Medical imaging
US9196046B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 2010 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/20112
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging, or ultrasonography, is a convenient imaging modality for diagnostic purposes. During procedures requiring visualization, the user coordinates the movement of the transducer through the manual selection of an appropriate representation on the screen. Ultrasound may also be employed for functional measurements. Typically, the measurement requires the manual selection of target planes, lines, or volumes where the measurement is to be performed. Therapeutic applications of ultrasound are also known in the art. Such applications typically employ higher energies, and therefore inaccuracies in positioning may result in damage to surrounding tissues. The invention provides a system and method for repeated determination of a first vector between a reference structure comprised in an anatomical volume and a medical imaging transducer configured to provide imaging data of the anatomical volume. The invention provides an automated tracking system of the reference structure, requiring that the user only selects the reference structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.