KR102373986B1 - Method and ultrasound system for setting system parameters - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a method of setting a system parameter according to a body shape of an object and an ultrasound system. A method of setting a system parameter according to a body type of a subject includes: obtaining body shape information related to a diagnosis target of the subject; calculating a degree of obesity related to a diagnosis target of the subject based on the body shape information; Based on the mapping information for mapping each of the plurality of obesity grades and the plurality of system parameters set for each, determining at least one system parameter mapped with the obesity grade corresponding to the calculated obesity degree; based on setting up the ultrasound system.

Description

METHOD AND ULTRASOUND SYSTEM FOR SETTING SYSTEM PARAMETERS

The present disclosure relates to a method of setting a system parameter according to a body type of an object, and an ultrasound system.

Since the ultrasound system has non-invasive and non-destructive characteristics, it has been used for the purpose of obtaining information inside an object in the medical field. Specifically, the ultrasound system may provide an operator with a high-resolution image of the inside of the object in real time without surgery on the object. Due to these characteristics, the ultrasound system is widely used as one of the important tools for effectively diagnosing various diseases in the medical field.

The ultrasound system transmits an ultrasound signal to an object using an ultrasound probe and receives an ultrasound signal (ie, an ultrasound echo signal) reflected from the object. Also, the ultrasound system generates an ultrasound image of the object based on the received ultrasound echo signal.

In general, before generating an ultrasound image of an object using an ultrasound system, a system parameter should be set according to the body type of the object. The system parameter may include a depth parameter indicating a depth for transmitting and receiving an ultrasound signal, a gain parameter indicating a gain for amplifying an ultrasound echo signal, a focus parameter indicating a focus for focusing an ultrasound signal, a signal power parameter indicating a signal power of an ultrasound signal, or ultrasound It includes a dynamic range parameter indicating a dynamic range for adjusting the contrast of an image, and the like.

These system parameters are set by the operator using the ultrasound system. That is, after the operator visually checks the body shape of the object, the operator sets the system parameters of the ultrasound system according to the body shape of the object. As such, since the operator sets the system parameters by visually checking the body shape of the object, in the case of an object having an abnormal body shape, the system parameter is incorrectly set. For example, in the case of a subject having a fat body type but having little fat in the abdomen, the operator may identify the body type of the object as a fat body type and set a system parameter erroneously based thereon. Also, in the case of an object having a skinny body shape but having a lot of fat in the abdomen, the operator may check the body shape of the object as a skinny body type, and set system parameters erroneously based thereon. As a result, there is a problem in that operator fatigue is increased and a diagnosis time of an object is delayed.

The present disclosure may provide a method and an ultrasound system for acquiring body shape information of an object and setting system parameters according to the acquired body shape information.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of setting a system parameter of an ultrasound system includes: obtaining body shape information related to a diagnosis target of a subject; and calculating a degree of obesity related to a diagnosis target of the subject based on the body shape information And, based on the mapping information for mapping each of the plurality of obesity grades and the plurality of system parameters set for each of the plurality of reference diagnosis objects, determining at least one system parameter mapped with the obesity grade corresponding to the calculated degree of obesity and setting the ultrasound system based on the determined system parameter.

According to an embodiment, the system parameters include a depth parameter indicating a depth at which an ultrasound signal is transmitted and received, a gain parameter indicating a gain for amplifying an ultrasound echo signal, a focus parameter indicating a focus for focusing an ultrasound signal, and a signal power of an ultrasound signal. and at least one of a signal power parameter and a dynamic range parameter indicating a dynamic range for adjusting the contrast of the ultrasound image.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the subject.

According to an embodiment, the obtaining of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject includes receiving body fat measurement information from an external electronic device.

According to an embodiment, the body shape information includes depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object.

According to an embodiment, the obtaining of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object includes transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object, and an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal. A method comprising: generating a It includes the step of creating

According to an embodiment, the body shape information includes information on the thickness of a fat layer in the object.

According to an embodiment, the obtaining of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object includes transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object, and an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal. The method includes the steps of: generating, detecting the contour of the fat layer from the ultrasound image, measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour, and generating thickness information including the measured thickness.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes body fat measurement information including the amount of body fat associated with the diagnosis target of the subject and depth information from the surface of the subject to the diagnosis target.

According to an embodiment, the obtaining of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object includes receiving body fat measurement information from an external electronic device, transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object, and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object. generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal, detecting a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image, and determining a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis target based on the detected contour It includes measuring and generating depth information including the measured depth.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the object and information on the thickness of a fat layer in the object.

According to an embodiment, the obtaining of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object includes receiving body fat measurement information from an external electronic device, transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object, and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object. generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal; detecting the contour of the fat layer from the ultrasound image; measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour; and generating thickness information including

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes body mass index (BMI) information including the height and weight of the object, and depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object.

