Abstract: A method of analyzing an ultrasound image involves assessing the quality of the image in terms of which features of interest have been identified in the image and assessing a segmentation quality relating to the quality of a segmentation of the image. The two quality assessments are combined to derive and output an overall quality assessment for biometry measurements obtained from the image.

Abstract: A method for segmenting a target anatomy in ultrasound data. Scan-converted ultrasound data is obtained within a scan-converted space in the Cartesian coordinate system. The scan-converted ultrasound data is transformed to de-scanned ultrasound data within a de-scanned space in the Toroidal coordinate system. The de-scanned ultrasound data is an estimate of the ultrasound data as obtained by an original acquisition procedure. A segmentation of a target anatomy can thus be performed on the ultrasound data in the de-scanned space The resulting segmentation data can then be re-scanned back to the Cartesian coordinate system for display with the ultrasound data.

Abstract: In some examples, one or more three dimensional (3D) objects may be rendered in relation to a two dimensional (2D) imaging slice. The 3D object may be rendered such that the 3D object casts a colored shadow on the 2D imaging slice. In some examples, the 3D object may be rendered in colors where different colors indicate a distance from the portion of the 3D object from the 2D imaging slice.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining a global confidence index for a 2D ultrasound image extracted from a 3D ultrasound volume, wherein the global confidence index indicates the suitability of the 2D ultrasound image for medical measure-ments. The method comprises obtaining a 3D ultrasound volume of a subject and extracting a set of at least one 2D ultrasound image from the 3D ultrasound volume. A set of geometrical indicators are then obtained with a first neural network, wherein each geometrical indicator indicates geometrical features of the anatomy of the subject. The set of 2D ultrasound images are then processed with a second neural network, wherein the output of the second neural network is a set of anatomical indicators and wherein the anatomical indicators indicate at least the presence of anatomical landmarks. A global confidence index is then determined for each one of the set of 2D ultrasound images based on the geometrical indicators and the anatomical indicators.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for performing an assessment of a placenta. The method includes obtaining a 3D ultrasound image of a uterus (210) and segmenting the placenta (220). A 3D rendering (200) of the uterus is then generated, wherein the generating includes: identifying a position of the placenta within the uterus with respect to an anatomical structure such as the cervix (250); obtaining anatomical reference data relating to a potential risk associated with the position of the placenta within the uterus; and comparing the position of the placenta and the anatomical reference data. A 3D rendering of the uterus is generated that comprises a 3D rendering of the placenta, marked with an indicator that is altered based on the comparison of the position of the placenta and the anatomical reference data. The appearance of the indicator may vary according to e.g. risk type/severity.

Abstract: An ultrasound image processing apparatus (16) is disclosed comprising a processor arrangement (46, 50) adapted to receive a temporal sequence (15) of ultrasound images (150) of at least a chest region (151) of a fetal entity (62) from an ultrasound probe (14), said chest region including the fetal heart (171), said temporal sequence capturing at least part of a cardiac cycle of the fetal heart; identify the chest region of the fetal entity in one or more of the ultrasound images of said temporal sequence; identify a portion of the spine in the identified chest region; calculate an orientation axis (160) of the fetal chest from the identified chest region and the identified spine portion; identify the septum of the fetal heart as a linear structure which is temporally more stable than its surrounding structures in said temporal sequence of ultrasound images and which defines a region of convergence of the movements of the fetal heart during said cardiac cycle; calculate an orientation axis (170) of the fetal h

Abstract: A computer implemented method is provided for processing a 3D fetal ultrasound image. A 3D fetal ultrasound image is obtained (either acquired or received from memory), and the spine is detected within the image. This enables a first reference axis to be defined. A second reference axis is defined perpendicular to the first reference axis, and the 3D fetal ultrasound image is updated (e.g. rotated in 3D space) using the first and second reference axes and an up/down (elevation) orientation detection. This provides a normalization of the orientation of the image, so that a machine learning approach is better able to identify landmarks within new images.

