Development of an acoustic based sensing system for medical ultrasound image simulator

Ultrasound has become a standard procedure in clinical examinations. However, Ultrasound examination depends highly on the technique of the operator. Recently, the ultrasound image simulator has been proposed to assist training procedure in hospital and medical school. As operator move the ultrasound probe on the manikin, simulator can provide virtual images for real examination environments allowing users to practice their skill before clinical diagnosis. A large number of clinical ultrasound data can be stored in simulator as a database for training purpose, particularly for rare disorders. The sensing system is the most crucial part of simulator because a high sensitivity sensing provides a higher performance for displaying the real image. Currently, several commercial ultrasound simulators are available based on different sensors, like electromagnetic, optical, and RFID. In present study, ultrasound sensors are used to develop an ultrasound simulator. System verification is performed by in vitro porcine heart images. Both sequence of receiving signal and its corresponding image are displayed on the monitor. The lateral and axial resolutions of this acoustic sensing system are about 0.7mm/frame and the rotation is about 0.5 degree/frame. The in vitro porcine heart experiment shows that the simulator can display the heart structure precisely confirmed by a well training operator.