KR20230102590A - Ultrasound scanner and method of guiding aim - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aiming guide method for an ultrasonic scanner. The ultrasonic scanner is configured to guide an aiming direction and angle with respect to a subject to be measured such as a bladder, through an aiming guide image to match an aim center for the subject to be measured with the center of an aiming frame indicating a measurement area of an ultrasonic probe in regard to the procedure of measuring the volume of the bladder by three-dimensionally and ultrasonically scanning the subject to be measured. On the aiming guide image, an aiming frame in which the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and a center position of the measurement area are marked, an aiming outline for the subject to be measured, marked on aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame, and aiming guide information for moving the aiming center coordinates to the center position of the aiming frame, are marked. In accordance with the present invention, the ultrasonic scanner provides the aiming guide image including the aiming guide information of the ultrasonic probe, thereby enabling an operator to accurately aim at a measurement position, which can result in more accurate measurement of a urine amount in the bladder.

Description

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

The present invention relates to an aiming guide method in an ultrasound scanner, and more particularly, in measuring the volume of a bladder by 3D ultrasound scanning an object such as a bladder, the aiming center of the object to be measured is the measurement area of an ultrasonic probe. An ultrasound scanner and an aiming guide method in the ultrasound scanner that improve the accuracy of measurement by configuring to guide the aiming direction and angle for the measurement object through an aiming guide image that enables 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 a transducer, which is a transducer, receives an ultrasonic signal reflected from a discontinuous surface of the object, and 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 image and outputting it to a predetermined imaging device. These ultrasound systems are widely used for medical diagnosis, non-destructive testing, and underwater navigation devices.

On the other hand, measuring the amount of urine in the bladder is used as an essential factor in examining bladder abnormalities or dysuria. 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 measured and used as a guideline in urination training.

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

The bladder ultrasound scanner using the above-described ultrasound obtains a 2D ultrasound image of a fan-shaped scan surface including the bladder from a fan-shaped 2D ultrasound image, obtains the cross-sectional area or radius of the bladder from the 2D ultrasound image, and calculates the radius of the bladder. It is used to estimate the volume of the bladder to calculate the volume of urine in the bladder. In addition, another type of ultrasound diagnostic equipment obtains 2D ultrasound images of a fan-shaped scan surface including the bladder in multiple directions in order to improve measurement accuracy, and uses the ultrasound images in multiple directions to obtain 3D ultrasound images. A dimensional ultrasound image is generated and the volume of the bladder is estimated using it to calculate the volume of urine in the bladder.

In this process, when the ultrasound probe accurately aims at the center of the bladder, the two-dimensional cross-sectional areas of the bladder can be more accurately measured, and thus the volume of the bladder can be more accurately estimated. If the center of the ultrasound probe extracts a two-dimensional cross-sectional area of the bladder area from an area deviated from the center of the bladder, a problem arises in that the accurate bladder volume cannot be accurately estimated. That is, when extracting the bladder area, the extracted bladder area changes according to the position and direction of the ultrasound probe, and as a result, not only the estimated bladder volume changes, but also the amount of urine in the bladder cannot be accurately measured. do.

Therefore, in order to accurately measure the amount of urine in the bladder, it is required to arrange the ultrasound scanner so that the center of the aiming frame representing the measurement area of the ultrasound probe faces the center of the bladder, which is a measurement object.

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

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides aiming guide information of an ultrasonic probe so that the aiming center of the bladder, which is a measurement object, can be located at the center of the aiming frame representing the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe, thereby accurately measuring the volume of the bladder. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasound scanner capable of performing measurements.

An ultrasound scanner according to a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem includes an ultrasound probe that transmits an ultrasound signal and receives an ultrasound echo signal reflected from an object to be measured; an inertial sensor mounted on the ultrasonic probe to sense and provide inertial sensor data including orientation information consisting of an inclination angle and a direction of the ultrasonic probe; and acquiring a plurality of 2D ultrasound images using the ultrasound probe, generating and providing aiming guide information of the ultrasound probe using the obtained 2D ultrasound images and inertial sensor data, and measuring the center of the aiming frame and the center of the aiming frame. A control unit for extracting 3D information on the measurement object by acquiring a plurality of 2D ultrasound images of the measurement object when the aiming centers of the object coincide, and the ultrasonic probe for the measurement object is provided to accurately measure the object to be measured. of aiming guide information.

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first aspect described above, the control unit acquires a 2D scan image for acquiring a plurality of 2D ultrasound images for 3D ultrasound scan by driving the ultrasound probe in the current position and direction of the ultrasound probe module; A plurality of 2D ultrasound images are acquired using the 2D scan image acquisition module, and aiming guide information of an ultrasonic probe for a measurement object is generated using the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images and the inertial sensor data. an aiming guide module for outputting an aiming guide image including aiming guide information to a display; A measurement object position adjustment module that determines whether the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center coordinates of the measurement object in the aiming guide image match, and if they match, provides position confirmation alarm information in a preset form; According to the location confirmation alarm information, a plurality of 2D ultrasound images for 3D ultrasound scan are acquired using the 2D scan image acquiring module, and a 3D image of the object to be measured is acquired using the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images. It is preferable to have a; 3D information extraction module for extracting information.

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first aspect described above, the aiming guide module obtains a plurality of 2D ultrasound images for a 3D ultrasound scan using the 2D scan image acquisition unit, and uses the acquired plurality of 2D ultrasound images. The location information of the measurement object is extracted from the images, and after combining the location information of the measurement object extracted from the 2D ultrasound images, it is projected to an aiming frame to obtain an aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object, , Displaying the aiming outline for the measurement object at the coordinates of the aiming center of the aiming frame, extracting aiming guide information for moving the aiming center of the measurement object to the center of the aiming frame using inertial sensor data, and extracting the aiming guide Preferably, the aiming guide information is displayed and provided on an image.

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first aspect described above, the aiming guide image includes an aiming frame displaying a measurement area of the ultrasound probe and a center position of the measurement area, and aiming at the measurement object displayed at coordinates of an aiming center of the measurement object. An outline and aiming guide information for moving the displayed aiming outline to the center of the aiming frame are displayed, and the aiming guide information is an ultrasonic probe necessary to move the aiming center coordinates of the measurement object to the center of the aiming frame. It is preferable to include a tilt angle and a tilt direction of .

In the ultrasound scanner according to the first feature described above, it is preferable that the object to be measured is a bladder, and the 3D information on the object to be measured is the volume of the bladder.

The ultrasound scanner according to the present invention having the above configuration provides an aiming guide image including the aiming guide information of the ultrasound probe, so that the operator can accurately aim at the measurement position, and as a result, more accurately measure the volume of urine in the bladder. You can do it.

1 is a photograph of a bladder ultrasound scanner using conventional ultrasound.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a form of moving an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound scanner according to the present invention.
3 and 4 exemplarily illustrate aiming guide images in the ultrasound scanner according to the present invention.
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.
6 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating operations of an aiming guide module and a measurement object position adjusting module of a control unit in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
7 illustrates a fan-shaped 2D ultrasound cross-sectional image of an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
8 illustrates a process of obtaining an aiming outline by combining positional information of points extracted from 12 fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional images and projecting them onto an aiming frame in an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram shown for explanation.
9 illustrates 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.

An ultrasound scanner according to the present invention is a scanner that measures and provides volume or volume, which is three-dimensional information about a measurement object, using a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional images, and 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 ultrasound scanner capable of providing an aiming guide for an ultrasound probe according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a form of moving an ultrasound probe in an ultrasound scanner according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 , an operator performs a 3D ultrasound scan while rotating the ultrasound probe like a joystick in a state in which the cap measurement region of the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound scanner is fixed to the patient's abdomen corresponding to the object to be measured. By this ultrasound scan, aiming guide images according to the present invention are output on a display.

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

4 shows that the aiming center of the measurement object is in the center of the aiming frame, and the aiming center of the measurement object coincides with the center of the aiming frame. In (a) and (b) of FIG. 3, since the aiming center of the measurement object and the center of the aiming frame do not coincide with each other, the measurement object is displayed in red, which is a preset first color, and FIG. In the case where the aiming center and the center of the aiming frame coincide with each other, 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 according to whether the center of the aiming frame for the measurement object coincides with the center of the aiming frame, so that the operator can easily visually and intuitively determine whether the center coincides. it is desirable Also, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the center of the aiming frame and the center of aiming of the measurement object coincide with each other over a predetermined standard, the arrows disappear and the measurement object is displayed in green.