Abstract: The invention provides an ultrasound imaging method for determining complementary views of interest based on an anomalous feature identified in a region of interest of an ultrasound image. The method includes obtaining an ultrasound image of a region of interest of a subject and identifying an anomalous feature within said region. The identified anomalous feature may then be used to determine one or more available complementary ultrasound images of interest of the subject. The one or more available complementary ultrasound images may then be displayed to a user and the complementary ultrasound views to be reviewed may then be selected by the user from the displayed available complementary ultrasound images.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for guiding the acquisition of an ultrasound image. A 3D ultrasound image is acquired by an ultrasound probe at a first position and an anatomical structure is identified within the 3D ultrasound image. A target imaging plane is estimated based on the identified anatomical structure and it is determined whether the target imaging plane is present within the 3D ultrasound image. If the target imaging plane is present, a displacement between a central plane of the 3D ultrasound image and the target plane is determined. If the displacement is below a predetermined threshold, the target imaging plane is extracted and if the displacement is above the predetermined threshold, an instruction to acquire a 3D ultrasound image with the ultrasound probe at a second position, different from the first position, is generated based on the displacement. The invention further provides a method for estimating a target imaging plane.

Abstract: An ultrasound system (100) and operating method (200) are disclosed in which the system is adapted to receive a sequence (15) of 2-D ultrasound image frames (150) of a prenatal entity from an ultrasound probe (14) and, for each image frame in said sequence, control the display device to display the received image frame; attempt to segment the image frame for recognition of an anatomical feature of interest (151) of said prenatal entity in said image frame; and accept the image frame for further processing upon recognition of said feature, said further processing comprising: determine a geometric property of the recognized anatomical feature of interest for each accepted image frame; and control the display device to display the determined geometric properties of the accepted image frames in said sequence with each displayed image frame. Such an operating method may be made available as a computer program product for installation on the ultrasound system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for positioning a marker (2) in a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3), a system for positioning a marker (2) in a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3), a method for positioning a marker (2) in a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3), a computer program element for controlling such device (1) for performing such method and a computer readable medium having stored such computer program element. The device (1) comprises an image provision unit (11), a marker unit (12) and a display unit (13). The image provision unit (11) is configured to provide a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3) showing an object (4). The marker unit (12) is configured to position a marker (2) in the 3D ultrasonic image volume (3). The display unit (13) is configured to display the 3D ultrasonic image volume (3) and the marker (2) in a first imaging view (31) in a first imaging plane and in a second imaging view (32) in a second, different imaging plane.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is provided for processing a 3D fetal ultrasound image. A 3D fetal ultrasound image is obtained (either acquired or received from memory), and the spine is detected within the image. This enables a first reference axis to be defined. A second reference axis is defined perpendicular to the first reference axis, and the 3D fetal ultrasound image is updated (e.g. rotated in 3D space) using the first and second reference axes and an up/down (elevation) orientation detection. This provides a normalization of the orientation of the image, so that a machine learning approach is better able to identify landmarks within new images.

Abstract: An ultrasound image processing apparatus (16) is disclosed comprising a processor arrangement (46, 50) adapted to receive a temporal sequence (15) of ultrasound images (150) of at least a chest region (151) of a fetal entity (62) from an ultrasound probe (14), said chest region including the fetal heart (171), said temporal sequence capturing at least part of a cardiac cycle of the fetal heart; identify the chest region of the fetal entity in one or more of the ultrasound images of said temporal sequence; identify a portion of the spine in the identified chest region; calculate an orientation axis (160) of the fetal chest from the identified chest region and the identified spine portion; identify the septum of the fetal heart as a linear structure which is temporally more stable than its surrounding structures in said temporal sequence of ultrasound images and which defines a region of convergence of the movements of the fetal heart during said cardiac cycle; calculate an orientation axis (170) of the fetal h

