Apparatus and method for visualizing anatomical elements in a medical image

Abstract

A method of visualizing anatomical elements in a medical includes receiving a medical image; detecting a plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image; verifying a location of each of the plurality of anatomical elements based on anatomical context information including location relationships between the plurality of anatomical elements; adjusting the location relationships between the plurality of anatomical elements; and combining the verified and adjusted information of the plurality of anatomical elements with the medical image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for visualizing anatomical elements in a medical image, the apparatus comprising:
 a memory configured to store instructions therein; and   at least one processor, upon execution of the instructions, configured to:
 receive a medical image, 
 detect a plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image, and 
 overlay at least one among information related to the detected plurality of anatomical elements on the medical image, 
   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 detect the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image by extracting a plurality of feature maps from the medical image, 
 allocate the plurality of feature maps to corresponding respective anatomical elements, and 
 label a location in the medical image of a feature map allocated to a specific anatomical element as the specific anatomical element, and 
   wherein the at least one information comprises area information about an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements in the medical image, the area information comprising at least one of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, text representing a name of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or a color layer distinguishing an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the medical image is a breast ultrasound image of a human breast captured using ultrasonic waves,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect, from the breast ultrasound image, any two or more of skin, fat, glandular tissue, muscle, or bone,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to verify and adjust a location of each of the detected plurality of anatomical elements based on anatomical context information comprising the location relationships between the any two or more of skin, fat, glandular tissue, muscle, and bone.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to individually or simultaneously detect the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect individually or simultaneously the plurality of anatomical elements using any one of a deep learning technique, a sliding window technique, or a superpixel technique. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust a detection result of the plurality of anatomical elements detected from the medical image using a conditional random field technique or a Markov random field technique. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the anatomical context information further comprises information on a probability distribution of a location at which each of the anatomical elements is located in the medical image, and   wherein the probability distribution is acquired from pre-established learning data.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the medical image is one of a plurality of continuous frames or one of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) images, and   wherein the anatomical context information further comprises adjacent image information comprising location information of anatomical elements detected from an adjacent frame or an adjacent cross-section.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one information comprises a confidence level information indicating a confidence level that each of the plurality of anatomical elements is actually an anatomical element, the confidence level information comprising at least one of text displayed within an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, a color of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or a transparency of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one information to be overlaid on the medical image is selected by a user from the information related to the plurality of anatomical elements. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one information further comprises at least one of:
 a color or a transparency of the contour of the area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements,   a color or a transparency of the text representing the name of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or   a transparency of the color layer distinguishing the area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements.   
     
     
         11 . A method of visualizing anatomical elements in a medical image, the method comprising:
 receiving a medical image;   detecting a plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image; and   overlaying at least one among information related to the detected plurality of anatomical elements on the medical image,   wherein the detecting of the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image comprises:
 extracting a plurality of feature maps from the medical image, 
 allocating the plurality of feature maps to corresponding respective anatomical elements, and 
 labeling a location in the medical image of a feature map allocated to a specific anatomical element as the specific anatomical element, and 
   wherein the at least one information comprises area information about an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements in the medical image, the area information comprising at least one of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, text representing a name of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or a color layer distinguishing an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the medical image is a breast ultrasound image of a human breast captured using ultrasonic waves, and   wherein the detecting of the plurality of anatomical elements comprises detecting, from the breast ultrasound image, any two or more of skin, fat, glandular tissue, muscle, or bone,   further comprising verifying and adjusting a location of each of the detected plurality of anatomical elements based on anatomical context information comprising the location relationships between the any two or more of skin, fat, glandular tissue, muscle, or bone.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the detecting of the plurality of anatomical elements comprises one of:
 individually detecting the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image, or   simultaneously detecting the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the detecting of the plurality of anatomical elements comprises individually or simultaneously detecting the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image using any one of a deep learning technique, a sliding window technique, or a superpixel technique. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a detection result of the plurality of anatomical elements detected from the medical image using a conditional random field technique or a Markov random field technique. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the anatomical context information comprises information on a probability distribution of a location at which each of the plurality of anatomical elements is located in the medical image, and   wherein the probability distribution is acquired from pre-established learning data.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the medical image is one of a plurality of continuous frames or one of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) images; and   wherein the anatomical context information further comprises adjacent image information comprising location information of anatomical elements detected from an adjacent frame or an adjacent cross-section.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one information comprises a confidence level information indicating a confidence level that each of the plurality of anatomical elements is actually an anatomical element, the confidence level information comprising at least one of text within an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, a color of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or a transparency of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one information further comprises at least one of:
 a color or a transparency of the contour of the area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements,   a color or a transparency of the text representing the name of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or   a transparency of the color layer distinguishing the area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on at least one processor, configures the at least one processor to:
 receive a medical image,   detect a plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image, and   overlay at least one among information related to the detected plurality of anatomical elements on the medical image,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 detect the plurality of anatomical elements from the medical image by extracting a plurality of feature maps from the medical image, 
 allocate the plurality of feature maps to corresponding respective anatomical elements, and 
 label a location in the medical image of a feature map allocated to a specific anatomical element as the specific anatomical element, and 
   wherein the at least one information comprises area information about an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements in the medical image, the area information comprising at least one of a contour of an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, text representing a name of each of the plurality of anatomical elements, or a color layer distinguishing an area of each of the plurality of anatomical elements.