FOETAL BONES PRESENTATION METHOD IN OBSTETRIC
SONOGRAPHY
A) TECHNICAL FIELD
(0001j The present invention generally relates to ultra sound imaging in obstetric sonography and more particularly to a presentation method of foetus bones for estimating the overall health ot the foetus.
B) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[1)002] The sonography or the ultra sound imaging technique is widely usee! to monitor the growth of a fetus In the womb of pregnant women to provide appropriate and suitable medicare to the Infant and to the mother. The ultrasound imaging in obstetrics is quite popular due to its non-invasive nature, cost-effectiveness and being tree ot radiation hazards Typically, the sonographer would explore the overall health of the foetus by looking for major landmarks ot the foetus and the mother. A report is generated and given to the referring phvsician. A series of measurements, such as Biperital Diameter, Femur length, Abdominal circumference, arc popularly used to estimate the expected date of delivery. Most of these measurements are bone measurements. Hence there is a need to measure the bone structures more reliably and accurately.

|0003| I lencc there is a need to display the bone structures of foetus clearly to enable fairly accurate measurement ot the bone structures to estimate overall health and the position of a foetus inside the womb accurately.
C) OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
]0004| The prime object of the present invention is to develop a method for displaying the bone structures ot toetus clearly to enable accurate measurement of bone structures.
|0005] Another object of the present invention is to develop a method for displaying the bone structures ol foetus clearly to estimate the overall health condition and position of toetus inside womb accurately
[0(106] Vet another object of the present invention is to develop a method for displaying the bone structures of foetus clearly in both the pre processing and the post processing operations.
[0007] These and other objects and advantages of me present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
D) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The above mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.

[0009] The various embodiments of the present invention provides a method and system lor displaying the bone structures oi toetus clearly to estimate the overall health condition of the mother and the toetus easily and cthcientlv
[0010] According to one embodiment ot the present invention, the foetus iside ;i womb is displayed with predominantly bone structures ( hyperetlmk structures ) by enhancing echo signals and suppressing sott-tissues and fluids ( hyponhoh strucmrcs ). As a result, a skeletal view of the toetus is displayed clearly and easily. A processor i^ provided with software to scan the acquired sonogram image to identify a suitable grey scale from a look up table to reduce the echo signals and the images oi the soft nssues and fluids in the acquired image to obtain a clear bone representation.
|00|1] According to another embodiment oi the present invention, a system is provided to display the toetal bone structures easily and clearly. The system has a processor embedded with software to analyze the images acquired bv a sonogram. "J'hc toetus image acquired from the sonogram is passed to the processor to identify a suitable grey scale corresponding to the acquired images from a look up table so that the identified grey scale is applied to the acquired image to enhance the echo signals and to suppress the images of soft nssues and the fluids m the acquired image to display the bone the bone structures with high contrast and clearly.
(0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a real nme ultrasound system is provided with an image processing module of the present invention to enhance the echo signals and to suppress the image of soft tissues and fluids in the acquired sonogram image

to improve the contrast and the resolution ol the bone strucrure image in the scanned image to display the bone structure clearly in a sonogram image. The ultrasound system lias a transducer to generate ultrasound waves for scanning a desired area. A tront end beam former and pre- amplifier locus the generated ultrasound signals on the object to be scanned and amplifies the reflected ultrasound waves trom the ob|cct. The output oi the amplifier is passed to a digital scan converter through a data processing module including a data processing unit, irame filters and analogue to digital convcrrers ro obtain a scanned image. The scanned image is passed through an image processing module to enhance the echo signals and 10 suppress the image of solt tissues and fluids in the scanned image to improve the resolution and the contrast of the bone structures in the scanned image to display the bone structures clearly. The processed output image is output to a peripheral device and displaveel on a monitor.
[0013] The gain of the amplifier is adjusted using a rime gain compensation circuit. The gamma curves are used ro identify the suitable grey scale corresponding to the acquired sonogram image to suppress the image ot solt tissues and fluids in the sonogram image.
[0014] The image processing module has a grey level detection circuit. 'ITic output image from the digital scan converter in the real rime ultrasound system is input into the grey level detection and noise removal circuit. The grey level detection circuit identifies the grayscale corresponding to the input sonogram image so that the identified grev scale is applied to remove the image of soft tissues and the fluids in the acquired sonogram image to improve the contrast and the resolution ot the bone strucrure image. The noise removal circuit removes the noise signals from the received ultrasound signals based on the input noise

