System and method for bladder detection using harmonic imaging

• US 8,167,803 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verathon Incorporated (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verathon Incorporated (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McMorrow, Gerald, Yang, Fuxing
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US12/121,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20090264757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 600437-467
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52026 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52038 involving non-linear properties of the propagation medium or of the reflective target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52082 involving a modular construction, e.g. a computer with short range imaging equipment modular ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/4411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52098 related to workflow protocols

Abstract

Systems, methods, and ultrasound transceivers equipped and configured to execute harmonic analysis and extract harmonic information related to a targeted organ of a subject are described. The methods utilize neural network algorithms to establish improved segmentation accuracy of the targeted organ or structures within a region-of-interest. The neural network algorithms, refined for detection of the bladder and to ascertain the presence or absence of a uterus, is optimally applied to better segment and thus confer the capability to optimize measurement of bladder geometry, area, and volumes.

Claims

1. A system to detect and measure an organ cavity comprising:

an ultrasound transceiver positioned to deliver ultrasound energy in the form of at least one scan line of at least one of a fundamental and a harmonic frequency to the organ cavity and receive echoes associated with the delivered ultrasound energy from the organ cavity; and

an algorithm including a neural network configured to;

signal process the received echoes;

provide, for each scan line, a binary grading output,

determine that a first scan line traversed non-organ tissue if the grading output is low,

determine that the first scan line traversed organ tissue if the grading output is high,

if the grading output is low, determine that a second or subsequent scan line traversed organ tissue and measure the organ cavity, and

if the grading output is high, measure the organ cavity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm includes weighting the contributions of at least one of an ultrasound harmonic ratio, a tissue delta, a minRsum value, a cavity front wall location, and a cavity back wall location.

3. A method to detect and measure an organ cavity comprising:

transmitting ultrasound energy in the form of at least one scan line having at least one of a fundamental and harmonic frequency to the organ cavity;

receiving ultrasound echoes returning from the organ cavity;

generating signals from the ultrasound echoes;

identifying fundamental signals and harmonic signals from the generated signals;

processing the fundamental and harmonic signals using algorithms including a neural network algorithm designed for fundamental and harmonic signals;

generating, for each scan line, a binary grading output;

determining that a first scan line traversed non-organ tissue if the grading output is low;

determining that the first scan line traversed organ tissue if the grading output is high;

if the grading output is low, determining that a second or subsequent scan line traversed organ tissue and measuring the organ cavity, and

if the grading output is high, measuring the organ cavity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the grading algorithm includes weighting the contributions of at least one of an ultrasound harmonic ratio, a tissue delta, a minRsum value, a cavity front wall location, and a cavity back wall location.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions to execute a method to detect and measure an organ cavity comprising:

transmitting ultrasound energy in the form of at least one scan line having at least one of a fundamental and harmonic frequency to the organ cavity;

receiving ultrasound echoes returning from the organ cavity;

generating signals from the ultrasound echoes;

identifying fundamental signals and harmonic signals from the generated signals; and

processing the fundamental and harmonic signals using algorithms including a neural network algorithm designed for fundamental and harmonic signals and configured to;

provide, for each scan line, a binary grading output,

determine that a first scan line traversed non-organ tissue if the grading output is low,

determine that the first scan line traversed organ tissue if the grading output is high,

if the grading output is low, determine that a second or subsequent scan line traversed organ tissue and measure the organ cavity, and

if the grading output is high, measure the organ cavity.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the grading algorithm includes weighting the contributions of at least one of an ultrasound harmonic ratio, a tissue delta, a minRsum value, a cavity front wall location, and a cavity back wall location.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the executable instructions include presenting a graphic of the cavity in relation to nearby anatomical structures.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions include visualizing the pubic bone.