Methods and systems for automated soft tissue segmentation, circumference estimation and plane guidance in fetal abdominal ultrasound images

摘要

A computer-implemented method for analyzing a fetal ultrasound image includes accessing a first statistical model calculated from training data representing shapes of conforming fetal abdominal tissue exemplars and accessing image data representing a scan plane in an ultrasound image. The method further includes identifying a region of interest including an abdomen in the scan plane using the first statistical model, accessing a second statistical model calculated from training data representing shapes of conforming fetal anatomical structure exemplars, determining whether one or more anatomical structures are present within the region of interest using the second statistical model, and assigning a rating to the scan plane based on the presence of the one or more anatomical structures in the region of interest. The anatomical structures may include a stomach and/or a portal vein. The method may include calculating an estimated circumference of the abdomen.