KR101534088B1 - Method for displaying ultrasound image using doppler data and ultrasound medical apparatus thereto - Google Patents

Abstract

The moving direction of the object can be easily determined by considering the color value of the Doppler image or the Doppler data together with the guideline displayed on the Doppler image. Furthermore, by displaying the marker indicating the moving direction of the object on the Doppler image, the movement of the object is easily and efficiently read using the guide line and the marker.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound image displaying method and an ultrasound image displaying method using Doppler data,

It is related to the diagnosis of the testee using ultrasound. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for efficiently displaying a motion of a target object appearing in a Doppler image.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus generates an ultrasonic signal using a probe for a predetermined region inside the object (generally, 20 kHz or more), and obtains an image of a region inside the object using the information of the reflected echo signal. In particular, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used for medical purposes such as the detection of foreign matter inside the object, the measurement and observation of the injury. Such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is more stable than X-ray, is capable of displaying in real time, and is safe because there is no radiation exposure, so that it is widely used with other diagnostic apparatuses.

An image obtained through the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an ultrasound image) may be displayed in an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, or may be stored in a storage medium and displayed on another image display apparatus. For example, the ultrasound image can be displayed on the screen in a reduced size on a mobile phone, a portable electronic device, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a tablet PC.

On the other hand, the ultrasonic medical apparatus can provide anatomical information according to the movement of the object using Doppler images. By using a Doppler image obtained by combining colors based on Doppler data with a gray scale ultrasound image, it is possible to easily confirm the flow of the blood flow and the movement of the tissue in real time in the target.

An ultrasound image display method and apparatus for providing an environment that can easily and efficiently read a Doppler image are provided. In addition, an image display device other than an ultrasonic medical device is intended to provide an environment in which a Doppler image can be easily read.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasound image display method comprising: generating a Doppler image from Doppler data of a target object; Obtaining a guideline for at least one of Doppler data and Doppler images; And displaying at least one first marker indicative of a moving direction of the object based on the guideline and the Doppler data.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method further includes displaying a guideline on a Doppler image.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the acquiring step includes acquiring a guideline based on a user input that draws a line on a Doppler image or a previously stored automatic detection algorithm.

According to one embodiment for solving the above technical problem, the method further includes the step of determining a direction of movement based on a Doppler direction and a guideline of the object determined according to a sign component or a numerical component of the Doppler data .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the determining step includes determining one direction of the guide line in which the Doppler direction and the angle formed by the guide line are acute, as the movement direction .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker may include: when the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction of the guide line among the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, And displaying the first marker in a direction opposite to the first marker in one direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker may include: when the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction of the guide line among the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, And displaying a second marker indicative of an inconsistent direction at a position of the first marker in a direction opposite to the first marker.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker may include the step of, when the moving direction can not be determined based on the guideline and the Doppler data, The method comprising the steps of:

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the determining step includes determining a Doppler direction, a moving speed of a target object, an amplitude of a Doppler signal, a power of a Doppler signal, And determining a moving direction of the object on the basis of a statistical function concerning at least one of the object and the moving object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a statistical function is a function using Doppler data of a space adjacent to a position where a moving direction is determined.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker includes displaying at least one first marker along a guide line.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker includes displaying at least one first marker at a predetermined interval.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker includes the step of displaying the first marker on one end of the guide line.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a Doppler image includes at least one of a blood flow Doppler image indicative of blood flow and a tissue Doppler image indicative of tissue movement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, Doppler data includes 2D Doppler data or 3D Doppler data.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker includes a step of performing 2D rendering or 3D rendering processing of the first marker to display the first marker.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, acquiring a guideline based on an automatic detection algorithm comprises: classifying a region including information on a motion of the object in a Doppler image; And detecting a guideline in the classified area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first marker may include displaying at least one of length, size, width, contrast, and hue of the first marker on the basis of the Doppler data And a control unit.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic medical apparatus including an image processing unit for generating a Doppler image from Doppler data of a target object, and acquiring a guideline for at least one of Doppler data and Doppler images; And a display unit for displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the object based on the guideline and the Doppler data.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display method comprising: generating a Doppler image from Doppler data received from outside; Obtaining a guideline for at least one of Doppler data and Doppler images; And displaying at least one first marker indicative of a moving direction of the object based on the guideline and the Doppler data.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display apparatus including an image processing unit for generating a Doppler image from Doppler data received from outside, and acquiring a guide line for at least one of Doppler data and Doppler images; And a display unit for displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the object based on the guideline and the Doppler data.

The present invention may be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which reference numerals refer to structural elements.
1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic medical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a video display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound image displaying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound image displaying method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a Doppler image.
7 is a diagram showing an embodiment for displaying a guideline.
8 is a view showing an embodiment for determining a moving direction based on a guideline and Doppler data.
9 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a first marker indicating a moving direction is displayed on a Doppler image.
10 is a view showing an embodiment in which a first marker, a second marker, and a third marker are displayed on a Doppler image.
11 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which at least one first marker is displayed on a Doppler image.
12 is a diagram showing an embodiment for displaying a marker when color Doppler and tissue Doppler are simultaneously displayed.
13 is a view showing an embodiment for displaying a 3D marker on a 3D ultrasound image.
14 is a diagram showing an embodiment for detecting a guideline according to an automatic detection algorithm.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Also, in certain cases, there may be a term selected arbitrarily by the applicant, in which case the meaning thereof will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, but on the entire contents of the present invention.

When an element is referred to as " including " an element throughout the specification, it is to be understood that the element may include other elements as well, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In addition, the term " "... Module " or the like means a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

In the following specification, " object " may mean a subject to be subjected to ultrasonic diagnosis. However, the " object " is not limited to the entire part of the examinee but may mean a part of the examinee, that is, a predetermined part or tissue, or blood. That is, the " object " may refer to a predetermined region that reflects the emitted ultrasonic signal.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 includes a transducer 10, a data acquisition unit 110, a user input unit 120, an image processing unit 130, a movement direction determination unit 140, a display unit 150, And a control unit 160. [0029] The configuration shown in FIG. 1 in connection with the ultrasonic medical device 100 is only an embodiment, and the ultrasonic medical device 100 may further include other general configurations in addition to the configuration shown in FIG.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 scans a target object to generate an ultrasound image. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 emits an ultrasonic signal to a target object through the transducer 10, receives an echo signal reflected from the object, and generates an ultrasound image. The ultrasound image generated by the ultrasonic medical device 100 may include not only a two-dimensional image showing a cross section of the object but also three-dimensional volume data.

In addition, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 may include not only an ultrasound image of a gray scale, which scans a target according to an A mode (amplitude mode), a B mode (brirhgness mode), and an M mode The Doppler image representing the motion of the object may be generated from the data through the color information. The Doppler image generated by the ultrasonic medical device 100 may include at least one of a blood flow Doppler image (also referred to as a color Doppler image) representing blood flow and a tissue Doppler image representing tissue movement.

1, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 can directly acquire an ultrasonic image using the transducer 10 as well as acquire ultrasound image and Doppler data from an external device in a wired or wireless manner Or via a network. For example, the ultrasound medical device 100 may transmit various data, such as ultrasound images and Doppler data related to ultrasound images, to other devices in a hospital server or a cloud server through a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) . Alternatively, the ultrasound medical device 100 may also include devices such as a work station, or a fax viewer (PACS viewer), that displays and processes ultrasound images but does not generate a direct image.

