Endocavity Probe Dummy Insert for Ultrasound-MRI Image Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endorectal ultrasound probes used in prostate surgery face challenges in capturing accurate three-dimensional images due to manual movement inaccuracies, leading to suboptimal merging with magnetic resonance images, which increases intervention time and complexity, and requires repeated imaging sessions.
Innovation Solution
An endocavity ultrasound probe with a convex outer surface and a dummy probe that mimics the ultrasound probe's shape and size, allowing for precise deformation of tissues, enabling accurate merging of ultrasound and magnetic resonance images by ensuring similar compression conditions, and an electronic scanning system for rapid data acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual movement of the probe is used to capture images of the whole prostate volume, then both longitudinal and transverse sections can be obtained, but movement inaccuracies lead to poor merging quality with magnetic resonance images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical probe movement with an automated robotic system that precisely positions the probe according to pre-planned trajectories. The robotic manipulator controls the probe's movement along the rectum, eliminating manual operation inaccuracies and ensuring consistent, reproducible positioning for high-quality image merging with magnetic resonance images.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback through tracking devices that monitor the probe's position and orientation during insertion. This feedback is used to adjust and correct the probe's location dynamically, ensuring accurate alignment with the pre-planned trajectory and maintaining high merging accuracy throughout the procedure.
2Reliability
If multiple scan planes are captured to obtain three-dimensional images, then complete prostate volume can be studied, but intervention time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-planning the complete probe trajectory and all required scan planes before the actual intervention begins. Magnetic resonance images are acquired and processed in advance to create a three-dimensional model, allowing the robotic system to execute a predetermined sequence of imaging operations efficiently during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system maintains continuous useful action by automatically transitioning between different scan planes and imaging modes without manual intervention. The probe continuously moves along the pre-planned trajectory, acquiring longitudinal and transverse sections in an uninterrupted sequence, thereby reducing total intervention time while maintaining complete prostate coverage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If biplane probes with two linear arrays are used to capture longitudinal and transverse images, then three-dimensional imaging is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single linear array probe that dynamically changes its scanning plane orientation through robotic manipulation. Instead of having fixed multiple arrays, the system rotates and repositions the single array to capture both longitudinal and transverse sections sequentially, achieving multi-plane imaging capability with simpler probe hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging process is segmented into separate longitudinal and transverse scanning phases. The single linear array probe first captures longitudinal sections, then repositions to capture transverse sections. This segmentation allows versatile multi-plane imaging using a simpler single-array probe rather than a complex biplane probe with two simultaneous arrays.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances image accuracy and reduces intervention time by allowing precise merging of images, improving spatial resolution, and minimizing the need for repeated imaging sessions, thus improving surgical navigation and patient safety.
Implementation Method 1
at least an array of ultrasound sensors (11) arranged on the outer convex curved surface (3) facing on the outer curved convex surface and adapted to emit and receive ultrasound waves
Data Source
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AI summary
An innovative method is disclosed for merging images of an organ in vivo captured through a first imaging technique and a second imaging technique, this latter using an endocavity ultrasound probe inserted into a cavity associated with the organ under investigation. For superimposing the images on one another with greater accuracy, the images captured through the first imaging technique, that is different than the ultrasound technique, a dummy probe is inserted into the cavity associated with the organ under investigation. The dummy probe may be applied both using prior art biplane endocavity probes and innovative electronic scanning endocavity probes. Therefore, two types of endorectal probe are described: a biplane probe, that shall be rotated and translated for capturing biplane images; and a new electronic scanning ultrasound probe delivering the two-dimensional images for the merging without the need for moving the endocavity probe.