Imaging method and imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446809-B2
Application number	US-202117237901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2021
Priority date	Oct 24, 2018
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

An imaging method may include: emitting a first laser to a target body and receiving a first photoacoustic signal returned from the target body; determining a first photoacoustic image of the target body according to the first photoacoustic signal; emitting a second laser to the target body and receiving a second photoacoustic signal returned from the target body, wherein a wavelength of the second laser is different from that of the first laser; determining a second photoacoustic image of the target body according to the second photoacoustic signal; and determining a blood oxygen image of the target body according to the first photoacoustic image and the second photoacoustic image, wherein the blood oxygen image comprises parameters relate to blood vessels of a target tissue and parameters relate to blood vessels within a preset range at a periphery of the target tissue in the target body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging method, comprising:
within a first period, emitting a first laser to a target body;
receiving a first photoacoustic signal returned from the target body;
determining a first photoacoustic image of the target body according to the first photoacoustic signal;
within a second period, emitting a second laser to the target body, wherein the second period does not overlap with the first period;
receiving a second photoacoustic signal returned from the target body, wherein a wavelength of the second laser is different from that of the first laser;
determining a second photoacoustic image of the target body according to the second photoacoustic signal;
determining blood oxygen saturation values of all pixel points corresponding to the target body according to the first photoacoustic image and the second photoacoustic image;
generating a blood oxygen image of the target body according to the blood oxygen saturation values of all pixel points corresponding to the target body;
determining positions of each pixel point of a target tissue in the blood oxygen image to determine an area corresponding to the target tissue in the blood oxygen image; and extending a preset range centered on the area corresponding to the target tissue to a peripheral and then removing the area corresponding to the target tissue, so as to obtain a peripheral area of the target tissue in the blood oxygen image;
determining a first blood oxygen saturation value of the area corresponding to the target tissue and a second blood oxygen saturation value of the peripheral area of the target tissue;
determining a blood oxygen ratio of the first blood oxygen saturation value to the second blood oxygen saturation value;
determining a number of pixel points of blood vessels and a number of all pixel points corresponding to the target body, wherein each pixel point of the blood vessels has a blood oxygen saturation value greater than a threshold value; and
determining a blood vessel density according to the number of pixel points of the blood vessels and the number of all pixel points corresponding to the target body; and
analyzing the target tissue according to the blood vessel density and the blood oxygen ratio to obtain an analysis result of the target tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying the blood oxygen image.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
within the first period, emitting a first ultrasonic wave to the target body;
receiving a first ultrasonic echo returned from the target body to obtain a first ultrasonic echo signal;
determining a first ultrasonic image of the target body according to the first ultrasonic echo signal;
displaying the first ultrasonic image;
within the second period, emitting a second ultrasonic wave to the target body;
receiving a second ultrasonic echo returned from the target body to obtain a second ultrasonic echo signal;
determining a second ultrasonic image of the target body according to the second ultrasonic echo signal; and
displaying the second ultrasonic image.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
fusing the first photoacoustic image and the first ultrasonic image to obtain a first fused image of the target body;
displaying the first fused image;
fusing the second photoacoustic image and the second ultrasonic image to obtain a second fused image of the target body; and
displaying the second fused image.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a first mean value of blood oxygen saturation according to the blood oxygen saturation values of all pixel points corresponding to the target tissue, wherein the first mean value of blood oxygen saturation is an average value of the blood oxygen saturation inside the target tissue, wherein the first blood oxygen saturation value is the first mean value of blood oxygen saturation; and
determining a second mean value of blood oxygen saturation according to the blood oxygen saturation values of all pixel points corresponding to the peripheral area of the target tissue, wherein the second mean value of blood oxygen saturation is an average value of the blood oxygen saturation of the peripheral area of the target tissue, wherein the second blood oxygen saturation value is the second mean value of blood oxygen saturation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the area corresponding to the target tissue and obtaining the peripheral area of the target tissue in the blood oxygen image comprises:
determining the area corresponding to the target tissue in the first ultrasonic image or the second ultrasonic image by comparing parameter values of the target tissue and other tissues around the target tissue, wherein the parameter values comprise at least one of a grayscale value, a brightness value, a pixel value, and a gradient value; and
determining the area corresponding to the target tissue in the blood oxygen image according to the area corresponding to the target tissue determined in the first ultrasonic image or the second ultrasonic image, and determining an area within the preset range at a periphery of the target tissue determined in the blood oxygen image as the peripheral area of the target tissue in the blood oxygen image.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the area corresponding to the target tissue and obtaining the peripheral area of the target tissue in the blood oxygen image comprises:
receiving an input parameter for the first ultrasonic image or the second ultrasonic image;
determining the area corresponding to the target tissue in the first ultrasonic image or the second ultrasonic image according to the input parameter; and
determining the area corresponding to the target tissue in the blood oxygen image according to the area corresponding to the target tissue determined in the first ultrasonic image or the second ultrasonic image, and determining an area within the preset range at a periphery of the target tissue determined in the blood oxygen image as the peripheral area of the target tissue in the blood oxygen image.

8. An imaging system, comprising: a laser device, a probe, a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, and a processor, wherein
the laser device is configured to generate, within a first period, a first laser for irradiating a target body, wherein the first laser is coupled to the probe through an optical fiber bundle and emitted to the target body through the optical fiber bundle;
the receiving circuit is configured to control the probe to receive a first photoacoustic signal returned from the target body;
the processor is configured to determine a first photoacoustic image of the target body according to the first photoacoustic signal;
the laser device is further configured to generate, within a second period, a second laser for irradiating the target body, wherein the second laser is coupled to the probe through the optical fiber bundle and emitted to the target body through the optical fiber bundle, and the second period does not overlap with the first period;
the receiving circuit is further configured to control the probe to receive a second photoacoustic signal returned from the target body;
the processor is further configured to determine a second photoacoustic image of the target body according to the second photoacoustic signal;
the processor is further configured to determine blood oxygen saturation values of all pixel points corresponding to the target body according to the first photoacoustic image and the second photoacoustic image; and generate a blood oxygen image of the target body according to the blood oxygen saturation values of all pixel points corresponding to the target body; and
the processor is fu

Assignees

• Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co Ltd
• Shenzhen Mindray Scient Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Fang
• Zhu Lei

Classifications

• A61B5/0095

  by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements · CPC title

• A61B8/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B8/0891

  for diagnosis of blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B8/06

  Measuring blood flow · CPC title

• A61B8/488

  involving Doppler signals · CPC title