Ultrasound-Based Liver Examination Device, Ultrasound Apparatus, And Ultrasound Imaging Method

What is this patent about?

’397 is related to the field of ultrasound imaging, specifically addressing the problem of diagnosing hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease). Current ultrasound diagnosis relies heavily on qualitative indicators, which are subjective and dependent on the operator's experience. While some techniques offer quantitative parameters, they often provide only a single parameter, limiting diagnostic accuracy. The patent aims to improve the accuracy of diagnosing hepatic steatosis by combining ultrasound images with quantitative parameters derived from the same scan.

The underlying idea behind ’397 is to process ultrasound echo signals in two different ways. One processing path focuses on generating a high-quality ultrasound image for visual inspection. The other processing path focuses on preserving the original information in the echo signal, particularly the attenuation characteristics of the ultrasound wave as it passes through the liver tissue. This preserved information is then used to calculate quantitative parameters related to the degree of steatosis.

The claims of ’397 focus on an ultrasound apparatus, a liver examination device, and an ultrasound imaging method. These all share the key feature of splitting the ultrasound echo signal into two paths. The first path undergoes gain compensation optimized for image quality. The second path undergoes gain compensation optimized for preserving the original ultrasound attenuation information . The processed signals are then used to generate an image and calculate a quantitative parameter, respectively, which are then displayed together.

In practice, the system transmits ultrasound waves into the liver and receives the returning echoes. The received signal is split. One path applies a depth-dependent gain to create a clear B-mode image, enhancing the visual contrast. The other path applies a different gain strategy, either a uniform gain or a counter-compensation to undo the depth-dependent gain, ensuring that the signal's amplitude accurately reflects the tissue's attenuation properties at different depths.

This dual-processing approach allows for both visual assessment via the B-mode image and quantitative analysis based on the preserved attenuation data. The quantitative parameters, such as the attenuation coefficient, echo differences between liver and kidney, or ultrasound velocity, provide objective measures of steatosis. By combining these objective measures with the visual image, the system reduces the reliance on subjective interpretation and improves the accuracy and reliability of hepatic steatosis diagnosis compared to prior art which relies on qualitative assessment or single quantitative parameters.