KR20150134299A - Ultrasound apparatus and method for providing information using the ultrasound apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, disclosed are an information providing method which obtains identification information showing a target and uses pre-stored guide data about the target determined based on the identification information to provide information about a scan operation to a user, an ultrasound device, and a recording medium.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound apparatus,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic apparatus for providing information on a scanning method to a user and an information providing method of the ultrasonic apparatus.

The ultrasonic apparatus generates an ultrasonic signal by using a probe with respect to a predetermined area inside the object (generally, 20 kHz or more), and obtains an image of a part inside the object using the information of the reflected echo signal. In particular, the ultrasonic device is used for medical purposes such as detecting foreign substances inside the object, measuring and observing the injury. Such an ultrasonic device is advantageous in that it is more stable than X-ray, can display in real time, and is safe because there is no radiation exposure, so that it can be used as an X-ray diagnostic device, a CT (Computerized Tomography) MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) It is widely used with other imaging diagnostic devices.

When diagnosing a target object using a probe, the user needs to remember the scan position and direction according to the type of the probe and the target object. Particularly, the resolution of the ultrasound image changes depending on the direction of the ultrasound signal transmitted from the probe to the target object, and shading may occur in the ultrasound image of the target object. Therefore, the user must remember or know in advance the scanning method that can efficiently scan the object.

The method includes obtaining identification information indicating a target object to be scanned by the probe; Acquiring guide data that includes information on a scan operation of the object determined based on the identification information and is stored in advance corresponding to the object; And providing the user with information about the scan operation using the guide data.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of acquiring identification information includes receiving a user input for selecting an object, and acquiring identification information based on a user input.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of acquiring the identification information includes acquiring the identification information based on at least one of the ultrasonic data of the object received by the probe and the spatial position data of the probe .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide data includes at least one of a scan position, a scan angle, a scan direction, and a scan axis of a target object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the providing step includes displaying at least one of an example image, an example image, and a notification message of a scan operation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the providing step may include outputting at least one of voice data, a warning sound, and a notification message for a scan operation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the providing step includes vibrating the probe for a predetermined period of time.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the providing step includes providing information on an institution or a journal related to information on a scan operation, together with information on a scan operation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for displaying an ultrasound image, the method comprising: displaying an ultrasound image based on ultrasound data of a target object received through a probe together with information on a scan operation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method includes: outputting information on a target object determined by identification information; And receiving a user input for establishing the determined object.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a probe for scanning a target object; A target object determination unit for obtaining identification information indicating a target object and determining a target object based on the identification information; A storage unit for previously storing guide data including information on a scan operation of a determined object corresponding to a target object; And a control unit that acquires the guide data from the storage unit and provides information on the scan operation to the user using the guide data.

There is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an information providing method for solving the above technical problem.

The present invention may be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which reference numerals refer to structural elements.
1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flow chart illustrating an information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining a scanning direction of a probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a scan operation for a tibia and a fibula, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a scan action on the heart and the Nuchal translucency of the fetus, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a scan operation for a brain of a newborn in connection with an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of outputting a visual notification message or an audible notification message according to the movement of the probe, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of displaying an ultrasound image of a target object together with information on a scan operation, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

"Ultrasound image" and " ultrasound image " in the specification mean an image of a target object obtained by using an ultrasound signal. An object can mean a part of the body. For example, the object may include an organs such as liver, heart, nuchal translucency, brain, breast, abdomen, or fetus. Further, the object is not limited to a part of the body but includes all objects capable of acquiring ultrasound data using a probe.

Ultrasonic images can be implemented in various ways. For example, the ultrasound image may be at least one of an A-mode (amplitude mode) image, a B-mode (brightness mode) image, a C-mode (color mode) image, and a D-mode (Doppler mode) image. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound image may be a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image.

Throughout the specification, the term "user" may be, but is not limited to, a medical professional such as a doctor, nurse, medical laboratory technologist, sonographer or the like.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

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

1 is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasound system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasound system 100 may include an ultrasound data acquisition unit 110, a target object determination unit 120, a storage unit 130, a control unit 140, and a user interface 150. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic device 100 may further include other general configurations.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to a device capable of acquiring ultrasound data by scanning an object using ultrasonic waves and providing information about a scan operation of the object to the user.

