KR102615722B1 - Ultrasound scanner and method of guiding aim - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aiming guide method in an ultrasound scanner. The ultrasound scanner uses three-dimensional ultrasonic scanning of a measurement object such as the bladder to measure the volume of the bladder, and is an aiming guide that allows the aiming center of the measurement object to be accurately positioned at the center of an aiming frame representing the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe. It is designed to guide the aiming direction and angle of the measurement object through images. The aiming guide image includes an aiming frame in which the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and the center position of the measurement area are displayed, an aiming outline for the measurement object indicated in the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame, and the aiming center coordinates are converted to the center position of the aiming frame. It is characterized by displaying aiming guide information for movement. The ultrasound scanner according to the present invention provides an aiming guide image including aiming guide information of the ultrasound probe, allowing the operator to accurately aim at the measurement location, and as a result, urinary capacity in the bladder can be measured more accurately.

Description

Ultrasound scanner and method of guiding aim in an ultrasound scanner {Ultrasound scanner and method of guiding aim}

The present invention relates to an aiming guide method in an ultrasound scanner. More specifically, in measuring the volume of the bladder by three-dimensional ultrasonic scanning of a measurement object such as the bladder, the aiming center for the measurement object is the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic scanner and an aiming guide method in the ultrasonic scanner that improve the accuracy of measurement by configuring it to guide the aiming direction and angle of the measurement object through an aiming guide image that allows accurate positioning in the center of the frame. It's about.

In general, an ultrasonic system emits an ultrasonic signal to an object to be inspected by the piezoelectric effect of the transducer, and as a result, receives an ultrasonic signal that is reflected and returned from the discontinuous surface of the object, and then converts the received ultrasonic signal into an electrical signal. It is a system that inspects the internal state of an object by converting it into a video and outputting it to a certain imaging device. These ultrasonic systems are widely used for medical diagnosis, non-destructive testing, underwater navigation devices, etc.

Meanwhile, measuring the amount of urine in the bladder is used as an essential element when examining bladder abnormalities or urinary disorders. In addition, in order to prevent urinary retention that may occur after surgery, the amount of urine in the bladder is measured prior to urination using a catheter, and the amount of urine in the bladder is also measured and used as a guideline in urination training.

Figure 1 is a photograph of a conventional ultrasound scanner for bladder using ultrasound. Referring to FIG. 1, a typical ultrasound scanner includes an ultrasound probe that acquires an ultrasound signal for a test object, and a control device that processes the ultrasound signal provided from the ultrasound probe to provide ultrasound images and information on urine capacity measured as the volume of the bladder. Includes.

The ultrasound scanner for bladder using the above-described ultrasound obtains a two-dimensional ultrasound image of the fan-shaped scan surface including the bladder from a fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound image, calculates the cross-sectional area or radius of the bladder from the two-dimensional ultrasound image, and obtains the cross-sectional area or radius of the bladder from the two-dimensional ultrasound image. This is used to estimate the volume of the bladder and calculate the amount of urine in the bladder. In addition, other types of ultrasound diagnostic equipment obtain two-dimensional ultrasound images of a fan-shaped scan surface containing the bladder in multiple directions to improve measurement accuracy, and use ultrasound images in multiple directions to obtain 3-dimensional ultrasound images. A 3D ultrasound image is generated and the volume of the bladder is estimated using this to calculate the amount of urine in the bladder.

In this process, when the ultrasound probe is accurately aimed at the center of the bladder, the two-dimensional cross-sectional areas of the bladder can be measured more accurately, and the volume of the bladder can also be estimated more accurately. If the center of the ultrasound probe extracts the two-dimensional cross-sectional area of the bladder area from an area that deviates from the center of the bladder, a problem occurs in which the bladder volume cannot be accurately estimated. In other words, when extracting the bladder area, the extracted bladder area changes depending on the position and direction of the ultrasound probe, and as a result, not only does the estimated bladder volume change, but also a problem occurs in which the urine volume in the bladder cannot be accurately measured. do.

