Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016166233-A1
Application number	US-201514971066-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a method of operating the same, which more accurately measure a cervix length. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a pressure measurer that measures a pressure value applied from a probe to a cervix, an image generator that scans an object to acquire an ultrasound image, a controller that determines whether a cervix line is included in the ultrasound image, acquires the measured pressure value, corresponding to the ultrasound image, as a first pressure value when the cervix line is included in the ultrasound image, and acquires a second pressure value for measuring a length of the cervix line, and an output unit that outputs pressure information based on at least one selected from the first pressure value and the second pressure value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:
a pressure measurer that measures a pressure value applied from a probe to a cervix; an image generator that scans an object to acquire an ultrasound image; a controller that determines whether a cervix line is included in the ultrasound image, acquires the measured pressure value, corresponding to the ultrasound image, as a first pressure value when the cervix line is included in the ultrasound image, and acquires a second pressure value for measuring a length of the cervix line; and an output unit that outputs pressure information based on at least one selected from the first pressure value and the second pressure value.

2 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the image generator acquires a plurality of ultrasound images from different positions of the probe, and the controller compares the acquired plurality of ultrasound images to determine whether there is the cervix line.

3 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller detects a contour line from the ultrasound image by using at least one selected from a Sobel mask, a Prewitt mask, a Robert mask, and a Canny mask, and determines whether there is the cervix line, based on the contour line.

4 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller acquires, as the pressure information, an arithmetic relationship between the first pressure value and the second pressure value.

5 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the output unit outputs the pressure information as at least one selected from a letter, a figure, a color, a sound, and vibration.

6 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user input unit that receives the second pressure value from a user.

7 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the pressure measurer comprises a variant that is disposed in front of a transducer of the probe, and the pressure measurer measures the pressure value, based on a deformation degree of the variant which appears in the ultrasound image and an elastic coefficient of the variant.

8 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the pressure measurer comprises a pressure sensor that is disposed in the probe, and the pressure measurer measures the pressure value, based on an output of the pressure sensor.

9 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the pressure measurer comprises a piezo element, and the pressure measurer measures the pressure value, based on an electrical signal output from the piezo element.

10 . The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the piezo element is at least one of a plurality of transducers included in the probe.

11 . An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:
a pressure measurer that measures a pressure value applied from a probe to a cervix; a data acquirer that scans an object to acquire ultrasound data; and a controller that measures a length of a cervix line from the ultrasound data, and performs control to display a relationship between a change amount of the measured pressure value and a change amount of the length of the cervix line corresponding to the measured pressure value.

12 . A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising:
measuring a pressure value applied from a probe to a cervix; scanning an object to acquire an ultrasound image; determining whether a cervix line is included in the ultrasound image; acquiring the measured pressure value, corresponding to the ultrasound image, as a first pressure value when the cervix line is included in the ultrasound image; acquiring a second pressure value for measuring a length of the cervix line; and outputting pressure information based on at least one selected from the first pressure value and the second pressure value.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein,
the acquiring of the ultrasound image comprises acquiring a plurality of ultrasound images from different positions of the probe, and the determining comprises comparing the acquired plurality of ultrasound images to determine whether there is the cervix line.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining comprises:
detecting a contour line from the ultrasound image by using at least one selected from a Sobel mask, a Prewitt mask, a Robert mask, and a Canny mask; and determining whether there is the cervix line, based on the contour line.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising acquiring, as the pressure information, an arithmetic relationship between the first pressure value and the second pressure value.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the outputting comprises outputting the pressure information as at least one selected from a letter, a figure, a color, a sound, and vibration.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving the second pressure value from a user.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein,
a variant is disposed in front of a transducer of the probe, and the measuring of the pressure value comprises measuring the pressure value, based on a deformation degree of the variant which appears in the ultrasound image and an elastic coefficient of the variant.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein,
the probe comprises a pressure sensor, and the measuring of the pressure value comprises measuring the pressure value, based on an output of the pressure sensor.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein,
the probe comprises a piezo element, and the measuring of the pressure value comprises measuring the pressure value, based on an electrical signal output from the piezo element.

21 . A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising:
measuring a pressure value applied from a probe to a cervix; scanning an object to acquire ultrasound data; measuring a length of a cervix line from the ultrasound data; and displaying a relationship between a change amount of the measured pressure value and a change amount of the length of the cervix line corresponding to the measured pressure value.

22 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing the method of claim 12 .

23 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing the method of claim 21 .

Assignees

• Samsung Medison Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoo Jun-Sang
• Lee Kwang-Hee
• Jin Gil-Ju
• Yang Eun-Ho

Classifications

• G16H50/30

  for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment · CPC title

• A61B8/12 Primary

  in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters · CPC title

• A61B8/4254 Primary

  using sensors mounted on the probe · CPC title

• A61B8/485

  involving measuring strain or elastic properties · CPC title

• A61B8/5223 Primary

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