Ultrasonic image providing method and learning algorithm thereof

1 . An ultrasonic image providing method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of ultrasound images based on receiving a user input of scanning an object using a probe for a reference time, each of the plurality of ultrasound images including a plurality of anatomical structures,

calculating similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures for each of the plurality of ultrasound images, wherein a similarity of an anatomical structure for an ultrasound image represents a confidence level of a measurement value when the anatomical structure is measured using the ultrasound image;

selecting, among the plurality of anatomical structures, an anatomical structure maintaining a greatest similarity among the similarities calculated for each of the plurality of ultrasound images for the reference time, as an anatomical structure to be measured;

determining an output ultrasound image for measuring the selected anatomical structure, based on similarities of the selected anatomical structure corresponding to the plurality of ultrasound images, among the plurality of ultrasound images; and

displaying the output ultrasound image as an ultrasound image for measuring the selected anatomical structure and an image indicating the selected anatomical structure on the output ultrasound image.

2 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating the reference time for the selected anatomical structure based on a scan time for which the greatest similarity is maintained.

3 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 2 , wherein the reference time for each of the plurality of anatomical structures is different from each other.

4 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

for the selected anatomical structure, when an ultrasound image having a higher similarity than the greatest similarity is added, updating the output ultrasound image with the added ultrasound image.

5 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

for the provided output ultrasound image, providing an indicator indicating that the similarity of the selected anatomical structure is lower a default threshold value.

6 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when none of the similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures is greater than corresponding default threshold value, selecting aan anatomical structure maintaining a similarity greater than a reference threshold value for the reference time; and

providing an ultrasound image for the selected anatomical structure as the output ultrasound image.

7 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 6 , further comprising:

updating the reference time for the selected anatomical structure based on a scan time for which the similarity of the selected anatomical structure is maintained and

wherein the reference time and the reference threshold value for each of the anatomical structures are different from each other.

8 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 7 , further comprising:

updating the reference threshold value for the selected anatomical structure based on the similarity of the selected anatomical structure and

wherein the reference threshold value is smaller than the default threshold value at both a point in time before the update and a point in time after the update.

9 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 6 , further comprising:

for the selected anatomical structure, when an ultrasound image having a higher similarity than the similarity is added, updating the output ultrasound image with the added ultrasound image.

10 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 6 , further comprising:

for the provided output ultrasound image, providing an indicator indicating that the similarity of the selected anatomical structure is lower than the default threshold value.

11 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , further comprising

receiving the plurality of ultrasound images as first inputs of an input layer of a learning algorithm;

receiving information about ultrasound images which maintain a similarity for a first reference time among the plurality of ultrasound images as a second input of the input layer of the learning algorithm; and

based on the first inputs and the second input, providing whether the plurality of ultrasound images include at least one or more anatomical structures as a first output of an output layer.

12 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 11 , wherein the learning algorithm further comprises:

updating the first reference time based on a scan time for which the similarity is maintained and

updating the first reference time based on a difference between a point in time a last image is input and a point in time when a first image is input among the ultrasound images which maintain the similarity.

13 . An ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic transceiver;

a display unit; and

at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the ultrasonic transceiver to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflecting from the object,

obtain a plurality of ultrasound images based on receiving a user input of scanning an object using a probe for a reference time, each of the plurality of ultrasound images including a plurality of anatomical structures,

calculate similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures for each of the plurality of ultrasound images, wherein a similarity of an anatomical structure for an ultrasound image represents a confidence level of a measurement value when the anatomical structure is measured using the ultrasound image,

select, among the plurality of anatomical structures, an anatomical structure maintaining a greatest similarity among the similarities calculated for each of the plurality of ultrasound images for the reference time, as an anatomical structure to be measured,

determine an output ultrasound image for measuring the selected anatomical structure, based on similarities of the selected anatomical structure corresponding to the plurality of ultrasound images, among the plurality of ultrasound images, and

display, through the display unit, the output ultrasound image as an ultrasound image for measuring the selected anatomical structure and an image indicating the selected anatomical structure on the output ultrasound image.

14 . The ultrasound imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

update the reference time for the selected anatomical structure based on a scan time for which the greatest similarity is maintained.

15 . The ultrasound imaging apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the reference time for each of the plurality of anatomical structures is different from each other.

16 . The ultrasound imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

for the selected anatomical structure, when an ultrasound image having a higher similarity than the greatest similarity is added, update the output ultrasound image with the added ultrasound image.

17 . The ultrasound imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

when none of the similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures is greater than corresponding default threshold value, for the displayed output ultrasound image, provide an indicator indicating that the similarity of the selected anatomical structure is lower than the default threshold value.

18 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures for each of the plurality of ultrasound images comprises:

calculating image similarities between each of the plurality of ultrasound images and a plurality of reference ultrasound images corresponding to the plurality of anatomical structures as the similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures.

19 . The ultrasonic image providing method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures for each of the plurality of ultrasound images comprises:

calculating the similarities of the plurality of anatomical structures for each of the plurality of ultrasound images, based on a sum of brightness values or gradient magnitudes of a region corresponding to each of the plurality of anatomical structures, for each of the plurality of ultrasound images.