According to an embodiment, the acquiring of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object includes: receiving BMI information from an external electronic device; transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object; and generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal, detecting a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image, and measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis target based on the detected contour and generating depth information including the measured depth.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes BMI information including the height and weight of the object and thickness information of the fat layer in the object.

According to an embodiment, the acquiring of body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object includes: receiving BMI information from an external electronic device; transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object; and generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal, detecting the contour of the fat layer from the ultrasound image, measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour, and the measured thickness. and generating thickness information.

According to an embodiment, the determining of the at least one system parameter includes: determining a first reference diagnosis target corresponding to the diagnosis target from among a plurality of reference diagnosis targets; Determining mapping information, determining an obesity grade of the subject based on the calculated degree of obesity, and determining at least one system parameter mapped with the determined obesity grade based on the first mapping information. .

According to an exemplary embodiment, the determining of the obesity level of the subject to be diagnosed based on the calculated degree of obesity further includes resetting the obesity level of the subject to be diagnosed.

According to an embodiment, resetting the obesity grade of the diagnosis target includes displaying a plurality of user interfaces indicating a plurality of obesity grades of the diagnosis target on the display unit.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an ultrasound system includes an ultrasound probe that transmits an ultrasound signal to an object and receives an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object, a plurality of obesity grades set for each of a plurality of reference diagnosis objects, and A storage unit for storing mapping information for mapping a plurality of system parameters, obtains body shape information related to a diagnosis target of the subject, calculates a degree of obesity related to a diagnosis target of the subject based on the body shape information, and based on the mapping information, and a processor for determining at least one system parameter mapped with an obesity grade corresponding to the calculated degree of obesity, and setting an ultrasound system based on the determined system parameter.

According to an embodiment, the system parameters include a depth parameter indicating a depth at which an ultrasound signal is transmitted and received, a gain parameter indicating a gain for amplifying an ultrasound echo signal, a focus parameter indicating a focus for focusing an ultrasound signal, and a signal power of an ultrasound signal. and at least one of a signal power parameter and a dynamic range parameter indicating a dynamic range for adjusting the contrast of the ultrasound image.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the subject.

According to an embodiment, the ultrasound system further includes a communication circuit configured to receive body fat measurement information from an external electronic device.

According to an embodiment, the body shape information includes depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object.

According to an embodiment, the processor receives an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe, generates an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal, detects a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image, and detects A depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object is measured based on the calculated contour, and depth information including the measured depth is generated.

According to an embodiment, the body shape information includes information on the thickness of a fat layer in the object.

According to an embodiment, the processor receives an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe, generates an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal, detects a contour of a fat layer from the ultrasound image, and adds Based on the measurement of the thickness of the fat layer, the thickness information including the measured thickness is generated.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes body fat measurement information including the amount of body fat associated with the diagnosis target of the subject and depth information from the surface of the subject to the diagnosis target.

According to an embodiment, the ultrasound system further includes a communication circuit configured to receive body fat measurement information from an external electronic device, and the processor receives an ultrasound echo signal of the object from the ultrasound probe, and receives the ultrasound echo signal of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal. An ultrasound image is generated, a contour corresponding to a diagnosis target is detected from the ultrasound image, a depth from the surface of the target object to the diagnosis target is measured based on the detected contour, and depth information including the measured depth is generated.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the object and information on the thickness of a fat layer in the object.

According to an embodiment, the ultrasound system further includes a communication circuit configured to receive body fat measurement information from an external electronic device, and the processor receives an ultrasound echo signal of the object from the ultrasound probe, and receives the ultrasound echo signal of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal. An ultrasound image is generated, the contour of the fat layer is detected from the ultrasound image, the thickness of the fat layer is measured based on the detected contour, and thickness information including the measured thickness is generated.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes BMI information including the height and weight of the object, and depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object.

According to an embodiment, the ultrasound system further includes a communication circuit configured to receive BMI information from an external electronic device, and the processor receives an ultrasound echo signal of the object from the ultrasound probe, and ultrasound of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal An image is generated, a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target is detected from the ultrasound image, a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis target is measured based on the detected contour, and depth information including the measured depth is generated.

According to an embodiment, the body type information includes BMI information including the height and weight of the object, and information about the thickness of a fat layer in the object.

According to an embodiment, the ultrasound system further includes a communication circuit configured to receive BMI information from an external electronic device, and the processor receives an ultrasound echo signal of the object from the ultrasound probe, and ultrasound of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal An image is generated, the contour of the fat layer is detected from the ultrasound image, the thickness of the fat layer is measured based on the detected contour, and thickness information including the measured thickness is generated.

According to an embodiment, the processor determines a first reference diagnosis target corresponding to the diagnosis target from among the plurality of reference diagnosis targets, determines first mapping information corresponding to the first reference diagnosis target, and determines the calculated obesity degree. Based on the determination of the obesity grade of the subject to be diagnosed, and at least one system parameter mapped with the determined obesity grade based on the first mapping information is determined.

According to an embodiment, the processor resets the obesity level of the diagnosis subject.