The ultrasonic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in various forms. For example, the ultrasound device 100 described herein may be implemented in the form of a mobile terminal as well as a stationary terminal. Examples of mobile terminals include a PACS viewer, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a PDA, a tablet PC, and the like.

Hereinafter, the components included in the ultrasonic apparatus 100 will be described in order.

The ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 acquires ultrasound data for a target object. The ultrasound data according to an embodiment of the present invention may be two-dimensional ultrasound data on a target object or three-dimensional ultrasound data. In addition, the ultrasonic data may include Doppler data, which is data representing the motion of the object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 includes a probe (not shown) for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals and a beam former (not shown) for performing ultrasound signal transmission focusing and receiving focusing can do. The probe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one of 1D (Dimension), 1.5D, and 2D (matrix) probes, and the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 may include one or more probes have.

The ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 not only acquires ultrasound data directly by scanning an object using transmission and reception of ultrasound signals, but also acquires previously obtained ultrasound data from another device or an external server have.

That is, the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 may receive the ultrasound data by wire or wireless using one or more components for communicating between the ultrasound device 100 and the external device. For example, the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 may acquire ultrasound data using a local communication module, a mobile communication module, a wireless Internet module, a wired Internet module, and the like.

Meanwhile, the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 may acquire ultrasound data from a hospital server or a cloud server via a medical image information system (PACS), as well as an external device, by wire or wirelessly.

The object determining unit 120 determines an object to be scanned by the probe. That is, the object determining unit 120 can determine an object to which the probe transmits the ultrasonic signal and receives the reflected echo signal. For example, the object determining unit 120 may determine any one of various pre-stored objects such as a heart, a nuchal translucency (NT), and a brain.

On the other hand, the object determining unit 120 can obtain the identification information and determine the object based on the identification information. The identification information may mean information indicating an object to which the probe is to be scanned. The identification information may be included in at least one of the user input, the ultrasonic data, and the position data of the probe. That is, the object determining unit 120 may receive the identification information from the ultrasound data obtaining unit 110 as well as the identification information input by the user.

The identification information based on the user input may be first described. The identification information on the basis of the user input received through the input unit 152 of the user interface 150, which will be described later, may be obtained by the object determination unit 120. That is, the object determining unit 120 can obtain identification information about the object under diagnosis, which is received via the input unit 152 from the user who diagnoses the object using the probe. For example, when the user selects one of the objects from the list of objects via the input unit 152, the object determining unit 120 extracts the identification information, which is information on the object, from the user input received through the input unit 152 Can be extracted.

Describing the identification information received from the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110, the object determination unit 120 can acquire the identification information based on at least one of the ultrasonic data received from the object and the spatial position data of the probe.

For example, when the probe scans an object and acquires ultrasonic data by the ultrasonic data acquiring unit 110, the object determining unit 120 may analyze the ultrasonic data received in real time to acquire the identification information. That is, when the ultrasound data includes information on the object, the object determining unit 120 may extract the identification information from the ultrasound data.

Further, when the ultrasonic device 100 includes a plurality of position sensors, the plurality of sensors can sense the spatial position of the probe. Accordingly, the object determining unit 120 can obtain the identification information indicating the object to be scanned at present from the position data indicating the position of the probe grasped by the sensor.

Further, the object determining unit 120 may determine the object using both the user input and the ultrasonic data described above. That is, the object determining unit 120 determines the object based on the identification information obtained from the ultrasound data and / or the position data, and transmits information about the determined object to the video output unit 154 and the audio output unit 156 Can be output. Subsequently, when the input unit 152 receives the user input for confirming or changing the object, the object determining unit 120 can determine the object by further considering the user input.

The storage unit 130 stores the guide data in advance in association with the object. That is, the storage unit 130 may classify the guide data including the information about the scan operation of the target object by object and store the classified guide data in advance. On the other hand, the guide data is data including general information about a scan operation for a target object as well as a method for scanning the target object. The storage unit 130 may store the guide data corresponding to each object.