The data acquisition unit 110 acquires an echo signal for generating an ultrasound image from the transducer 10. The data obtaining unit 110 also obtains Doppler data from the object. That is, the data acquisition unit 110 may analyze the echo signal received through the transducer 10 and the emitted ultrasonic signal to obtain Doppler data indicating the motion of the object. The Doppler data acquired by the data acquisition unit 110 may include information about a direction in which the object moves. Further, the Doppler data may further include information on at least one of the intensity of the Doppler signal corresponding to the Doppler frequency determined through the frequency difference between the emitted ultrasonic signal and the echo signal, and the speed at which the object moves.

The Doppler data acquired by the data acquisition unit 110 may include 3D spatial Doppler (3D Doppler) data in addition to the plane spatial Doppler (2D Doppler) data, depending on the type of the echo signal received by the transducer 10 .

 In addition, the Doppler data acquired by the data acquisition unit 110 may include Doppler data for a still image, such as a moving image, as well as Doppler data for a still image.

The user input unit 120 receives an external input signal for controlling the ultrasonic medical device 100 from the user. That is, the user input unit 120 can receive not only the user input through various input means such as a keypad, a mouse, a trackball, but also a touch input through a touch screen and a remote input using a remote control means.

Meanwhile, the user input received by the user input unit 120 may include various types of input. For example, the user input unit 120 may receive a guideline input that draws a guideline from a user. Alternatively, the user input 120 may receive user input to adjust the spacing of the at least one first marker.

The image processing unit 130 generates various types of information to be displayed on the display unit 150 and an ultrasound image obtained by scanning the target object. Specifically, the image processing unit 130 includes an image generation module 132 that generates an ultrasound image using an echo signal, a guide line generation module 134 that generates a guide line, and a marker generation unit 132 that generates various kinds of markers Module 136 may be included. Hereinafter, various configurations included in the image processing unit 130 will be described in detail.

Meanwhile, the image processing unit 130 may perform a rendering process on the ultrasound image and the marker. That is, the image processing unit 130 may perform a rendering process on the ultrasound images, the guide lines, and the markers generated by the image generation module 132, the guide line generation module 134, and the marker generation module 136 And can perform 2D rendering or 3D rendering processing.

The image generation module 132 can generate a Doppler image that is expressed in color as well as an ultrasound image in gray scale. That is, the image processing unit 130 can generate a Doppler image using a color map in which the motion of the object and the hue are matched. In addition, the image generation module 132 may generate not only the 2D ultrasound image on the cross section of the object but also the 3D volume data using the 3D ultrasound signal.

The guideline generation module 134 generates a guideline using a user input or an automatic detection algorithm previously stored in the system. That is, the guideline generation module 134 may receive an input that draws a straight line, a curve, or the like directly from a user, and may generate a guideline according to the received input. In addition, the guideline generation module 134 may automatically generate a guideline by applying a predetermined algorithm to the Doppler image.

An embodiment in which the guideline generation module 134 acquires a guideline of a Doppler image using a pre-stored automatic detection algorithm will be described in detail with reference to Fig.

Meanwhile, the guideline generation module 134 may obtain a guideline for at least one of the Doppler data and the Doppler image. That is, the guideline generation module 134 may acquire a guideline from the Doppler data obtained by processing the echo signal received from the object, or may acquire a guideline by analyzing the Doppler image that imaged the Doppler data . Also, the guideline generation module 134 can acquire guideline using both the Doppler data and the Doppler image. According to one embodiment, the guideline generation module 134 may obtain a guideline by applying an automatic detection algorithm to Doppler data, or may acquire a guideline based on a user input to a Doppler image.

The guideline generation module 134 may generate not only a guideline for a two-dimensional plane but also a three-dimensional guideline displayed on a three-dimensional ultrasonic image. The three-dimensional guideline may refer to a line displayed on a three-dimensional space.

The marker generation module 136 generates various kinds of markers representing information related to the ultrasound image. For example, the marker generating module 136 may include various kinds of markers such as a first marker indicating the moving direction of the object, a second marker indicating that the direction is not coincident, and a third marker indicating that the moving direction is not determined Lt; / RTI > In addition, the marker generation module 136 may display a three-dimensional marker displayed on the three-dimensional ultrasound image. A three-dimensional marker can represent a direction in a three-dimensional space, unlike a marker that indicates any one direction on a two-dimensional plane.

According to one embodiment, the marker generation module 136 may generate the marker by changing the shape of the marker using the information on the moving direction, the moving speed, and the intensity of the Doppler signal included in the Doppler data. For example, the marker generation module 136 generates various types of markers by changing at least one of the length, size, width, contrast, and hue of the generated marker based on various pieces of information included in the Doppler data can do.

The moving direction determination unit 140 determines the moving direction of the target object, that is, the moving direction of the target object. That is, the moving direction determination unit 140 can determine the moving direction of the target object by analyzing the Doppler data. For example, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the movement direction using a sign component or a numerical component included in the Doppler data. On the other hand, the " moving direction " of the object may mean a direction in which the object moves when the ultrasonic signal emitted from the transducer 10 is reflected from the object.

Hereinafter, the process of determining the movement direction by the movement direction determination unit 140 will be described in detail. The movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the Doppler direction based on the Doppler data. The Doppler direction may be either a direction in which the object moves away from the transducer 10 or a direction in which the object approaches the transducer 10. That is, the movement direction determination unit 140 determines the direction in which the Doppler direction is moved away from the transducer 10 (hereinafter, referred to as a first direction) or the direction in which the transducer 10 moves away from the transducer 10 in accordance with the sign component included in the Doppler data, (Hereinafter referred to as " second direction ").

Also, the moving direction determination unit 140 may determine the Doppler direction using a numerical component included in the Doppler data, for example, a value represented by 0 to 255. [ Specifically, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the Doppler direction as a first direction for a numeric component of 0 to 127 and the Doppler direction as a second direction for a numeric component of 128 to 255 (or vice versa) .

Then, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the movement direction of the object based on the determined Doppler direction and the guideline. According to one embodiment, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the movement direction using the angle formed by the Doppler direction and the guide line. More specifically, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the movement direction at one side The direction can be determined as the moving direction. This embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Further, the movement direction determination unit 140 acquires not only the Doppler direction of the object, but also information about at least one of the speed at which the object moves from the Doppler data, the amplitude of the Doppler signal, and the power of the Doppler signal You may. That is, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the intensity of the Doppler signal corresponding to the Doppler frequency determined based on the frequency difference between the emitted ultrasonic signal and the echo signal, and the velocity at which the object moves, based on the Doppler data. That is, the movement direction determination unit 140 can acquire and determine various information on the motion of the object using the Doppler data.

Meanwhile, according to one embodiment, the movement direction determination unit 140 can use the Doppler data of the surrounding space in which the object is located when determining the moving direction of the object. That is, the movement direction determination unit 140 determines the direction of movement of the target object by taking into account not only the Doppler data of the target object but also the Doppler data (for example, a sign component or a numerical component) The direction of movement can be determined. In the case of 2D, the movement direction determination unit 140 may consider Doppler data for eight directions including four directions of up, down, left, and right, or diagonals adjacent to any one position. In the case of 3D, the movement direction determination unit 140 may consider Doppler data in 26 directions including six directions or diagonals of up, down, left, right, front and back adjacent to each other in an arbitrary position.

At this time, the movement direction determination unit 140 may use a predetermined statistical function stored in the ultrasonic medical device 100. For example, the movement direction determination unit 140 may determine a sum of a sum, (weighted sum), average (average), and variance (variance). For example, in the case of the weighted sum, the moving direction determination unit 140 may determine and add a sign according to the direction of a value obtained by multiplying the Doppler signal intensity and the Doppler velocity by the Doppler signal intensity in the surrounding space.