Therefore, in order to accurately measure intravesical urine volume, the ultrasound scanner is required to be positioned so that the center of the aiming frame representing the measurement area of the ultrasound probe is toward the center of the bladder, which is the measurement object.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0779548 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1263285 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1874613

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides aiming guide information for the ultrasound probe so that the aiming center for the bladder, which is a measurement object, is located at the center of the aiming frame indicating the measurement area of the ultrasound probe, thereby accurately measuring the volume of the bladder. The purpose is to provide an ultrasound scanner that allows measurement.

An ultrasonic scanner according to the first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-described technical problem includes an ultrasonic probe that transmits an ultrasonic signal and receives an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from a measurement object; an inertial sensor mounted on the ultrasonic probe to detect and provide inertial sensor data including directional information consisting of a tilt angle and direction of the ultrasonic probe; and acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images using the ultrasonic probe, generating and providing aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe using the acquired two-dimensional ultrasound images and inertial sensor data, and measuring the center of the aiming frame. A control unit that acquires a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasonic images of the measurement object when the aiming center for the object coincides and extracts three-dimensional information about the measurement object; an ultrasonic probe for the measurement object for accurate measurement of the measurement object. Provides aiming guide information.

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first feature described above, the control unit drives the ultrasound probe at the current position and direction of the ultrasound probe to acquire a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images for 3D ultrasound scan. module; Acquire a plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound images using the 2-dimensional scan image acquisition module, and generate aiming guide information of an ultrasonic probe for a measurement object using the acquired plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound images and the inertial sensor data. and an aiming guide module that outputs an aiming guide image including aiming guide information on a display; A measurement object position adjustment module that determines whether the center of the aiming frame in the aiming guide image matches the aiming center coordinates of the measurement object, and, if so, provides position confirmation alarm information in a preset form; According to the position confirmation alarm information, a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images for 3D ultrasound scanning are acquired using the two-dimensional scan image acquisition module, and a three-dimensional image of the measurement object is obtained using the acquired plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images. It is desirable to have a 3D information extraction module to extract information.

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first feature described above, the aiming guide module acquires a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images for a 3D ultrasound scan using the two-dimensional scan image acquisition unit, and the obtained plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images Extract the location information of the measurement object from the images, combine the location information of the measurement object extracted from the two-dimensional ultrasound images, and project it onto the aiming frame to obtain the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object. , displays the aiming outline for the measurement object on the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame, uses inertial sensor data to extract aiming guide information for moving the aiming center for the measurement object to the center of the aiming frame, and aims the aiming guide. It is desirable to display and provide the aiming guide information on the image.

In the ultrasonic scanner according to the above-described first feature, the aiming guide image includes an aiming frame in which the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and the center position of the measurement area are displayed, and the aiming frame for the measurement object indicated in the aiming center coordinates for the measurement object. An outline and aiming guide information for moving the displayed aiming outline to the center position of the aiming frame are displayed, and the aiming guide information is an ultrasonic probe required to move the aiming center coordinates for the measurement object to the center position of the aiming frame. It is desirable to include the tilt angle and tilt direction.

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first feature described above, the measurement object is preferably a bladder, and the three-dimensional information about the measurement object is preferably the volume of the bladder.

The ultrasound scanner according to the present invention having the above-described configuration provides an aiming guide image including the aiming guide information of the ultrasound probe, allowing the operator to accurately aim at the measurement location, and as a result, urinary capacity in the bladder is measured more accurately. You can do it.

Figure 1 is a photograph of a conventional ultrasound scanner for bladder using ultrasound.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing how to move the ultrasonic probe in the ultrasonic scanner according to the present invention.
Figures 3 and 4 exemplarily show aiming guide images in the ultrasound scanner according to the present invention.
Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a flowchart sequentially showing the operations of the aiming guide module and the measurement object position adjustment module of the control unit in the ultrasonic scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 shows a fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional image in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 shows the process of obtaining an aiming outline by combining the positional information of points extracted from 12 fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional images and projecting them onto an aiming frame in the ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic diagram shown for explanation.
Figure 9 shows an aiming guide image in which an aiming outline of a measurement object is displayed on an aiming frame in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasound scanner according to the present invention is a scanner that measures and provides three-dimensional information about the measurement object, such as volume or volume, using a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional images. In particular, the volume of the bladder determined according to the amount of urine. It can be used as an ultrasound scanner for bladder measurement that measures and provides . Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of an ultrasonic scanner capable of providing aiming guidance for an ultrasonic probe according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing how to move the ultrasonic probe in the ultrasonic scanner according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the operator fixes the cap measurement area of the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound scanner on the patient's abdomen corresponding to the measurement object, and performs a 3D ultrasound scan while rotating the ultrasound probe like a joystick. By this ultrasonic scan, aiming guide images according to the present invention are output on the display.

