Method and system for analyzing ultrasound scenes to provide needle guidance and warnings

1 . A method for providing needle guidance and location-based warnings during a guided ultrasound-based regional anesthesia procedure, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an ultrasound system, an ultrasound image depicting at least one artificial structure and at least one biological structure, the at least one biological structure comprising a nerve designated for regional anesthesia treatment, the at least one artificial structure comprising a needle being navigated to the nerve, the needle operable to administer an amount of anesthetic medium to the nerve during the ultrasound-based regional anesthesia procedure;

segmenting, by at least one processor, the ultrasound image to identify a plurality of structures in the ultrasound image, wherein the plurality of structures comprises the at least one artificial structure and the at least one biological structure;

highlighting, by the at least one processor, the plurality of structures segmented in the ultrasound image to create a highlighted ultrasound image;

presenting, by the at least one processor, the highlighted ultrasound image at a display system;

superimposing, by the at least one processor, a trajectory from the needle to the nerve designated for regional anesthesia treatment on the ultrasound image presented at the display system to provide the needle guidance, wherein the trajectory is updated as the needle is navigated to the nerve;

determining, by the at least one processor, a distance between the needle and the at least one biological structure highlighted in the ultrasound image is less than a threshold; and

providing, by the at least one processor, a location-based warning in response to the determining the distance between the needle and the at least on biological structure highlighted in the ultrasound image is less than the threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold comprises a plurality of thresholds, each of the plurality of thresholds corresponding with a different distance associated with a different level of closeness.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one biological structure further comprises a vessel.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one artificial structure further comprises the anesthetic medium.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the highlighting comprises one or more of:

colorizing pixels of one or more of the plurality of structures,

outlining edges of the one or more of the plurality of structures, and

overlaying an identifier on the one or more of the plurality of structures.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the highlighting distinguishes between different levels of proximity between the needle and the at least one biological structure by:

a color of the highlighting; and/or

a type of highlighting.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one artificial structure further comprises an anesthetic medium, and comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor, a percent coverage of the nerve by the anesthetic medium, and

presenting, by the at least one processor, the percent coverage at the display system.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-based warning is one or more of an audio warning, a visual warning, and a physical warning.

9 . A system configured to provide needle guidance and location-based warnings during a guided ultrasound-based regional anesthesia procedure, the system comprising:

an ultrasound system configured to acquire an ultrasound image depicting at least one artificial structure and at least one biological structure, the at least one biological structure comprising a nerve designated for regional anesthesia treatment, the at least one artificial structure comprising a needle being navigated to the nerve, the needle operable to administer an amount of anesthetic medium to the nerve during the ultrasound-based regional anesthesia procedure;

at least one processor configured to:

segment the ultrasound image to identify a plurality of structures in the ultrasound image, wherein the plurality of structures comprises the at least one artificial structure and the at least one biological structure;

highlight the plurality of structures segmented in the ultrasound image to create a highlighted ultrasound image;

present the highlighted ultrasound image at a display system;

superimpose a trajectory from the needle to the nerve designated for regional anesthesia treatment on the ultrasound image presented at the display system to provide the needle guidance, wherein the trajectory is updated as the needle is navigated to the nerve;

determine a distance between the needle and the at least one biological structure highlighted in the ultrasound image is less than a threshold; and

provide a location-based warning in response to the distance between the at least two of the needle and the at least on biological structure highlighted in the ultrasound image determined to be less than the threshold; and

the display system configured to display the highlighted ultrasound image.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the threshold comprises a plurality of thresholds, each of the plurality of thresholds corresponding with a different distance associated with a different level of closeness.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the at least one biological structure further comprises a vessel, and/or

the at least one artificial structure further comprises the anesthetic medium.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the highlight comprises one or more of:

colorized pixels of one or more of the plurality of structures,

outlined edges of the one or more of the plurality of structures, and

an identifier overlaid on the one or more of the plurality of structures.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the threshold comprises a plurality of thresholds, each of the plurality of thresholds corresponding with a different distance associated with a different level of closeness.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the at least one artificial structure further comprises the anesthetic medium,

the at least one processor is configured to determine a percent coverage of the nerve by the anesthetic medium, and

the at least one processor is configured to present the percent coverage at the display system.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the location-based warning is one or more of an audio warning, a visual warning, and a physical warning.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving an ultrasound image depicting at least one artificial structure and at least one biological structure, the at least one biological structure comprising a nerve designated for regional anesthesia treatment, the at least one artificial structure comprising a needle being navigated to the nerve, the needle operable to administer an amount of anesthetic medium to the nerve during an ultrasound-based regional anesthesia procedure;

segmenting the ultrasound image to identify a plurality of structures in the ultrasound image, wherein the plurality of structures comprises the at least one artificial structure and the at least one biological structure;

highlighting the plurality of structures segmented in the ultrasound image to create a highlighted ultrasound image;

presenting the highlighted ultrasound image at a display system;

superimposing a trajectory from the needle to the nerve designated for regional anesthesia treatment on the ultrasound image presented at the display system to provide needle guidance, wherein the trajectory is updated as the needle is navigated to the nerve;

determining a distance between the needle and the at least one biological structure highlighted in the ultrasound image is less than a threshold; and

providing a location-based warning in response to the determining the distance between the needle and the at least on biological structure highlighted in the ultrasound image is less than the threshold.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:

the at least one biological structure further comprises a vessel, and/or

the at least one artificial structure further comprises the anesthetic medium.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the highlighting comprises one or more of:

colorizing pixels of one or more of the plurality of structures,

outlining edges of the one or more of the plurality of structures, and

overlaying an identifier on the one or more of the plurality of structures.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the at least one artificial structure further comprises an anesthetic medium, and comprising:

determining a percent coverage of the nerve by the anesthetic medium, and

presenting the percent coverage at the display system.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the location-based warning is one or more of an audio warning, a visual warning, and a physical warning.