The display unit 150 displays various images and information generated by the image processing unit 130. For example, the display unit 150 may display various types of data such as two-dimensional or three-dimensional ultrasound images, Doppler images, guidelines, and markers on the screen.

The display unit 150 can display various pieces of information for indicating the movement of the object on the Doppler image. That is, the display unit 150 may display a Doppler image on the screen, and may display data such as a first marker, a guide line, etc. indicating the movement of the object, overlaid on the Doppler image.

According to one embodiment, the display unit 150 can display the marker along the guide line when displaying the moving direction of the object using the first marker. That is, the display unit 150 may display one or more first markers indicating the moving direction of the object on the guideline of the Doppler image. For example, the display unit 150 may display a plurality of first markers, or may display one first marker at one end of the guide line. On the other hand, the display unit 150 may display only the first marker without guideline to indicate the moving direction of the object.

In addition, the display unit 150 may display the plurality of first markers at predetermined intervals, and the interval at which the first marker is displayed may be adjusted by a user input or system. Embodiments in which the display unit 150 displays the first marker, and embodiments in which the second marker, the third marker, and the like are displayed will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG.

The display unit 150 may include a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, Dimensional display (3D display). In addition, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 may include two or more display units 150 according to the embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the display unit 150 may include a user input unit 120 for receiving an external input and a touch screen for forming a layer structure. That is, the display unit 150 may be used both as an output device and an input device, and the display unit 150 may receive a touch input using a stylus pen or a part of the body.

Also, as described above, when the display unit 150 forms a layer structure and is configured as a touch screen, the display unit 150 can detect a touch input position, an area, a touch pressure, and the like. In addition, the touch screen can detect a proximity touch as well as a real touch.

The control unit 160 controls various configurations included in the ultrasonic medical device 100 as a whole. That is, the control unit 160 may control the movement direction determination unit 140 to determine the movement direction of the object using the Doppler data acquired by the data acquisition unit 110. [ The control unit 160 may control the image processing unit 130 to generate a guide line according to the user input received from the user input unit 120 or may control the display unit 150 to display the generated marker.

2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an image display apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image display apparatus 200 according to one embodiment includes a receiving unit 115, a storage unit 118, a user input unit 120, an image processing unit 130, a moving direction determination unit 140, a display unit 150, (Not shown). The configuration shown in FIG. 2 with respect to the image display apparatus 200 is only an embodiment, and the image display apparatus 200 may further include other general configurations in addition to the configuration shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the components included in the video display device 200 of FIG. 2 will be described. 1, in association with the user input unit 120, the image processing unit 130, the movement direction determination unit 140, the display unit 150, and the control unit 160 shown in FIG. 2, The contents are omitted.

The image display apparatus 200 refers to various kinds of devices including a display unit 150 for displaying ultrasound images. That is, the image display apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 2 does not emit a direct ultrasound signal or generate an ultrasound image, unlike the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 shown in FIG. On the other hand, the image display apparatus 200 can acquire and display the ultrasound image and Doppler data from a network or an external device.

Accordingly, the image display apparatus 200 may be embodied in various forms capable of displaying ultrasound images (including Doppler images) on the display unit 150. For example, the video display device 200 may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a smart TV, an IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), a DTV (Digital TV), a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, (E.g., a refrigerator including a display panel, an air conditioner, and the like), a personal computer (PC), an electronic book terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP Can be implemented. As described with reference to FIG. 1, a workstation and a facsimile viewer capable of processing only without generating an ultrasound image may also be included in the image display apparatus 200 of FIG.

The receiving unit 115 acquires Doppler data or Doppler images generated by an external device. That is, the receiving unit 115 may acquire Doppler data or Doppler images through a wired or wireless network. For example, the receiving unit 115 may be connected to a wired connection such as a USB, a data cable, or the like through a wireless connection such as a Bluetooth, a NFC (Near Field Communication), a Wi-Fi, a 2G / 3G / 4G network, Doppler image or Doppler data can be obtained from the server or the cloud server. The Doppler image and Doppler data received by the receiving unit 115 are stored in the storage unit 118.

Also, the receiving unit 115 may acquire the Doppler image and the Doppler data together. 1, the image display apparatus 200 does not directly scan a target object, but may acquire and receive Doppler data and Doppler images generated by an external device by wire or wireless .

The moving direction determination unit 140 determines the moving direction of the object shown in the Doppler image, as described with reference to FIG. That is, the movement direction determination unit 140 can load the Doppler image stored in the storage unit 118 and analyze the Doppler image to determine the moving direction of the object.

On the other hand, the moving direction determination unit 140 of FIG. 2 can determine the moving direction of the object using the color information of the Doppler image. That is, since the movement direction determination unit 140 included in the image display apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 2 does not directly acquire Doppler data, it can determine the direction of movement of the object based on the color value of the Doppler image . In other words, the moving direction determination unit 140 of FIG. 2 can determine the Doppler direction according to the color value displayed in the Doppler image, not the sign component or the numerical component of the Doppler data, and determines the Doppler direction And the direction of movement of the object can be determined using the guidelines.

For example, when the color value appearing in the Doppler image is within a predetermined range (for example, a predetermined range indicating blue color), the movement direction determination unit 140 determines the Doppler direction of the object in the first direction away from the probe . Conversely, when the color value is in another predetermined range (for example, a predetermined range indicating red color), the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the Doppler direction in the second direction toward the probe.

Meanwhile, the movement direction determination unit 140 may determine the Doppler direction by analyzing the Doppler data acquired from the outside by the receiving unit 115 as well as the color of the Doppler image. That is, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the Doppler direction based on at least one of the color information and the Doppler data. The direction in which the movement direction determination unit 140 of the video display device 200 determines the Doppler direction using the Doppler data is the same as that described for the ultrasonic medical device 100 in Fig.

1, the movement direction determination unit 140 of the image display apparatus 200 may determine the Doppler direction based on a statistical function regarding at least one of hue, saturation, and contrast of the Doppler image .

When the Doppler direction is determined, the movement direction determination unit 140 can determine the movement direction of the object based on the Doppler direction and the guide line. That is, as described with reference to FIG. 1, the movement direction determination unit 140 of FIG. 2 can determine the movement direction of the object using the determined Doppler direction and the guide line.

2 includes not only the user input unit 120, the image processing unit 130, the movement direction determination unit 140, and the display unit 150, but also the reception unit 115 and the storage unit 118, It can also be controlled as a whole. That is, the control unit 160 may control the storage unit 118 to store the Doppler image acquired through the reception unit 115. The control unit 160 may also control the movement direction determination unit 140 to analyze the Doppler image stored in the storage unit 118. [

In the above description, the content of processing the color information by receiving the Doppler image has been described with reference to the video output apparatus 200 of FIG. However, the video output apparatus 200 according to the embodiment can also receive and process Doppler data. For example, when the video output apparatus 200 includes a facsimile viewer which is a non-medical apparatus capable of receiving and processing Doppler data, the video output apparatus 200 receives Doppler data through the receiving unit 115, The moving direction determination unit 140 may process the Doppler data to determine the moving direction of the object.

In other words, the video output apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment can operate similar to the process in which the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 described in FIG. 1 receives and processes the Doppler data from the outside. That is, the image output apparatus 200 can receive Doppler data, generate a Doppler image, and display a marker indicating a moving direction of the object displayed on the Doppler image.

Hereinafter, a method of displaying an image using the configuration of the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound image displaying method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, the transducer 10, the data acquiring unit 110, the user input unit 120, the image processing unit 130, the movement direction determining unit 140, a display unit 150, and a controller 160. Therefore, even though omitted from the following description, it can be seen that the above description regarding the configurations shown in FIG. 1 also applies to the flow chart shown in FIG.