For example, the storage unit 130 may store and store guide data including information on how to scan the neck bolt NT with neck bolts. Similarly, the storage unit 130 may store and store guide data including information on how to scan a heart and operation, to the heart.

On the other hand, the guide data may include general information related to the scan of the object, as described above. For example, the guide data may include information about at least one of an angle at which the probe scans the object, a scanning direction, and a scan axis. Also, the guide data is not limited thereto, and may include various information related to the scan operation of the corresponding object.

The guide data can include information on the above-described scan operation as various types of data. For example, the guide data may include not only visual data such as image data, moving picture data, pop-up message data, but also auditory data such as voice data, beep data, and voice message data. Further, the guide data may include information about an institution or a journal, which is a source from which information on the scan operation is provided, together with information on the scan operation.

Furthermore, the guide data may also include program information such as instructions, command syntax, and software. For example, the guide data may include program information for controlling various configurations included in the ultrasonic apparatus 100, such as an instruction to vibrate the probe for a predetermined period of time or an instruction to blink a light source provided on the probe.

The storage unit 130 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory, etc.) ), A random access memory (SRAM), a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM) A magnetic disk, and / or an optical disk. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may also operate a web storage or a cloud server that performs a storage function of the storage unit 130 on the Internet.

The control unit 140 provides information on the scan operation to the user using the guide data. That is, the control unit 140 acquires the guide data for the object determined by the object determining unit 120 from the storage unit 130, and provides various information to the user using the obtained guide data. That is, the control unit 140 can provide various information related to the scan operation of the target object through the image output unit 154 and the sound output unit 156 included in the user interface 150, which will be described later.

For example, the control unit 140 can display information about the scan operation to the user through the video output unit 154 using the above-described visual guide data. In addition, the controller 140 may output information on the scan operation to the user through the audio output unit 156 using the audio guide data described above. Also, the controller 140 may vibrate the probe included in the ultrasound data acquisition unit 110 using guide data including a command to vibrate the probe.

The user interface 150 includes an input unit 152 for receiving an external input from a user, an image output unit 154 for displaying an ultrasound image and information on the above-described scan operation to the user, And an audio output unit 156 for outputting audio.

The input unit 152 means means for inputting information and data for controlling the ultrasonic apparatus 100 to the ultrasonic apparatus 100 by the user. The input unit 152 can receive various kinds of control inputs from the user and can receive, for example, a touch input.

The input unit 152 may include a key pad, a track ball, a mouse, a dome switch, a touch pad (a contact type capacitance type, a pressure type resistive film type, an infrared ray detection type, , An integrated tension measuring method, a piezo effect method, etc.), a touch panel, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like, but is not limited thereto. In particular, the input unit 152 may include a touch screen having a layer structure with the image output unit 154, which will be described later.

The touch screen can be configured to detect not only a real-touch but also a proximity touch. In this specification, the term "real-touch" refers to a case where a pointer is actually touched on the screen, and "proximity-touch" , But approaches a predetermined distance from the screen. In this specification, a pointer is a tool for touching or touching a specific portion of a displayed screen. Examples include a stylus pen, a finger, and the like.

Although not shown in the drawings, various sensors may be provided inside or near the touch screen to detect touch or proximity touch of the touch screen. An example of a sensor for sensing the touch of the touch screen is a tactile sensor. A tactile sensor is a sensor that detects the contact of a specific object with a degree or more that a person feels. The tactile sensor can detect various information such as the roughness of the contact surface, the rigidity of the contact object, and the temperature of the contact point.

In addition, a proximity sensor is an example of a sensor for sensing the touch of the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. Examples of proximity sensors include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

The input unit 152 can receive various types of touch inputs from the user. The user input detected by the input unit 152 may be a tap, a touch & hold, a double tap, a drag, a drag & drop, a swipe ), And the like.

The video output unit 154 can display and output information processed by the ultrasonic apparatus 100. [ For example, the video output unit 154 may display an ultrasound image of a target object on a screen, and may display a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to function setting.

