Feasibility and Initial Results of Assisted Ultrasound Scan Acquisition for Improved Tomographic Visualization

Ultrasound imaging provides a 2D single slice that can be combined to a volume known as Tomographic US (TUS) employing various tracking methods. TUS is vital for three dimensional visualization of pathological structures and aids physicians in providing a better diagnosis of the condition. Freehand TUS scans have drawbacks such as overlapping of image slices, change in the angulation of the probe and deformation of structures below the epidermis due to a change in applied force. US scan acquisition is highly user dependent and therefore provides varying imaging quality. An assisted scan acquisition process is a possible solution to address and solve these issues and with that improve the 3D volume reconstruction. We propose the design, development and testing of a prototype device that enables assisted acquisition of US image slices, while addressing limitations of freehand TUS scans.