Systems and methods for quantification and classification of fluids in human cavities in ultrasound images

Abstract

Ultrasound imaging systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonography method includes creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body, and transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient. Echoes are received from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes, compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest is compiled. The pattern is processed by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the pattern information stored in the database. A composition within the region-of-interest of the patient is then determined.

1 . An apparatus for measuring the volume of fluid in a human or animal body cavity using a non-invasive, ultrasound echo technique, comprising: a transducer assembly including a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted thereon for transmitting and receiving a plurality of ultrasound signals into the body cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations; means for activating the transducers to produce transmitted ultrasound signals; means for detecting body cavity wall echoes from received ultrasound signals; means for determining, from said received signals, a body cavity height H and depth D; means for determining a specific measurement configuration corresponding to the body cavity filling degree from the ultrasound signals that intercept the fluid filled body cavity to thereby select an appropriate predetermined correction factor K corresponding to that specific measurement configuration, for optimal calculation of the volume; and means for calculating the fluid volume according to the formula H×D×K. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body cavity is a bladder and the volume of fluid measured is a volume of urine. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means for activating includes means for transmitting said plurality of ultrasound signals in a selected order. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means for detecting uses echo travel time and other beam information from the plurality of ultrasound signals. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means for determining selects specific ultrasound signals from the plurality of ultrasound signals corresponding to ultrasound beams that have intercepted the fluid filled body cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a display means for instantaneous display of the calculated fluid volume to allow optimization of transducer positioning by the user. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means for deriving includes a memory storing a plurality of empirically predetermined correction factors K. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the array further includes five transducers. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the five transducers are respectively oriented at angles φ A , φ B , φ C , φ D , and φ E , to an axis orthogonal to the plane of the transducer array, the angles being approximately φ A =−25°, φ B =0°, φ C +25°, φ D +25°, φ E +40°. 
     
     
         10 . A method for measuring the volume of fluid in a human or animal body cavity using a non-invasive, ultrasound echo technique, comprising the steps of: transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic beams into the region of the body containing the cavity at plural angles of incidence and/or from plural spatial locations; receiving a plurality of ultrasonic signals from the body; determining, from said received signals, a body cavity height H and depth D; determining, from the received signals, a specific measurement configuration corresponding to the body cavity filling degree from the ultrasound signals that intercept the fluid filled body cavity to thereby select an appropriate predetermined correction factor K corresponding to that specific measurement configuration, for optimal calculation of the volume; and calculating the fluid volume according to the formula H×D×K. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further including the step of transmitting the plurality of ultrasonic beams into the body from a transducer array in which a plurality of transducers are arranged with a predetermined spatial location and mounting angle. 
     
     
         12 . An ultrasonography method, comprising:
 creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body;   transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient;   receiving echoes from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes:
 compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest; 
 processing the pattern by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the database; and 
   determining a composition within the region-of-interest of the patient.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein transmitting ultrasound pulses into the region of interest includes transmitting the pulses to at least one of a tissue, a fluid, and a cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein transmitting the pulse further comprises transmitting the pulses to at least one of urine, blood, amniotic fluid, lung fluids, liver bile, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein processing the pattern includes calculating at least one of a Goldberg number, a harmonic ratio, and an attenuation factor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein processing the pattern further includes applying a window algorithm to a section of an echo pulse near a cavity-boundary interface within the region-of-interest. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein applying a window algorithm further comprises determining the harmonic frequencies associated with the section of the echo pulse near the cavity-boundary interface. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein receiving echoes further comprises receiving at least one of a single dimensional line, a two-dimensional plane, and a three-dimensional array of two-dimensional planes. 
     
     
         19 . An ultrasonography method, comprising:
 creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, and a cavity of a body;   transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in the body;   receiving echoes from the region of interest, and based on the echoes:
 compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest; 
 processing the pattern by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the database; and 
   determining a volume within the region-of-interest of the body.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein transmitting ultrasound pulses to the region of interest includes transmitting the pulses into at least one of a tissue, a fluid, and a cavity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein transmitting the pulse further comprises transmitting the pulses into at least one of urine, blood, amniotic fluid, lung fluids, liver bile, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein processing the pattern includes calculating at least one of a Goldberg number, a harmonic ratio, and an attenuation factor. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein processing the pattern further includes applying a window algorithm to a section of an echo pulse near a cavity-boundary interface within the region-of-interest. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein applying a window algorithm further comprises determining one or more harmonic frequencies associated with the section of the echo pulse near the cavity-boundary interface. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein receiving echoes further comprises receiving at least one of a single dimensional line, a two-dimensional plane, and a three-dimensional array of two-dimensional planes