Title :
A system for simultaneously measuring contact force, ultrasound, and position information for use in force-based correction of freehand scanning
Author :
Burcher, Michael R. ; Noble, J. Alison ; Lianghao Man ; Gooding, Mark
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Eng. Sci., Oxford Univ., UK
Abstract :
During freehand ultrasound imaging, the sonographer places the ultrasound probe on the patient´s skin. This paper describes a system that simultaneously records the position of the probe, the contact force between the probe and skin, and the ultrasound image. The system consists of an ultrasound machine, a probe, a force sensor, an optical localizer, and a host computer. Two new calibration methods are demonstrated: a temporal calibration to determine the time delay between force and position measurements, and a gravitational calibration to remove the effect of gravity on the recorded force. Measurements made with the system showed good agreement with those obtained from a standard materials testing machine. The system´s uses include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound imaging, force-based deformation correction of ultrasound images, and indentation testing.
Keywords :
biomedical ultrasonics; calibration; deformation; force sensors; indentation; skin; contact force; force sensor; force-based correction; force-based deformation correction; freehand ultrasound imaging; gravitational calibration; indentation testing; optical localizer; probe position; skin; sonographer; standard materials testing machine; temporal calibration; ultrasound; Acoustic imaging; Calibration; Force measurement; Force sensors; Optical imaging; Position measurement; Probes; Skin; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonic variables measurement; Algorithms; Artifacts; Elasticity; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Image Enhancement; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Manometry; Phantoms, Imaging; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stress, Mechanical; Systems Integration; Transducers; Ultrasonography;
Journal_Title :
Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TUFFC.2005.1509791