Automated detection of suspected abnormalities in ultrasound breast images

• US 20140039318A1
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QView Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qview, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Wei, Wang, Shih-Ping, Schneider, Alexander, Karssemeijer, Nico
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• 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: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30068 Mammography; Breast
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

A method and system for processing and displaying breast ultrasound information is described. A 2D feature weighted volumetric coronal image as a “guide” or “road map” is generated from the 3D ultrasound data volume to represent the 3D dataset with the goal of emphasizing abnormalities within the breast while excluding non-breast structures, particularly those external to the breast such as ribs and chest wall.

Claims

1. A computer workstation system for ultrasound examination of a patient'"'"'s breast, comprising:

a storage system for an image dataset in the form of a plurality of two-dimensional scan images representative of a chestwardly compressed breast sonographically scanned using an automated three-dimensional breast ultrasound acquisition system;

a processor configured to;

(a) generate a three-dimensional volumetric dataset based on said image dataset;

(b) segment and filter said three-dimensional volumetric dataset; and

(c) generate a two-dimensional coronal guide image based on the segmented and filtered three-dimensional volumetric dataset, wherein said two-dimensional guide image includes visually enhanced suspected abnormalities within said segmented and filtered three-dimensional volumetric dataset if present in the breast; and

an interactive user interface configured to;

(a) electronically display to a user said coronal guide image;

(b) receive user input indicating a user'"'"'s selection of a suspected abnormality; and

(c) in response to the user'"'"'s selection displaying one or more of the plurality of two-dimensional scan images corresponding to the selected suspected abnormality.