Patent · US Expired

Virtual volumetric phantom for ultrasound hands-on training system

US6117078A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 31, 1998
Grant dateSep 12, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 31, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG09B23/286
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a virtual volumetric ultrasound phantom to construct an ultrasound training system from any ultrasound system (hereafter "the ultrasound training system"). The ultrasound system and method retrieve and display previously stored ultrasound data to simulate an ultrasound scanning session. A real ultrasound system acquires an image of an ultrasound phantom. The ultrasound image comprises ultrasound echo data for an image/scan plane representing a cross-section or partial volume of the ultrasound phantom. The ultrasound image is analyzed to identify image attributes that are unique for each image/scan plane. A portion of the previously stored data that corresponds to the image attributes is retrieved and displayed. In one embodiment, actual position and orientation of the acquired image/scan plane with respect to a known structure within the ultrasound phantom are determined by processing the image/scan plane to obtain a number of geometrical image parameters. Position and orientation of the image/scan plane are calculated from the image parameters using formulas based on a known three dimensional structure within the phantom. The determination of a…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.