Method and apparatus for determining the volume of a body cavity in real time
First Claim
1. A method for determining the volume of a fluid-filled cavity in a patient'"'"'s body in real time, comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining a real time, two-dimensional ultrasound display of a fluid-filled cavity and the surrounding tissue, said ultrasound display comprising a sequence of ultrasound images on a display screen;
b) determining parameters of a fixed, user-defined region of interest surrounding the ultrasound display of the cavity at the largest volume for which said volume determination is to be made;
c) subdividing said region of interest into a predetermined number of segments which entirely fill said region of interest, each of said segments having a height;
d) classifying each pixel, at least within said region of interest, of an ultrasound image in said sequence of ultrasound images as a fluid pixel which represents fluid or a tissue pixel which represents tissue;
e) determining an area of fluid pixels within each segment of said region of interest;
f) calculating the volume of said cavity from the area of fluid pixels within each segment of said region of interest; and
g) repeating steps d) through f) for each ultrasound image of said sequence of ultrasound images to provide the volume of said cavity at each of the times when said ultrasound images were obtained.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid-filled cavity in a patient'"'"'s body in real time from an ultrasound image. An ultrasound display of the cavity and the surrounding tissue is obtained. The ultrasound display includes a sequence of ultrasound images. The user traces a fixed region of interest around the image of the cavity at the largest volume for which the volume determination is to be made. The region of interest is subdivided into a predetermined number of segments. Each pixel of the ultrasound image, at least within the region of interest, is classified as a fluid pixel or a tissue pixel. The area of fluid pixels within each segment is determined. The volume of the cavity is calculated from the area of the fluid pixels within each segment of the region of interest using the method of disks. The volume is determined for each ultrasound image in the sequence of ultrasound images to provide the volume of the cavity in real time.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for determining the volume of a fluid-filled cavity in a patient'"'"'s body in real time, comprising the steps of:
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a) obtaining a real time, two-dimensional ultrasound display of a fluid-filled cavity and the surrounding tissue, said ultrasound display comprising a sequence of ultrasound images on a display screen; b) determining parameters of a fixed, user-defined region of interest surrounding the ultrasound display of the cavity at the largest volume for which said volume determination is to be made; c) subdividing said region of interest into a predetermined number of segments which entirely fill said region of interest, each of said segments having a height; d) classifying each pixel, at least within said region of interest, of an ultrasound image in said sequence of ultrasound images as a fluid pixel which represents fluid or a tissue pixel which represents tissue; e) determining an area of fluid pixels within each segment of said region of interest; f) calculating the volume of said cavity from the area of fluid pixels within each segment of said region of interest; and g) repeating steps d) through f) for each ultrasound image of said sequence of ultrasound images to provide the volume of said cavity at each of the times when said ultrasound images were obtained. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid-filled cavity in a patient'"'"'s body in real time comprising:
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means for obtaining a real time, two-dimensional ultrasound display of a fluid-filled cavity and the surrounding tissue, said ultrasound display comprising a sequence of ultrasound images on a display screen; means for determining parameters of a fixed, user-defined region of interest surrounding the ultrasound display of the cavity at the largest volume for which said volume determination is to be made; means for subdividing said region of interest into a predetermined number of segments which entirely fill said region of interest, each of said segments having a height; and means for processing each ultrasound image of said sequence of said ultrasound images to provide the volume of said cavity at each of the times when said ultrasound images were obtained, said means for processing comprising; means for classifying each pixel, at least within said region of interest, of an ultrasound image in said sequence of ultrasound images as a fluid pixel which represents fluid or a tissue pixel which represents tissue; means for determining an area of fluid pixels within each segment of said region of interest, and means for calculating the volume of said cavity from the area of fluid pixels within each segment of said region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification