SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR QUANTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF FLUIDS IN HUMAN CAVITIES IN ULTRASOUND IMAGES
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring the volume of fluid in a human or animal body cavity using a non-invasive, ultrasound echo technique, comprising:
- a transducer assembly including a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted thereon for transmitting and receiving a plurality of ultrasound signals into the body cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations;
means for activating the transducers to produce transmitted ultrasound signals;
means for detecting body cavity wall echoes from received ultrasound signals;
means for determining, from said received signals, a body cavity height H and depth D;
means for determining a specific measurement configuration corresponding to the body cavity filling degree from the ultrasound signals that intercept the fluid filled body cavity to thereby select an appropriate predetermined correction factor K corresponding to that specific measurement configuration, for optimal calculation of the volume; and
means for calculating the fluid volume according to the formula H×
D×
K.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonography method includes creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body, and transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient. Echoes are received from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes, compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest is compiled. The pattern is processed by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the pattern information stored in the database. A composition within the region-of-interest of the patient is then determined.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring the volume of fluid in a human or animal body cavity using a non-invasive, ultrasound echo technique, comprising:
- a transducer assembly including a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted thereon for transmitting and receiving a plurality of ultrasound signals into the body cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations;
means for activating the transducers to produce transmitted ultrasound signals;
means for detecting body cavity wall echoes from received ultrasound signals;
means for determining, from said received signals, a body cavity height H and depth D;
means for determining a specific measurement configuration corresponding to the body cavity filling degree from the ultrasound signals that intercept the fluid filled body cavity to thereby select an appropriate predetermined correction factor K corresponding to that specific measurement configuration, for optimal calculation of the volume; and
means for calculating the fluid volume according to the formula H×
D×
K. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- a transducer assembly including a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted thereon for transmitting and receiving a plurality of ultrasound signals into the body cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations;
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10. A method for measuring the volume of fluid in a human or animal body cavity using a non-invasive, ultrasound echo technique, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic beams into the region of the body containing the cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations;
receiving a plurality of ultrasonic signals from the body;
determining, from said received signals, a body cavity height H and depth D;
determining, from the received signals, a specific measurement configuration corresponding to the body cavity filling degree from the ultrasound signals that intercept the fluid filled body cavity to thereby select an appropriate predetermined correction factor K corresponding to that specific measurement configuration, for optimal calculation of the volume; and
calculating the fluid volume according to the formula H×
D×
K. - View Dependent Claims (11)
- transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic beams into the region of the body containing the cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations;
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12. An ultrasonography method, comprising:
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creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body; transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient; receiving echoes from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes; compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest; processing the pattern by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the database; and determining a composition within the region-of-interest of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An ultrasonography method, comprising:
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creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, and a cavity of a body; transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in the body; receiving echoes from the region of interest, and based on the echoes; compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest; processing the pattern by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the database; and determining a volume within the region-of-interest of the body. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification