US-12622672-B2 - Fiber-optic realshape sensor for enhanced doppler measurement display

US12622672B2US 12622672 B2US12622672 B2US 12622672B2US-12622672-B2

Abstract

A Doppler ultrasound system for executing Doppler ultrasound tests. The Doppler ultrasound system employs an ultrasound probe ( 40 ), a vessel FORS sensor ( 20 ) and a Doppler ultrasound controller ( 60 ). In operation, an ultrasound probe ( 40 ) transmits an ultrasound beam through a bodily vessel (e.g., a blood vessel) for generating imaging data illustrative of an ultrasound image of fluid flow through the bodily vessel (e.g., blood flow through a blood vessel), and the vessel FORS sensor ( 20 ) is introduced into the bodily vessel for generating vessel sensing data informative of a reconstructed shape of the vessel FORS sensor ( 20 ) within the bodily vessel relative to the ultrasound probe ( 40 ). Responsive to the data, the Doppler ultrasound controller ( 60 ) estimates a parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and a transmission by the ultrasound probe ( 40 ) of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel.

Inventors

Bharat Ramachandran
Emil George Radulescu

Assignees

KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20160714

Claims (14)

1 . A Doppler ultrasound system, comprising: an ultrasound probe configured to transmit an ultrasound beam through a bodily vessel from outside the bodily vessel for generating imaging data illustrative of an ultrasound image of a fluid flow, having a flow direction and velocity, through the bodily vessel; a vessel optical shape sensing (OSS) sensor configured to be introduced into the bodily vessel for generating vessel sensing data; an OSS controller configured to generate a reconstructed shape of the vessel OSS sensor within the bodily vessel relative to the ultrasound probe from the vessel sensing data; and a Doppler ultrasound controller for controlling a Doppler measurement of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel in response to the imaging data generated by the ultrasound probe and the reconstructed shape of the vessel OSS sensor, wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is configured to estimate a parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and a transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel based on a registration between the ultrasound probe and the vessel OSS sensor, and wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to derive the Doppler measurement of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel from the estimated parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel.
2 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the Doppler measurement estimates at least one of a velocity or a volume of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel.
3 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to control a display of a Doppler image showing the Doppler measurement of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel.
4 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to control a user communication of least one of an adjustment of the ultrasound probe relative to the bodily vessel and a realignment of the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel.
5 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to control the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel.
6 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , further comprising: a probe OSS sensor calibrated to the ultrasound probe for generating probe sensing data informative of a reconstructed shape of the probe OSS sensor relative to the ultrasound probe, wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to estimate the parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel further based on a calibration of the probe OSS sensor to the ultrasound probe.
7 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging data generated by the ultrasound probe is inclusive of the vessel OSS sensor within the bodily vessel.
8 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging data generated by the ultrasound probe is exclusive of the vessel OSS sensor within the bodily vessel.
9 . A Doppler ultrasound system, comprising: an ultrasound probe configured to transmit an ultrasound beam through a bodily vessel from outside the bodily vessel for generating imaging data illustrative of an ultrasound image of a fluid flow through the bodily vessel; a vessel optical shape sensing (OSS) sensor configured to be introduced into the bodily vessel for generating vessel sensing data; an OSS controller configured to generate a reconstructed shape of the vessel OSS sensor within the bodily vessel relative to the ultrasound probe from the vessel sensing data; and a Doppler ultrasound controller for controlling a Doppler measurement of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel in response to the imaging data generated by the ultrasound probe and the reconstructed shape of the vessel OSS sensor, wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is configured to estimate a parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and a transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel based on a registration between the ultrasound probe and the vessel OSS sensor, wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to derive the Doppler measurement of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel from the estimated parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel, and wherein the parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel includes at least an angle parameter indicative of an angle between a direction of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel within the ultrasound image relative to a direction of the ultrasound beam transmitted by the ultrasound probe.
10 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein the parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel further includes at least one of: a distance parameter indicative of a distance of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel within the ultrasound image relative to the ultrasound probe; or a position parameter indicative of a position of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel within the ultrasound image relative to the ultrasound probe.
11 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein the Doppler measurement estimates at least one of a velocity or a volume of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel.
12 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to control a display of a Doppler image showing the Doppler measurement of the fluid flow through the bodily vessel.
13 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to control a user communication of least one of an adjustment of the ultrasound probe relative to the bodily vessel and a realignment of the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel.
14 . The Doppler ultrasound system of claim 9 , wherein the Doppler ultrasound controller is further configured to control the transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure generally relates to Doppler measurements of fluid flow through a bodily vessel of a patient (e.g., blood flow through a vasculature arrangement of blood vessels within the patient). The present disclosure specifically relates to a novel and inventive pairing of an ultrasound probe and a Fiber-Optic RealShape (“FORS”) sensor for enhancing the Doppler imaging of blood flow through a blood vessel (e.g., an artery, a vein or a heart valve). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure utilized in medical imaging to evaluate blood flow through vasculature vessels, particularly the major arteries and veins in a body of the patient. Specifically, ultrasound waves continuously or intermittently transmitted into the body hit blood cells of the vasculature in motion whereby the pitch of the reflected sound waves changes (i.e., Doppler effect). The pitch changes are processed and displayed in different ways to enable a view of the resulting Doppler image to evaluate blood flow and diagnose any abnormalities which may lead to a stroke and/or heart failure (e.g., blocked/narrowing arteries, blood clots in veins, reduced blood flow, etc.). Examples of Doppler ultrasound tests as known in the art include a continuous wave (“CW”) Doppler test, a pulse wave (“PW”) Doppler test, a color Doppler test, a spectral Doppler test, a duplex Doppler test and a power Doppler test. For optimal Doppler ultrasound, the transmitted ultrasound waves should be oblique to the direction of the blood flow to the greatest extent possible. However, due to the complex anatomy of the vasculature, the location of the tortuous blood vessels and the direction of blood flow are unknown prior to and/or during the transmission of the ultrasound waves. As a result, it is difficult to always position the ultrasound probe for oblique transmitted ultrasound waves to achieve optimal Doppler measurement display. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure provides inventions utilizing Fiber-Optic RealShape (“FORS”) sensing to enhance Doppler ultrasound. For purposes of the inventions of the present disclosure, the term “Fiber-Optic RealShape (“FORS”) sensor” broadly encompasses any type of optical fiber structurally configured as known in the art for extracting high density strain measurements of the optical fiber derived from light emitted into and propagated through the optical fiber and reflected back within the optical fiber in an opposite direction of the propagated light and/or transmitted from the optical fiber in a direction of the propagated light. An example of a FORS sensor includes, but is not limited to, a multi-cored optical fiber structurally configured under the principle of Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) for extracting high density strain measurements of the optical fiber derived from light emitted into and propagated through the optical fiber and reflected back within the optical fiber in an opposite direction of the propagated light and/or transmitted from the optical fiber in a direction of the propagated light via controlled grating patterns within the optical fiber (e.g., Fiber Bragg Gratings), a characteristic backscatter of the optical fiber (e.g., Rayleigh backscatter) or any other arrangement of reflective element(s) and/or transmissive element(s) embedded, etched, imprinted, or otherwise formed in the optical fiber. Commercially and academically, Fiber-Optic RealShape may also be known as optical shape sensing (“OSS”). One form of the inventions of the present disclosure is a Doppler ultrasound system for executing a Doppler ultrasound test exemplary including, but not limited to, CW Doppler, PW Doppler, color Doppler, spectral Doppler, duplex Doppler and power Doppler. The Doppler ultrasound system employs an ultrasound probe, a vessel FORS sensor and a Doppler ultrasound controller. In operation, the ultrasound probe transmits an ultrasound beam through a bodily vessel (e.g., a blood vessel) for generating imaging data illustrative of an ultrasound image of fluid flow through the bodily vessel (e.g., blood flow through a blood vessel), and the vessel FORS sensor is introduced into the bodily vessel for generating vessel sensing data informative of a reconstructed shape of the vessel FORS sensor within the bodily vessel relative to the ultrasound probe. Responsive to the data, the Doppler ultrasound controller estimates a parametric relationship between the fluid flow through the bodily vessel and a transmission by the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound beam through the bodily vessel. For purposes of the inventions of the present disclosure, the terms “Doppler ultrasound”, “ultrasound probe”, “ultrasound beam”, “bodily vessel”, “fluid flow”, “imaging data”, “ultrasound image”, “sensing data”, and “reconstructed shape” are to be interpreted as understood in the art of the present disclosure and as exemplary described herein. For purposes