In step S310, the ultrasonic medical device 100 acquires Doppler data. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may acquire Doppler data for generating a Doppler image by emitting an ultrasonic signal to a target object and receiving an echo signal. The Doppler data may include at least one of the moving direction of the object, the moving speed, and the intensity of the Doppler signal, as described with reference to FIG.

In step S320, the ultrasonic medical device 100 generates a Doppler image. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can generate a Doppler image that represents the motion of the object in color on the gray-scale ultrasound image based on the Doppler data received in step S310. On the other hand, in step S320, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may generate only the gray scale ultrasonic image based on the echo signal.

In step S330, the ultrasonic medical device 100 displays the Doppler image generated in step S320. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can display a Doppler image using an ultrasound image and a color value on a screen. The Doppler image may include a 2D image or 3D volume data, which is a section of the object.

In step S340, the ultrasonic medical device 100 acquires a guideline. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can acquire a guideline based on a user input received from the outside or a pre-stored automatic detection algorithm. For example, the ultrasound medical device 100 may receive user inputs that form various forms, such as straight lines, curves, closed curves, etc., from a user via a touch input to a trackball, mouse, or touch screen, Lines can be generated.

As another example, the ultrasound medical device 100 may acquire or generate guidelines using a CCA algorithm and a skeletonization algorithm. An embodiment in which the ultrasonic medical device 100 uses the automatic detection algorithm will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

On the other hand, in step S340, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may display a guideline generated by a user input or an automatic detection algorithm on the screen.

In step S350, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines the direction in which the object moves, that is, the moving direction. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can determine the moving direction of the object based on the guideline of step S340 and the Doppler data of step S310.

Specifically, the ultrasonic medical device 100 uses a sign component or a numerical component of Doppler data to determine a Doppler direction that indicates whether the object is moving toward or away from the probe, and determines the direction of movement based on the Doppler direction and the guideline .

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 can determine one direction of the guide line in which the angle formed by the Doppler direction and the guide line is acute, as the movement direction. This embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

On the other hand, in step S350, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may determine the moving direction using various statistical functions related to one or more factors included in the Doppler data. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can utilize statistical functions such as average, variance, weighted sum, and standard deviation to determine the moving direction of the object. On the other hand, the statistical function may be a function using Doppler data for a space that is two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally adjacent to an arbitrary position. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 can use a statistical function based on Doppler data of a plurality of spatially adjacent positions as well as Doppler data of a corresponding position to determine a moving direction with respect to any one position.

In step S360, the ultrasonic medical device 100 displays the first marker indicating the moving direction. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can display the moving direction of the object by displaying at least one first marker. In step S360, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 may display not only the 2D markers but also the 3D markers for the 3D volume data through the 3D rendering process.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 may display at least one first marker at predetermined intervals along a guide line, and display only one first marker at one end of the guide line.

According to another embodiment, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines the ratio of the first marker opposite to one direction of the guideline of step S350 among the at least one first marker to be displayed, Markers can also be changed and displayed. This embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an ultrasound image displaying method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the process after step S340 of the ultrasound image display method shown in Fig.

In step S410, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines whether the moving direction of the object can be determined. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 confirms whether the movement direction can not be determined using the Doppler data and the guide line. In the case where the moving direction can not be determined, a gray scale area in which Doppler data does not exist, a region in which the movement of the object is perpendicular to the transducer 10 (i.e., a direction in which the Doppler angle is 90 degrees) And areas showing irregular movement such as turbulence. If the direction of movement can not be determined, the ultrasonic medical device 100 proceeds to step S415, and if so, the ultrasonic medical device 100 proceeds to step S420.

In step S415, the ultrasonic medical device 100 displays a third marker indicating that it has not determined the direction of movement. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 may display a third marker indicating that the judgment is suspended with respect to the position where the moving direction is not determined. According to one embodiment, the third marker may include a form such as " X ".

In step S420, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines the moving direction. That is, as in step S350 of FIG. 3, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines the moving direction based on the Doppler data and the guideline.

Subsequently, in step S425, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 may display on the screen at least one first marker indicating the determined moving direction. The ultrasonic medical device 100 may display the first markers along the guide lines at predetermined intervals. According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may display at least one first marker facing one direction of the guideline.

In step S430, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines whether the first marker in the direction opposite to one direction of the guide line among the at least one first marker is less than a predetermined ratio. More specifically, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 includes at least one first marker displayed along the guideline, and at least one first marker that indicates the direction opposite to the one direction, Markers.

Accordingly, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 can determine the ratio of the first marker, which indicates the direction opposite to one direction of the guide line indicated by the plurality of first markers, among the first markers displayed along the guide line. For example, the entire first marker may include a first marker of 95% representing one direction of the guideline and a first marker of 5% representing the opposite direction.

In step S430, the ultrasonic medical device 100 determines the ratio of the first marker indicating the opposite direction, and if the ratio is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S440 or step S450. If the ratio exceeds the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S415, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may display the third marker indicating that it has not judged, instead of at least one first marker.

On the other hand, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can adjust the ratio of the first marker in the opposite direction to the user input or the system internally. That is, when the object appears such that the direction of the Doppler intersects the Doppler image frequently, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can adjust the ratio of the first marker in the opposite direction to a high degree. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 does not display the third marker and can display the direction of movement determined in step S420 as it is.

On the other hand, steps S440 and S450 may be performed according to the set value of the user. That is, when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is set to display the first marker in the opposite direction forcibly in one direction, the process proceeds to step S440, and the first marker in the opposite direction is displayed as a separate second marker If it is set, the process proceeds to step S450.

In step S440, the ultrasonic medical device 100 displays the first marker in a direction opposite to one direction of the guide line so as to indicate one direction. In other words, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can display the first marker in a predetermined ratio or less in step S430 so as to indicate the direction of one side of the guide line, thereby indicating the direction in which all the first markers are aligned.

In step S450, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may display a second marker indicating a direction that is not coincident with the position of the first marker in the direction opposite to one direction of the guide line. Accordingly, the user of the ultrasonic medical device 100 can passively check the relationship between the Doppler image and the guideline, thereby accurately diagnosing the object together with the clinical information.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 includes a video display device 200, a reception unit 115, a storage unit 118, a user input unit 120, an image processing unit 130, a movement direction determination unit 140, The display unit 150, and the controller 160 in a time-series manner. Therefore, it is understood that the contents described above with respect to the configurations shown in FIG. 2 apply to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, even if omitted from the following description. The steps that are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 in connection with FIG. 5 will be omitted.

In step S315, the image display apparatus 200 receives the Doppler image. That is, the image display apparatus 200 receives a Doppler image from at least one of an external device, a hospital server, and a cloud server using a wired or wireless network. 2, the image display apparatus 200 may receive the Doppler image together with the Doppler image. Also, the image display apparatus 200 may generate a Doppler image based on Doppler data received from the outside.

In step S325, the image display apparatus 200 loads the acquired Doppler image. That is, the image display apparatus 200 loads the stored Doppler image corresponding to the step of generating the Doppler image by the ultrasonic medical device 100 in step S320 of FIG. According to one embodiment, in step S325, the image display apparatus 200 may generate and load a Doppler image based on the acquired Doppler data.

In step S330, the image display apparatus 200 displays a Doppler image. That is, the image display apparatus 200 displays the Doppler image to diagnose the object using the Doppler image.

