Methods for needle identification on an ultrasound display screen by determining a meta-frame rate of the data signals

Inventors

Duffy, Shane A. • Yazarel, Hakan J. • Shahriari, Shirzad • Comtois, Marc • Wang, Tingting • Collin, Jamie • Polijanczuk, Andrew • Gomersall, Henry

Assignees

TTP PLC • Avent Inc

Abstract

A needle assembly for use with an autonomous ultrasound imaging system includes a needle having a proximal end and a distal end adapted to be inserted into a patient. The needle assembly also includes a needle transducer mounted to an exterior surface of the needle and is electrically coupled to a power source. The needle transducer is configured to receive data signals from the autonomous ultrasound imaging system which contain information relating to a plurality of ultrasound waves generated by an ultrasound probe of the autonomous ultrasound imaging system. The needle assembly further includes at least one processor configured to perform one or more operations, including but not limited to, generating a location signal for at least one portion of the needle based on the data signals from the autonomous ultrasound imaging system and modifying at least one characteristic of the location signal so as to improve visibility of the location signal on the display screen, wherein the modified location signal is displayed on a display screen during use of the needle assembly so as to locate the at least one portion of the needle.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an autonomous ultrasound imaging system and a needle assembly that identifies a needle of the needle assembly on a display screen. A needle transducer mounted within a recess of the needle on an exterior surface of the needle assembly receives data signals generated from a plurality of ultrasound waves by an ultrasound probe of the autonomous ultrasound imaging system, and a first processor generates a location signal for at least one portion of the needle based on the received data signals.

To determine and display the location signal, the processor determines a threshold for the data signals and identifies a plurality of peak amplitudes within the data signals when the data signals exceed the threshold. The processor determines a meta-frame rate of the data signals by determining a time frame between the plurality of peak amplitudes, maintaining a record of the time frames between each of the plurality of peaks, and determining the meta-frame rate based on the record.

The processor determines a time offset for the data signals, anticipates a future frame rate based on the time offset, and signals the needle transducer to flash so as to display the location signal on the at least one portion of the needle on the display screen in anticipation of the future frame rate. The invention further modifies at least one characteristic of the location signal so as to improve visibility of the location signal on the display screen, including at least one of color, shape, size, brightness, intensity, rate of flashing, or echogenicity.

The location signal can be adapted by collecting multiple pulsed location signals and processing them using filtering, transforming, and/or removing outliers. The modified location signal is displayed on the display screen on the at least one portion of the needle during use to locate the at least one portion of the needle.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims are directed to two inventive features: a method for identifying a needle portion on a display screen using autonomous ultrasound data and visibility-improved location signaling with frame-rate anticipation, and a needle assembly configured to perform that method.

Together, the independent claims cover an autonomous ultrasound-based needle identification approach that extracts a location signal from thresholded peak amplitudes, estimates a meta-frame rate from recorded time frames, anticipates a future frame rate using a time offset, flashes the needle transducer to display the location signal in anticipation, and modifies location-signal characteristics to improve visibility on the display screen.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications