Ultrasonic imaging system with body marker annotations

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is operated to acquire an ultrasound image of a region of the body containing suspect anatomy such as a suspected lesion. A body marker template of the region of the body is displayed on a touchscreen display of the imaging system. The operator records the location of the suspect anatomy by touching a corresponding point on the body marker template displayed on the touchscreen display. The mark on the template can be finely adjusted by one or more controls on the imaging system control panel. The body marker template can also record a graphic indicating the orientation of the ultrasound probe relative to the body when the suspect anatomy was imaged. A report generator produces a report containing both the ultrasound image of the suspect anatomy and the body marker template with the indicated location of the suspect anatomy.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A system, comprising:
 a touchscreen display configured to display an ultrasound image containing an anatomy; and   a storage medium comprising stored body marker templates each comprising a graphical representation of the anatomy from a different viewing angle,   wherein the touchscreen display is coupled to the storage medium and configured to display the stored body marker templates, and wherein the system, in response to an input of a system operator, is configured to mark a location of a suspect anatomy in relation to at least one of the body marker templates.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the graphical representation of the anatomy comprises a side view breast template. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the side view breast template comprises a plurality of depth segments. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the graphical representation of the anatomy comprises a front view breast template. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the front view breast template comprises a plurality of radial segments. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the input of the system operator comprises dragging a finger of the system operator to the location of the suspect anatomy. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the touchscreen display is configured to mark the location of the suspect anatomy in two stored body marker templates in response to the input of the system operator. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the input comprises user manipulation of a control knob. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein a single user manipulation of the control knob adjusts the location of the suspect anatomy in two stored body marker templates. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the input comprises user manipulation of two or more control knobs. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein each of the two or more control knobs is configured to adjust the location of the suspect anatomy independently in each of the stored body marker templates. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising an ultrasound probe and an image processor coupled to the ultrasound probe, wherein the image processor is configured to generate the ultrasound image based on echo signals received by the ultrasound probe. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the touchscreen display is further configured to indicate a position of the probe in relation to the ultrasound image. 
     
     
         35 . A method comprising:
 displaying an ultrasound image comprising a breast tissue abnormality;   displaying body marker templates each representing at least a portion of a breast from a from a different viewing angle on a touchscreen display of a system; and   in response to an input of a system operator, marking a location of the breast tissue abnormality in relation to at least one of the body marker templates.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , comprising adjusting a position of the location in relation to the body marker templates previously marked in response to the input. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein one of the body marker templates comprises a plurality of radial segments representing different portions of the breast. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein one of the body marker templates comprises a plurality of depth segments representing different portions of the breast. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the input of the system operator comprises dragging a finger of the system operator to the location of the breast abnormality. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the input of the system operator comprises manipulating a control knob configured to adjust the location of the breast tissue abnormality in relation to at least one of the body marker templates. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the input of the system operator comprises manipulating two or more control knobs each configured to adjust the location of the breast tissue abnormality independently in one of the body marker templates.