Method and apparatus for determining the volume of a body cavity in real time
US5322067A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 3, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jun 21, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 3, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S128/916
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid-filled cavity in a patient's body in real time from an ultrasound image. An ultrasound display of the cavity and the surrounding tissue is obtained. The ultrasound display includes a sequence of ultrasound images. The user traces a fixed region of interest around the image of the cavity at the largest volume for which the volume determination is to be made. The region of interest is subdivided into a predetermined number of segments. Each pixel of the ultrasound image, at least within the region of interest, is classified as a fluid pixel or a tissue pixel. The area of fluid pixels within each segment is determined. The volume of the cavity is calculated from the area of the fluid pixels within each segment of the region of interest using the method of disks. The volume is determined for each ultrasound image in the sequence of ultrasound images to provide the volume of the cavity in real time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.