According to an embodiment, the processor displays a plurality of user interfaces indicating a plurality of obesity grades of the diagnosis target on the display unit.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, body shape information of an object may be acquired, and a system parameter of an ultrasound system may be automatically set according to the acquired body shape information. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the fatigue of the operator and reduce the diagnosis time of the object.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an ultrasound system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of setting a system parameter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating depth information as body shape information of an object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
4 is an exemplary view illustrating the outline and depth of a diagnosis target according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating thickness information as body shape information of an object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
6 is an exemplary view showing the outline and thickness of the fat layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of determining a system parameter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
8 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a plurality of user interfaces corresponding to a plurality of obesity grades according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are exemplified for the purpose of explaining the technical spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of rights according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments presented below or specific descriptions of these embodiments.

All technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure, unless otherwise defined, have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. All terms used in the present disclosure are selected for the purpose of more clearly describing the present disclosure and not to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

As used in this disclosure, expressions such as "comprising," "including," "having," etc. are open-ended terms connoting the possibility of including other embodiments ( should be understood in open-ended terms.

Expressions in the singular in this disclosure may include the meaning of the plural unless otherwise stated, and the same applies to expressions in the singular in the claims.

Expressions such as “first” and “second” used in the present disclosure are used to distinguish a plurality of components from each other, and do not limit the order or importance of the corresponding components.

As used in the present disclosure, the term “unit” refers to software or a hardware component such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). However, "units" are not limited to hardware and software. A “unit” may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium, or it may be configured to refresh one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, “part” includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and processors, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, and so forth. It includes segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. Functions provided within components and “parts” may be combined into a smaller number of components and “parts” or further separated into additional components and “parts”.

As used in this disclosure, the expression “based on” is used to describe one or more factors affecting the act or action of a decision, judgment, or action, which is described in a phrase or sentence in which the expression is included, the expression being determined , does not exclude additional factors affecting the conduct or behavior of judgment.

In the present disclosure, when a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it means that a component can be directly connected or connected to another component, or a new component. It is to be understood that elements can be associated or connected via an element.

As used herein, the term “subject” is an object or an object for which an ultrasound image is to be obtained using an ultrasound system, and may be an organism or an inanimate object. In addition, when the object is a living organism, it may mean a part of a human body, and the object includes a diagnostic object, for example, organs such as liver, heart, uterus, brain, breast, abdomen, blood vessels (or bloodstream), fetus, etc. may be included, and any one cross-section of the human body may be included. In addition, the "user" in the present specification is a medical professional who can operate and use an ultrasound system, and may include a doctor, a nurse, a clinical pathologist, a sonographer, or other medical imaging specialist, but is limited thereto. not.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are assigned the same reference numerals. In addition, in the description of the embodiments below, overlapping description of the same or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if descriptions regarding components are omitted, it is not intended that such components are not included in any embodiment.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an ultrasound system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 , the ultrasound system 100 includes an ultrasound probe 110 , a communication circuit 120 , a storage unit 130 , a user input unit 140 , a transmission unit 150 , a reception unit 160 , and a transmission/reception switch 170 . ), a processor 180 and a display unit 190 may be included.

The ultrasound probe 110 may receive an electrical signal (hereinafter, referred to as a “transmission signal”) from the processor 180 , convert the received transmission signal into an ultrasound signal, and transmit the converted ultrasound signal to the object. Also, the ultrasound probe 110 may receive an ultrasound signal (ie, ultrasound echo signal) reflected from the object to generate an electrical signal (hereinafter, referred to as a “received signal”).

The communication circuit 120 may receive body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the target object. According to an embodiment, the body type information may include body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the subject. In another embodiment, the body type information may include body mass index (BMI) information including the height and weight of the object. For example, the communication circuit 120 is connected to an external electronic device (eg, body fat measuring device or BMI information) (not shown) through a network (not shown), and is related to a diagnosis target of an object from the external electronic device. You can receive body shape information.

The storage unit 130 may store mapping information (hereinafter, referred to as “obesity grade-system parameter mapping information”) for mapping each of a plurality of obesity grades and a plurality of system parameters. The obesity grade-system parameter mapping information may be set for each of a plurality of reference diagnosis objects. Also, the storage unit 130 may further store mapping information (hereinafter, referred to as “body shape information-obesity mapping information”) for mapping body type information and obesity according to each of the plurality of reference diagnosis targets. For example, the storage unit 130 may store a plurality of body fat masses and a plurality of obesity degrees mapping information-obesity mapping information (hereinafter, referred to as "first body shape information-obesity mapping information"). In addition, the storage unit 130 stores body shape information-obesity mapping information (hereinafter referred to as "second body shape information-obesity mapping information") for mapping a plurality of depths and a plurality of degrees of obesity according to each of a plurality of reference diagnosis targets. can In addition, the storage unit 130 stores a plurality of thicknesses and a plurality of degrees of obesity according to each of the plurality of reference diagnosis target body type information-obesity mapping information (hereinafter referred to as "third body type information-obesity degree mapping information") to store can Furthermore, the storage unit 130 may store information related to the object (hereinafter, referred to as “object information”). For example, the object information may include information related to the object's name, age, height, weight, diagnosis object, body type information, and the like.