The image output unit 154 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display A 3D display, and an electrophoretic display. The ultrasound system 100 may include two or more image output units 154 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When the video output unit 154 and the input unit 152 described above have a layer structure and are configured as a touch screen, the video output unit 154 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output unit 156 outputs the information processed in the ultrasonic apparatus 100 by sound. The sound output unit 156 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like, and may output various kinds of audio data such as voice data and a warning sound.

Hereinafter, an information providing method of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 using the configuration included in the ultrasonic apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the ultrasonic apparatus 100, the ultrasonic data acquisition unit 110, the object determination unit 120, the storage unit 130, the control unit 140, and the user interface 150 ) In a time-series manner. Therefore, it will be understood that the contents described above with respect to the configurations shown in FIG. 1 apply to the flow chart shown in FIG. 2, even if omitted from the following description.

In step S210, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 acquires the identification information. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may acquire identification information by user input, or may acquire identification information from at least one of the ultrasonic data and the position data of the probe.

In the case of identification information by user input, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may acquire identification information from a user input for selecting any one of the plurality of object lists. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may obtain identification information indicating a target object selected by the user. On the other hand, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may acquire identification information indicating a target object to be scanned, based on at least one of the ultrasonic data obtained by scanning the object and the position data of the probe sensed using the plurality of position sensors have.

In step S230, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 determines a target object. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can determine the object to be scanned by the probe, based on the identification information obtained in step S210.

In step S250, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 acquires the guide data. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can acquire the guide data previously stored corresponding to the object determined in step S230. As described above, the guide data may include information about a scan operation for a target object, and may include information about at least one of a scan position, a scan angle, a scan direction, and a scan axis.

In step S270, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 provides information on the scan operation to the user. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display or output information on the scan operation included in the guide data using the guide data obtained in step S250. Alternatively, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can guide the user's scanning operation through various methods, such as vibrating the probe or flashing the light source based on commands or programs included in the guide data.

Accordingly, the ultrasonic device 100 senses the object and provides information on the scanning operation, so that the user of the ultrasonic device 100 does not need to store the scanning operation for each object. That is, when the user of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 performs the scan as guided by the ultrasonic apparatus 100, it is possible to diagnose the object through the efficient and highly accurate ultrasonic image.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the scanning direction of the probe 300, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probe 300 shown in FIG. 3 includes a plurality of transducers 310, and the probe 300 controls one or more transducers 310 to transmit ultrasound signals.

On the other hand, the user of the ultrasonic apparatus 100 scans the object while moving the probe 300. Hereinafter, the scanning direction in which the probe 300 is moved will be described in detail.

First, a direction in which an ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the probe 300 is referred to as an axial direction (Axial Direction) 320. Next, the direction in which the plurality of transducers 310 of the probe 300 are arranged is referred to as a lateral direction (330). For convenience of explanation, a probe 300 in the form of a linear array is shown, but a probe in the form of a phased array or a convex array is also the same. Finally, the direction in which the probe 300 is lifted is referred to as a vertical direction (Elevational Direction 340).

The information on the scan direction described above can be included in the guide data described in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may store information on the scan direction, which is information on how to move the probe in a certain direction and diagnose the target object, in advance in the guide data.

Meanwhile, the guide data may include information about at least one of a scan position, a scan direction, a scan angle, and a scan axis as described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.

First, the scan position refers to a position where the probe closely contacts the body to diagnose a desired object. That is, the scan position may refer to a proximity position of the probe for efficiently acquiring ultrasound data of the object.

The scan angle means an angle between the probe and the object. That is, when the scan angle is 90 degrees, it means that the probe is adjacent to the object so that the direction of the ultrasonic signal emitted from the probe is perpendicular to the object.

On the other hand, the scan axis means the direction in which the transducers are arranged. 3, the plurality of transducers 310 are arranged in the horizontal direction. On the other hand, in diagnosing a target object, the user may rotate the illustrated probe 300 by 90 degrees so that the transducers 310 are arranged close to the target object in the longitudinal direction. That is, the information about the scan axis may be information on how the user approaches the probe in the direction of the horizontal axis or the vertical axis in diagnosing the object.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a scan operation for a tibia and a fibula, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the dark circle 412 shown in dark shows the calf of the body. Of the two small circles contained in circle 412, small circle 414 and fibrous circle 414 respectively represent fibula and tibia, respectively. The user of the ultrasonic device 100 can diagnose the fibula and the tibia by scanning the probe 418 close to the calf.