The steps S340 to S360 are the same as those described in Fig. That is, the image display apparatus 200 can acquire a guideline based on a user input or an automatic detection algorithm, and determine a moving direction of the object based on at least one of color information and Doppler data of the Doppler image and the guideline . On the other hand, in step S350, the image display apparatus 200 can determine the moving direction using the color value of the Doppler image, unlike the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 described with reference to FIG. In addition, the image display apparatus 200 may display one or more first markers in step S360 and may display 2D or 3D rendered markers.

That is, the image display apparatus 200 can determine the Doppler direction based on at least one of the color value and the Doppler data, which is color information displayed in the Doppler image, and determine the moving direction of the object using the Doppler direction and the guide line have. The embodiment in which the image display apparatus 200 determines the Doppler direction according to the range of color values is the same as that described in FIG.

6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a Doppler image. 6 shows a Doppler image 600 (i.e., a blood flow Doppler image or a color Doppler image) showing the movement of blood. The fan-shaped Doppler image 600 shown in FIG. 6 is generated by emitting an ultrasonic signal from a probe located in the upper direction of the drawing. 6 to 10 illustrate the present invention using a blood flow Doppler image showing blood movement. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may include a tissue, and a Doppler image may also include a tissue Doppler image .

The Doppler image 600 shown in FIG. 6 includes a first region 610 in which blood is proximate to a probe (i.e., above the Doppler image 600), a second region 620 in a direction away from the probe, And a third region 630 that is proximate to the probe. Arrows for indicating the direction of blood movement are shown in each of the first region 610, the second region 620, and the third region 630. The second region 620 includes a first region 610, And the third region 630. The first region 630 and the third region 630 are opposite to each other.

7 is a diagram showing an embodiment for displaying a guideline. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between a Doppler image 600 shown in FIG. 6 and a guide automatically generated by an automatic detection algorithm stored in advance in the ultrasonic medical device 100 or the image display device 200, Line 640 is shown.

7, the guideline 640 is shown along the blood vessel through which blood flows. 7, the guide line 640 is shown by a single curve, but the shape of the guide line 640 is not limited thereto. That is, guideline 640 may include various forms, such as dotted lines, dashed lines, or one or more curves.

8 is a diagram showing an embodiment for determining a moving direction using a Doppler direction and a guideline based on Doppler data. FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of the first area 610 shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the second area 620 of FIG.

First, a process for determining the Doppler direction will be described with reference to FIG. As described in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can determine the Doppler direction using directional components or numerical components included in Doppler data. For example, in the case of direction 661 in FIG. 8A, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may determine through the "-" directional component included in the Doppler data that the Doppler direction is a second direction toward the probe.

Conversely, in the case of direction 662 in FIG. 8A, the ultrasonic medical device 100 can determine that the Doppler direction is the second direction toward the object based on the numerical component (for example, " 86 ") included in the Doppler data. Likewise for directions 663 and 664 in FIG. 8B, the ultrasonic medical device 100 may use a "+" direction component or a "200" numerical component included in the Doppler data to determine that the Doppler direction is a first direction away from the probe have. On the other hand, the Doppler directions in which the sign component or the numeric component are matched can be opposite to each other. That is, contrary to the foregoing description, the " + " directional component may be matched to the second direction.

Alternatively, the image display apparatus 200 can determine the Doppler direction using the color information of the Doppler image, as described with reference to FIG. That is, when the color value displayed on the Doppler image is within a predetermined range indicating red, the image display apparatus 200 can determine the direction 661 or the direction 662 of FIG. 8A toward the probe (second direction). On the other hand, when the image display device 200 is within a predetermined range in which the color value is blue, the direction 663 or the direction 664 in FIG. 8B may be determined to be a direction away from the probe (first direction). As in the case of Doppler data, the relationship between the color value and the Doppler direction can be reversed.

When the Doppler direction is determined based on the Doppler data or color value, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 determine the moving direction of the object based on the guideline 640 and the Doppler direction. The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may determine one direction of the guide line 640 having a sharp angle formed by the Doppler direction with the guide line 640 in the moving direction .

Specifically, in the case of direction 661, the guideline 640 has two directions, i. E. Direction 671a and direction 671b. On the other hand, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 are arranged such that the direction formed by the direction 661 representing the Doppler direction and the guideline 640 is one direction of the guide line having the acute angle? 1, The direction of movement of the object can be determined.

Similarly, in the case of the direction 662, the guideline has directions 672a and 672b in two directions, and the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 have the angles formed by the direction 662 and the guide line 640, the direction 672b which is one direction of the guide line which is the angle? 2 can be determined as the movement direction.

Similarly, in the directions 663 and 664, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 are arranged such that the directions 663 and 664 in the Doppler direction and the direction 673b in which the angles formed by the guide line 640 are acute angles? 3 and? And the direction 674b can be determined as the moving direction.

8, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may be configured to determine the moving direction of the object based on the Doppler data and the guideline 640, The moving direction of the object can be determined through different methods and algorithms.

1 and 2, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can determine the moving direction of the object by using the statistical function. Hereinafter, a specific embodiment in which the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 use statistical functions will be described.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can use statistical functions for various factors included in the Doppler data. The elements included in the Doppler data may include, for example, at least one of a Doppler direction, a moving speed, a Doppler signal strength, a power of a Doppler signal, and a distance to a neighboring space by numerical or sign components. Statistical Functions Various kinds of functions can be used. As described above, various functions such as average, sum, weighted sum, variance, and standard deviation can be utilized.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of a sum and a weighted sum will be described. The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can determine the moving direction by considering the Doppler data of any one position of the object to which the moving direction is to be determined as well as the Doppler data of the space adjacent to the position . Hereinafter, the position to determine the moving direction and the space adjacent to the space will be described using the term ROI. Adjacent spaces can include not only two-dimensionally adjacent upper, lower, left, and right spaces but also adjacent spaces in a three-dimensional space.

First, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 determine the moving direction by simply summing the Doppler data for one or more positions included in the region of interest (ROI) . For example, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may set the Doppler direction by the sign component or the numerical component to " +1 (the direction toward the probe) " for each of the plurality of positions included in the region of interest, , &Quot; -1 (direction away from the probe) ", and " 0 (no data) ". Then, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may sum up a plurality of Doppler direction values for a plurality of positions, and use the calculation result to determine a moving direction.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may be configured to combine a plurality of values obtained by multiplying a Doppler direction of a plurality of positions included in a region of interest by a moving speed, The direction can also be determined. In other words, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 are arranged such that the Doppler direction is represented by a value of "+1", "-1", or "0" , &Quot; + v ", " -v ", and " 0 " obtained by multiplying the direction component and the moving speed component can be obtained. Then, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can be utilized to determine the moving direction by summing up the multiplication results for a plurality of positions included in the region of interest.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may be arranged in a Doppler direction (+1, -1, 0) for a plurality of positions included in the region of interest, ), The moving speed (v), and the power (p) of the Doppler signal. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 acquire one of "+ v * p", "-v * p" and "0" values for each of a plurality of positions, The Doppler direction for the region of interest can be determined by summing the values for the included positions. In other words, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 are arranged in the direction toward the probe when the result of addition is a positive value and in the direction away from the probe when the result is negative (-), It is possible to obtain a result indicating that the Doppler direction can not be determined.

According to another embodiment, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can calculate the distance from the center of the region of interest or the distance d to the space adjacent to the position at which the direction of movement is to be determined, . That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 add a plurality of values of "+ v * d", "-v * d", and "0" Can be determined.

As described above, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may include various elements such as the Doppler direction, the moving speed, the intensity of the Doppler signal, the power of the Doppler signal, The direction of movement can be determined. In addition, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can utilize various kinds of statistical functions, and the functions described above are merely examples.