In one embodiment, a plurality of obesity grades may be set based on the degree of obesity. For example, the plurality of obesity grades may include at least two of a very fat grade, a fat grade, a normal grade, a thin grade, and a very thin grade. there is. For example, a very obese grade is a grade of obesity 16 or higher, an obesity grade is a grade of obesity 11 to 15, a normal grade is a grade of obesity 8-10, a slim grade is a grade of obesity 4-7, and , a very slim grade may be a grade of 1 to 3 obesity. However, this is for illustrative purposes only, and is not limited thereto, and a plurality of obesity grades may be set based on various criteria based on the degree of obesity.

In an embodiment, the system parameters include a depth parameter indicating a depth at which an ultrasound signal is transmitted and received, a gain parameter indicating a gain for amplifying an ultrasound echo signal, a focus parameter indicating a focus for focusing an ultrasound signal, and a signal power of an ultrasound signal. It may include at least one of a signal power parameter and a dynamic range parameter indicating a dynamic range for adjusting the contrast of the ultrasound image. However, the system parameters are not necessarily limited thereto, and may include various parameters related to settings of the ultrasound system.

In an embodiment, the depth may be a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object of the object, and the thickness may be the thickness of a fat layer in the object.

In an embodiment, the storage unit 130 includes a magnetic disk (eg, magnetic tape, flexible disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (eg, CD, DVD, etc.), a semiconductor memory (eg, USB memory, memory card, etc.), but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The user input unit 140 may receive input information from a user and transmit the received input information to the processor 180 . In an embodiment, the input information may include information for fine-tuning a system parameter. Also, the input information may include information for selecting a diagnosis target of an object. The user input unit 140 may include an input device (not shown) capable of receiving input information from a user, and such an input device may function as a user interface for the ultrasound system 100 . The input device may include at least one of various types of input devices suitable for selecting a diagnosis mode, controlling a diagnosis operation, inputting a command required for diagnosis, controlling signal processing, controlling the output of an ultrasound image, etc. . According to an embodiment, the input device may include at least one of input devices including, but not limited to, a display capable of inputting a command, such as a trackball, a mouse, a keyboard, a button, a stylus pen, and a touch screen.

The transmitter 150 may generate a transmission signal for obtaining an ultrasound image. In an embodiment, the transmitter 150 may generate a transmission signal based on a system parameter (eg, a depth parameter, a focus parameter, and a signal power parameter) set by the processor 180 .

The receiver 160 may receive a received signal from the ultrasonic probe 110 and amplify the received signal. In an embodiment, the receiver 160 includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) (not shown), a variable gain amplifier (VGA) (not shown), and a programmable gain amplifier. , PGA) (not shown). Also, the receiver 160 may generate a digital signal based on the amplified received signal.

In an embodiment, each of the low noise amplifier, the variable gain amplifier, and the programmable gain amplifier may be adjusted to a gain value corresponding to a system parameter (eg, a gain parameter) set by the processor 180 , and the receiving unit 160 may A received signal may be amplified using each of the low noise amplifier, the variable gain amplifier and the programmable gain amplifier.

The transmit/receive switch 170 may serve as a duplexer that switches the transmitter 150 and the receiver 160 . For example, the transmit/receive switch 170 may electrically connect either the transmitter 150 or the receiver 160 to the ultrasonic probe 110 when the ultrasonic probe 110 alternately transmits and receives. .

The processor 180 may obtain body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject, and calculate the degree of obesity related to the diagnosis target of the subject based on the obtained body shape information. For example, the processor 180 may calculate the degree of obesity by using body type information and body type information-obesity degree mapping information that maps body type information.

In addition, the processor 180 determines at least one system parameter mapped with the obesity grade corresponding to the calculated obesity degree based on the obesity grade-system parameter mapping information stored in the storage unit 130 , and based on the determined system parameter Thus, the ultrasound system 100 may be set. Also, the processor 180 may receive a received signal from the ultrasound probe 110 and generate an ultrasound image of the object based on the received signal.

In one embodiment, the processor 180 is a central processing unit (CPU), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) capable of executing the above-described control operation or program instructions for executing the operation. ) and the like, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the processor 180 may include a signal processor 181 , an image generator 182 , and a parameter controller 183 .

The signal processing unit 181 may receive a digital signal from the reception unit 160 , and may generate a reception focused signal by performing signal processing (eg, beamforming) on the received digital signal. In an embodiment, the signal processing unit 181 may perform beamforming on the digital signal based on a system parameter (eg, a focus parameter) set by the parameter control unit 183 .