An ultrasound scanner according to the present invention for performing the above function includes an ultrasound 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 an object to be measured, and provides the received ultrasonic echo signal to the control unit. The inertial sensor is mounted on the ultrasonic probe to detect and provide inertial sensor data including direction information consisting of an inclination angle and a direction of the ultrasonic probe. The control unit acquires a plurality of 2D ultrasound cross-sectional images having a fan shape for 3D ultrasound scanning using the ultrasound probe, and obtains aiming guide information of the ultrasound probe using the acquired 2D ultrasound images and inertial sensor data. is generated and provided, and when the center of the aiming frame coincides with the center of aiming of the object to be measured, a plurality of 2D ultrasound images of the object to be measured are acquired to extract 3D information about the object to be measured.

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 includes 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, and the aiming accuracy of the ultrasonic probe. By increasing the , it is possible to measure 3D information about the measurement object more accurately.

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

The aiming guide module 510 outputs the aiming guide image to the display unit. The aiming guide image includes a measurement area of the ultrasonic probe, an aiming frame displaying the center of the measurement area, an aiming outline for the measurement object displayed at the coordinates of the aiming center of the measurement object, and aiming guide information. do. The operator adjusts the tilt angle and direction of the ultrasonic probe according to the aiming guide information of the aiming guide image.

The measurement object position adjusting module 520 determines whether or not the center of the aiming frame and the center of aiming for the measurement object coincide with each other in the aiming guide image. The dimensional information extraction module is executed to perform ultrasound scanning on the object to be measured. A detailed description of the operations of the aforementioned aiming guide module 510 and the measurement object position adjusting module 520 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 .

The 3D information extraction module 530 acquires a plurality of 2D ultrasound images for 3D ultrasound scan using the 2D scan image acquisition module when the center of the aiming frame and the center of aiming of the measurement object coincide, 3D information on the object to be measured is extracted using the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images. As described above, when the ultrasound scanner according to the present invention is an ultrasound scanner for measuring a bladder, the object to be measured may be a bladder, and the 3D 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 a measurement object, from ultrasound images, and various methods for implementing this are widely known to those skilled in the art, and the embodiment is specifically described in the prior art literature. It is not specifically described in the specification of the invention.

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

Referring to FIG. 6 , the aiming guide module 510 acquires a plurality of 2D ultrasound images from different angles using the 2D scan image acquisition module (step 600). Next, raw aiming is performed on the object to be measured using the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images, and the aiming outline and center coordinates of the object to be measured are obtained (step 610). A 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 in which the center of the measurement area expressed as a cross and the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe is displayed, and the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center coordinates for the measurement object Determine whether or not coincide with each other (step 620),

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

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

If, in step 620, the center of the aiming frame coincides with the center of aiming of the measurement object, if the corresponding aiming is raw aiming, the execution of the 3D information extraction module 530 for extracting 3D information of the measurement object request and quit

If, in step 620, when the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object coincide, if the corresponding aiming is not raw aiming, displaying the outline for the measurement object in a preset second color in the aiming guide image ( Step 650), when the central coincidence state is maintained for a preset time (for example, about 2 seconds) (step 652), an alarm sound is output and then step 600 is returned. On the other hand, if the center coincident state is not maintained for a preset period of time (eg, about 2 seconds), step 644 is returned.

Hereinafter, a process for the aiming guide module 510 to obtain the aiming outline and aiming center coordinates of the measurement object will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9 . 7 illustrates a fan-shaped 2D ultrasound cross-sectional image of an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 8 is an ultrasound scanner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, combining positional information of points extracted from 12 fan-shaped two-dimensional ultrasound cross-sectional images and projecting them onto an aiming frame to obtain an aiming outline for a measurement object. It is a schematic diagram showing the process of obtaining. 9 illustrates 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.

7 to 9, a plurality of 2D ultrasound images are acquired using the 2D scan image acquisition unit, and the outermost points on the left and right sides of the bladder are selected from the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images. , Acquiring location information on selected outer points, combining the location information of a plurality of measurement objects obtained from 2D ultrasound images, and then projecting them onto an aiming frame to obtain an aiming outline for the measurement object, and aiming outline Acquire aiming center coordinates, which are the center coordinates of .