9 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a first marker indicating a moving direction is displayed on a Doppler image. The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display at least one first marker 650 indicating the moving direction of the object described in FIG. 8 on the Doppler image 600. FIG.

9A, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display at least one first marker 650 on the Doppler image 600 by using the guide line 640 Can be displayed accordingly. Displaying along the guideline 640 indicates not only the case where the center of the first marker 650 is accurately positioned on the guide line 640 but also the case where the first marker 650 is moved from the guide line 640 at a predetermined distance Or < / RTI > 9, when the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 display the guide line 640 in two parallel curves, the first marker 650 is guided by the guide 640. In other words, And may be located between the two curves of line 640. That is, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display the first marker 650 along the guide line 640 through various various methods.

9A, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display at least one first marker 650 along the guide line 640 at predetermined intervals. The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can adjust the interval of the at least one first marker 650 by a user input or a system internally. 9, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 are not limited to the shape, size, shape, length, width, contrast, color, etc. of the first marker 650 One marker 650 can be displayed in various forms. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display various kinds of first markers 650 for indicating the moving direction of the object.

9B, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 display the first marker 650 at one end of the guide line 640. In FIG. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may display one moving first marker 650 on one end of the guide line 640 to display the moving direction of the object.

10 is a view showing an embodiment in which a first marker, a second marker, and a third marker are displayed on a Doppler image. 10A to 10D are distinguished from the Doppler image described in FIGS. 6 to 9, and the first area 710 and the second area 720 shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D And is distinguished from those of Figs. The Doppler image shown in Fig. 10 includes a first region 710, which is a second direction in which blood is directed toward the probe, and a second region 720, which is a first direction that is a direction away from the probe. 10, the blood flows from the lower left end of the first region 710 and flows out to the lower right end of the second region 720 (that is, clockwise in the drawing).

In Fig. 10A, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can receive and display the guideline 640. Fig. The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may be configured to take into account the Doppler data (in the case of an ultrasonic medical device) or the Doppler image color value (in the case of a video display device) together with the guide line 640, Determines the direction of movement of the blood, and displays one or more first markers (650) on the Doppler image.

On the other hand, the marker 655 indicates a direction different from that of the first marker 650 indicating the direction of the blood. That is, the Doppler data and the hue value at the point at which the marker 655 is displayed have a sign component, a numerical component, and a hue value indicating that the object is the direction toward the probe. Accordingly, the marker 655 indicates the counterclockwise direction, unlike the clockwise direction, which is one direction of the guide line 640. This discrepancy in direction may occur due to the spatial structure of the object in which the target blood forms irregular turbulence or appears on the Doppler image.

In Fig. 10B, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 display the direction of the marker 655 in Fig. 10A in the clockwise direction, which is one direction of the guide line 640. Fig. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 display the markers 655 in one direction based on the ratio of the first markers 650 occupied by the markers 655 opposite to one direction of the guide lines 640 The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can display the marker 655 by changing the marker 655 to the marker 656. [ Accordingly, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can accurately display the information on the overall motion of the object even if the flow of the local part of the object is reversed.

In Fig. 10C, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 indicate a second marker 657 indicating that the position of the marker 655 in Fig. 10A is not coincident with the position. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may be configured such that, instead of forcibly marking the marker 655 to indicate the same direction as at least one first marker, using the second marker differentiated from the first marker, Direction can be displayed. Accordingly, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can accurately display information and its position that the object includes a portion having a direction opposite to the entire flow.

In Fig. 10D, the guideline 640 is generated at a position deviating from the target object. 10D, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can not acquire Doppler data and color values at a position where the guide line 640 is out of the first area 710. Accordingly, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can not determine the moving direction of the object. Accordingly, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can display the third marker 658 indicating that the direction of movement is not determined at the position where the Doppler data and / or the hue value is not obtained have.

Accordingly, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the user of the image display apparatus 200 can accurately diagnose the motion of the object by modifying the position of the guideline 640 or inputting a new guideline 640.

On the other hand, Fig. 10D also shows the second marker 657 indicating the unmatched direction described in Fig. 10C. The first marker 650, the second marker 657 and the third marker 658 shown in FIG. 10 are merely examples, and the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may be various Other types of first marker 650, second marker 657, and third marker 658 may be displayed.

11 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which at least one first marker is displayed on a Doppler image. 10, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display at least one first marker 650 indicating the moving direction of the object.

11, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 do not display a guideline but use only the first marker 650 to display the moving direction. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 acquire a guideline based on a user input or an automatic detection algorithm. In addition, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 determine at least one of Doppler data and color information together with a guideline to determine a moving direction. However, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 do not display the guideline on the screen but only display at least one first marker 650. That is, the guideline is used only to determine the direction of movement, may be displayed transparently on the screen, or may be used only internally in the system and not displayed on the screen.

12 is a diagram showing an embodiment for displaying a marker when color Doppler and tissue Doppler are simultaneously displayed. 12, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 display an ultrasound image 800 of the heart. 12 shows the left atrium LA, the left ventricle LV and the mitral valve MV in the ultrasound image 800. In the area 830 darkened in Fig. 12, the left atrium LA contracts, (LA) to the left ventricle (LV). The myocardium 820 surrounding the left atrium LA moves downward of the ultrasound image 800, and the left atrium LA contracts. On the other hand, the myocardium surrounding the left ventricle (LV) expands upward in the figure as the left ventricle (LV) expands.

Meanwhile, the ultrasound image 800 shown in FIG. 12 may display at least one of a color Doppler and a tissue Doppler. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may display both the color Doppler for the blood flow and the tissue Doppler for the tissue. For example, the darkened area 830 may be a Doppler image based on color Doppler data, while an area for a myocardium surrounding the left ventricle LA and the left atrium LV may include a Doppler image based on tissue Doppler data. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can determine the direction of the blood flow and the myocardial muscle using the acquired color and tissue Doppler data. In the embodiment of Fig. 12, the blood flow shown in the area 830 moves in the direction of approaching the probe.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 acquire the guideline 812, 822, 832 based on a user input or an automatic detection algorithm. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 generate guide lines 812, 822 and 832 for determining the moving direction of the object, and can display the images on the screen. 12, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 use the guide lines 812, 822 and 832 only to determine the direction of movement, Or may not be displayed.

The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 determine at least one of Doppler direction (direction toward the probe or away from the probe) of the object using at least one of color information and Doppler data of the Doppler image, Direction and the guideline can be used to determine the moving direction of the object.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasound medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may be configured to display the sign, the numerical component, the moving speed, the intensity of the Doppler signal, the power of the Doppler signal, The moving direction of the object may be determined using a statistical function regarding at least one of the distances to the adjacent spaces. 1 and 2, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may be implemented using statistical functions such as mean, variance, standard deviation, and weighted sum for various factors The moving direction of the object can be determined and the moving direction can be determined by considering the Doppler data of the peripheral space adjacent to any one of the positions of the object.

Then, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 display the first markers 815, 825, and 835 on the ultrasound image 800 indicating the directions of blood flow and myocardial movement. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display the first markers 815, 825, and 835 along the guide lines 812, 822, and 832 or may display them at predetermined intervals. As described above, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may display only the first markers 815, 825, and 835 without displaying the guide lines 812, 822, and 832.

13 is a view showing an embodiment for displaying 3D markers on a three-dimensional ultrasound image 900. Fig. 13, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 display a three-dimensional ultrasound image 900 including the blood vessel 910, i.e., volume data.

On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 13, blood flows in the blood vessel 910 from the left side to the right side. That is, blood flows from the left side of the blood vessel 910 and flows counterclockwise along the illustrated circular portion.

First, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 acquire 3D Doppler data for a target object. That is, as described in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can acquire stereoscopic spatial Doppler data, which is Doppler data for a three-dimensional space.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 generate a 3D ultrasound image 900 from the 3D Doppler data or acquire a 3D ultrasound image 900 received from the outside, do. Further, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 acquire the guideline 920 based on a user input or an automatic detection algorithm.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 determine the moving direction of the object using the color information and the guide line of the 3D Doppler data and the Doppler image. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can determine the moving direction by considering various information related to the movement of the object, such as code components, numerical components, and colors, included in the Doppler data, together with the guidelines . The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may determine the moving direction using a statistical function regarding the moving speed of the space close to the object and the object, the intensity of the Doppler signal, and the power of the Doppler signal. Details of determining the moving direction have been described with reference to FIG.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 display the moving direction determined using the three-dimensional marker 930. [ The three-dimensional marker 930 can display the moving direction of the object on the three-dimensional space. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can determine the moving direction of the object on the three-dimensional plane by considering both the guideline and the Doppler direction.

The three-dimensional marker shown at the leftmost side of the blood vessel 930 indicates that the object moves to the right and moves in the direction opposite to the x-axis shown. Then, the closer to the center portion of the blood vessel 930, the more the three-dimensional marker is oriented in the x-axis direction (i.e., the direction emerging from the screen). The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can display the movement in space of the object using the three dimensional marker 930. [ Similarly, the three-dimensional markers shown on the right side of the blood vessel 930 indicate that the object moves in the x-axis direction while moving in the right direction.

The ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can undergo a three-dimensional rendering process on the marker and display the processed three-dimensional marker 930 in order to display the moving direction of the object in space .

14 is a diagram showing an embodiment for detecting a guideline according to an automatic detection algorithm. 14A to 14D illustrate a case where the Doppler image 1000 is a two-dimensional image, but it is obvious that the present invention can also be applied to a three-dimensional image using 3D Doppler data.

First, a process of acquiring the guide line 1030 using the automatic detection algorithm by the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 will be briefly described. First, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 classify the region including the information on the motion of the object in the Doppler image 1000. Then, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 detect the guideline 1030 from the classified area. Various automatic detection algorithms can be applied to each of the two processes. Hereinafter, the detection process of the guideline 1030 will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

14A, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 display the Doppler image 1000 including the first region 1010 and the second region 1020 based on the obtained Doppler data . 14B, the ultrasound medical device 100 and the image display device 200 are connected to each other by a CCA (Connected Component Analysis) algorithm based on the first area 1010 and the second area 1020 And analyzes the Doppler data. In other words, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can display the first region 1010 and the second region 1010 according to whether the spatially connected components include Doppler data, 1020).

14B, the ultrasound medical device 100 and the image display device 200 illustrate an embodiment in which the 4-CCA algorithm is applied to the pixel group 1015. Fig. That is, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 analyze the Doppler data of the vertically, horizontally, and vertically adjacent pixels (or groups of pixels) darkly displayed in the pixel group 1015. The ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may store the analysis result of the darkened pixel through a predetermined value.

14B, the ultrasound medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can apply the 8-CCA algorithm to the pixel group 1025. In Fig. The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can analyze Doppler data adjacent to diagonal lines in four directions as well as vertically, horizontally and vertically adjacent pixels.

The ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 may include a first region 1010 and a second region 1020 that include Doppler data for the Doppler image 1000 and may include Doppler data It is possible to distinguish it from other areas that do not.

14C shows the results of analysis of the Doppler image 1000 by the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 through values of "1" and "0". That is, the ultrasound medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can store the result of analyzing the Doppler image 1000 using the CCA algorithm. The first region 1010 including the Doppler data, A value of " 1 " can be stored for the area 1020, and a value of " 0 "

That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can acquire information on a region where motion of the object is detected through a masking process for the Doppler image 1000.

14D, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 extract a guide line 1030 using a skeletonization algorithm. That is, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 can acquire the first area 1010 including the Doppler data and the guide line 1030 for the second area 1020.

Meanwhile, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may acquire the guideline 1030 using a chain line algorithm as well as a morphology operation algorithm. In other words, the ultrasonic medical apparatus 100 and the image display apparatus 200 are provided with at least one of a dilation algorithm for enlarging the first region 1010 and the second region 1020 and a reduction erosion algorithm One can be repeatedly applied to detect the guideline 1030.

According to another embodiment, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 may include the first region 1010 including the Doppler data and the longest path included in the second region 1020, And may be acquired as a guideline 1030 using the longest path. That is, when the shape change of the area including the Doppler data is not large, the ultrasonic medical device 100 and the image display device 200 can determine the longest path in the classified area as the guide line 1030.

In the foregoing, the automatic detection algorithm described in connection with Figs. 14A to 14D is merely an example of an algorithm used to acquire a guideline, and various kinds of algorithms It is easy to see that the guideline can be obtained through.

According to the ultrasonic medical device 100, the image display device 200, the ultrasound image display method, and the image display method described above, the marker indicating the movement direction is displayed on the Doppler image to easily read the movement of the target object such as blood flow or tissue . That is, the user of the device can intuitively read the direction in which the object moves. By analyzing the Doppler image easily and efficiently, the efficiency of diagnosing the subject can be improved.

Accordingly, even if the user who reads the Doppler image is a non-expert or the patient who is not familiar with the ultrasound image, the Doppler image can be easily understood and interpreted. Accordingly, it is possible to solve the conventional problem of misinterpreting the color information of the Doppler image into a vein or an artery, or making the Doppler image harder to feel, and further, it becomes possible to popularize the Doppler image.

In addition, compared to Vector Doppler, which represents the motion of blood flow or tissue, the method and apparatus described above can easily grasp the motion of the object without additional hardware. Furthermore, the above-described method and apparatus can be applied to a probe having a small aperture size, such as a phased array probe, without limitation to a hardware configuration. Accordingly, it is possible to directly and intuitively recognize the movement of the object from the movement of the probe in the direction indicated by the marker.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the disclosed methods should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (74)

