Automatic control and enhancement of 4D ultrasound images
Disclosed herein are methods that include emitting an ultrasound beam, having a predefined field of view (FOV), from an array of ultrasound transducers in a catheter in an organ of a patient. Echo signals are received in the array, in response to the ultrasound beam. A position of a target object is estimated within the FOV. When the estimated position of the target object violates a centering condition, the FOV of the ultrasound beam is automatically modified to re-meet the centering condition.
1. A medical imaging method, comprising:
inserting an ultrasound probe into an organ of a body, the ultrasound probe comprising:
a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer array; and
a sensor configured to output signals indicative of a position and orientation of the 2D ultrasound transducer array inside the organ;
using the signals output by the sensor, determining, by a processor, voxel locations in each three-dimensional (3D) image acquired by the 2D ultrasound transducer array;
using the determined voxel locations in each 3D image, compensating, by the processor, for probe movement by averaging the voxel locations of the 3D images;
using the averaged 3D images, forming, by the processor, a voxel-location-compensated rendering of at least a portion of the organ; and
presenting, by the processor, the compensated rendering to a user without using a correlation function.
2. The medical imaging method of claim 1 , wherein the voxel locations are associated with a coordinate system of the sensor.
3. The medical imaging method of claim 2 , wherein the voxel locations are based at least in part on a calibration.
4. The medical imaging method of claim 3 , wherein the calibration is based at least in part a second position and a second orientation, wherein the second position and the second orientation are associated with the sensor.
5. The medical imaging method of claim 1 , wherein spatial resolution associated with the 3D images is retained in the averaged 3D images.
6. A medical imaging system, comprising:
an ultrasound probe for insertion into an organ of a body, the ultrasound probe comprising:
a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer array; and
a sensor configured to output signals indicative of a position and orientation of the 2D ultrasound transducer array inside the organ; and
a processor, which is configured to:
using the signals output by the sensor, determine voxel locations in each three-dimensional (3D) image acquired by the 2D ultrasound transducer array;
using the determined voxel locations in each 3D image, compensate for probe movement by averaging the voxel locations of the 3D images;
using the averaged 3D images, form a voxel-location-compensated rendering of at least a portion of the organ; and
present the compensated rendering to a user without using a correlation function.
7. The medical imaging system of claim 6 , wherein the voxel locations are associated with a coordinate system of the sensor.