Needle Trajectory and Tip Localization in Real-Time 3-D Ultrasound Using a Moving Stylus.
Described here is a novel approach to needle localization in 3-D ultrasound based on automatic detection of small changes in appearance on movement of the needle stylus. By stylus oscillation, including its full insertion into the cannula to the tip, the image processing techniques can localize the needle trajectory and the tip in the 3-D ultrasound volume. The 3-D needle localization task is reduced to two 2-D localizations using orthogonal projections. To evaluate our method, we tested it on three different ex vivo tissue types, and the preliminary results indicated that the method accuracy lies within clinical acceptance, with average error ranges of 0.9°-1.4° in needle trajectory and 0.8-1.1 mm in needle tip. Results also indicate that method performance is independent of the echogenicity of the tissue. This technique is a safe way of producing ultrasonic intensity changes and appears to introduce negligible risk to the patient, as the outer cannula remains fixed.
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: parmidab@ece.ubc.ca.
Parmida
P
Beigi
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Mechanical Engineering Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Robert
R
Rohling
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Tim
T
Salcudean
Department of Ultrasound, British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Victoria A
VA
Lessoway
Philips Ultrasound, Bothell, Washington, USA.
Gary C
GC
Ng
D003199:Computer Systems; D061765:Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D057918:Fiducial Markers; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007267:Injections / Q000295:instrumentation; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009339:Needles; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000295:instrumentation*
3-D ultrasound; Guidance; Needle tracking; Visibility