threshold level to enhance the echo signals to display the image of bone strucnire image clearly. The processed image i-: sent to a display monitor for projection and to a peripheral device.
(0015] The present invention offers a quick survey of foetal skeletal structures to assess the overall health of a foeais and a mother casih and efficiently. The foetal bone parameters like 1'L, BPD, HL, Tibia, bibula etc are measured easily by providing a clear picture of bone structures by enhancing echo signals and suppressing soft tissues and fluids. The method can be used both in pre processing and post processing operations.
[0016] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the tollowing detailed description taken m conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
E) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which:
[0018] FIGURE.l illustrates a real nme ultrasound system including a image processing module for displaying the foetal bone structures according to one embodiment of the present invention.

|0019] FIGURE.2 illustrates a flow chart explaining rhe method tor displaying the foetal bone structures according to one embodiment of the present invention using an image processing module according to one embodiment ot the present invention.
[0020] FIGURE.3 illustrates rhe display ot a foetal spine using techniques of conventional and present invention.
|O021] FIGURE.4 illustrates the display of a toeta! face using methodologv of conventional and present invention.
(00221 Although specific features ot the present invention are shown in some drawings and not in others. This is done ior convenience onlv as each feature mav be combined with any or ail ot the other features in accordance with the present invention.
F) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0023j In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown bv way ot illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the arr to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.

|l 1024] The various embodiments of the present invention provides a method and system tor displaying the bone strucaires of foetus clearly to estimate the overall health condition of the mother and the foetus easily and efficiently.
|0025| According to one embodiment of the present invention, the foetus iside a womb is displayed with predominantly bone structures ( hypemhotc structures ) bv enhancing echo signals and suppressing soft-tissues and fluids ( hypoefhoic smicmrcs ). As a result, a skeletal view of the foetus is displayed clearly and easily A processor is provided with a software to fcan the acquired sonogram image to identify a suitable grey scale from a look up table to reduce the echo signals and the images of the soft tissues and fluids in the acquired image to obtain a clear bone representation.
|0l)2u] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided to display the foetal bone structures easily and elearh. The system has a processor embedded with software to analyze the images acquired by a sonogram. The foetus image acquired from the sonogram is passed to the processor to identify a suitable grey scale corresponding to the acquired images from a look up table so that the identified grey scale is applied to the acquired image to enhance the echo signals and to suppress the images ol soft tissues and the fluids in the acquired image to display the bone the bone structures with high contrast and clearly.
|f)027] .According to one embodiment of the present invention, ;i real rime ultrasound system is provided with an image processing module of the present invention to enhance the echo signals and to suppress the image of soft tissues and fluids in the acquired sonogram image

to improve rhe contrast and rhe resolution ot the bone structure image in the scanned image to displav rhe bone structure clearly in a sonogram image The ultrasound s\stem has a transducer ro generate ultrasound waves for scanning a desired area. A front end beam former and pre- amplifier iocu- the generated ultrasound signals on the object ro be scanned and amplifies the reflected ultrasound waves from the object. The output ot the amplifier is passed to a digital scan converter through a data processing module including a data processing unit, frame filters and analogue to digital converters to obtain a scanned image. 1 he scanned image is passed through an image processing module to enhance the echo signals and to suppress the image of soft tissues and fluids in the scanned image to improve rlie resolution and rhe contrast ot the bone structures in the scanned image to displa\ the bone structures clearly. The processed ourpur image is output to a peripheral device and displayed on a monitor
[0(l2r>] The gain ot the amplifier is adjusted using a rime gain compensation circuit. The gamma curves are used to identify rhe suitable grey scale corresponding ro rhe acquired sonogram image ro suppress the image of soft tissues and fluids in the sonogram image.
|0029] The image processing module has a grey level detection circuit. The output image from the digital scan converter in the real time ultrasound system is input into the grey level detection and noise removal circuit The grey level detection circuit identifies the grayscale corresponding to the input sonogram image so that the identified grev scale is applied to remove (he image of soft tissues and the fluids in rhe acquired sonogram image to improve the contrast and rhe resolution of the bone strucrure image.

[(Hl30| The noise removal circuit removes the noise signals from the received ultrasound signals ba^ed on the input noi