System and method for improving ultrasound image acquisition and replication for repeatable measurements of vascular structures
First Claim
1. A method for accurately replicating ultrasound images of vascular structure, taken at spaced-apart examination intervals, so as to develop a set of substantially congruent sequential images of the vascular structure, the method comprising:
- orienting a patient position such that a first side of the neck is exposed and the head is counter-rotated about 45 degrees;
positioning an ultrasound transducer so as to develop a transverse image view through a neck section chosen to contain a visualization of a carotid artery and a jugular vein;
displaying the transverse view on a split-screen display;
manipulating transducer position and angulation until the jugular vein and carotid artery are displayed in a substantially vertical stack orientation, the stack defining an approximate vertical axis through a center of the jugular and a center of the carotid; and
rotating the transducer through about 90 degrees around the approximate vertical axis, so as to develop a longitudinal image view along a length of the carotid artery, while maintaining the jugular vein and the carotid artery in the substantially stacked orientation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
High resolution B-mode ultrasound images of the common carotid artery are obtained with an ultrasound transducer using a standardized methodology. Subjects are supine with the head counter-rotated 45 degrees using a head pillow. The jugular vein and carotid artery are located and positioned in a vertical stacked orientation. The transducer is rotated 90 degrees around the centerline of the transverse image of the stacked structure to obtain a longitudinal image while maintaining the vessels in a stacked position. A computerized methodology assists operators to accurately replicate images obtained over several spaced-apart examinations. The methodology utilizes a split-screen display in which the arterial ultrasound image from an earlier examination is displayed on one side of the screen while a real-time “live” ultrasound image from a current examination is displayed next to the earlier image on the opposite side of the screen. By viewing both images, whether simultaneously or alternately, while manually adjusting the ultrasound transducer, an operator is able to bring into view the real-time image that best matches a selected image from the earlier ultrasound examination. Utilizing this methodology, measurement of vascular dimensions such as carotid arterial IMT and diameter, the coefficient of variation is substantially reduced to values approximating from about 1.0% to about 1.25%. All images contain anatomical landmarks for reproducing probe angulation, including visualization of the carotid bulb, stacking of the jugular vein above the carotid artery, and initial instrumentation settings, used at a baseline measurement are maintained during all follow-up examinations.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for accurately replicating ultrasound images of vascular structure, taken at spaced-apart examination intervals, so as to develop a set of substantially congruent sequential images of the vascular structure, the method comprising:
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orienting a patient position such that a first side of the neck is exposed and the head is counter-rotated about 45 degrees; positioning an ultrasound transducer so as to develop a transverse image view through a neck section chosen to contain a visualization of a carotid artery and a jugular vein; displaying the transverse view on a split-screen display; manipulating transducer position and angulation until the jugular vein and carotid artery are displayed in a substantially vertical stack orientation, the stack defining an approximate vertical axis through a center of the jugular and a center of the carotid; and rotating the transducer through about 90 degrees around the approximate vertical axis, so as to develop a longitudinal image view along a length of the carotid artery, while maintaining the jugular vein and the carotid artery in the substantially stacked orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A standardized method for acquiring an accurate and reproducible vascular image and obtaining accurate and reproducible measurements of vascular structures, the method comprising:
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performing an ultrasonographic examination of a vascular structure; acquiring an ultrasonographic image of a particular region of the vascular structure under examination, the acquiring step including; positioning an ultrasound transducer so as to develop a transverse image view through a neck section chosen to contain a visualization of a carotid artery and a jugular vein; displaying the transverse view on a split-screen display; manipulating transducer position and angulation until the jugular vein and carotid artery are displayed in a substantially vertical stack orientation, the stack defining an approximate vertical axis though a center of the jugular and a center of the carotid; and rotating the transducer through about 90 degrees around the approximate vertical axis, so as to develop a longitudinal image view along a length of the carotid artery, while maintaining the jugular vein and the carotid artery in the substantially stacked orientation; displaying the acquired image on a first half portion of a split-screen display; recalling an ultrasonographic image of said particular region of the vascular structure captured during a previously performed ultrasound examination; displaying the recalled image on a second half portion of the split-screen display; comparing the acquired image to the recalled image; and adjusting an ultrasonographic transducer orientation until the acquired image substantially matches the recalled image. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for acquiring standardized accurate and reproducible ultrasound visualizations of anatomical structure comprising:
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an ultrasonogram system operating in B-mode and including a transducer, the transducer acquiring ultrasound images in a plane oriented in accord with a major axis of the transducer; an image recording system adapted to receive and record images acquired by the ultrasonogram system; a computer processor, including an image digitizer, the processor coupled to the ultrasonogram system and the image recording system and displaying digitized ultrasound images; an image analysis application hosted on the computer processor, the image analysis application allocating a digitized ultrasound image taken during a present examination procedure to a first screen location of a split-screen display, the image analysis application retrieving a digitized ultrasound image taken during a previous examination procedure and allocating the retrieved image to a second screen location of the split-screen display; a first ultrasound image visualization, the first image including a visualization of a transverse view of a jugular vein and a carotid artery disposed in a substantially vertical stack orientation, the stack defining an approximate vertical axis through a center of the jugular and a center of the carotid; and a second ultrasound image visualization, the second image including a visualization of a longitudinal view along a length of the carotid artery by rotating the transducer through about 90 degrees around the approximate vertical axis while maintaining the jugular vein and the carotid artery in the substantially stacked orientation. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method for accurately replicating ultrasound images of vascular structure, taken at spaced-apart examination intervals, so as to develop a set of substantially congruent sequential images of the vascular structure, the method comprising:
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obtaining a first ultrasound image of a longitudinal section of a carotid artery by manipulating an ultrasound probe, the probe positioned to develop an image including selected anatomical structures oriented to define a position reference; storing the first ultrasound image as a prior examination image in a memory store; obtaining a second ultrasound image of a longitudinal section of a carotid artery, by manipulating an ultrasound probe, the probe positioned to develop the second image so as to include said selected anatomical structures; retrieving the first image from the memory store; displaying the first and second images side-by-side on a split screen display; and manipulating transducer position and angulation until the selected anatomical structures of the second image substantially match the selected anatomical structures of the first image, wherein the selected anatomical structures include a jugular vein and carotid artery displayed in a substantially vertical stack orientation, the first and second images each defining a longitudinal image view along a length of the carotid artery, while maintaining the jugular vein and the carotid artery in the substantially stacked orientation. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification