RU80105U1 - DEVICE FOR OBTAINING THREE-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASONIC IMAGES OF HUMAN INTERNAL BODIES - Google Patents

Abstract

The group of inventions relates to the field of medical technology, in particular, to the field of ultrasonic methods for creating volumetric (3D) and four-dimensional 4D (3D in time) images of internal organs.

The invention is intended to solve the technical problem of providing the possibility of obtaining 3D and 4D ultrasound on standard widespread inexpensive expensive two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound systems, as well as to simplify the design compared to existing 3D ultrasound systems, simplify the measurement of coordinates of ultrasound sources, increase speed to obtain four-dimensional Ultrasound of moving organs, such as the heart. The technical result consists in reducing the number of coordinates of ultrasound sources to be determined, increasing speed to obtain three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound.

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that instead of a straightforward scan of the studied area, azimuthal scanning is carried out while rotating a linear ultrasonic sensor, which is a set (line) of elementary ultrasonic transducers, around an axis that coincides or does not coincide with its axis of symmetry. In the first case, the patient’s body volume region, which is minimal in volume, is examined, in the second case, when the axis of rotation passes along the edge of the ultrasonic transducer, the volume doubles, but the speed can decrease. In azimuthal scanning, the location of the axis of rotation fixes the cylindrical coordinate system with the patient’s body, which greatly simplifies the determination at each instant of time of the coordinates of each elementary transducer of the ultrasonic sensor. In this case, it is not necessary to determine the change in time of the three coordinates of the elementary transducers, but it is sufficient to determine only the rotation angle. According to the solution, a sensor holder is introduced into the device, containing concentrically located stationary external and movable internal bodies, the sensor being placed and rigidly fixed in the rotary internal case.

Description

The group of inventions relates to the field of medical technology, in particular, to the field of ultrasonic methods for creating volumetric (3D) and four-dimensional 4D (3D in time) images of internal organs.

The vast majority of ultrasound medical research (ultrasound) is carried out on installations that give a two-dimensional (flat) image. Diagnosis of the state of organs in such images does not always correspond to the actual state and the probability of an erroneous diagnosis is too high to establish an accurate diagnosis according to ultrasound data.

To increase the information content, ultrasound scanners were developed and began to be used in medical practice to obtain volumetric (3D) ultrasound images, with the help of which the reliability of diagnoses has significantly increased. However, at present, such devices are too expensive to equip them with all medical institutions, and, in addition, in relatively inexpensive devices with the 3D ultrasound option, obtaining a high-quality image is so difficult for the doctor that they practically do not use it.

Further development of the ultrasound technique is associated with the implementation of the ability to capture three-dimensional images of rapidly moving organs, such as the heart, in time (4D ultrasound). However, in the current 3D-ultrasound installations, obtaining one volumetric image in less than 0.1 sec, which is necessary for the implementation of 4D-ultrasound, has not yet been implemented.

A device for obtaining two-dimensional acoustic images of brain structures "in layers" with a low level of noise and interference. The device contains an ultrasonic probe, an echo signal processing unit, a pairing unit, a computing device with a display and a keyboard, a pedal for fixing the image, and an information storage device. The ultrasound scanning unit of the probe for determining its current position comprises a positioning unit with six angular displacement sensors and a controller. The ultrasound probe is installed in the holder of the positioning unit, and the controller is connected to the computing device. The latter is configured to display on the display the current position of the ultrasound probe,

finding it in the selected scanning layer, as well as current graphic information in the A-echogram mode when moving the ultrasound probe in the selected scanning plane (see patent for invention No. 2203622, IPC АВВ 8/14).

However, the device allows only "two-dimensional" acoustic images of brain structures to be obtained.

3D ultrasound devices are known, which use a two-dimensional array of a large number of ultrasound transducers (phased array) located directly on the surface of the patient’s body J.A. Hossack, Y.S.Sumanaweera, S.Napel, J.S. Ha to obtain a three-dimensional image. Quantitative 3-D Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging Using a Modified Transducer Array and an Automated Image Tracking Technique // IEEE Trans. UFFC, V.49, No.8, pp.1029-1038].

