METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A REGION OF INTEREST IN ULTRASOUND DATA

• US 20110255762A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company, MathConsult GmbH
• Original Assignee: MathConsult GmbH
• Inventors: Obereder, Andreas, Deischinger, Harald, Scherzer, Otmar
• Application Number:
  US12/761,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255762A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• 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 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/523 for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a region of interest in ultrasound data are provided. One method includes defining an ROI within an acquired ultrasound data set and identifying a plurality of different image planes within the acquired ultrasound data set. The method further includes determining a significant edge from at least one border of the ROI based on the plurality of image planes and adjusting the ROI based on the determined significant edge.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a region of interest (ROI) in an ultrasound data set, the method comprising:

defining an ROI within an acquired ultrasound data set;

identifying a plurality of different image planes within the acquired ultrasound data set;

determining a significant edge from at least one border of the ROI based on the plurality of image planes; and

adjusting the ROI based on the determined significant edge.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining the significant edge comprises identifying a border corresponding to a change from a bright pixel to a dark pixel.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of the bright pixel and dark pixel are defined by a predetermined brightness level.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a significant edge is performed across a row of pixels and on a pixel by pixel basis.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a significant edge comprises identifying a border corresponding to a change from a tissue pixel to a fluid pixel.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a significant edge is performed separately for each of the plurality of image planes.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising determining whether the significant edges for each of the plurality of image planes are at approximately the same location.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising fitting a curve to the determined significant edge.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the curve fitting is based on a least distance determination from a contour defined by the determined significant edge.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ROI is defined by an ROI box and the adjusting comprises changing at least one of a height or curvature of one border of the ROI box.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising changing one of a position or zoom level of the adjusted ROI.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising receiving a user input and changing the adjusted ROI based on the received user input.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ROI is defined by an ROI box and wherein a width of the ROI box remains unchanged.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of image planes comprise at least two orthogonal image planes.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ultrasound data set corresponds to an imaged fetus.

16. A method for adjusting a region of interest (ROI) in an ultrasound data set, the method comprising:

determining an ROI based on an ROI box defined within at least two image planes, the ROI box having a width, height and depth;

identifying pixels from a top side of the ROI box that define a border wherein pixels change from tissue pixels to fluid pixels;

fitting a curve to a contour based on the border; and

adjusting the height of the ROI box based on the fitted curve.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising adjusting a curvature of the top side of the ROI box.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the tissue pixel corresponds to imaged uterine tissue and the fluid pixel corresponds to imaged amniotic fluid.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the pixels defining the border are identified separately for each of the plurality of image planes.

20. An ultrasound system comprising:

an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound data for an object of interest;

a user interface for defining a region of interest (ROI) within at least two different image planes within the ultrasound data; and

an ROI defining module configured to adjust an ROI based on a determination of a significant edge from at least one border of the ROI based on the two image planes.