Figures 3 and 4 exemplarily show aiming guide images in the ultrasound scanner according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the aiming guide image according to the present invention displays an aiming frame (302) in which the measurement area 300 of the ultrasonic probe and the center 310 of the cross-shaped measurement area are displayed, and in the aiming frame An aiming outline 320 for the measurement object is displayed, and aiming guide information 330 that allows moving the aiming center coordinates for the measurement object to the center position of the aiming frame is displayed in the form of an arrow. In Figures 3 (a) and (b), the measurement object is on the right side of the aiming frame, and the direction and size of the arrow, which is aiming guide information, are those of the ultrasonic probe necessary to match the aiming center for the measurement object and the center of the aiming frame. Indicates the direction and size of tilt adjustment.

Figure 4 shows that the aiming center for the measurement object is at the center of the aiming frame, and the aiming center for the measurement object and the center of the aiming frame coincide with each other. In Figures 3 (a) and (b), the aiming center for the measurement object and the center of the aiming frame do not coincide with each other, so the measurement object is displayed in red, which is the preset first color, and Figure 4 shows the measurement object in red, which is the first color. This is a case where the aiming center and the center of the aiming frame coincide with each other, and the measurement object is displayed in green, which is a preset second color. In this way, the aiming guide image outputs the measurement object in different colors depending on whether the aiming center of the measurement object matches the center of the aiming frame, allowing the operator to visually and intuitively easily determine whether the center matches. It is desirable. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, when the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object coincide with each other more than a certain standard, the arrows disappear and the measurement object is expressed in green.

The ultrasonic scanner according to the present invention for performing the above-described functions includes an ultrasonic probe, an inertial sensor, a display unit, and a control unit. The ultrasonic probe has an ultrasonic transducer built into one end, transmits an ultrasonic signal, receives an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the measurement object, and provides it to the control unit. The inertial sensor is mounted on the ultrasonic probe and detects and provides inertial sensor data including orientation information consisting of the tilt angle and direction of the ultrasonic probe. The control unit acquires a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasonic cross-sectional images having a fan shape for 3D ultrasonic scanning using the ultrasonic probe, and uses the acquired two-dimensional ultrasonic images and inertial sensor data to obtain aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe. is generated and provided, and when the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object match, a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images of the measurement object are acquired to extract three-dimensional information about the measurement object.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 50 is provided with a 2D scan image acquisition module 500, an aiming guide module 510, a measurement object position adjustment module 520, and a 3D information extraction module 530, so as to adjust the aiming accuracy of the ultrasonic probe. By increasing , it becomes possible to measure three-dimensional information about the measurement object more accurately.

The 2D scan image acquisition module 500 acquires a plurality of 2D ultrasound images by driving the ultrasound probe at the current position and direction of the ultrasound probe. At this time, the plurality of ultrasound images may be sequentially acquired at certain angles while rotating based on the measurement position of the ultrasound probe.

The aiming guide module 510 outputs an aiming guide image to the display unit. The aiming guide image includes an aiming frame showing the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and the center of the measurement area, an aiming outline for the measurement object indicated in the aiming center coordinates for the measurement object, and aiming guide information. do. The operator adjusts the angle and direction of the inclination of the ultrasonic probe according to the aiming guide information of the aiming guide image.

The measurement object position adjustment module 520 determines whether the center of the aiming frame in the aiming guide image matches the aiming center of the measurement object, and if they match, outputs a position confirmation alarm in a preset form and performs 3 described later. The dimensional information extraction module is executed to perform ultrasonic scanning of the measurement object. A detailed description of the operations of the above-described aiming guide module 510 and the measurement object position adjustment module 520 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 .

