Automated Procedure Guidance with Ultrasound Imaging Catheters

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目旨在开发一种新的成像技术，机器人驱动的超声（US）导管成像，该技术将在一系列干预中自动执行导航和引导任务。系统将使用机器人驱动来协调成像导管的运动。这将实现两个关键功能。首先，机器人将使用电磁（EM）跟踪器在手术过程中自动跟踪器械的运动，并将US成像导管指向器械尖端。这将提供仪器与组织之间相互作用的连续实时图像。这些US图像显示了手术时的实际软组织结构。第二，将在整个治疗体积内扫描导管，以创建用于计划和导航的大规模高分辨率3D+时间“全景”马赛克。实时图像和整个仪器的位置和姿态将叠加在大视场全景图上。这将允许临床医生在手术期间容易地可视化关键空间关系。超声成像导管已用于心脏消融手术十多年。图像质量可以非常好，因为探头和组织目标之间的短距离允许使用高频，而不会出现肌肉、脂肪和其他组织的中间层的畸变。目前，所有导管指向都是手动控制的，这是非常具有挑战性的，因为手动控制和图像运动之间的关系很复杂，并且在工作空间中变化;这限制了对少数关键任务的使用。建议的项目建立在我们以前的工作，在开发机器人平台。该硬件和控制系统与现有商业导管的控制接口，以提供准确的图像采集。该系统可以获得扩展的血管的3D US马赛克，并以<2 mm的精度跟踪轨迹。为了利用这一成就，现在需要开发临床有用系统的图像采集、图像处理和用户控制方面。三个目标将包括这个项目：具体目标我将开发用于处理采集的图像的方法，用于配准，插值和实时渲染。Specific Aim II将开发一种验证算法，用于驱动US图像跟随仪器。Specific Aim III将为机器人控制和图像显示创建量身定制的用户界面。净收益将是更好的态势感知，从而加快工作流程，缩短手术时间，减少并发症。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project aims to develop a new imaging technology, robot-driven ultrasound (US) catheter imaging, which will automate navigation and guidance tasks in a range of interventions. The system will use robotic actuation to coordinate motion of the imaging catheter. This will enable two key functions. First, the robot will use electromagnetic (EM) trackers to automatically follow the motion of instruments during the procedure, and point the US imaging catheter at the instrument tip. This will provide continuous real-time images of the interaction between the instrument and tissue. These US images show the actual soft tissue structure at the time of the procedure. Second, the catheter will be scanned across the treatment volume to create large- scale high-resolution 3D+time "panoramic" mosaics for planning and navigation. Real-time images and the overall instrument location and pose will be superimposed on the large-field panoramic view. This will allow the clinician to easily visualize key spatial relationships during the procedure. US imaging catheters have been used in cardiac ablation procedures for over a decade. Image quality can be very good, because the short distance between the probe and tissue target allows the use of high frequencies without aberrations from intervening layers of muscle, fat, and other tissues. At present, all catheter pointing is manually controlled, which is extremely challenging because the relationship between hand controls and image motion is complex and varies across the workspace; this has limited use to a few critical tasks. The proposed project builds on our prior work in developing the robot platform. This hardware and control system interfaces with the controls of existing commercial catheters to provide accurate image acquisition. This system can acquire 3D US mosaics of extended workspaces, and follow trajectories with < 2mm accuracy. To exploit this accomplishment now requires the development of the image acquisition, image processing and user controls aspects of a clinically useful system. Three aims will comprise this project: Specific Aim I will develop methods for processing acquired images for registration, interpolation, and rendering in real-time. Specific Aim II will develop an validate algorithms for driving the US image to follow instruments. Specific Aim III will create a tailored user interface for robot control and image display. The net benefit will be better situational awareness, leading to faster work flow, reduced procedure time, and fewer complications.