REGION SETTING FOR INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS MEASUREMENT IN AN ULTRASOUND SYSTEM

• US 20100125202A1
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Medison Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jin Yong, Shim, Jae Yoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ultrasound system and a method of setting an intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region. The ultrasound system comprises an ultrasound diagnosis unit configured to transmit ultrasound signals to a target object, receive ultrasound echo signals reflected from the target object and form an ultrasound image including a plurality of pixels based on the ultrasound echo signals, each pixel having an intensity of gray level. The ultrasound system further comprises a processor configured to compute intensities of the pixels at each row in the ultrasound image to form a first graph, compute first moving averages of the intensities for first subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a blood vessel to form a second graph, compute second moving averages of the intensities for second subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a vascular wall to form a third graph, and set an intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region by using inflection points from the second and third graphs.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system, comprising:

an ultrasound diagnosis unit configured to transmit ultrasound signals to a target object, receive ultrasound echo signals reflected from the target object and form an ultrasound image including a plurality of pixels based on the ultrasound echo signals, each pixel having an intensity of gray level; and

a processor configured to compute intensities of the pixels at each row in the ultrasound image to form a first graph, compute first moving averages of the intensities for first subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a blood vessel to form a second graph, compute second moving averages of the intensities for second subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a vascular wall to form a third graph, and set an intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region by using inflection points from the second and third graphs.

2. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the first graph is formed by averaging the intensities of the pixels per each row in the ultrasound image.

3. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the first graph is formed by summing the intensities of the pixels per each row.

4. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to detect a plurality of inflection points at which an inclination of curvatures on the second graph changes, select a smallest value of the inflection points in the second graph as a first inflection point, detect a plurality of inflection points at which an inclination of curvatures on the third graph changes, select a largest value of the inflection points in the third graph as a second inflection point, and set the first and second inflection points on the ultrasound image as the IMT measuring region.

5. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the first subsets of rows are determined by dividing the thickness of the blood vessel by a size of the pixel.

6. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the second subsets of rows are determined by dividing the thickness of the vascular wall by a size of the pixel.

7. A method of setting intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region in an ultrasound system, comprising:

a) obtaining an ultrasound image including a plurality of pixels by an ultrasound diagnosis unit within the ultrasound system;

b) computing intensities of the pixels at each row in the ultrasound image to form a first graph by a processor within the ultrasound system;

c) computing first moving averages of the intensities for first subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a blood vessel to form a second graph by the processor within the ultrasound system;

d) computing second moving averages of the intensities for second subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a vascular wall to form a third graph by the processor within the ultrasound system;

e) detecting inflection points from the second and third graphs by the processor within the ultrasound system; and

f) setting an intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region by using the inflection points by the processor within the ultrasound system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step b) comprises averaging the intensities of the pixels per each row in the ultrasound image by the processor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step b) comprises summing the intensities of the pixels per each row by the processor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step e) comprises:

e1) detecting a plurality of inflection points at which an inclination of curvatures on the second graph changes;

e2) selecting a smallest value of the plurality of inflection points in the second graph as a first inflection point;

e3) detecting a plurality of inflection points at which an inclination of curvatures on the third graph changes; and

e4) selecting a largest value of the plurality of inflection points in the third graph as a second inflection point.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step f) comprises setting the first and second inflection points on the ultrasound image as the IMT measuring region.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first subsets of rows are determined by dividing the thickness of the blood vessel by a size of the pixel.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the second subsets of rows are determined by dividing the thickness of the vascular wall by a size of the pixel.

14. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs a method of setting an intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region, causing the processor to perform steps comprising:

a) obtaining an ultrasound image, which includes a plurality of pixels;

b) computing intensities of the pixels at each row in the ultrasound image to form a first graph;

c) computing first moving averages of the intensities for first subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a blood vessel to form a second graph;

d) computing second moving averages of the intensities for second subsets of rows in the ultrasound image by dividing the intensities by a thickness of a vascular wall to form a third graph;

e) detecting inflection points from the second graph and the third graph; and

f) setting an intima-media thickness (IMT) measuring region by using the inflection points.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, comprising instructions that cause step e) to comprise:

e1) detecting a plurality of inflection points at which an inclination of curvatures on the second graph changes;

e2) selecting a smallest value of the plurality of inflection points in the second graph as a first inflection point;

e3) detecting a plurality of inflection points at which an inclination of curvatures on the third graph changes; and

e4) selecting a largest value of the plurality of inflection points in the third graph as a second inflection point.