Next, by 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 displayed in the aiming guide image. display and provide

The aiming guide image includes an aiming frame displaying the center position of the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and the cross-shaped measurement area, an aiming outline for the measurement object displayed at the coordinates of the aiming center of the aiming frame, and the displayed center of the measurement object. Aiming guide information for moving to the center of the aiming frame is displayed. The aiming guide information includes a tilt adjustment angle and a tilt adjustment direction of the ultrasonic probe necessary to move the aiming outline of the measurement object to a central position of an aiming frame indicating a measurement area of the ultrasonic probe.

The ultrasound scanner according to the present invention having the above configuration displays the aiming outline for the measurement object in the aiming frame and simultaneously displays aiming guide information, so that the operator can guide the aiming direction of the ultrasonic probe. As a result, the operator can easily match the center of the ultrasonic probe with the aiming center of the object to be measured, and thus can more accurately measure 3D information about the object to be measured.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is only an example and does not limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs will not deviate from the essential characteristics of the present invention. It will be appreciated that various modifications and applications not exemplified above are possible within the range. And, differences related to these variations and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention 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: measurement area of ultrasonic probe
310: center line of measurement area
302: Aiming Frame
320: Aiming outline for the measurement object
330: aiming guide information

Claims (6)

an ultrasonic probe for transmitting an ultrasonic signal and receiving an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from an object to be measured;
an inertial sensor mounted on the ultrasonic probe to detect and provide inertial sensor data including direction information of the probe, which is composed of an inclination angle and a direction of the ultrasonic probe; and
A plurality of 2D ultrasound images are acquired using the ultrasound probe, aiming guide information of the ultrasound probe is generated and provided using the acquired 2D ultrasound images and inertial sensor data provided from the inertial sensor, and a control unit that obtains a plurality of 2D ultrasound images of the measurement object and extracts 3D information about the measurement object when the center of the aiming frame indicating the measurement area coincides with the center of aiming of the measurement object;
An ultrasound scanner capable of providing an aiming guide for a measurement object, comprising: providing aiming guide information of an ultrasonic probe for a measurement object in order to accurately measure the measurement object. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit,
a 2D scan image acquisition module for acquiring a plurality of 2D ultrasound images by driving the ultrasound probe in the current position and direction of the ultrasound probe;
A plurality of 2D ultrasound images are acquired using the 2D scan image acquisition module, and aiming guide information of an ultrasonic probe for a measurement object is generated using the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images and the inertial sensor data. an aiming guide module for outputting an aiming guide image including aiming guide information to a display;
A measurement object position adjustment module for determining whether the center of the aiming frame and the coordinates of the aiming center of the measurement object match in the aiming guide image;
When the coordinates of the center of the aiming frame and the aiming center of the measurement object coincide, a plurality of 2D ultrasound images are acquired using the 2D scan image acquiring module, and measurement is performed using the obtained plurality of 2D ultrasound images. A 3D information extraction module for extracting 3D information about an object;
Ultrasound scanner capable of aiming guide for a measurement object, characterized in that comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the aiming guide module,
Acquiring a plurality of 2D ultrasound images using the 2D scan image acquisition unit;
Extracting position information of the measurement object from the obtained plurality of 2-dimensional ultrasound images, combining the position information of the measurement object extracted from the 2-dimensional ultrasound images to obtain an aiming outline and aiming center coordinates for the measurement object, ,
displaying an aiming outline for a measurement object at the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame;
Extracting aiming guide information for moving the aiming center of the measurement object to the center of the aiming frame using inertial sensor data;
An ultrasound scanner capable of an aiming guide 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,
An aiming frame in which the measurement area of the ultrasonic probe and the center position of the measurement area are indicated, an aiming outline for the measurement object indicated in the aiming center coordinates of the aiming frame, and aiming for moving the displayed aiming center coordinates to the center position of the aiming frame. An ultrasound scanner capable of an aiming guide for a measurement object, characterized in that guide information is displayed. The method of claim 1, wherein the aiming guide information
The ultrasound scanner capable of aiming guide for the measurement object, characterized in that it comprises a tilt adjustment angle and a tilt adjustment direction of the ultrasonic probe necessary 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,
The ultrasound scanner capable of an aiming guide for the measurement object, characterized in that the three-dimensional information on the measurement object is the volume of the bladder.

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