Generating a Doppler image from Doppler data of a subject that does not include vector Doppler data;
Receiving a guideline indicating the moving object from a user with respect to the Doppler image when the object includes a moving object; And
And displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the target object based on the guide line and the Doppler data. The method according to claim 1,
The method may further include displaying the guideline on the Doppler image. delete The method according to claim 1,
The method further comprises determining the direction of movement based on the Doppler direction of the object determined according to a sign component or numerical component of the Doppler data and the guideline. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the determining step comprises determining one direction of the guide line in which the Doppler direction and the angle formed by the guide line are acute angles in the moving direction. The method according to claim 1,
The step of displaying the first marker may include the step of, when a first marker in a direction opposite to one direction of the guide line of the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, And displaying the ultrasound image in the one direction. The method according to claim 1,
The step of displaying the first marker may further include the step of, when a first marker in a direction opposite to one direction of the guide line out of the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, And displaying a second marker indicating a non-coincident direction. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein displaying the first marker comprises displaying a third marker indicating that the moving direction has not been determined if the moving direction can not be determined based on the guideline and the Doppler data, Display method. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the determining comprises determining a statistical function on at least one of a Doppler direction, a moving speed of the object, an amplitude of a Doppler signal, a power of a Doppler signal, and determining a moving direction of the object based on the function of the ultrasonic image. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the statistical function is a function using Doppler data of a space adjacent to a position at which the moving direction is determined. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein displaying the first marker comprises displaying the at least one first marker along the guideline. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of displaying the first marker comprises displaying the at least one first marker at a predetermined interval. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of displaying the first marker includes displaying the first marker on one end of the guide line. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the Doppler image includes at least one of a blood flow Doppler image indicative of blood flow and a tissue Doppler image indicative of tissue movement. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the Doppler data includes 2D Doppler data or 3D Doppler data. The method according to claim 1,
And displaying the first marker comprises performing 2D rendering or 3D rendering processing of the first marker to display the ultrasound image. delete The method according to claim 1,
The displaying of the first marker may include displaying at least one of the length, size, width, contrast, and hue of the first marker on the basis of the Doppler data. Way. An image processor for generating a Doppler image from the Doppler data of the object, which does not include the vector Doppler data;
A user input unit for receiving, from a user, a guide line indicating the moving object with respect to the Doppler image when the object includes a moving object; And
And a display unit for displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the target object based on the guide line and the Doppler data. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit displays the guide line on the Doppler image. delete 20. The method of claim 19,
The ultrasonic medical device includes:
Further comprising a movement direction determination unit that determines the movement direction based on the Doppler direction of the object determined based on the sign component or the numerical component of the Doppler data and the guide line. 23. The method of claim 22,
Wherein the movement direction determination section determines one direction of the guide line in which the Doppler direction and the angle formed by the guide line are acute angles in the movement direction. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit displays the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction when the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction of the guide line is less than a predetermined ratio among the at least one first marker And the ultrasonic medical device. 20. The method of claim 19,
The image processing unit generates a second marker indicating that the direction does not match,
Wherein when the first marker in the direction opposite to one direction of the guide line among the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, the display unit displays, at the position of the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction, Wherein the markers are displayed. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the image processing unit generates a third marker indicating that the moving direction is not determined,
Wherein the display unit displays the third marker when the moving direction determining unit can not determine the moving direction based on the guide line and the Doppler data. 23. The method of claim 22,
Wherein the moving direction determination unit determines a moving direction of the object based on at least one of a statistical function related to at least one of a Doppler direction, a moving speed of the object, an amplitude of a Doppler signal, a power of a Doppler signal, wherein the moving direction of the object is determined on the basis of the function. 28. The method of claim 27,
Wherein the statistical function is a function using Doppler data of a space adjacent to a position at which the movement direction is determined. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit displays the at least one first marker along the guide line. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit displays the at least one first marker at predetermined intervals. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit displays the first marker on one end of the guide line. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the Doppler image includes at least one of a blood flow Doppler image indicative of blood flow and a tissue Doppler image indicative of tissue movement. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the Doppler data includes 2D Doppler data or 3D Doppler data. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the image processing unit performs 2D rendering or 3D rendering processing of the first marker,
Wherein the display unit displays the processed marker. delete 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the display unit changes at least one of a length, a size, a width, a contrast, and a hue of the first marker based on the Doppler data. Generating a Doppler image from externally received Doppler data that does not include vector Doppler data;
Receiving a guide from the user indicating the moving object with respect to the Doppler image when the object includes the moving object; And
And displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the object based on the guide line and the Doppler data. 39. The method of claim 37,
The method may further comprise displaying the guideline on the Doppler image. delete 39. The method of claim 37,
The method further comprises the step of determining the direction of movement based on the Doppler direction of the object determined according to at least one of the color information of the Doppler image and the Doppler data and the guideline. 41. The method of claim 40,
Wherein the determining step comprises determining one direction of the guide line in which the Doppler direction and the angle formed by the guide line are acute angles in the moving direction. 39. The method of claim 37,
The step of displaying the first marker may include the step of, when a first marker in a direction opposite to one direction of the guide line of the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, And displaying the image in the one direction. 39. The method of claim 37,
The step of displaying the first marker may further include the step of, when a first marker in a direction opposite to one direction of the guide line out of the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, And displaying a second marker indicating that the direction is an unmatched direction. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein displaying the first marker comprises displaying a third marker indicating that the moving direction has not been determined if the moving direction can not be determined based on the guideline and the Doppler data, Display method. 41. The method of claim 40,
Wherein the determining step comprises determining a moving direction of the object based on a statistical function of at least one of the Doppler data, the saturation of the Doppler image, and the contrast. 46. The method of claim 45,
Wherein the statistical function is a function using Doppler data of a space adjacent to a position at which the moving direction is determined. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein displaying the first marker comprises displaying the at least one first marker along the guideline. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the step of displaying the first marker comprises displaying the at least one first marker at a predetermined interval. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein displaying the first marker comprises displaying the first marker on one end of the guide line. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the Doppler image includes at least one of a blood flow Doppler image indicative of blood flow and a tissue Doppler image indicative of tissue movement. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the Doppler data includes 2D Doppler data or 3D Doppler data. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the step of displaying the first marker comprises a step of performing 2D rendering or 3D rendering processing of the first marker to display the first marker. delete 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the step of displaying the first marker comprises the step of displaying at least one of the length, the size, the width, the contrast, and the hue of the first marker by changing the first marker based on the Doppler data. . An image processor for generating a Doppler image from Doppler data received from the outside, which does not include vector Doppler data;
A user input unit for receiving, from a user, a guide line indicating the moving object with respect to the Doppler image when the object includes a moving object; And
And a display unit for displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the object based on the guide line and the Doppler data. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the display unit displays the guide line on the Doppler image. delete 56. The method of claim 55,
The video display device includes:
And a moving direction determination unit that determines the moving direction based on the Doppler direction of the object determined according to at least one of the color information of the Doppler image and the Doppler data, and the guideline. 59. The method of claim 58,
Wherein the movement direction determination unit determines one direction of the guide line in which the Doppler direction and the angle formed by the guide line are acute angles in the movement direction. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the display unit displays the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction when the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction of the guide line is less than a predetermined ratio among the at least one first marker And the video display device. 56. The method of claim 55,
The image processing unit generates a second marker indicating that the direction does not match,
Wherein when the first marker in the direction opposite to one direction of the guide line among the at least one first marker is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, the display unit displays, at the position of the first marker in the direction opposite to the one direction, And displays the marker. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the image processing unit generates a third marker indicating that the moving direction is not determined,
Wherein the display unit displays the third marker when the moving direction determining unit can not determine the moving direction based on the guide line and the Doppler data. 59. The method of claim 58,
Wherein the moving direction determination unit determines a moving direction of the target object based on a statistical function regarding at least one of the Doppler data, the saturation of the Doppler image, and the contrast. 64. The method of claim 63,
Wherein the statistical function is a function using Doppler data of a space adjacent to a position at which the moving direction is determined. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the display unit displays the at least one first marker along the guide line. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the display unit displays the at least one first marker at predetermined intervals. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the display unit displays the first marker on one end of the guide line. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the Doppler image includes at least one of a blood flow Doppler image indicative of blood flow and a tissue Doppler image indicative of tissue movement. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the Doppler data includes 2D Doppler data or 3D Doppler data. 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the image processing unit performs 2D rendering or 3D rendering processing of the first marker,
Wherein the display unit displays the processed marker. delete 56. The method of claim 55,
Wherein the display unit changes at least one of a length, a size, a width, a contrast, and a hue of the first marker based on the Doppler data. Generating a Doppler image from Doppler data of a subject that does not include vector Doppler data;
Determining a guideline corresponding to the blood vessel based on the Doppler data when the object includes a blood vessel; And
And displaying at least one first marker indicating a moving direction of the blood flow in the blood vessel based on the guide line and the Doppler data. An image processing unit that generates a Doppler image from Doppler data of a target object that does not include the vector Doppler data and determines a guideline corresponding to the blood vessel based on the Doppler image when the target includes a blood vessel; And
And a display unit for displaying at least one first marker indicating the direction of movement of the blood flow in the blood vessel based on the guide line and the Doppler data.

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