System and method for automatic measurement of body structures
First Claim
1. A method for measuring human body structures using ultrasound comprising the following steps:
- generating and displaying an image frame as a pattern of pixels, each pixel having a brightness value corresponding to an echo signal from a corresponding portion of an interrogation region of the human'"'"'s body, which includes the body structure, the image frame including a structure frame portion corresponding to the body structure;
designating a general geometry feature of the displayed body structure and at least one measurement parameter associated with the designated geometry feature;
selecting at most two reference points associated with the displayed body structure;
filtering the displayed image to identify the structure frame portion;
generating an approximating function corresponding to the designated measurement parameter; and
calculating each measurement parameter as a predetermined function of the approximating function.
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Abstract
Human body structures, for example, of a fetus, are automatically measured using ultrasound by first using an ultrasonic transducer or prestored ultrasound scan to generate an image frame as a pattern of pixels. Each pixel has a brightness value corresponding to an echo signal from a corresponding portion of an interrogation region of the patient'"'"'s body, which includes the body structure. The image frame is displayed on a screen and includes a structure frame portion that corresponds to the body structure. The user then designates a general geometry feature of the displayed body structure and at least one measurement parameter associated with the designated geometry feature. For curved, closed structures such as the head or abdomen, the measurement parameters may, for example, be the circumference or at least one diameter. For mainly straight structures such as the femur or humerus, the measurement parameter will normally be the end-to-end length. Next, the user selects at most two reference points associated with the displayed body structure. A processing system then filters the displayed image to identify the structure frame portion, generates an approximating function corresponding to the designated measurement parameter, and calculates each measurement parameter as a predetermined function of the approximating function. The processing system preferably uses weighting, binarization and morphologic filtering of the image before generating the approximating function. The calculated measurement parameters are then preferably displayed or otherwise recorded so that the user can see and evaluate them.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for measuring human body structures using ultrasound comprising the following steps:
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generating and displaying an image frame as a pattern of pixels, each pixel having a brightness value corresponding to an echo signal from a corresponding portion of an interrogation region of the human'"'"'s body, which includes the body structure, the image frame including a structure frame portion corresponding to the body structure; designating a general geometry feature of the displayed body structure and at least one measurement parameter associated with the designated geometry feature; selecting at most two reference points associated with the displayed body structure; filtering the displayed image to identify the structure frame portion; generating an approximating function corresponding to the designated measurement parameter; and calculating each measurement parameter as a predetermined function of the approximating function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for measuring human body structures using ultrasound comprising:
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ultrasonic transducer means for generating an image frame as a pattern of pixels, each pixel having a brightness value corresponding to an echo signal from a corresponding portion of an interrogation region of the human'"'"'s body, which includes the body structure, the image frame including a structure frame portion corresponding to the body structure; a display for displaying the image frame; geometry selection means for designating a general geometry feature of the displayed body structure and at least one measurement parameter associated with the designated geometry feature; reference selection means for selecting at most two reference points associated with the displayed body structure; and processing means for filtering the displayed image to identify the structure frame portion; for generating an approximating function corresponding to the designated measurement parameter; and
for calculating each measurement parameter as a predetermined function of the approximating function.
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Specification