When the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object match, the 3D information extraction module 530 acquires a plurality of 2D ultrasound images for 3D ultrasound scanning using the 2D scan image acquisition module, Three-dimensional information about the measurement object is extracted using the obtained plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images. As described above, when the ultrasound scanner according to the present invention is an ultrasound scanner for bladder measurement, the measurement object may be the bladder, and the three-dimensional information may be the volume of the bladder. The operation of the 3D information extraction module is to obtain the volume or volume of the bladder, which is the object of measurement, from ultrasound images. Various methods for implementing this are widely known to those skilled in the art, and embodiments are described in detail in prior art literature, so this It is not specifically described in the invention specification.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the operations of the aiming guide module 510 and the measurement object position adjustment module 520 among the control units of the above-described ultrasound scanner according to the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 6 is a flowchart sequentially showing the operations of the aiming guide module and the measurement object position adjustment module of the control unit in the ultrasonic scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the aiming guide module 510 acquires a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images from different angles using the two-dimensional scan image acquisition module (step 600). Next, raw aiming is performed on the measurement object using the acquired plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images, and the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object are obtained (step 610). The specific process of obtaining the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object according to the present invention will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

Next, the measurement object position adjustment module 520 sets an aiming frame indicating the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and the center of the measurement area expressed in a cross shape, and coordinates the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object. Determine whether they match each other (step 620),

If, in step 620, the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object do not match, the aiming outline of the measuring object is displayed in a preset first color at the aiming center coordinates of the measuring object in the aiming guide image. (Step 640), using the orientation information of the ultrasonic probe provided from the inertial sensor, aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the measurement object is generated, and the aiming guide information with respect to the measurement object is displayed on the aiming guide image (step 642) ). At this time, in order to generate aiming guide information, the separation distance between the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center position for the measurement object is calculated, the moving direction is extracted considering the orientation information of the ultrasonic probe, and the separation distance and moving direction are calculated. After calculating the tilt adjustment angle and direction of the corresponding ultrasonic probe, aiming guide information including the tilt adjustment angle and direction of the ultrasonic probe is provided in the form of an arrow.

Therefore, the aiming guide image displays the aiming outline and aiming guide information for the measurement object on the aiming frame. The operator adjusts the angle and direction of the inclination of the ultrasonic probe according to the aiming guide information of the aiming guide image.

Next, the movement of the ultrasonic probe is continuously measured using an inertial sensor (step 644), and additional aiming is performed using the inertial sensor data to change the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object (step 646). Return to step 620.

If, in step 620, the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object coincide, and the corresponding aiming is raw aiming, execution of the 3D information extraction module 530 to extract 3D information about the measurement object Request and end.

If, in step 620, the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object coincide, and the corresponding aiming is not the original aiming, the outline of the measurement object in the aiming guide image is displayed in a preset second color (step 650), if the center matching state is maintained for a preset time (e.g., about 2 seconds) (step 652), an alarm sound is output and the process returns to step 600. Meanwhile, if the center matching state is not maintained for a preset time (e.g., about 2 seconds), the process returns to step 644.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, a process by which the aiming guide module 510 obtains the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object will be described. Figure 7 shows a fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional image in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 shows that in the ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positional information of points extracted from 12 fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional images are combined and projected onto the aiming frame to create an aiming outline for the measurement object. This is a schematic diagram showing the process of obtaining it. Figure 9 shows an aiming guide image in which a measurement object is displayed on an aiming frame in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images are acquired using the two-dimensional scan image acquisition unit, and the outermost points on the left and right sides of the bladder are selected from the obtained plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images, respectively. , acquire location information about selected outer points, combine the location information of a plurality of measurement objects obtained from two-dimensional ultrasound images, and then project them onto the aiming frame to obtain an aiming outline for the measurement object, and obtain an aiming outline Obtain the aiming center coordinates, which are the center coordinates of .

Next, using the orientation information of the ultrasonic probe, aiming guide information for moving the aiming center of the measurement object to the center of the aiming frame representing the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe is extracted, and the aiming guide information is applied to the aiming guide image. It is indicated and provided.