The image generator 182 may receive the receive focused signal from the signal processor 181 and generate an ultrasound image of the object based on the receive focused signal. In an embodiment, the image generator 182 may adjust the contrast of the ultrasound image based on a system parameter (eg, a dynamic range parameter) set by the parameter controller 183 .

The parameter controller 183 may obtain body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object, and calculate the degree of obesity related to the target body type based on the obtained body shape information. In addition, the parameter control unit 183 determines at least one system parameter corresponding to the obesity grade including the calculated obesity degree based on the mapping information stored in the storage unit 130 , and based on the determined system parameter, the ultrasound system ( 100) can be set.

The display unit 190 may display the ultrasound image generated by the processor 180 . Also, the display unit 190 may display information about an operation state of the ultrasound system 100 or information about an ultrasound image.

In one embodiment, the display unit 190 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a flexible It may include a display and the like, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Although process steps, method steps, algorithms, etc. are described in a sequential order in the flowcharts shown in this disclosure, such processes, methods, and algorithms may be configured to operate in any suitable order. In other words, the steps of the processes, methods, and algorithms described in various embodiments of the present disclosure need not be performed in the order described in this disclosure. Also, although some steps are described as being performed asynchronously, in other embodiments some of these steps may be performed concurrently. Further, the exemplification of a process by description in the drawings does not imply that the exemplified process excludes other changes and modifications thereto, and that the illustrated process or any of its steps may be used in any of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. It is not meant to be essential to one or more, nor does it imply that the illustrated process is preferred.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of setting a system parameter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In operation S202, the processor 180 may obtain body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the object. In an embodiment, the processor 180 may obtain body fat measurement information including the amount of body fat from the external electronic device through the communication circuit 120 as body shape information. In another embodiment, the processor 180 may acquire depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis target of the object as body shape information. In another embodiment, the processor 180 may obtain information about the thickness of the fat layer in the object as body shape information. In another embodiment, the processor 180 may obtain body fat measurement information including the amount of body fat and depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis target of the object as body shape information from an external electronic device through the communication circuit 120 . there is. In another embodiment, the processor 180 may obtain body fat measurement information including the amount of body fat and thickness information of a fat layer in the object as body shape information from an external electronic device through the communication circuit 120 . In yet another embodiment, the processor 180 uses the BMI information including the height and weight of the object from the external electronic device through the communication circuit 120 and the depth information from the surface of the object to the object to be diagnosed as body shape information. can be obtained In another embodiment, the processor 180 may obtain BMI information including the height and weight of the object and thickness information of the fat layer in the object from the external electronic device through the communication circuit 120 as body shape information.

In operation S204 , the processor 180 may calculate a degree of obesity related to the diagnosis target of the subject based on the acquired body shape information. In an embodiment, the processor 180 corresponds to body fat measurement information (body fat mass) based on body shape information-obesity mapping information (eg, first body shape information-obesity mapping information) stored in the storage unit 130 . obesity can be calculated. In another embodiment, the processor 180 is configured to determine depth information (depth) based on body shape information-obesity mapping information (eg, second body shape information-obesity mapping information) stored in the storage unit 130 . obesity can be calculated. In another embodiment, the processor 180 corresponds to the thickness information (thickness) based on the body shape information-obesity mapping information (eg, the third body shape information-obesity mapping information) stored in the storage unit 130 . obesity can be calculated.

In step S206 , the processor 180 may determine at least one system parameter mapped with an obesity grade corresponding to the calculated degree of obesity. In one embodiment, the parameter control unit 183 of the processor 180 is based on the obesity grade-system parameter mapping information stored in the storage unit 130, at least one system mapped with the obesity grade corresponding to the calculated obesity degree. parameters can be determined.

In operation S208, the processor 180 may set the ultrasound system 100 based on the determined system parameter. For example, the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 may set the parameters of the transmitter 150 based on the determined system parameters (eg, a depth parameter, a focus parameter, and a signal power parameter). Also, the parameter controller 183 may set a parameter of the receiver 160 based on the determined system parameter (eg, a gain parameter). Also, the parameter controller 183 may set a parameter of the signal processor 181 based on the determined system parameter (eg, a focus parameter). Also, the parameter controller 183 may set a parameter of the image generator 182 based on the determined system parameter (eg, a dynamic range parameter).

Optionally, the processor 180 may receive input information for finely adjusting the determined system parameter through the user input unit 140 , and may finely adjust the determined system parameter based on the received input information.

Also optionally, the processor 180 may update the mapping information (eg, obesity grade-system parameter mapping information) stored in the storage unit 130 based on the finely adjusted system parameters.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating depth information as body shape information of an object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

In operation S302 , the receiver 160 may acquire an ultrasound echo signal from the ultrasound probe 110 . For example, the transmitter 150 may generate a transmission signal based on preset system parameters (eg, a depth parameter, a focus parameter, and a signal power parameter). Also, the ultrasound probe 110 receives a transmission signal from the transmitter 150 , converts the received transmission signal into an ultrasound signal, and transmits it to the object. Also, the ultrasound probe 110 may receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object. Furthermore, the receiver 160 receives the ultrasonic echo signal from the ultrasonic probe 110 , amplifies the ultrasonic echo signal based on a preset system parameter (eg, a gain parameter), and based on the amplified ultrasonic echo signal A digital signal can be generated.

