FREEHAND ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING POSITION QUALITY FEEDBACK

• US 20100298704A1
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BK Medical Holding Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analogic Canada Corp (Analogic Corporation)
• Inventors: Dickie, Kris, Pelissier, Laurent, Zhuang, Bo, Leung, Corina
• Granted Patent: US 9,895,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/42 Details of probe positioning or probe attachment to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• 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

Abstract

An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. A display depicts an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and a graphical element representative of a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of the ultrasound image. The quality of the position and orientation information from the position markers is monitored, and when quality is below a quality threshold the display indicates this fact.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system comprising:

an ultrasound transducer operable to receive ultrasound echo signals returning from a portion of the body;

at least one first position marker connectable to the ultrasound transducer;

at least one second position marker connectable to the instrument;

a controller communicatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer and the first and second position markers; and

a display communicatively coupled to the controller;

wherein, when the at least one first position marker is connected to the ultrasound transducer and the at least one second position marker is connected to the instrument, the controller is configured to;

monitor a spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer based on a first position signal from the at least one first position marker;

monitor a spatial location and orientation of the instrument based on a second position signal from the at least one second position marker;

monitor a quality of the first position signal;

monitor a quality of the second position signal;

generate a two dimensional ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signals;

determine a spatial location of the portion of the body depicted in the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer; and

display on the display a plurality of display elements including;

the ultrasound image; and

a marker corresponding to a projection of at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the instrument onto the plane of the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the instrument and the spatial location of the portion of the body depicted in the ultrasound image; and

when at least one of;

the quality of the first position signal is below a first quality threshold, and

the quality of the second position signal is below a second quality threshold, generate an alert on the display by doing one or more of;

inhibiting display of at least one of the plurality of display elements; and

changing an appearance characteristic of at least one of the plurality of display elements.

2. The ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to inhibit display of the ultrasound image when the quality of the first position signal is below the first quality threshold.

3. The ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to change an appearance characteristic of the ultrasound image when the quality of the first position signal is below the first quality threshold.

4. The ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to inhibit display of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

5. The ultrasound system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to inhibit display of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

6. The ultrasound system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to inhibit display of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

7. The ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to change an appearance characteristic of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

8. The ultrasound system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to change an appearance characteristic of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

9. The ultrasound system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to change an appearance characteristic of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

16. The method of claim 1 comprising changing an appearance characteristic of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

17. The method of claim 2 comprising changing an appearance characteristic of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

18. The method of claim 3 comprising changing an appearance characteristic of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

10. An method in an ultrasound system comprising:

receiving ultrasound echo signals returning from a portion of the body;

monitoring a spatial location and orientation of an ultrasound transducer at which the ultrasound echo signals are received based on a first position signal from at least one first position marker connected to the ultrasound transducer;

monitoring a spatial location and orientation of the instrument based on a second position signal from at least one second position marker connected to the instrument;

monitoring a quality of the first position signal;

monitoring a quality of the second position signal;

generating a two dimensional ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signals;

determining a spatial location of the portion of the body depicted in the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the ultrasound transducer;

displaying a plurality of display elements including;

the ultrasound image; and

a marker corresponding to a projection of at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the instrument onto the plane of the ultrasound image based on the spatial location and orientation of the instrument and the spatial location of the portion of the body depicted in the ultrasound image; and

when at least one of;

the quality of the first position signal is below a first quality threshold, and

the quality of the second position signal is below a second quality threshold,

generating an alert on the display by doing one or more of;

inhibiting display of at least one of the plurality of display elements; and

changing an appearance characteristic of at least one of the plurality of display elements.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising inhibiting display of the ultrasound image when the quality of the first position signal is below the first quality threshold.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising changing an appearance characteristic of the ultrasound image when the quality of the first position signal is below the first quality threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising inhibiting display of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising inhibiting display of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.

15. The method of claim 12 comprising inhibiting display of the marker when the quality of the second position signal is below the second quality threshold.