EP-4740037-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EVENT-DRIVEN ULTRASOUND SAMPLING

EP4740037A1EP 4740037 A1EP4740037 A1EP 4740037A1EP-4740037-A1

Abstract

The invention generally relates to ultrasound imaging, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing an event-driven tuning of a sampling rate in an ultrasound imaging device

Inventors

NEARY-ZAJICZEK, Lydia, Frances
Assambo, Cédric
WÖRZ, Stefan
HENNERSPERGER, Christoph

Assignees

Luma Vision Limited

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240703

Claims (1)

Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION Claims 1. A system for image sampling, the system comprising a hardware processor coupled to non- transitory, computer-readable memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to receive data from an imaging device and run an event-driven sampling algorithm causing the processor to: analyze the received data to identify one or more characteristics associated with the received data and further detect the occurrence of one or more events, wherein the one or more events comprises a change in the one or more characteristics as compared to a defined threshold for the one or more characteristic; and tune a sampling rate of the imaging device based on a detected occurrence of the one or more events. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined threshold is determined based, at least in part, on a clinical relevance of a structure to be imaged and/or one or more characteristics of the received data. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the received data comprises analog voltage signals. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the received data comprises digitized voltage signals. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: access raw digitized voltage signals; and tune one or more sampling parameters to minimize a data transmission rate and to maximize an image quality of a clinically relevant image. 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the defined threshold is a digitized voltage encoded at a lower bit depth than a full sampling bit depth. 7. The system of claim 4, wherein the defined threshold is a change in output voltage by a defined parameter relative to a previous output voltage. Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION 8. The system of claim 7, wherein image sampling by the imaging device is triggered at a full sampling rate for a set time for each occurrence of an event associated with the output voltage changing by the defined parameter relative to the previous output voltage. 9. The system of claim 4, wherein the defined threshold is a change in output voltage by a set parameter in a previously stored threshold value, wherein the threshold value is updated and stored when image sampling by the imaging device is triggered. 10. The system of claim 4, wherein the defined threshold is one or more logarithmically spaced voltage levels. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined threshold is a change in an amplitude signal by a set parameter in a previously stored threshold amplitude signal, wherein only amplitude and phase of a carrier wave are sampled with the phase sampled concurrently with the amplitude and encoded at a lower bit rate than 16 bits. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the amplitude and the phase of the carrier wave are extracted via I/Q demodulation. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises a transducer comprising an array of individual imaging elements. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the transducer comprises a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based micromachined ultrasonic transducer configured as a two-dimensional (2D) array structure. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the imaging elements are acoustic sensors activated by the processor to transmit and/or receive a plurality of incident acoustic wave signals as wave data. Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wave data comprises at least one of plane wave data and diverging wave data associated with one or more wave transmit-receive cycles carried out by the imaging elements. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the wave data is full circumferential, three-dimensional (3D) image data. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the imaging device comprises a catheter-based ultrasound imaging device configured to transmit ultrasound pulses to, and receive echoes of the ultrasound pulses from, intravascular and/or intracardiac tissue. 19. The system of claim 13, wherein the imaging device is a minimally invasive implantable device. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein tuning of the sampling rate reduces an overall power consumption and heat dissipation of the device. 21. The system of claim 1, wherein tuning of the sampling rate results in reduction of an average sampling rate of received data from the imaging device. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is embedded as part of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). 23. A method for image sampling, the method comprising: providing a hardware processor coupled to non-transitory, computer-readable memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to receive data from an imaging device and run an event-driven sampling algorithm causing the processor to: analyze the received data to identify one or more characteristics associated with the received data and further detect the occurrence of one or more events, wherein the Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION one or more events comprises a change in the one or more characteristics as compared to a defined threshold for the one or more characteristic; and tune a sampling rate of the imaging device based on a detected occurrence of the one or more events. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the defined threshold is determined based, at least in part, on a clinical relevance of a structure to be imaged and/or one or more characteristics of the received data. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein the received data comprises analog voltage signals. 26. The method of claim 23, wherein the received data comprises digitized voltage signals. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured to: access raw digitized voltage signals; and tune one or more sampling parameters to minimize a data transmission rate and to maximize an image quality of a clinically relevant image. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the defined threshold is a digitized voltage encoded at a lower bit depth than a full sampling bit depth. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the defined threshold is a change in output voltage by a defined parameter relative to a previous output voltage. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein image sampling by the imaging device is triggered at a full sampling rate for a set time for each occurrence of an event associated with the output voltage changing by the defined parameter relative to the previous output voltage. 31. The method of claim 26, wherein the defined threshold is a change in output voltage by a set parameter in a previously stored threshold value, wherein the threshold value is updated and stored when image sampling by the imaging device is triggered. Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION 32. The method of claim 26, wherein the defined threshold is one or more logarithmically spaced voltage levels. 33. The method of claim 23, wherein the defined threshold is a change in an amplitude signal by a set parameter in a previously stored threshold amplitude signal, wherein only amplitude and phase of a carrier wave are sampled with the phase sampled concurrently with the amplitude and encoded at a lower bit rate than 16 bits. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the amplitude and the phase of the carrier wave are extracted via I/Q demodulation. 35. The method of claim 23, wherein the imaging device comprises a transducer comprising an array of individual imaging elements. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the transducer comprises a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based micromachined ultrasonic transducer configured as a two-dimensional (2D) array structure. 37. The method of claim 35, wherein the imaging elements are acoustic sensors activated by the processor to transmit and/or receive a plurality of incident acoustic wave signals as wave data. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the wave data comprises at least one of plane wave data and diverging wave data associated with one or more wave transmit-receive cycles carried out by the imaging elements. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the wave data is full circumferential, three-dimensional (3D) image data. Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the imaging device comprises a catheter-based ultrasound imaging device configured to transmit ultrasound pulses to, and receive echoes of the ultrasound pulses from, intravascular and/or intracardiac tissue. 41. The method of claim 35, wherein the imaging device is a minimally invasive implantable device. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein tuning of the sampling rate reduces an overall power consumption and heat dissipation of the device. 43. The method of claim 23, wherein tuning of the sampling rate results in reduction of an average sampling rate of received data from the imaging device. 44. The method of claim 23, wherein the processor is embedded as part of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Description

Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EVENT-DRIVEN ULTRASOUND SAMPLING Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/525,274, filed July 6, 2023, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Field of the Invention The invention generally relates to ultrasound imaging, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing event-driven ultrasound imaging. Background Ultrasound imaging is a medical imaging technique for imaging organs and soft tissues in a human body. An ultrasound image is produced based on the reflection of high-frequency sound waves off of body structures. The strength (amplitude) of the sound signal in conjunction with the time it takes for the wave to travel through the body provides the information necessary to produce the image. Ultrasound imaging can help a physician evaluate, diagnose and treat various medical conditions. When making a diagnosis based on an ultrasound examination, physicians must rely on adequate image quality, acquisition of proper views, and sufficient quantification of all relevant structures and flows. For example, catheter-based endovascular ultrasound imaging technology employed within the vasculature (e.g., intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)) is commonly performed with two-dimensional (2D)-ultrasound imaging. In IVUS/ICE imaging systems, an ultrasonic transducer assembly is attached to a distal end of a catheter. The catheter is carefully maneuvered through a patient's body to an area of interest, such as within a coronary artery (for the case of IVUS), or within the right atrium (for the case of ICE). The transducer assembly transmits ultrasound waves and receives echoes from those waves. The received echoes are then converted to electrical signals and transmitted to processing equipment, in which a resulting ultrasound image of the area of interest may be displayed. Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION In typical ultrasound systems configured to visualize inner body regions, dynamic forces are often employed, resulting in a dynamic movement of the body regions over time. These dynamic forces and movements make it difficult to stabilize internal imaging devices and to generate consistent and accurate images if imaging of the structure cannot be enabled in real- time (e.g., >20 Hz). As a result, the captured images often lack the necessary quality required to prescribe appropriate treatment or therapy. Because of the dynamic forces and movements in play, internal real-time imaging is limited to small two-dimensional areas or limited three- dimensional volumetric regions respectively. Further, difficult engineering tradeoffs exist between system complexity and achievable image quality, and the resources required for imaging. Thus, the final quality of the image obtained through ultrasound scanning is limited by the technical specifications of the equipment, the propagation of ultrasonic waves through the tissue analyzed, and the method used to reconstruct the images. Summary The present invention recognizes the limitations of current ultrasound imaging systems, particularly the limitations of resources necessary to provide the sustainable data rate required for imaging. The systems and methods of the invention use one or more novel algorithms to reduce the required average sampling rate for ultrasonic receive data, particularly in the context of digitalization at the tip of a catheter ultrasound device where available space is heavily constrained. In particular, the invention provides systems and methods for ultrasound image sampling that optimize the resources required for the acquisition and transfer of meaningful information to an external processing system. By sampling only meaningful information, the average data rate transmission requirement is reduced to minimize the overall power consumption and heat dissipation within the imaging device, as well as providing optimized interconnect assemblies between different modules of the signaling chain. The systems and methods of the invention exploit properties of the ultrasound data generated by sampling only when the received data has changed sufficiently according to a previously defined threshold, which may be classified as an “event.” This threshold may be, for example, determined based on the clinical relevance of the structures being imaged and the characteristics of the received data. In this way, structures that are clinically relevant are sampled at a high data rate, while other anatomical areas are not sampled at a high data rate, thus Attorney Docket No.: ONEP-009/01WO 36223/58 PCT APPLICATION reducing overall power consumption and heat dissipation within the imaging device. Systems and methods of the invention include novel event-driven architectures utilizing novel sampli