In operation S304, the processor 180 may generate an ultrasound image of the object based on the digital signal. For example, the signal processing unit 181 of the processor 180 receives the digital signal from the receiving unit 160, and performs beamforming on the digital signal based on a preset system parameter (eg, a focus parameter) to receive it. A focus signal can be generated. Also, the image generator 182 of the processor 180 may generate an ultrasound image of the object by using the focused reception signal based on a preset system parameter (eg, a dynamic range parameter).

In operation S306, the processor 180 may detect the outline of the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 may detect the outline 412 of the diagnosis target 410 from the ultrasound image 400 .

In operation S308 , the processor 180 may measure the depth of the diagnosis target based on the detected contour. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 , the depth from the surface of the object to the diagnostic object 410 in the ultrasound image 400 based on the detected contour 412 . (d ₁ ) can be measured.

In operation S310, the processor 180 may generate body shape information based on the measured depth. For example, the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 may generate depth information including the measured depth d ₁ as body shape information.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating thickness information as body shape information of an object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

In operation S502 , the receiver 160 may acquire an ultrasound echo signal from the ultrasound probe 110 . For example, the transmitter 150 may generate a transmission signal based on preset system parameters (eg, a depth parameter, a focus parameter, and a signal power parameter). Also, the ultrasound probe 110 receives a transmission signal from the transmitter 150 , converts the received transmission signal into an ultrasound signal, and transmits it to the object. Also, the ultrasound probe 110 may receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object. Furthermore, the receiver 160 receives the ultrasonic echo signal from the ultrasonic probe 110 , amplifies the ultrasonic echo signal based on a preset system parameter (eg, a gain parameter), and based on the amplified ultrasonic echo signal A digital signal can be generated.

In operation S504, the processor 180 may generate an ultrasound image of the object based on the digital signal. For example, the signal processing unit 181 of the processor 180 receives the digital signal from the receiving unit 160, and performs beamforming on the digital signal based on a preset system parameter (eg, a focus parameter) to receive it. A focus signal can be generated. Also, the image generator 182 of the processor 180 may generate an ultrasound image of the object by using the focused reception signal based on a preset system parameter (eg, a dynamic range parameter).

In operation S506 , the processor 180 may detect the contour of the fat layer in the ultrasound image. For example, the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 may detect the contour 611 of the fat layer 610 in the ultrasound image 600 as shown in FIG. 6 . In FIG. 6 , reference numeral 620 denotes a diagnosis target.

In operation S508 , the processor 180 may measure the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 measures the thickness d ₂ of the fat layer 610 based on the detected contour 611 of the fat layer 610 . can

In operation S510, the processor 180 may generate body shape information based on the measured thickness. For example, the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 may generate thickness information including the measured thickness d ₂ as body shape information.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of determining a system parameter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In operation S702, the processor 180 may determine a first reference diagnosis target corresponding to the diagnosis target of the object from among the plurality of reference diagnosis targets. For example, the parameter control unit 183 of the processor 180 receives input information for selecting a diagnosis target (eg, height) of an object through the user input unit 140 , and a plurality of reference diagnosis targets (eg, a height) (for example, liver, heart, kidney, blood vessel, etc.), the first reference diagnosis target corresponding to the received input information may be determined.

In operation S704 , the processor 180 may determine first mapping information (ie, first obesity grade-system parameter mapping information) corresponding to the first reference diagnosis target. For example, the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 may control the first obesity grade corresponding to the first reference diagnosis target (eg, height) among the obesity grade-system parameter mapping information stored in the storage 130 . - System parameter mapping information can be determined.

In step S706, the processor 180 may determine the obesity grade of the diagnosis target based on the calculated degree of obesity. For example, when the calculated obesity degree is 16 or more, the parameter controller 183 of the processor 180 determines the obesity grade of the diagnosis target as a very obesity grade, and when the calculated obesity degree is 8 to 10, the diagnostic target obesity grade The grade is determined as a normal grade, and when the calculated degree of obesity is 4 to 7, the obesity grade of the subject to be diagnosed may be determined as a slim grade.

According to an embodiment, when the degree of obesity calculated by the body fat measurement information (or BMI information) is different from the degree of obesity calculated by the depth information (or thickness information), the processor 180 is configured by the depth information (or thickness information). The calculated obesity grade may be determined. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

Optionally, the processor 180 may reset the determined obesity level of the diagnosis subject. For example, the processor 180 may display a plurality of user interfaces 810 to 850 indicating a plurality of obesity grades of a diagnosis target on the display unit 190 . In Fig. 8, reference numeral 810 denotes a user interface corresponding to a very slim grade, reference numeral 820 denotes a user interface corresponding to a slim grade, and reference numeral 830 denotes a user interface corresponding to a normal grade; Reference numeral 840 denotes a user interface corresponding to an obesity grade, and reference numeral 850 denotes a user interface corresponding to a very obesity grade. In addition, the processor 180 receives input information for selecting one user interface from among a plurality of user interfaces displayed on the display unit 190 through the user input unit 140 , and based on the received input information, the determined obesity grade can be reset.

