Methods and apparatuses for guiding collection of ultrasound data using motion and/or orientation data

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing device in operative communication with an ultrasound imaging device, the processing device configured to provide instructions for adjusting an orientation and position of the ultrasound imaging device from an initial orientation and an initial position to a target orientation different than the initial orientation and a target position different than the initial position, as part of which the processing device is configured to:

provide, when the ultrasound imaging device is in the initial position different than the target position, a first instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device from the initial orientation to a default orientation different than both the initial orientation and the target orientation while maintaining the ultrasound imaging device at the initial position, where the first instruction does not include instructions for translating movement;

after providing the first instruction, and based on determining that the ultrasound imaging device is in the default orientation, provide a second instruction for translating the ultrasound imaging device from the initial position to the target position while maintaining the ultrasound imaging device in the default orientation, wherein the second instruction does not include instructions for rotating or tilting movement; and

after providing the second instruction, and based on determining that the ultrasound imaging device is in the target position, provide a third instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device from the default orientation to the target orientation while maintaining the ultrasound imaging device at the target position, wherein the third instruction does not include instructions for translating movement, and

wherein the processing device provides the first, second, and third instructions arranged in a sequenced order.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured, when providing the first instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device from the initial orientation to the default orientation, to:

receive motion and/or orientation data from the ultrasound imaging device, wherein the motion and/or orientation data provides an indication of a motion and/or orientation of the ultrasound imaging device;

determine, based on the motion and/or orientation data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not in the default orientation; and

provide the first instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device to the default orientation based on the motion and/or orientation data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the ultrasound imaging device is configured to generate the motion and/or orientation data using one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer on the ultrasound imaging device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the default orientation comprises:

a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound imaging device being parallel to gravity; and

a longitudinal axis of a sensor of the ultrasound imaging device being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a subject being imaged.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the processing device is further configured to:

receive motion and/or orientation data from the ultrasound imaging device, wherein the motion and/or orientation data provides an indication of a motion and/or orientation of the ultrasound imaging device; and

determine, based on the motion and/or orientation data, that the ultrasound imaging device is in the default orientation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured, when providing the second instruction for translating the ultrasound imaging device to the target position, to:

receive first ultrasound data from the ultrasound imaging device;

determine, based on the first ultrasound data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not at the target position; and

provide the second instruction for translating the ultrasound imaging device to the target position based on the first ultrasound data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processing device is configured, when providing the second instruction for translating the ultrasound imaging device to the target position based on the first ultrasound data, to:

input the first ultrasound data to a statistical model configured to output instructions for moving the ultrasound imaging device based on inputted ultrasound data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive, from the statistical model, an instruction corresponding to translating the ultrasound imaging device and an instruction corresponding to rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device; and

provide, as the second instruction, the instruction corresponding to translating the ultrasound imaging device and not the instruction corresponding to rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the statistical model has been trained on training ultrasound data which was collected by one or more other ultrasound imaging devices in the default orientation and/or the target position.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive, subsequent to providing the second instruction, motion and/or orientation data from the ultrasound imaging device, wherein the motion and/or orientation data provides an indication of a motion and/or orientation of the ultrasound imaging device;

determine, based on the motion and/or orientation data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not in the default orientation; and

provide a fourth instruction for moving the ultrasound imaging device to the default orientation based on the motion and/or orientation data.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:

after providing the second instruction for translating the ultrasound imaging device to the target position, receive first ultrasound data from the ultrasound imaging device; and

determine, based on the first ultrasound data, that the ultrasound imaging device is at the target position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processing device is configured, when providing the third instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device to the target orientation, to:

receive second ultrasound data from the ultrasound imaging device;

determine, based on the second ultrasound data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not in the target orientation; and

provide the third instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device to the target orientation based on the second ultrasound data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processing device is configured, when providing the third instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device to the target orientation based on the second ultrasound data, to:

input the second ultrasound data to a statistical model configured to output instructions for moving the ultrasound imaging device based on inputted ultrasound data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive, from the statistical model, an instruction corresponding to translating the ultrasound imaging device and an instruction corresponding to rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device; and

provide, as the third instruction, the instruction corresponding to rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device and not the instruction corresponding to translating the ultrasound imaging device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the statistical model has been trained on training ultrasound data which was collected by one or more other ultrasound imaging devices in the default orientation and/or the target position.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive, subsequent to providing the third instruction, ultrasound data from the ultrasound imaging device;

determine, based on the ultrasound data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not in the target position; and

provide a fourth instruction for moving the ultrasound imaging device to the target position based on the ultrasound data.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive ultrasound data from the ultrasound imaging device; and

determine, based on the ultrasound data, that the ultrasound imaging device is in the target orientation.

18. A method, comprising:

providing, by a processing device in operative communication with an ultrasound imaging device that is in an initial orientation different than a target orientation and an initial position different than a target position, a first instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device from the initial orientation to a default orientation different than the initial orientation and the target orientation while maintaining the ultrasound imaging device at the initial position, where the first instruction does not include instructions for translating movement;

based on determining that the ultrasound imaging device is in the default orientation, providing a second instruction for translating the ultrasound imaging device from the initial position to the target position while maintaining the ultrasound imaging device in the default orientation, wherein the second instruction does not include instructions for rotating or tilting movement; and

based on determining that the ultrasound imaging device is in the target position, providing a third instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device from the default orientation to the target orientation while maintaining the ultrasound imaging device at the target position, wherein the third instruction does not include instructions for translating movement, and

wherein the first, second, and third instructions are arranged in a sequenced order.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, when providing the first instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device to the default orientation:

receiving motion and/or orientation data from the ultrasound imaging device, wherein the motion and/or orientation data provides an indication of a motion and/or orientation of the ultrasound imaging device;

determining, based on the motion and/or orientation data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not in the default orientation; and

providing the first instruction for rotating or tilting the ultrasound imaging device to the default orientation based on the motion and/or orientation data.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving, subsequent to providing the second instruction, motion and/or orientation data from the ultrasound imaging device, wherein the motion and/or orientation data provides an indication of a motion and/or orientation of the ultrasound imaging device;

determining, based on the motion and/or orientation data, that the ultrasound imaging device is not in the default orientation; and

providing a fourth instruction for moving the ultrasound imaging device to the default orientation based on the motion and/or orientation data.