Ultrasound-Tracking Data Synchronization for Temporal Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasound data acquisition and tracking data acquisition are often not synchronized, leading to temporal misalignment and magnetic interference, which introduces errors into applications that rely on the combination of these data sets, reducing the accuracy of 3D image generation, virtual device representation, and intraoperative data registration.
Innovation Solution
A synchronization system aligns ultrasound and tracking data acquisitions by synchronizing the data collection processes, ensuring a time difference of less than a threshold (e.g., 10 milliseconds) between the two data sets, allowing for accurate generation of medical images using temporally aligned data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ultrasound data acquisition and tracking data acquisition are performed independently without synchronization, then each system can operate at its own optimal acquisition rate, but temporal misalignment occurs between the two data sets introducing errors into combined applications
Solution Approach 1:
A synchronization system acts as an intermediary between the ultrasound system and tracking system. The synchronization system receives acquisition timing signals from the ultrasound system, determines corresponding tracking data acquisition time points, and transmits synchronization signals to the tracking system to coordinate data acquisition timing, thereby achieving temporal alignment without requiring deep integration of the two independent systems
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization system implements a feedback mechanism by receiving acquisition timing signals from the ultrasound system, processing these timing signals to determine appropriate tracking data acquisition time points, and sending synchronization signals back to the tracking system. This closed-loop feedback ensures continuous temporal alignment between the two data acquisition processes
2Reliability
If ultrasound data acquisition and tracking data acquisition are synchronized with a time difference threshold, then temporal alignment and accuracy of combined applications are improved, but magnetic interference between the two systems may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization system dynamically adjusts the timing of tracking data acquisition based on the ultrasound system's acquisition timing signals. By making the tracking data acquisition time points variable and adaptive rather than fixed, the system can optimize the time difference between acquisitions to maintain temporal alignment while managing magnetic interference effects
3Productivity
If the ultrasound system acquires data at various time points and the tracking system acquires data at various time points independently, then each system maintains its own acquisition schedule, but the acquired data sets become temporally misaligned reducing 3D image generation accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization system performs preliminary action by receiving the ultrasound acquisition timing signal before the actual data acquisition processes begin. It uses this timing signal to pre-determine the tracking data acquisition time points and sends synchronization signals to the tracking system in advance, ensuring that both systems are temporally aligned before data collection starts, thereby maintaining both productivity and accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Various systems and methods are provided for synchronizing data acquisition of an ultrasound system and a tracking system. Ultrasound data acquisition of ultrasound data by an ultrasound system and a tracking data acquisition of tracking data by a tracking system may be synchronized. The ultrasound data and the tracking data that are temporally aligned may be received. A medical image may be generated based on the ultrasound data and the tracking data.