In step S708 , the processor 180 may determine at least one system parameter related to the determined obesity grade based on the first obesity grade-system parameter mapping information. For example, when the obesity grade of the diagnosis object is a very obesity grade, the parameter control unit 183 of the processor 180 may control the first obesity grade-system parameter corresponding to the very obesity grade in the system parameter mapping information (eg, depth parameter, gain parameter, focus parameter, signal power parameter, dynamic range parameter) can be determined.

Although the above-described embodiment has been described as determining the obesity level of the subject to be diagnosed based on body shape information related to the subject to be diagnosed, the obesity level of the subject to be diagnosed may be determined based on input information. For example, the processor 180 displays the plurality of user interfaces 810 to 850 shown in FIG. 8 on the display unit 190, and the plurality of user interfaces ( 810 to 850) may receive input information for selecting any one user interface, and determine the obesity level of the diagnosis target based on the received input information.

In addition, although it has been described in the above-described embodiment that body shape information related to a diagnosis target of an object is acquired from an external electronic device or an ultrasound image of the target, body shape information may be acquired from target information stored in the storage unit 130 .

According to an example, the processor 180 generates an ultrasound image of the object and performs image processing (eg, contour detection processing) on the generated ultrasound image to detect the contour of the diagnosis target. In addition, the processor 180 generates diagnosis target prediction information for predicting a diagnosis target based on the detected contour, and extracts body shape information corresponding to the diagnosis target prediction information based on the target information stored in the storage unit 130 . can

According to another example, the processor 180 receives input information for selecting one of a plurality of diagnostic targets through the user input unit 140 , and receives input information based on the object information stored in the storage unit 130 . It is possible to extract body type information corresponding to .

Although the above method has been described through specific embodiments, the above method may also be implemented as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium is distributed in a computer system connected to a network, so that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the above embodiments can be easily inferred by programmers in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

Although the technical spirit of the present disclosure has been described by the examples shown in some embodiments and the accompanying drawings, it does not depart from the technical spirit and scope of the present disclosure that can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs It should be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and alterations within the scope may be made. Further, such substitutions, modifications, and alterations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

100: ultrasound system 110: ultrasound probe
120: communication circuit 130: storage unit
140: user input unit 150: transmitter
160: receiver 170: transmit/receive switch
180: processor 181: signal processing unit
182: image generation unit 183: parameter control unit
190: display unit

Claims (38)

