Ultrasound credentialing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12016731-B2
Application number	US-202218047346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2022
Priority date	Oct 18, 2022
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for automated ultrasound credentialing are described. In some embodiments, a credentialing system for issuing a sonographer credential to a sonography candidate includes an ultrasound probe coupled to a computing device and configured to generate ultrasound data. The computing device is configured to generate, based on the ultrasound data and as part of an automated review, an ultrasound examination score. The computing device is configured to transfer, based on the ultrasound examination score, the sonography candidate from the automated review to a manual review by a reviewer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A credentialing system for issuing a sonographer credential to a sonography candidate, the credentialing system comprising:
an ultrasound probe comprising a grip portion coupled to a computing device and configured to generate ultrasound data and configured to generate grip data indicating an amount of pressure caused by a user grip of the grip portion, wherein the ultrasound probe includes a pressure sensor implemented to generate pressure data indicating an amount of pressure of the ultrasound probe on a patient, and wherein the grip data is a grip map indicating amounts of pressure applied at a plurality of locations on the grip portion by the sonography candidate; and
the computing device configured to:
generate, based on the ultrasound data and the amount of pressure caused by the user grip and the pressure data and as part of an automated review, an ultrasound examination score; and
transfer, based on the ultrasound examination score, the sonography candidate from the automated review to a manual review by a reviewer.

2. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to implement a neural network to generate an image quality score based on the ultrasound data as part of the automated review, and the ultrasound examination score is based on the image quality score.

3. The credentialing system as described in claim 2 , wherein the computing device is implemented to:
determine, based on the ultrasound data, an anatomy; and
select, from among a plurality of neural networks and based on the anatomy, the neural network.

4. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , wherein the grip portion includes a touch sensitive surface, and wherein the ultrasound probe further comprises a processor implemented to generate a grip orientation on the touch sensitive surface, wherein the computing device is implemented to generate the ultrasound examination score based on the grip orientation.

5. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , further comprising an audio processor implemented to record audio content, wherein the computing device is implemented to generate the ultrasound examination score based on the audio content.

6. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound probe includes an inertial measurement unit implemented to generate motion data for the ultrasound probe, and wherein the computing device is implemented to generate the ultrasound examination score based on the motion data.

7. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , further comprising a sensor system implemented to generate motion data for the sonography candidate, wherein the computing device is implemented to generate the ultrasound examination score based on the motion data.

8. The credentialing system as described in claim 7 , wherein the sensor system includes a wearable sensor configured to be worn by the sonography candidate.

9. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , further comprising a simulator system including a dummy patient, wherein the ultrasound probe is implemented to transmit ultrasound into the dummy patient and generate the ultrasound data based on reflections of the ultrasound from the dummy patient.

10. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , further comprising a credentialing database implemented to store examination results of sonography candidates, wherein the computing device is implemented to transfer the sonography candidate from the automated review to the manual review based on the examination results from the credentialing database for at least some of the sonography candidates that are different from the sonography candidate.

11. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to implement a neural network including a first input to receive one or more ultrasound images and one or more second inputs to receive additional data including the grip data and an output coupled to the first input and the second input to generate the ultrasound examination score.

12. The credentialing system as described in claim 11 , wherein the additional data further include one or more of candidate motion data, audio data, probe orientation data, pressure data, or temporal data.

13. The credentialing system as described in claim 11 , wherein the neural network includes a plurality of neural networks.

14. The credentialing system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera coupled to the computing device to determine a location of the ultrasound probe.

15. A computer implemented method to issue a sonographer credential to a sonography candidate, the method comprising:
generating, by an ultrasound probe ultrasound data, the ultrasound probe comprising a grip portion, wherein the ultrasound probe includes a pressure sensor implemented to generate pressure data indicating an amount of pressure of the ultrasound probe on a patient;
generating, by a processor, grip data indicating an amount of pressure caused by a user grip of the grip portion of the ultrasound probe, wherein the grip data is a grip map indicating amounts of pressure applied at a plurality of locations on the grip portion by the sonography candidate; and
generating, by the processor, an ultrasound examination score as part of an automated review based on the ultrasound data and the amount of pressure caused by the user grip and the pressure data; and
transferring, based on the ultrasound examination score, the sonography candidate from the automated review to a manual review by a reviewer.

16. The computer implemented method as described in claim 15 , wherein the ultrasound examination score is generated as part of an automated review using a neural network including a first input to receive one or more ultrasound images and one or more second inputs to receive additional data including the grip data and an output coupled to the first input and the second input to generate the ultrasound examination score, wherein the neural network is used to generate an image quality score based on the ultrasound data and the grip data as part of the automated review, and the ultrasound examination score is based on the image quality score.

17. The computer implemented method as described in claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, based on the ultrasound data, an anatomy; and
selecting, from among a plurality of neural networks and based on the anatomy, the neural network.

18. The computer implemented method as described in claim 15 , wherein the additional data further include one or more of candidate motion data, audio data, probe orientation data, pressure data, or temporal data.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Sonosite Inc
• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Dhatt Davin
• Danset Paul
• Duffy Thomas
• Takayama Hidetoshi
• Inoue Tomoki
• Matsumoto Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• A61B8/429

  characterised by determining or monitoring the contact between the transducer and the tissue · CPC title

• A61B8/4254

  using sensors mounted on the probe · CPC title

• A61B8/58

  Testing, adjusting or calibrating the diagnostic device · CPC title

• A61B8/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title

• A61B8/585

  Automatic set-up of the device · CPC title