-1- Copyright Virtual Concept Semi-Automated Ultrasound Interpretation System Using Anatomical Knowledge Representation

Interpreting ultrasound data presents a significant challenge to medical personnel, which limits the clinical applications of the technology. We have addressed this issue by developing a prototype computer-based system designed to aid non-expert medical practitioners in using ultrasound devices in a variety of different diagnostic situations. Essentially, the system treats the collection of images generated during an ultrasound examination as an ordered sequence of views of the anatomical environment and picks out key views in which the contents of the scan image changes. It stores descriptions of expected key views and matches incoming images to this key view sequence during an orientation phase of an examination. The prototype can guide a novice user through an examination of a patient’s abdomen and automatically identify anatomical structures within the region. Overall, the design represents a novel approach to processing and augmenting ultrasound data and to representing spatial knowledge. Key words: ultrasound; anatomical knowledge representation; anatomical structure labelling; 3D anatomical models; spatial knowledge representation; automated medical imaging systems 1