A method of setting system parameters of an ultrasound system, comprising:
obtaining body shape information related to a diagnosis target of the subject;
calculating a degree of obesity related to a diagnosis target of the subject based on the body shape information;
Determining at least one system parameter mapped to the obesity grade corresponding to the calculated obesity degree based on the mapping information that maps each of the plurality of obesity grades and the plurality of system parameters set for each of the plurality of reference diagnosis objects ; and
setting the ultrasound system based on the determined system parameter
including,
Determining the at least one system parameter comprises:
determining a first reference diagnosis target corresponding to the diagnosis target from among the plurality of reference diagnosis targets;
determining first mapping information corresponding to the first reference diagnosis target;
determining the obesity grade of the diagnosis target based on the calculated degree of obesity; and
determining the at least one system parameter mapped to the determined obesity grade based on the first mapping information;
How to include. According to claim 1, wherein the system parameters are a depth parameter indicating a depth at which an ultrasound signal is transmitted and received, a gain parameter indicating a gain for amplifying an ultrasound echo signal, a focus parameter indicating a focus for focusing the ultrasound signal, and signal power of the ultrasound signal. A method comprising at least one of a signal power parameter indicating a signal power parameter and a dynamic range parameter indicating a dynamic range for adjusting the contrast of an ultrasound image. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the subject. According to claim 3, wherein the step of obtaining the body type information related to the diagnosis target of the subject,
Receiving the body fat measurement information from an external electronic device
How to include. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information includes depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of obtaining body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject comprises:
transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting an outline corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image;
measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object based on the detected contour; and
generating the depth information including the measured depth
How to include. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information includes thickness information of a fat layer in the object. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of obtaining body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject comprises:
transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting an outline of the fat layer from the ultrasound image;
measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour; and
generating the thickness information including the measured thickness
How to include. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to the diagnosis target of the subject and depth information from the surface of the subject to the diagnosis target. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of obtaining body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject comprises:
receiving the body fat measurement information from an external electronic device;
transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting an outline corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image;
measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object based on the detected contour; and
generating the depth information including the measured depth
How to include. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information comprises body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to the diagnosis target of the subject and information on the thickness of a fat layer in the subject. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of obtaining body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject comprises:
receiving the body fat measurement information from an external electronic device;
transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting an outline of the fat layer from the ultrasound image;
measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour; and
generating the thickness information including the measured thickness
How to include. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information includes body mass index (BMI) information including the height and weight of the object, and depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of obtaining body type information related to the diagnosis target of the subject comprises:
receiving the BMI information from an external electronic device;
transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting an outline corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image;
measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object based on the detected contour; and
generating the depth information including the measured depth
How to include. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body type information includes BMI information including height and weight of the object and thickness information of a fat layer in the object. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of obtaining body shape information related to the diagnosis target of the subject comprises:
receiving the BMI information from an external electronic device;
transmitting an ultrasound signal to the object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting an outline of the fat layer from the ultrasound image;
measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour; and
generating the thickness information including the measured thickness
How to include. delete According to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the obesity grade of the diagnosis target based on the calculated degree of obesity
Resetting the obesity grade of the diagnosis target
How to include more. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of resetting the obesity level of the diagnostic subject
displaying a plurality of user interfaces indicating a plurality of obesity grades of the diagnosis target on a display unit;
How to include. An ultrasound system comprising:
an ultrasound probe that transmits an ultrasound signal to an object and receives an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object;
a storage unit configured to store mapping information for mapping each of a plurality of obesity grades and a plurality of system parameters set for each of a plurality of reference diagnosis objects; and
Obtaining body shape information related to the target of the subject, calculating the degree of obesity related to the target of the target based on the body shape information, and at least mapped with an obesity grade corresponding to the calculated degree of obesity based on the mapping information A processor that determines one system parameter and configures the ultrasound system based on the determined system parameter
including,
The processor is
determining a first reference diagnosis target corresponding to the diagnosis target from among the plurality of reference diagnosis targets;
determining first mapping information corresponding to the first reference diagnosis target;
Determine the obesity grade of the diagnosis target based on the calculated degree of obesity,
and determine the at least one system parameter mapped to the determined obesity grade based on the first mapping information. The method of claim 20, wherein the system parameters are a depth parameter indicating a depth for transmitting and receiving an ultrasound signal, a gain parameter indicating a gain for amplifying an ultrasound echo signal, a focus parameter indicating a focus for focusing an ultrasound signal, and a signal power of the ultrasound signal. An ultrasound system comprising at least one of a signal power parameter representing a signal power parameter and a dynamic range parameter representing a dynamic range controlling a contrast of an ultrasound image. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes body fat measurement information including a body fat amount related to a diagnosis target of the subject. 23. The method of claim 22,
Communication circuit for receiving the body fat measurement information from an external electronic device
Ultrasound system further comprising a. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor
receiving an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image;
measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object based on the detected contour;
and generating the depth information including the measured depth. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes thickness information of a fat layer in the object. The method of claim 26, wherein the processor comprises:
receiving an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting the contour of the fat layer from the ultrasound image,
measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour;
generating the thickness information including the measured thickness. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to the object to be diagnosed and depth information from the surface of the object to the object to be diagnosed. 29. The method of claim 28,
Communication circuit for receiving the body fat measurement information from an external electronic device
further comprising,
the processor is
receiving an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image;
measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object based on the detected contour;
and generating the depth information including the measured depth. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes body fat measurement information including an amount of body fat related to a diagnosis target of the object and thickness information of a fat layer in the object. 31. The method of claim 30,
Communication circuit for receiving the body fat measurement information from an external electronic device
further comprising,
The processor is
receiving an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting the contour of the fat layer from the ultrasound image,
measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour;
generating the thickness information including the measured thickness. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes BMI information including the height and weight of the object, and depth information from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object. 33. The method of claim 32,
Communication circuit for receiving the BMI information from an external electronic device
further comprising,
The processor is
receiving an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting a contour corresponding to the diagnosis target from the ultrasound image;
measuring a depth from the surface of the object to the diagnosis object based on the detected contour;
and generating the depth information including the measured depth. The ultrasound system of claim 20 , wherein the body type information includes BMI information including height and weight of the object and thickness information of a fat layer in the object. 35. The method of claim 34,
Communication circuit for receiving the BMI information from an external electronic device
further comprising,
The processor is
receiving an ultrasound echo signal related to the object from the ultrasound probe;
generating an ultrasound image of the object based on the ultrasound echo signal;
detecting the contour of the fat layer from the ultrasound image,
measuring the thickness of the fat layer based on the detected contour;
generating the thickness information including the measured thickness. delete The ultrasound system of claim 20, wherein the processor resets the obesity level of the diagnosis target. The ultrasound system of claim 37, wherein the processor displays a plurality of user interfaces indicating a plurality of obesity grades of the diagnosis target on the display unit.

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