C-mode real time tomographic reflection for a matrix array ultrasound sonic flashlight.pdf

MICCAI 2003. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2879, pp. 336-343. C-mode Real Time Tomographic Reflection for a Matrix Array Ultrasound Sonic Flashlight George Stetten 1,2,3 , Aaron Cois 1,2, , Wilson Chang 1,2,3 , Damion Shelton 2 , Robert Tamburo 1,2 , John Castellucci 4 , Olaf von Ramm 4 1 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2 Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 3 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center 4 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Abstract. Real Time Tomographic Reflection (RTTR), permits in situ visualization of tomographic images, so that natural hand-eye coordination can be employed directly during invasive procedures. The method merges the visual outer surface of the patient with a simultaneous scan of the patient’s interior, using a half-silvered mirror. A viewpoint-independent virtual image is reflected precisely into the proper location. When applied to ultrasound, we call the resulting RTTR device the sonic flashlight. We have previously implemented the sonic flashlight using conventional 2D ultrasound. In this paper we present the first images from a new sonic flashlight based on Real Time 3D (RT3D) ultrasound, which uses a matrix array to electronically steer the ultrasound beam at very high speed. We show in situ C-mode images, which are parallel to the face of the transducer, of the hand and the cardiac ventricles. 1 Introduction In the practice of medicine, the standard method of viewing an image is to examine a film or screen, rather than to look directly into the patient. A number of researchers have worked to develop more natural ways to merge images with the perceptual real world. 1-4 We have previously reported the concept of Real Time Tomographic Reflection (RTTR), and applied it successfully to ultrasound. 5,6 Conventional ultrasound produces a tomographic slice within the patient representing a set o