However, such installations have a complex structure and high (compared with 2D ultrasound) cost. They provide a high-quality image only when the coordinates of the relief of the surface of the human body are precisely set in the studied area, which presents significant difficulties, especially in areas where the relief changes due to respiration.

Closest to the proposed method is a method comprising supplying a probing signal to an ultrasonic sensor, taking reflected signals from the ultrasonic sensor, obtaining a two-dimensional analog ultrasonic image, digitizing and entering into computer memory, programmatically processing the entered information and obtaining a three-dimensional image. This method can be implemented using a commercially available 3D ultrasound unit (for example, the ALOKA 3500 brand), which uses the linear movement of a linear ultrasonic sensor in the study area with the removal of two-dimensional ultrasound frames at certain distances. Then, a volumetric image is formed and displayed on a computer screen from the plurality of received frames using software. [A.Austeng, S. Holm. Sparse 2-D Arrays for 3-D Phased Array Imaging - Design Methods, Experimental Validation // IEEE Trans. UFFC, V.49, No.8, pp.1073-1093].

The disadvantages of the method and this design is the difficulty of working with such an installation, which consists in accurately setting the coordinates of the relief of the surface of the human body in the study area. In addition, the movement of the sensor is too slow in order to obtain 4D ultrasound of such organs as the heart, lungs, intestines, since this requires at least 10 frames of 3D ultrasound for the period, for example, the cardiac cycle.

The invention is intended to solve the technical problem of providing the possibility of obtaining 3D and 4D ultrasound on standard widespread inexpensive expensive two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound systems, as well as to simplify the design compared to existing 3D ultrasound systems, simplify the measurement of coordinates of ultrasound sources, increase speed to obtain four-dimensional Ultrasound of moving organs, such as the heart. The technical result consists in reducing the number of coordinates of ultrasound sources to be determined, increasing speed to obtain three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound.

The problem is solved in that in a method for obtaining a three-dimensional ultrasound image of the internal organs of a person, including supplying a probing signal to an ultrasonic sensor with a linear arrangement of ultrasonic transducers, taking reflected signals from an ultrasonic sensor, obtaining a two-dimensional analog ultrasonic image, digitizing and entering into computer memory, software processing of the entered information and obtaining a three-dimensional image, according to the solution, to obtain two-dimensional analog trunk ultrasonic images are sequentially rotated ultrasonic transducer about an axis passing through a selected region of the test body, relieve the reflected signal for the selected rotation angle values measured angle of rotation of the ultrasonic sensor at the time of the probing signal and inject it into the computer memory.

To build a three-dimensional image of the heart in dynamics, the ultrasonic sensor is rotated at a speed of at least 10 revolutions per second, forming a two-dimensional image on each revolution.

In the device for obtaining three-dimensional ultrasound images of the internal organs of a person, including a device for receiving two-dimensional ultrasound with an ultrasonic sensor with a linear arrangement of ultrasonic transducers, a computer with an interface and a three-dimensional image forming program, according to the solution, a sensor holder is introduced containing concentrically located stationary external and mobile internal case, while the sensor is placed and rigidly fixed in the inner case, made with the possibility of Knowledge.

The device may include a gasket to provide acoustic contact with the human body, made in the form of a reservoir of polymer film filled with liquid.

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that instead of a straightforward scan of the investigated area, as in the prototype, an azimuthal scan is carried out at

rotation of a linear ultrasonic sensor, which is a set (line) of elementary ultrasonic transducers, around an axis that coincides or does not coincide with its axis of symmetry. In the first case, the patient’s minimal body area is examined, in the second case, when the axis of rotation passes along the edge

ultrasonic transducer, the volume doubles, but performance may decrease. In azimuthal scanning, the location of the axis of rotation fixes the system of cylindrical coordinates with the patient’s body, which greatly simplifies the determination at each instant of time of the coordinates of each elementary transducer of an ultrasonic sensor and, unlike the prototype, it is not necessary to determine the time change of the three coordinates of elementary transducers, but only a determination angle of rotation.

