location within the first data volume relative to said first displayed image;

operating the one or more processing units to identify a second location within the second data volume having a similar spatial disposition relative to the nipple and the compressive surface as said first location within said first volume, whereby said second location at least roughly corresponds to a same locality of tissue within the breast as said first location; and

displaying a second image representative of values at a second plurality of known locations within said second data volume including said second location, said second image comprising a visible mark denoting said second location thereon.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a manual identification of a nipple location in each of said first and second data volumes.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said first images comprises one of a planar image and a thick-slice image derived from the first data volume.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said different volumetric ultrasound scans of the breast were acquired contemporaneously and comprise different ones of the group consisting of:

lateral frontal view, medial frontal view, inferior frontal view, and superior frontal view.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said operating the one or more processing units to identify the second location comprises determining a Cartesian offset of said first location relative to the nipple in a coronal reference plane and identifying said second location in the second data volume to have a similar Cartesian offset relative to the nipple in the coronal reference plane.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein said operating the one or more processing units to identify the second location comprises determining a depth of said first location relative to the compressive surface in the first data volume and identifying said second location in the second data volume to have a similar depth relative to the compressive surface.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said different volumetric ultrasound scans of the breast comprise identical views acquired at substantially different times.

8. A computer-implemented method for facilitating review of data associated with different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast, comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer processing units, first and second data volumes derived respectively from the different volumetric ultrasound scans;

displaying on a display device a first image representative of values at a first plurality of known locations within said first data volume;

receiving, at the one or more computer processing units, a selection of a first location within the first data volume relative to said first displayed image;

operating the one or more processing units to identify a second location within the second data volume at least roughly corresponding to a same locality of tissue within the breast as said first location; and

replacing said first image on said display device with a second image representative of values at a second plurality of known locations within said second data volume including said second location, said second image comprising a visible mark denoting said second location thereon.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, the breast having been compressed in a generally chestward direction by a compressive surface for each of the different volumetric ultrasonic scans, the compressive surface encompassing a nipple of the breast, wherein said second location within the second data volume is identified as that which has a similar spatial disposition relative to the nipple and the compressive sur face as said first location within said first volume.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein said operating the one or more processing units to identify the second location comprises determining a Cartesian offset of said first location relative to the nipple in a coronal reference plane and identifying said second location in the second data volume to have a similar Cartesian offset relative to the nipple in the coronal reference plane.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein said operating the one or more processing units to identify the second location comprises determining a depth of said first location relative to the compressive surface in the first data volume and identifying said second location in the second data volume to have a similar depth relative to the compressive surface.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a manual identification of a nipple location in each of said first and second data volumes.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said first images comprises one of a planar image and a thick-slice image derived from the first data volume.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said different volumetric ultrasound scans of the breast were acquired contemporaneously and comprise different ones of the group consisting of:

lateral frontal view, medial frontal view, inferior frontal view, and superior frontal view.

15. A method for automated navigation of breast ultrasound information, comprising:

displaying a first image derived from a first ultrasonic volume of a breast acquired during a first volumetric scan thereof, said first image comprising one of (i) a thick-slice image representing said first ultrasonic volume within a slab-like subvolume thereof, and (ii) a planar image representing said first ultrasonic volume along a plane therethrough;

receiving a user selection of a source region of interest (ROI) in said first image;

mapping said source ROI from said first image into said first ultrasonic volume according to a known position of the slab-like subvolume or plane associated with the first image within the first ultrasonic volume;

mapping said source ROI within said first ultrasonic volume into a corresponding destination ROI within a second ultrasonic volume of the breast acquired during a second volumetric scan thereof taken at a different position or orientation relative to said first volumetric scan;

mapping said destination ROI within said second ultrasonic volume onto a second image, said second image comprising one of (i) a thick-slice image representing said second ultrasonic volume within a slab-like subvolume thereof, and (ii) a planar image representing said second ultrasonic volume along a plane therethrough, said mapping being in accordance with a known position of said slab-like subvolume or plane within the second ultrasonic volume;

displaying said second image to the viewer; and

highlighting said destination ROI on said second image.

16. The method of claim 15, said mapping said source ROI within said first ultrasonic volume into the corresponding destination ROI within the second ultrasonic volume comprising:

identifying a nipple location of the breast in each of said first and second ultrasonic volumes thereof;

identifying a projected location of the source ROI onto a first coronal reference plane passing through the nipple location within the first ultrasonic volume;

determining a Cartesian offset between said projected source ROI location and said nipple location on said first coronal reference plane;

transferring said Cartesian offset to a second coronal reference plane to identify a transferred offset point thereon, said second coronal reference plane passing through the nipple location within the second ultrasonic volume; and

backprojecting said transferred offset point from said second coronal reference plane into said second ultrasonic volume.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said breast is compressed along an anti-coronal plane during one of said first or second volumetric scans thereof and not compressed along an anti-coronal plane during the other volumetric scan thereof, further comprising modifying said transferred point on said second coronal reference plane according to an elastic mapping between a coronal projection of the anti-coronally-compressed breast onto a coronal projection of the non-anti-coronally-compressed breast.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said elastic mapping is determined at least in part according to a measured compression force along the anti-coronal plane and a distance between compression plates during breast compression.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said breast is compressed along a first anti-coronal plane during said first volumetric scan thereof and compressed along a second anti-coronal plane during said second volumetric scan thereof, further comprising modifying said transferred point on said second coronal reference plane according to an elastic mapping between a coronal projection of the breast as compressed along the first anti-coronal plane and a coronal projection of the breast as compressed along the second anti-coronal plane.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said elastic mapping is determined at least in part according to a measured compression force along the anti-coronal plane and a distance between compression plates during breast compression.