Before describing the operation of the ultrasonic device 100 related to FIG. 4, the clinical contents will be described first. When the tibia and fibula are diagnosed using ultrasonic waves, the accuracy of the ultrasound image varies depending on the scan operation such as the scan position and the scan axis. For example, when the axial direction (Axial Direction) 405 of the probe 418 is scanned in a direction perpendicular to the line connecting the tibia and the fibula, as in the example image 420, an ultrasound image . On the other hand, when the axial direction 405 of the probe 418 is scanned in the direction passing through the tibia and the fibula, as shown in the example image 430, shadows are generated in the deeper positioned bone and can not be accurately measured.

Therefore, as shown in the example image 410, the user diagnoses the object by bringing the probe 418 close to the calf so that the axial direction 405 is located at an angle to a line connecting the tibia and the fibula.

On the other hand, in determining the tibia and the fibula as the target, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 acquires the identification information based on at least one of the user input, the ultrasonic data, and the probe position data, and determines the object to be the tibia and the fibula according to the identification information .

Then, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 acquires guide data stored in advance for the tibia and the fibula. The guide data may include an example image as shown in FIG. 4, and may include various data such as the audio data and the program described in FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as the moving picture.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 provides the user with information about the scan operation using the obtained guide data. 4, the ultrasound system 100 may display at least one of the example images 410, 420, and 430 to provide information about the scan operation to the user. As described above, the example image 410 is an image showing a scan position capable of accurately measuring the tibia and fibula, and the example image 420 and the example image 430 are scan positions where ineffective or inaccurate results are predicted, respectively.

For example, the ultrasound apparatus 100 may display only the example image 410, and may provide information for guiding the user to make an accurate diagnosis. On the other hand, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can display the example image 420 and the example image 430 together, thereby informing the user of the case where the diagnosis result may be erroneous.

4, the guide data can be used as an example image of an ultrasound image actually taken with respect to the tibia and fibula. In addition, as described above, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may provide the user with moving image data of a process of diagnosing the tibia and the fibula.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a scan action on the heart and the Nuchal translucency of the fetus, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

An example image 510 is an image showing a scan operation for diagnosing the neck vacancies 514 of the fetus 512. In order to accurately measure the thickness of the neck vacancies 514, You must penetrate the thickest part of the zipper.

The example image 520 is an image showing a scan operation for diagnosing the heart of the fetus 522. [ The heart can be diagnosed based on various protocols (protocol 524), such as 4 chamber view, 5 chamber view, trachea & vessel view depending on the location, and for each protocol The scan position and the scan angle may be different.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 determines a target body as a neck or a heart, and acquires the guide data stored corresponding to each object. Then, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 outputs information on the scan operation of the neck / heart, thereby guiding the user. The information about the scan operation may include visual information, as described above with reference to FIG. 4, and may also include tactile information, such as audible information or vibration of the probe.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasound apparatus 100 may provide information about an organ, a journal, and the like related to a scan operation, together with information on a scan operation. For example, in case of providing the user with information about the heart protocol of the fetus, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 outputs information about the institution, journal, author, The reliability of the provided scan operation information can be increased.

6 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of providing a scan operation for a brain of a newborn in connection with an embodiment of the present invention. As described in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ultrasound apparatus 100 can previously store a scan operation capable of accurately and efficiently diagnosing the brain, corresponding to the target brain. When the object is determined as a brain, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 provides the user with information about the scan operation using the stored guide data.