Abstract: An ultrasound system (100) and operating method (200) are disclosed in which the system is adapted to receive a sequence (15) of 2-D ultrasound image frames (150) of a prenatal entity from an ultrasound probe (14) and, for each image frame in said sequence, control the display device to display the received image frame; attempt to segment the image frame for recognition of an anatomical feature of interest (151) of said prenatal entity in said image frame; and accept the image frame for further processing upon recognition of said feature, said further processing comprising: determine a geometric property of the recognized anatomical feature of interest for each accepted image frame; and control the display device to display the determined geometric properties of the accepted image frames in said sequence with each displayed image frame. Such an operating method may be made available as a computer program product for installation on the ultrasound system.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system (1) is disclosed comprising a data storage arrangement (220) for storing ultrasound imaging data comprising an imaging volume of a fetus (8); a processor arrangement (210) communicatively coupled to the data storage arrangement and responsive to a user interface (120); and a display device (50) under control of said processor arrangement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for positioning a marker (2) in a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3), a system for positioning a marker (2) in a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3), a method for positioning a marker (2) in a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3), a computer program element for controlling such device (1) for performing such method and a computer readable medium having stored such computer program element. The device (1) comprises an image provision unit (11), a marker unit (12) and a display unit (13). The image provision unit (11) is configured to provide a 3D ultrasonic image volume (3) showing an object (4). The marker unit (12) is configured to position a marker (2) in the 3D ultrasonic image volume (3). The display unit (13) is configured to display the 3D ultrasonic image volume (3) and the marker (2) in a first imaging view (31) in a first imaging plane and in a second imaging view (32) in a second, different imaging plane.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (200) for delineating an anatomical structure in an image computed from a slice of image data, the system (200) comprising a partition unit (210) for partitioning the image into a plurality of image portions, each image portion depicting a portion of the anatomical structure, and an adaptation unit (220) for adapting a template to the image based on a criterion function, the criterion function being a function of template parameters and of image values and their relative positions in the image, and on a criterion to be satisfied by a computed value of the criterion function, wherein the criterion function is defined on the basis of the plurality of image portions. Having a criterion function defined on the basis of the plurality of image portions allows computing optimal contributions to the criterion function value within each portion of the image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (200) for delineating endocardial and epicardial contours of the heart in an image computed from long-axis image data, using a template defining curves for delineating the endocardial and epicardial contours in the image, the system (200) comprising a template-positioning unit (205) for positioning the template on the basis of short-axis image data, a scar map initialization unit (210) for initializing a scar map for use in adapting the template to the image, based on a prior segmentation of the endocardial and epicardial surfaces on the basis of the short-axis image data, and an adaptation unit (220) for adapting the template to the image, using a criterion function, the criterion function comprising terms describing the attraction of the template to image features and terms describing internal interactions within the template, and wherein at least one term of the criterion function is defined on the basis of the scar map.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (200) for delineating endocardial and epicardial contours of the heart in an image computed from long-axis image data, using a template defining curves for delineating the endocardial and epicardial contours in the image, the system (200) comprising a template-positioning unit (205) for positioning the template on the basis of short-axis image data, a scar map initialization unit (210) for initializing a scar map for use in adapting the template to the image, based on a prior segmentation of the endocardial and epicardial surfaces on the basis of the short-axis image data, and an adaptation unit (220) for adapting the template to the image, using a criterion function, the criterion function comprising terms describing the attraction of the template to image features and terms describing internal interactions within the template, and wherein at least one term of the criterion function is defined on the basis of the scar map.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (200) for delineating an anatomical structure in an image computed from a slice of image data, the system (200) comprising a partition unit (210) for partitioning the image into a plurality of image portions, each image portion depicting a portion of the anatomical structure, and an adaptation unit (220) for adapting a template to the image based on a criterion function, the criterion function being a function of template parameters and of image values and their relative positions in the image, and on a criterion to be satisfied by a computed value of the criterion function, wherein the criterion function is defined on the basis of the plurality of image portions. Having a criterion function defined on the basis of the plurality of image portions allows computing optimal contributions to the criterion function value within each portion of the image.