Automated heart rate detection for 3D ultrasonic fetal imaging

摘要

An ultrasound system and method provide a workflow to acquire 3D images of the fetal heart gated by a synthetic heart gating signal. An ROI is defined in an ultrasound image which delineates the fetal heart. The ultrasound system is controlled to automatically estimate the fetal heart rate from echo signals received from the ROI. When the system has acquired a stable synthetic heart rate signal, an indication thereof is given to the user and the user then commands the system to acquire 3D fetal heart images for a number of fetal heart cycles which are gated using the synthetic heart rate signal.

主权项

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for gated acquisition of 3D fetal heart images, the system comprising:
an ultrasound probe including a two dimensional array transducer adapted for 3D fetal imaging; an image processor adapted to process image signals from the probe for display; an image display coupled to the image processor; a graphics generator responsive to a user control adapted to identify a region of interest (ROI) in an ultrasound image, the user control being adapted to initiate processing of ultrasound data identified by the ROI to determine a fetal heart rate; an indicator responsive to the processing of ultrasound data to determine a fetal heart rate which indicates that a fetal heart rate has been determined; and an acquisition control adapted to be actuated by a user to acquire gated 3D fetal heart images in synchronism with the fetal heart rate when the indicator indicates that the fetal heart rate has been determined.