According to one embodiment, the scan operation for the brain may be an operation in which the axial direction 620 of the probe 630 moves from the eye of the newborn 610 toward the crown. Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display an arrow 640 as shown in FIG. 6 to provide a change in the scanning direction of the probe 630 to the user. Alternatively, the ultrasonic device 100 may display a moving image in which the probe 630 moves in the direction of the arrow 640. [

When the ultrasonic apparatus 100 includes a plurality of sensors for detecting the spatial position of the probe 630, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may sense a change in the scanning direction of the probe 630. [ That is, when the user moves the probe 630 and scans the target brain, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can sense the movement of the probe 630 using the position sensor.

For example, when the probe 630 moves according to a change in the scan direction stored in advance and scans a target object, the ultrasound apparatus 100 may display or output a notification message indicating that the scan is performed well . Conversely, when the probe 630 moves in a direction different from the previously stored scan direction and scans the object, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may provide the user with information indicating that the scan operation has been performed differently from the previously stored operation .

As another example, if the scan operation is performed differently from the stored operation, the ultrasound device 100 may be required to perform a light scan of the probe 630 or to flash one or more light sources provided on the probe 630, The user may be informed. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can provide tactile information or visual information by controlling the probe 630 through a program or an instruction word included in the guide data. The ultrasonic apparatus 100 can provide various types of information to the user such as the above-described visual, auditory, and tactile information as well as cooperative information.

7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of outputting a visual notification message, an audible notification message, or a tactile notification message according to the movement of the probe, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic device 100 can sense the position where the probe is attached to the object to diagnose the object. That is, as shown in the left side of FIG. 7, the ultrasonic device 100 can detect that the probe 715 moves from the position shown by the dotted line to the position shown by the solid line.

When it is detected that the probe 715 has moved to the scan position included in the guide data, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display a notification message on the screen 720 as shown in the upper right of FIG. 7 . 7, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 displays a pop-up window 722 to provide the user with information about the scan operation.

That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 informs the user that the probe 715 has moved to a previously stored scan position using the pop-up window 722, and displays a menu 724 for starting the scan and a menu 726 for adjusting the position of the probe Can be displayed. The user can easily diagnose the object by starting the scan or adjusting the position of the probe by referring to the information about the scan operation displayed on the screen 720. [

As another example, as shown in the lower right 730 of FIG. 7, the ultrasonic device 100 may output a notification message by sound. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may output a message indicating that the scan position is correct or output a message indicating that the scan position needs to be adjusted by using previously stored audio data.

As another example, the ultrasonic device 100 may output a tactile alert message for vibrating the probe 715, as shown in the lower end 740 of FIG. The time and intensity at which the ultrasonic device 100 vibrates the probe 715 can be adjusted according to user input and stored in advance in the ultrasonic device 100

According to one embodiment, the ultrasound device 100 needs to adjust the position of the probe 715 to the user by vibrating the probe 715 when it is detected that the probe 715 is out of position to scan the object .

Conversely, when the user moves the probe 715 to scan a target object, if the probe 715 is detected to have entered the proper position where the target object can be scanned, the probe 715 It can vibrate. Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can guide the user to start diagnosis of the object.

8 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of displaying an ultrasound image of a target object together with information on a scan operation, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 shows an embodiment of the tibia and fibula shown in Fig.

The ultrasonic device 100 can visually provide information 830 on the scan operation of the tibia and the fibula on the screen 810. [ That is, the ultrasonic device 100 can visually output information on at least one of a scan position, a scan direction, a scan angle, and a scan axis of the probe for scanning the tibia and the fibula. As described above, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 may output audible information by sound or may provide tactile information for vibrating the probe.

The ultrasonic apparatus 100 may display the ultrasound image 820 generated by scanning the object with the information 830 on the scan operation. Accordingly, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can compare output of the actually measured image with the example image that the user intends to obtain, and the user can easily recognize whether or not the object is accurately measured. That is, the ultrasonic apparatus 100 can utilize the information 830 on the scan operation as a body marker.

On the other hand, the above-described method can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that can be created as a program that can be executed in a computer and operates the program using a computer-readable medium. Further, the structure of the data used in the above-described method can be recorded on the computer-readable medium through various means. Program storage devices that may be used to describe a storage device including executable computer code for carrying out the various methods of the present invention should not be understood to include transient objects such as carrier waves or signals do. The computer readable medium includes a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e.g., ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), optical reading medium (e.g., CD ROM, DVD, etc.).

