IP Library Granted Patent US 12,573,192
Granted Patent B2
US 12,573,192 · App. 18/514,522 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Convolutional neural network for identification of anatomical landmark

Inventors: Matthew de Jonge (Burlington, MA); Robert Schneider (Burlington, MA); David Elgena (Burlington, MA); Alex Rothberg (Burlington, MA); Jonathan M. Rothberg (Burlington, MA); Michal Sofka (Burlington, MA); Tomer Gafner (Burlington, MA); Karl Thiele (Burlington, MA); Abraham Neben (Burlington, MA)
Assignee: BFLY Operations, Inc.
G06V10/82A61B8/02A61B8/06A61B8/065A61B8/085A61B8/4427A61B8/46A61B8/52A61B8/5207A61B8/5223G06F18/24133G06T7/0012G06T7/0014G06T7/70G06T11/60G06T19/006G06V10/454G06V30/19173G06V30/194G06V40/67A61B8/0833A61B8/0883A61B8/4263A61B8/463A61B8/5215A61B2034/2065A61B2090/365A61B2090/378A61B2090/3937G06T2207/10132G06T2207/20081G06T2207/20084G06T2207/20221G06T2207/30048G06T2207/30061G06T2210/41G06V2201/03
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,573,192
App. No.
18/514,522
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes: obtaining an ultrasound image of an anatomical area from an ultrasound imaging device; inputting the ultrasound image into a first stage of a convolutional neural network, the first stage configured to determine key-point locations of the anatomical area; generating, for each of the key-point locations, a cropped region of the ultrasound image; inputting each of the cropped regions into a second stage of the convolutional neural network, the second stage configured to locate an anatomical landmark of the anatomical area; and outputting a location of the anatomical landmark.

Claims (78)

1 . A method, comprising:

obtaining an ultrasound image of an anatomical area from an ultrasound imaging device;

inputting the ultrasound image into a first stage of a convolutional neural network, the first stage configured to determine key-point locations of the anatomical area;

generating, for each of the key-point locations, a cropped region of the ultrasound image;

inputting each of the cropped regions into a second stage of the convolutional neural network, the second stage configured to locate an anatomical landmark of the anatomical area; and

outputting a location of the anatomical landmark.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first stage of the neural network includes a layer that reduces an original resolution of the ultrasound image, and

wherein the cropped regions are generated with the original resolution of the ultrasound image.

3 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a kernel size of the first stage is smaller than a kernel size of the second stage.

4 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a weight vector of the second stage is combined with a weight vector of the first stage to determine the location of the anatomical landmark.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the location of the anatomical landmark to a target anatomical view; and

generating a guidance plan to reach the target anatomical view based on the location of the anatomical landmark in the ultrasound image.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

locating a second anatomical landmark by using the convolutional neural network; and

determining an anatomical measurement based on the anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

identifying a medical parameter based on the anatomical measurement; and

displaying the ultrasound image with an overlay including the medical parameter.

8 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the medical parameter is an ejection fraction, and

wherein the key-points locations are based on a parasternal long axis view of a left ventricle.

9 . An apparatus, comprising:

a processor communicatively coupled to an ultrasound imaging device,

wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain an ultrasound image of an anatomical area from the ultrasound imaging device;

input the ultrasound image into a first stage of a convolutional neural network, the first stage configured to determine key-point locations of the anatomical area;

generate, for each of the key-point locations, a cropped region of the ultrasound image;

input each of the cropped regions into a second stage of the convolutional neural network, the second stage configured to locate an anatomical landmark of the anatomical area; and

output a location of the anatomical landmark.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the first stage of the neural network includes a layer that reduces an original resolution of the ultrasound image, and

wherein the processor is configured to generate the cropped regions with the original resolution of the ultrasound image.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare the location of the anatomical landmark to a target anatomical view; and

generate a guidance plan to reach the target anatomical view based on the location of the anatomical landmark in the ultrasound image.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

locate a second anatomical landmark by using the convolutional neural network; and

determine an anatomical measurement based on the anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a medical parameter based on the anatomical measurement; and

output the ultrasound image with an overlay including the medical parameter.

14 . A system, comprising:

an ultrasound imaging device configured to capture an ultrasound image; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to the ultrasound imaging device,

wherein the computing device is configured to:

obtain an ultrasound image of an anatomical area from the ultrasound imaging device;

input the ultrasound image into a first stage of a convolutional neural network, the first stage configured to determine key-point locations of the anatomical area;

generate, for each of the key-point locations, a cropped region of the ultrasound image;

input each of the cropped regions into a second stage of the convolutional neural network, the second stage configured to locate an anatomical landmark of the anatomical area; and

output a location of the anatomical landmark.

15 . The system of claim 14 ,

wherein the first stage of the neural network includes a layer that reduces an original resolution of the ultrasound image, and

wherein the computing device is configured to generate the cropped regions with the original resolution of the ultrasound image.

16 . The system of claim 14 ,

wherein the computing device is further configured to:

compare the location of the anatomical landmark to a target anatomical view; and

generating a guidance plan to reach the target anatomical view based on the location of the anatomical landmark in the ultrasound image.

17 . The system of claim 14 ,

wherein the computing device is further configured to:

locate a second anatomical landmark by using the convolutional neural network; and

determine an anatomical measurement based on the anatomical landmark and the second anatomical landmark.

18 . The system of claim 17 ,

wherein the computing device is further configured to:

identify a medical parameter based on the anatomical measurement; and

output the ultrasound image with an overlay including the medical parameter.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

obtain an ultrasound image of an anatomical area from an ultrasound imaging device;

input the ultrasound image into a first stage of a convolutional neural network, the first stage configured to determine key-point locations of the anatomical area;

generate, for each of the key-point locations, a cropped region of the ultrasound image;

input each of the cropped regions into a second stage of the convolutional neural network, the second stage configured to locate an anatomical landmark of the anatomical area; and

output a location of the anatomical landmark.

Continuity (11)
Continuation 17468633 · Sep 7, 2021
Continuation 16889944 · Jun 2, 2020
Continuation 15626771 · Jun 19, 2017
Provisional Application 62463094 · Feb 24, 2017
Provisional Application 62453696 · Feb 2, 2017
Provisional Application 62445195 · Jan 11, 2017
Provisional Application 62434980 · Dec 15, 2016
Provisional Application 62384144 · Sep 6, 2016
Provisional Application 62384187 · Sep 6, 2016
Provisional Application 62352382 · Jun 20, 2016
Related Publication 20240161491A1 · May 16, 2024
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