US-12616446-B2 - Wearable garment adapted for ultrasound sensing and methods thereto for full wave inversion with imprecise sensor positions

US12616446B2US 12616446 B2US12616446 B2US 12616446B2US-12616446-B2

Abstract

A wearable sensing garment for sensing ultrasound waves from a body part is provided. The sensing garment includes a mesh of fabric adapted to be worn on at least a body part of a wearer; and a plurality of ultrasound sensors disposed on the mesh fabric, wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors are adapted to detect ultrasound waves returned from the at least a body part of the wearer and further adapted to transmit at least portion of the detected ultrasound waves to a controller communicatively connected thereto, and wherein only a portion of the plurality of ultrasound sensors that is larger than a predetermined number of ultrasound sensors is substantially in contact with a skin layer of the at least a body part.

Inventors

Ramon Axelrod
Pinchas Chaviv

Assignees

IKKO HEALTH LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230608

Claims (20)

1 . A sensing garment for sensing ultrasound waves from a body part, comprising: a mesh of fabric adapted to be worn on at least a body part of a wearer; a plurality of ultrasound sensors, wherein each ultrasound sensor is randomly disposed on the mesh fabric; and a plurality of ultrasound emitters, wherein each ultrasound emitter is randomly disposed on the mesh fabric; a plurality of markers, wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is randomly disposed on the mesh fabric, and wherein each marker has a reflective pattern that is distinctive from any reflective pattern from any bodily organ or bodily tissue; wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound emitters emits a wide-angle ultrasound beam; wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is adapted to detect ultrasound waves returned from the at least a body part of the wearer and further adapted to transmit at least a portion of the detected ultrasound waves to a controller communicatively connected thereto; and wherein only a portion of the plurality of ultrasound sensors that is larger than a predetermined number of ultrasound sensors is substantially in contact with a skin layer of the at least a body part.
2 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ultrasound sensors disposed on the mesh fabric are embedded within the mesh fabric.
3 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is individually placed with a predetermined distance apart.
4 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is at least one of: attached to the mesh fabric, glued to the mesh fabric, and woven within the mesh fabric.
5 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is at least one of: attached to the mesh fabric, glued to the mesh fabric, and woven within the mesh fabric.
6 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein the detected ultrasound waves are at least one of: a refracted wave and a reflected wave.
7 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of ultrasound sensors exceeds a number of the plurality of ultrasound emitters.
8 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein the sensing garment is adapted to fit around the at least a body part.
9 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein the at least a body part is at least one of: a limb, a stomach, a chest, a foot, a hand, a neck, a lower back, an upper back, a torso, a head, and portions thereof.
10 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein the sensing garment is adapted to provide a predetermined level of flexibility for adaption about the at least a body part.
11 . The sensing garment of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined level of flexibility for adaption about the at least a body part allows for a predetermined level of motion of the at least a body part with respect to a reference.
12 . The sensing garment of claim 11 , wherein the reference is any one of: a position of the at least a body part and a position of the at least a body part with respect to another body part.
13 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is woven within the mesh fabric at a predetermined density within a garment surface.
14 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is woven within the mesh fabric at random positions within a garment surface.
15 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is composed of a flexible material that is adapted to bend.
16 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is adapted to enable an initial approximate position of each of the plurality of ultrasound emitters and each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors using an adaptation of full wave inversion with simultaneous localization and mapping.
17 . The sensing garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of markers is any one of: a passive marker and an active marker.
