Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods that may be used to image breast tissue. An ultrasound imaging system according to one embodiment may include a user interface comprising a display, a processor operatively connected to the user interface, and memory comprising processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the user interface to display a first ultrasound image of a breast on the display and receive an indication of a first region of interest (ROI) in the first ultrasound image. The memory may include instructions to further cause the user interface to display a second ultrasound image of the breast on the display and receive an indication of a second region of interest in the second ultrasound image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasound probe having a transducer array configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit configured to generate a B-mode volume based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit configured to provide a current B-mode image based on the B-mode volume. The system further comprises a memory configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map. Also, the system comprises a registration unit configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map to the B-mode volume and to select a portion of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image. Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image based on the current B-mode image and the selected portion of the 3D-vessel map.

Abstract: A method and processing system for providing a three-dimensional, 3D, ultrasound image along with an additional ultrasound acquisition. A location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image is determined or obtained. After obtaining the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition, initial display data is for display of only the 3D ultrasound image. In response to a user input, second display data is generated for displaying both the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition. The display of the additional ultrasound acquisition is based on the location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image.

Abstract: An ultrasound guidance method and system for an ultrasound imaging system in which user-defined start and end locations define a volume to be imaged. Guidance instructions for an ultrasound process performed on the defined volume may thereby be generated, to help guide the movement of an ultrasound probe during the ultrasound imaging process. The movement of the ultrasound probe is monitored using an ultrasound probe tracker to ensure that the user is adhering to the guidance instructions.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods that may be used to assist clinicians in locating lesions during an ultrasound exam that were previously located from images acquired by another imaging system, for example, a magnetic resonance imaging system. A lesion location interface is disclosed that provides visual indications of predicted lesion locations on a display. The predicted lesion locations may be determined by a deformation model included in an ultrasound imaging system as disclosed herein.

Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus (10) for inspecting a volume of a subject (12) is disclosed. The medical imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasound acquisition unit (14) including an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound image data of the subject, an image interface (20) for receiving medical image data of the subject, a position determining unit (30) for determining a position of the ultrasound probe. An alignment unit is provided for aligning the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on anatomical features (32) of the subject and the detected position of the ultrasound probe and for adapting the alignment of the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on a motion model. An image processing unit (18) is provided for processing the ultrasound image data and the medical image data to fuse the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on the alignment to combined image data.

Abstract: A fusion imaging system co-registers and fuses real time ultrasound images with reference images such as those produced by MRI or CT imaging. In an illustrated implementation, previously acquired CT or MRI or ultrasound images are loaded into the system. An ultrasound system is operated in conjunction with a tracking system so that the ultrasound probe and images can be spatially tracked. A computerized image processor registers the probe position with a reference image of the anatomy being scanned by the probe and determines whether the probe appears to be inside the skin line of the subject. If that is the case it is due to probe compression of the subject, and the reference image is modified to locate the skin line in the reference image in front of the ultrasound probe. The modified reference images can then be readily co-registered and fused with the ultrasound images produced by the probe.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods that may be used to image, for example, breast tissue. An ultrasound imaging system according to one embodiment may include a probe, a sensor attached to the probe and operatively associated with a position tracking system, a processor configured to receive probe position data from the position tracking system. The user interface may be configured to provide instructions for placement of the probe at a plurality of anatomical landmarks of a selected breast of the subject and receive user input to record the spatial location of the probe at each of the plurality of anatomical landmarks. The processor may be configured to determine a scan area based on the spatial location of the probe at each of the plurality of anatomical landmarks and generate a scan pattern for the selected breast. The processor may be further configured to monitor movement of the probe.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasound probe having a transducer array configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit configured to generate a B-mode volume based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit configured to provide a current B-mode image based on the B-mode volume. The system further comprises a memory configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map. Also, the system comprises a registration unit configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map to the B-mode volume and to select a portion of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image. Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image based on the current B-mode image and the selected portion of the 3D-vessel map.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system (10) comprising an ultrasound probe (20) having a transducer array (21) configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit (30) configured to generate a B-mode volume (31) based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit (40) configured to provide a current B-mode image (41) based on the B-mode volume (31). The system further comprises a memory (50) configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map (51). Also, the system comprises a registration unit (60) configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map (51) to the B-mode volume (31) and to select a portion (61) of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image (41). Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image (71) based on the current B-mode image (41) and the selected portion (61) of the 3D-vessel map (51).

Abstract: A method for planning ablation treatment using ultrasound data begins by identify pathology to be treated and one or more blood vessels proximate the treatment site in a medical diagnostic image. Ultrasonic Doppler velocity data is acquired from the flow within the vessels and the Doppler data is used to calculate the volume blood flow through the vessels. The thermal effect of the heat transported by this blood flow is considered in the planning of the ablation treatment.

