Identification and Reduction of Fat Shadows in Obese Patients Using Robotic Echocardiography

Abstract

The present study proposes a method to identify fat and lung shadows and reduce fat shadows in obese patients to obtain clear ultrasound (US) images. The shadow identification method focuses on the difference between the luminance value of the shadow and the direction of image loss caused by the degree of reflection and absorption of US waves in fat and lungs, thereby registering the degree of image blurring caused by each shadow. The method for reducing fat shadows was based on preliminary experiments to derive the appropriate probe pressing pressure for the patient’s BMI, enabling the acquisition of US images with fewer fat shadows while relieving the patient from feeling pressure. Verification tests were conducted using the proposed method. With regard to the shadow identification method, it was possible to detect fat shadows and lung shadows with an accuracy of 92.7% and 96.8% of the F-measure, respectively. The introduction of the shadow reduction method increased the number and range of mitral valve detections. These results underline the usefulness of the proposed method.