The invention is illustrated by drawings: in Fig.1 shows a diagram for obtaining three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound images (ultrasound) of the internal organs of a person, figure 2 - shows a device for rotating an ultrasonic sensor that implements a method where

1. standard setting for two-dimensional ultrasound;

2. computer;

3. a device for rotating an ultrasonic sensor;

4. an electric motor controlled by a computer;

5. gasket for making acoustic contact with the body;

6. frame of a two-dimensional image;

7. synthesized three-dimensional image (front-upper and rear-lower surfaces of the liver);

8. ultrasonic sensor of a standard medical device of two-dimensional ultrasound;

9. fixed cylindrical housing of the device;

10. movable cylindrical body;

11. bearing;

12. ultrasonic sensor holder:

13. communication cable with a standard installation of two-dimensional ultrasound;

14. communication cable with a computer;

15. patient's body;

16. the investigated organ;

A method of obtaining a three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound image (ultrasound) of the internal organs of a person is as follows: after starting a computer program of ultrasound from computer 2, by command

a doctor receives a signal from a computer-controlled electric motor 4, through which the electric motor rotates by a predetermined angle or performs continuous rotation (to obtain 4D ultrasound) of an ultrasonic sensor of a standard 2D ultrasound installation. The angle of rotation is measured by the angle sensor. With a frame scan frequency of the 2D ultrasound system, pulsed signals are supplied to elementary transducers of a linear ultrasonic sensor and time images of the reflected signals are taken, forming frames of a two-dimensional image 6, corresponding to their rotation angles, and the coordinate-brightness data arrays are recorded in computer memory 2, the minimum required the rotation angle for capturing a static 3D image is 180 °, and for 4D ultrasound of the heart, continuous rotation of the ultrasonic transducer 8 with frequent that not less than 10 revolutions per second for the required time monitoring of heart function. The obtained data arrays are processed by a program that forms a three-dimensional (3D) image from separate flat (2D) images, and a three-dimensional image of the reflecting surfaces of the organs in the volume of the patient’s body under consideration 15 is displayed on a computer monitor, and it is possible to consider any selected organ or its fragment from different observation points. When 4D ultrasound is taken, three-dimensional image frames obtained within no more than 0.1 sec can replace each other at a given speed, allowing you to study the work of an organ (for example, the heart) in dynamics.

A device that implements this method consists of a standard linear ultrasonic transducer 8, a device for its rotation 3 around an axis passing through the studied area of the patient’s body 15, and a gasket 5 that provides acoustic contact and acoustic matching of the rotating ultrasonic transducer with the patient’s body 15. Integral parts The devices are also a standard installation of 2D ultrasound 1, and computer 2, with a three-dimensional image construction program developed by the inventors. The device for rotation of the ultrasonic sensor 8, consists of a stationary cylindrical body 9, a movable cylindrical body 10, a bearing 11, a holder for an ultrasonic sensor 12, an electric motor 4 controlled by a computer. The holder can fix the ultrasonic sensor symmetrically or asymmetrically, displacing it from the center of the cylinder. In the latter case, a larger 3D image is obtained.

The solution can be used in medical institutions to increase the diagnostic capabilities of any 2D ultrasound equipment at their disposal.

Claims (2)

1. A device for obtaining three-dimensional ultrasound images of the internal organs of a person, including an ultrasonic sensor with a linear arrangement of ultrasonic transducers located in a fixed external case, a computer with an interface and a three-dimensional image-forming program, characterized in that it further comprises a movable internal case made with rotation around an axis that does not coincide with the axis of symmetry of the sensor, concentric with respect to the outer casing, at this sensor is placed and rigidly fixed in the inner housing using the holder. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a gasket is inserted into it to provide acoustic contact with the human body, made in the form of a reservoir of a polymer film filled with liquid.