Abstract: An ultrasound system includes a 3D imaging probe and a needle guide which attaches to the probe for guidance of the insertion of multiple needles into a volumetric region which can be scanned by the 3D imaging probe. The needle guide responds to the insertion of a needle through the guide by identifying a plane for scanning by the probe which is the insertion plane through which the needle will pass during insertion. The orientation of the insertion plane is communicated to the probe to cause the probe to scan the identified plane and produce images of the needle as it travels through the insertion plane.

Abstract: A method for ablation treatment using ultrasound data begins by identifying pathology to be treated and one or more blood vessels proximate the treatment site in a medical diagnostic image. The identified ROI and the blood vessels are automatically indicated in an ultrasound image Ultrasonic Doppler velocity data is acquired from the flow within the vessels and the Doppler data is used to calculate the volume blood flow through the vessels. The thermal effect of the heat transported by this blood flow is considered in the planning or conduct of the ablation treatment, as by modifying the size of a burn zone graphic around the tip of the ablation probe.

Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus (10) for evaluating medical image data is disclosed. The medical imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasound acquisition unit including an ultrasound probe (14) for acquiring ultrasound image data of a patient (12) and an ultrasound segmentation unit (24) for segmenting anatomical features of the patient in the ultrasound image data and for providing ultrasound segmentation data (46). The apparatus comprises an image data interface (18) for receiving 3D medical image data of the patient and a medical image segmentation unit (26) for segmenting the 3D medical image data and for providing medical image segmentation data (48).

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus (16) is disclosed for providing two-dimensional ultrasound images of a patient. The ultrasound imaging apparatus comprises an input interface (18) for receiving three-dimensional ultrasound data of a volume of the patient from an ultrasound acquisition unit as a continuous data stream and a motion detection unit (22) for determining a motion of an object in the three-dimensional ultrasound data and a direction of the motion in the three-dimensional ultrasound data. An image processing unit (20) determines a spatial rotation angle (46) of an image plane (32, 34) within the volume on the basis of the determined direction of the motion and determines two-dimensional ultrasound image data on the basis of the three-dimensional ultrasound data in the image plane within the volume. The two-dimensional image data is provided via an output interface to a display unit (26).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system (10) comprising an ultrasound probe (20) having a transducer array (21) configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit (30) configured to generate a B-mode volume (31) based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit (40) configured to provide a current B-mode image (41) based on the B-mode volume (31). The system further comprises a memory (50) configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map (51). Also, the system comprises a registration unit (60) configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map (51) to the B-mode volume (31) and to select a portion (61) of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image (41). Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image (71) based on the current B-mode image (41) and the selected portion (61) of the 3D-vessel map (51).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system (10) comprising an ultrasound probe (20) having a transducer array (21) configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit (30) configured to generate a B-mode volume (31) based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit (40) configured to provide a current B-mode image (41) based on the B-mode volume (31). The system further comprises a memory (50) configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map (51). Also, the system comprises a registration unit (60) configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map (51) to the B-mode volume (31) and to select a portion (61) of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image (41). Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image (71) based on the current B-mode image (41) and the selected portion (61) of the 3D-vessel map (51).

Abstract: A system for image alignment includes an alignment mechanism (132) configured to permit user alignment of images. A first imaging modality (110) is configured to concurrently provide images in two imaging planes using an imaging mechanism (134) associated with the alignment mechanism (132). An image processing module (126) is configured to display first images collected with the first imaging modality and second images collected with a second imaging modality (130) to permit user alignment using the alignment mechanism between the first images and the second images in multiple planes. A registration module (115) is stored in memory and configured to register the first images with corresponding second images in the multiple planes when alignment in the multiple planes has been achieved.

Abstract: A system for identifying tissue includes a subject-specific tissue signature (48) derived from an ultrasound image. The tissue signature has specified ranges of characteristics based on analysis of a reference tissue of a subject having a confirmed pathology. A searching module (140) is stored in memory and is configured to search through images (134) for a volume of the subject to identify tissues in the images for comparison. A comparison module (124) configured to identify tissue matches between the tissue signature of the reference tissue and the tissue signature of the tissues in the volume in accordance with a score based upon the specified ranges of characteristics.

Abstract: A classification-based medical image segmentation apparatus includes an ultrasound image acquisition device configured for acquiring, from ultrasound, an image depicting a medical instrument such as needle; and machine-learning-based-classification circuitry configured for using machine-learning-based-classification to, dynamically responsive to the acquiring, segment the instrument by operating on information (212) derived from the image. The segmenting can be accomplished via statistical boosting (220) of parameters of wavelet features. Each pixel (216) of the image is identified as “needle” or “background.” The whole process of acquiring an image, segmenting the needle, and displaying an image with a visually enhanced and artifact-free needle-only overlay may be performed automatically and without the need for user intervention.