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Method and apparatus for determining the volume of a body cavity in real time

  • US 5,322,067 A
  • Filed: 02/03/1993
  • Issued: 06/21/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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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:

  • 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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