18 . A system for determining locations of ultrasound sensors disposed onto a mesh fabric of a sensing garment comprising: a processing unit; a sensing garment, wherein the sensing garment is adapted to be positioned on at least a body part of a wearer, the sensing garment comprising: a mesh fabric; a plurality of ultrasound sensors randomly disposed on the mesh fabric, such that at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is substantially in contact with a skin layer of the wearer; a plurality of wide-angle beam ultrasound emitters randomly disposed on the mesh fabric, wherein each ultrasound emitter is configured to emit a wide-angle ultrasound beam; and a plurality of markers randomly disposed on the mesh fabric, wherein each marker has a reflective pattern that is distinctive from any reflective pattern from any bodily organ or bodily tissue; a first interface, connected to the processing unit to the plurality of ultrasound sensors and to the plurality of emitters; and a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, configure the system to: perform at least a simultaneous determination of locations of at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound sensors and at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound emitters in relation to at least a body part, wherein the determination comprises simultaneous localization and mapping based at least on soundwaves returned from one or more of the plurality of markers and collected by the at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasound sensors by estimation of physical paths and iteratively minimize misfit between simulated and observed ultrasound signals.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of ultrasound sensors disposed on the sensing garment are embedded within a mesh fabric of the sensing garment.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of ultrasound sensors is individually placed on the sensing garment and wherein a distance from a neighboring sensor of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is a predetermined distance apart.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/061474 filed on Dec. 8, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/123,159 filed on Dec. 9, 2020. The contents of the above-referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to ultrasound imaging system and more particularly to wearable ultrasound sensors and the positioning determination thereof. BACKGROUND Ultrasound is commonly used for a variety of applications, including that of scanning non-invasively and at low-risk body parts. In a typical application, an array of ultrasound sensors is mounted on a flat surface. The body part to be scanned is coated with a gel to ensure better matching between the surface of the sensors and the skin of the body part. One or more emitters emit ultrasound waves in a desired frequency and the reflected or refracted sound waves are captured by the array of sensors. The signals are then interpreted to provide an image of the internal organs and bones of the body part. In a typical setting a patient is placed in a desired position to enable the use of the ultrasound array of sensors by a practitioner. Over time ultrasound imaging capabilities have improved and from images that only expert interpreters could decipher, it is possible today to provide three-dimensional imaging, which is evident, for example, when scanning a fetus in the womb with 3D details. A drawback of an ultrasound array of sensors is that these are typically small in surface area and therefore when larger areas of the body need to be checked, the array has to be manually or automatically moved upon the patient's skin in order to reach the required coverage. Moreover, adequate contact between the ultrasound array of sensors and the patient's skin is required for effective and indisputable imaging results. While prior art solutions suggest techniques to tackle some of these challenges, most often are deficient in achieving both and/or limited to specific applications. For example, one prior art solution directed at bone tissues suggests the use of an array of wideband emitter sensors and a wideband recorder. Although naturally wideband signals were measured, the sensor array was limited to analysis of bone tissues. Other prior art solutions targeted at, for example, breast tissue and fetal heart provide techniques to image larger areas of the patient at a single time. Yet, such example solutions are tailored to specific applications and further, require particular arrangements for sufficient contact necessary for ultrasound imaging. Even when ultrasound sensor array solutions are provided for a more general application, often, other imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are operated in conjunction for more accurate results. A key aspect of a wearable ultrasound apparatus requires adaptation to the body curvatures and more so, the changes thereof as a person moves and breathes, which in return, changes the relative location of the sensors. To this end, an ultrasound sensor array and technique that is geared at general applications and provides necessary contact is highly desired. In furtherance to the above, an ultrasound sensor and/or sensor arrays that removes inflexible, inconvenient, or discomfort when wearing, is needed. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a wearable ultrasound sensing solution that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. SUMMARY A summary of several example embodiments of the disclosure follows. This summary is provided for the convenience of the reader to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments and does not wholly define the breadth of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. For convenience, the term “some embodiments” or “certain embodiments” may be used herein to refer to a single embodiment or multiple embodiments of the disclosure. Certain embodiments disclosed herein include a sensing garment for sensing ultrasound waves from a body part. The sensing garment comprises: a mesh of fabric adapted to be worn on at least a body part of a wearer; and a plurality of ultrasound sensors disposed on the mesh fabric, wherein each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors are adapted to detect ultrasound waves returned from the at least a body part of the wearer and further adapted to transmit at least portion of the detected ultrasound waves to a controller communicatively connected thereto, and wherein only a portion of the plurality of ultrasound sensors that is large