Ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12433567-B2
Application number	US-202318121802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 16, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging system configured to capture a plurality of ultrasound images and determine one or more optimal ultrasound images from the plurality of ultrasound images. The ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe having an ultrasound array configured to capture a plurality of ultrasound images of a target vessel and other anatomical targets within a target area. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a console in communication with the ultrasound array, the console configured to detect one or more vessel characteristics of the target vessel, determine one or more vessel characteristic values from the one or more vessel characteristics, and compare each vessel characteristic value with one or more vessel characteristic thresholds to determine one or more optimal ultrasound images from the plurality of ultrasound images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
an ultrasound probe having an ultrasound array configured to capture a plurality of ultrasound images of a target vessel and other anatomical targets within a target area; and
a console in communication with the ultrasound array, the console configured to:
detect one or more vessel characteristics of the target vessel,
determine one or more vessel characteristic values from the one or more vessel characteristics, and
compare each vessel characteristic value with one or more vessel characteristic thresholds to determine one or more optimal ultrasound images from the plurality of ultrasound images,
wherein the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds include at least maximum vessel size threshold.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more vessel characteristics include a target vessel shape, a target vessel size, a target vessel circularity, a target vessel depth, and a target vessel cross sectional area.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more optimal ultrasound images include one or more ultrasound images having one or more vessel characteristic values that comply with the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds include a maximum vessel characteristic threshold, an average vessel characteristic threshold, and a minimum vessel characteristic threshold.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more optimal ultrasound images include one or more ultrasound images having one or more vessel characteristic values that comply with each maximum vessel characteristic threshold.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more optimal ultrasound images include one or more ultrasound images having one or more vessel characteristic values that comply with each minimum vessel characteristic threshold.

7. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more optimal ultrasound images include one or more ultrasound images having one or more vessel characteristic values that comply with each average vessel characteristic threshold.

8. The system according to claim 4 , wherein each of the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds are informed by dimensions of a vascular access device configured to be placed within the target vessel.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the dimensions of the vascular access device are communicated to the console by an RFID tag, a barcode, or user input.

10. The system according to claim 4 , wherein each of the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds are informed by at least one of a desired percentage of target vessel occupancy or a desired target vessel occupancy diameter.

11. The system according to claim 4 , wherein each of the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds are informed by at least one of a desired target vessel depth or a desired target vessel purchase.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound imaging system includes a display in communication with the console, the display configured to depict the one or more optimal ultrasound images and one or more icons relating to the one or more vessel characteristic values.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound probe includes a gyroscope in communication with the console, the gyroscope configured to detect movement of the ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound probe gestures.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the ultrasound array is configured to capture the plurality of ultrasound images when the gyroscope detects the one or more ultrasound probe gestures.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the console includes one or more processors, an energy source, non-transitory computer readable medium, and a plurality of logic modules.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of logic modules, when activated by the one or more processors, are configured to perform operations including:
capturing and receiving the plurality of ultrasound images;
analyzing each ultrasound image to determine a vessel characteristic value for each vessel characteristic;
determining one or more vessel characteristic thresholds;
comparing each vessel characteristic value with each vessel characteristic threshold to determine the one or more optimal ultrasound images; and
detecting ultrasound probe movement.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound array is configured to capture the plurality of ultrasound images when each of the one or more vessel characteristic values comply with the one or more vessel characteristic thresholds.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound array is configured to capture the plurality of ultrasound images when the console detects compression of the target vessel.

19. A method of capturing a plurality of ultrasound images and determining one or more optimal ultrasound images from the plurality of ultrasound images, comprising:
capturing a plurality of ultrasound images of a target vessel;
setting vessel characteristic value thresholds for each desired vessel characteristic to be detected;
determining each of one or more vessel characteristic values of the target vessel;
determining which of the one or more vessel characteristic values comply with each maximum characteristic value threshold;
determining which of the one or more vessel characteristic values meet or exceed each average characteristic value threshold;
determining which of the one or more vessel characteristic values meet or exceed each minimum characteristic value threshold; and
displaying each of the one or more optimal ultrasound images on a display in communication with a console.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein capturing the plurality of ultrasound images of the target vessel includes using an ultrasound probe having an ultrasound array in communication with the console to capture the plurality of ultrasound images.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein capturing the plurality of ultrasound images of the target vessel includes an image capturing event triggering the ultrasound array to capture the plurality of ultrasound images.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the image capturing event includes a user generated image capturing event including one or more ultrasound probe gestures, a touch screen activation of the display, a pressing of a button on the ultrasound probe, or a voice activation.

23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the image capturing event includes a console generated image capturing event including detected compression of the target vessel or vessel characteristic values complying with vessel characteristic value thresholds.

24. The method according to claim 19 , wherein setting vessel characteristic value thresholds for each desired vessel characteristic includes using dimensions of a vascular access device configured to be inserted into the target vessel to set vessel characteristic value thresholds for each desired vessel characteristic.

25. The method according to claim 19 , wherein setting vessel characteristic value thresholds for each desired vessel characteristic includes using at least one of a desired percentage of target vessel occupancy or a desired target vessel occupancy diameter to set vessel character

Assignees

• Bard Access Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sowards Steffan
• Mclaughlin William Robert
• Misener Anthony K

Classifications

• A61B8/5207 Primary

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image · CPC title

• A61B8/463

  characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display · CPC title

• A61B8/4427

  Device being portable or laptop-like · CPC title

• A61B8/4254

  using sensors mounted on the probe · CPC title

• A61B8/5223

  for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data (for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012) · CPC title