According to the ultrasonic apparatus, the information providing method and the recording medium described above, the user of the ultrasonic apparatus does not have to know the information about the different scan operations for each object in advance. That is, by providing information on the scan operation and the scan method that are stored in advance, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the ultrasound image and the efficiency of object diagnosis.

Further, the reliance on the skill of the user of the ultrasonic device can be lowered, and the error of diagnosis and the fear of misdiagnosis can be reduced. Thus, the barriers to entry into the ultrasonic diagnosis of the user are lowered, and the user can easily and conveniently use the ultrasonic device.

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

Claims (21)

Obtaining identification information indicating an object to be scanned by the probe;
Acquiring guide data including information on a scan operation for acquiring three-dimensional ultrasonic data for a target object determined based on the identification information, the guide data being previously stored corresponding to the target object;
And providing the user with information about the scan operation using the guide data,
Wherein the providing step includes displaying at least one of an example image, an example image, and a notification message for the scan operation. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the obtaining of the identification information comprises receiving a user input for selecting the object and obtaining the identification information based on the user input. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the obtaining of the identification information includes obtaining the identification information based on at least one of the ultrasonic data of the object and the spatial position data of the probe received by the probe. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the guide data includes at least one of a scan axis, a scan position, a scan angle, and a scan direction of the object. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of providing comprises the step of outputting at least one of voice data, a warning sound, and a notification message for the scan operation. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the providing step comprises vibrating the probe for a predetermined period of time. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the providing step comprises providing information on an institution or a journal related to the information on the scan operation together with information on the scan operation. The method according to claim 1,
The method includes displaying an ultrasound image based on ultrasound data of the object received through the probe together with information on the scan operation. The method according to claim 1,
The method includes: outputting information on a target object determined by the identification information; And
Further comprising receiving a user input for establishing the determined object. A probe for scanning an object;
A target object determination unit for obtaining identification information indicating the target object and determining a target object based on the identification information;
A storage unit for previously storing guide data including information on a scan operation for acquiring three-dimensional ultrasonic data for the determined object, corresponding to the object;
A control unit acquiring the guide data from the storage unit and providing the user with information about the scan operation using the guide data; And
And an image output unit for displaying at least one of an example image, an example image, and a notification message for the scan operation. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the ultrasonic apparatus further comprises an input unit for receiving a user input for selecting the object,
Wherein the object determining unit obtains the identification information based on the user input. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the ultrasonic apparatus further comprises an ultrasonic data obtaining unit for receiving at least one of ultrasonic data of the object and spatial position data of the probe,
Wherein the object determining unit obtains the identification information based on at least one of the ultrasonic data and the spatial position data. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the guide data includes at least one of a scan axis, a scan position, a scan angle, and a scan direction of the object. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the ultrasonic apparatus further comprises an acoustic output unit for outputting at least one of voice data, a warning sound, and a notification message for the scan operation. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the controller vibrates the probe for a predetermined period of time. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the control unit provides information on an institution or journal related to the information on the scan operation together with information on the scan operation. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the ultrasonic apparatus further comprises an image output unit for displaying an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic data of the object received through the probe together with information on the scan operation. 11. The method of claim 10,
The ultrasound system comprising: a video output unit for outputting information on a target object determined by the identification information; And
And an input for receiving a user input for determining the determined object. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the information about the scan position includes information about a position at which the probe is brought into close contact with the body to diagnose the object,
Wherein the information on the scan direction includes information on a direction in which the probe should move in order to diagnose the object,
Wherein the information about the scan angle includes information about an angle between the probe and the object,
Wherein the information about the scan axis includes information about an arrangement direction of transducers included in the probe with respect to the object. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the information about the scan position includes information about a position at which the probe is brought into close contact with the body to diagnose the object,
Wherein the information on the scan direction includes information on a direction in which the probe should move in order to diagnose the object,
Wherein the information about the scan angle includes information about an angle between the probe and the object,
Wherein the information about the scan axis includes information about an arrangement direction of the transducers included in the probe with respect to the object.

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