The aiming guide image includes an aiming frame in which the measuring area of the ultrasonic probe and the center position of the cross-shaped measuring area are displayed, an aiming outline for the measurement object displayed at the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame, and the center of the displayed measurement object. Aiming guide information for moving to the center position of the aiming frame is displayed. The aiming guide information includes the tilt adjustment angle and tilt adjustment direction of the ultrasonic probe required to move the aiming outline of the measurement object to the center position of the aiming frame representing the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe.

The ultrasonic scanner according to the present invention having the above-described configuration displays the aiming outline of the measurement object on the aiming frame and simultaneously displays aiming guide information, allowing the operator to guide the aiming direction of the ultrasonic probe. As a result, it is easy for the operator to match the center of the ultrasonic probe with the aiming center of the measurement object, and thus can measure three-dimensional information about the measurement object more accurately.

Although the present invention has been described above with a focus on preferred embodiments, this is only an example and does not limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art will understand that it does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the present invention. It will be apparent that various modifications and applications not exemplified above are possible within the scope. In addition, these variations and differences in application should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

50: control unit
500: 2D scan image acquisition module
510: Aiming guide module
520: Measurement object position adjustment module
530: 3D information extraction module
300: Measuring area of ultrasonic probe
310: Center line of measurement area
302: Aiming Frame
320: Aiming outline for measurement object
330: Aiming guide information

Claims (6)

An ultrasonic probe that transmits an ultrasonic signal and receives an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the measurement object;
an inertial sensor mounted on the ultrasonic probe to detect and provide inertial sensor data including probe orientation information consisting of a tilt angle and direction of the ultrasonic probe; and
Acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images using the ultrasonic probe, generating and providing aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe using the acquired two-dimensional ultrasonic images and inertial sensor data provided from an inertial sensor, and generating and providing aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe. When the center of the aiming frame representing the measurement area matches the aiming center of the measurement object, a control unit that acquires a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images of the measurement object and extracts three-dimensional information about the measurement object;
An ultrasonic scanner capable of providing aiming guidance for a measurement object, characterized in that it provides aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe for the measurement object for accurate measurement of the measurement object. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit:
A two-dimensional scan image acquisition module that acquires a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images by driving the ultrasound probe at the current position and direction of the ultrasound probe;
Acquire a plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound images using the 2-dimensional scan image acquisition module, and generate aiming guide information of an ultrasonic probe for a measurement object using the acquired plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound images and the inertial sensor data. and an aiming guide module that outputs an aiming guide image including aiming guide information on a display;
a measurement object position adjustment module that determines whether the center of the aiming frame in the aiming guide image matches the aiming center coordinates of the measurement object;
When the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center coordinates of the measurement object match, a plurality of 2D ultrasound images are acquired using the 2D scan image acquisition module, and measurement is performed using the acquired plurality of 2D ultrasound images. A 3D information extraction module that extracts 3D information about an object;
An ultrasonic scanner capable of providing aiming guidance for a measurement object, characterized in that it has a. The method of claim 2, wherein the aiming guide module,
Acquire a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images using the two-dimensional scan image acquisition module,
Extract location information of the measurement object from the obtained plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound images, combine the position information of the measurement object extracted from the two-dimensional ultrasound images, and obtain the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object. ,
Displaying an aiming outline for the measurement object at the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame,
Using inertial sensor data, extract aiming guide information for moving the aiming center of the measurement object to the center of the aiming frame,
An ultrasound scanner capable of providing aiming guidance for a measurement object, characterized in that the aiming guide information is displayed and provided on an aiming guide image. The method of claim 3, wherein the aiming guide image is,
An aiming frame in which the measuring area of the ultrasonic probe and the center position of the measuring area are displayed, an aiming outline for the measurement object displayed in the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame, and an aiming frame for moving the displayed aiming center coordinates to the center position of the aiming frame. An ultrasonic scanner capable of providing aiming guidance for a measurement object, characterized by displaying guide information. The method of claim 1, wherein the aiming guide information is
An ultrasonic scanner capable of providing an aiming guide for a measurement object, comprising a tilt adjustment angle and a tilt adjustment direction of the ultrasonic probe required to move the aiming center coordinates of the measurement object to the center position of the aiming frame. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement object is a bladder,
An ultrasound scanner capable of providing aiming guidance for a measurement object, wherein the three-dimensional information about the measurement object is the volume of the bladder.