Feature tracking using ultrasound

1. A method of using a processor circuit executing a plurality of computer-executable instructions for monitoring one or more anatomical features of a patient, comprising:

controlling an ultrasound imaging probe to acquire first three-dimensional image data including a first three-dimensional image of a volume of interest including at least one of the anatomical features;

locating a three-dimensional feature, corresponding to the at least one anatomical feature, within the first three-dimensional image;

based on a surface of the three-dimensional feature, controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire a first two-dimensional image along a first plane position that intersects a region of the three-dimensional feature;

based on the first two-dimensional image, determining displacement of the three-dimensional feature relative to a previous point in time; and

controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to change the first plane position for subsequent two-dimensional image capture based on the determined displacement.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire two or more two-dimensional images that include the region of interest;

locating the at least one two-dimensional feature in each of the two or more two-dimensional images;

and

estimating a corresponding displacement of the three-dimensional feature using the two-dimensional features.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether the three-dimensional feature is visible in a given two-dimensional image acquired by the ultrasound imaging probe;

in response to determining that the three-dimensional feature is not visible in the given two-dimensional image, reconstructing a second three-dimensional image of the volume of interest.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first two-dimensional image comprises a reconstructed image generated using an acquired plurality of two-dimensional images corresponding to one or more of different imaging probe positions or different imaging probe orientations.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first two-dimensional image comprises a two-dimensional image acquired according to one or more of a specified imaging probe position or a specified imaging probe orientation.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining whether the displacement of the three-dimensional feature meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to alter the parameter for acquisition of image data includes controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire second three-dimensional image data including a second three-dimensional image when the displacement of the three-dimensional feature meets or exceeds the predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire the first three-dimensional image data and the second three-dimensional image data at a first image acquisition rate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire the first two-dimensional image includes controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire two-dimensional image data including a plurality of two-dimensional images at a second image acquisition rate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second image acquisition rate is greater than the first image acquisition rate.

11. The method of claim 6 , comprising controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire two-dimensional image data including an additional two-dimensional image when the displacement of the three-dimensional feature does not meet or exceed the predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plane position intersects a center of the region of the three-dimensional feature, further comprising:

based on the surface of the three-dimensional feature, controlling the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire a second two-dimensional image along a second plane position that intersects a portion of the region of the three-dimensional feature offset from the center of the region;

producing a two-dimensional curve based on an intersection of the first and second planes of the first and second two-dimensional images and the three-dimensional feature;

determining where the two-dimensional curve best fits grayscale values of the three-dimensional feature to determine the displacement.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first three-dimensional image data and the first two-dimensional image are acquired using ultrasound signals, and wherein the first and second planes are orthogonal.

14. A system for controlling an ultrasound imaging probe to monitor an anatomical feature of a patient, comprising:

a memory circuit for storing instructions and image data; and

a processor circuit for executing the instructions to:

control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire first three-dimensional image data from the ultrasound imaging probe including a first three-dimensional image of a volume of interest including the anatomical feature;

locate a three-dimensional feature, corresponding to the at least one anatomical feature, within the first three-dimensional image;

based on a surface of the three-dimensional feature, control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire a first two-dimensional image along a first plane position that includes intersects a region of the three-dimensional feature;

based on the first two-dimensional image, determine displacement of the three-dimensional feature relative to a previous point in time; and

control the ultrasound imaging probe to change the first plane position for subsequent two-dimensional image capture based on the determined displacement.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to:

control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire two or more two-dimensional images that include the region of interest;

locate the at least one two-dimensional feature in each of the two or more two-dimensional images; and

estimate a corresponding displacement of the three-dimensional feature using the two-dimensional features.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first plane position intersects a center of the region of the three-dimensional feature, and wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to:

based on the surface of the three-dimensional feature, control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire a second two-dimensional image along a second plane position that intersects a portion of the region of the three-dimensional feature offset from the center of the region;

produce a two-dimensional curve based on an intersection of the first and second planes of the first and second two-dimensional images and the three-dimensional feature;

determine where the two-dimensional curve best fits grayscale values of the three-dimensional feature to determine the displacement.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to:

determine whether the three-dimensional feature is visible in a given two-dimensional image acquired by the ultrasound imaging probe;

in response to determining that the three-dimensional feature is not visible in the given two-dimensional image, reconstruct a second three-dimensional image of the volume of interest.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to:

control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire two-dimensional image data including a plurality of two-dimensional images at a two-dimensional acquisition rate; and

control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire the first three-dimensional image data and the second three-dimensional image data at a three-dimensional acquisition rate, wherein the two-dimensional acquisition rate is greater than the three-dimensional acquisition rate.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first two-dimensional image comprises a reconstructed image generated using an acquired plurality of two-dimensional images corresponding to one or more of different imaging probe positions or different imaging probe orientations.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first two-dimensional image comprises a two-dimensional image acquired according to one or more of a specified imaging probe position or a specified imaging probe orientation.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to obtain second three-dimensional image data including a second three-dimensional image when the displacement meets or exceeds the threshold.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the instructions cause the processor circuit to control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire additional two-dimensional image data including an additional two-dimensional image when the displacement does not meet or exceed the threshold.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to control an ultrasound imaging probe to monitor one or more anatomical features of a patient, the medium comprising instructions to:

control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire first three-dimensional image data including a first three-dimensional image of a volume of interest including at least one of the anatomical features;

locate a three-dimensional feature within the three-dimensional image corresponding to the at least one anatomical feature;

based on a surface of the three-dimensional feature, control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire a first two-dimensional image along a first plane position that intersects a region of the three-dimensional feature;

based on the first two-dimensional image, determine displacement of the three-dimensional feature relative to a previous point in time; and

control the ultrasound imaging probe to change the first plane position for subsequent two-dimensional image capture based on the determined displacement.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the one or more anatomical features of a patient comprise at least one of a target lesion, a subset of a target lesion, an implanted fiducial, a surface fiducial, an implanted fiducial seed, or combinations thereof.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the medium further comprises instructions to:

based on the surface of the three-dimensional feature, control the ultrasound imaging probe to acquire a second two-dimensional image along a second plane position that intersects a portion of the region of the three-dimensional feature offset from the center of the region;

produce a two-dimensional curve based on an intersection of the first and second planes of the first and second two-dimensional images and the three-dimensional feature;

determine where the two-dimensional curve best fits grayscale values of the three-dimensional feature to determine the displacement.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the first two-dimensional image comprises a reconstructed image generated using an acquired plurality of two-dimensional images corresponding to one or more of different imaging probe positions or different imaging probe orientations.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the at least one three-dimensional image comprises a reconstructed image generated using an acquired plurality of images corresponding to one or more of different imaging probe positions or different imaging probe orientations.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the first two-dimensional image comprises a two-dimensional image acquired according to one or more of a specified imaging probe position or a specified imaging probe orientation.