Deformable anatomical models for image guidance and simulation of medical procedures

申请人及其团队的研究是在生物医学工程领域，涉及获得包括组织变形在内的解剖模型的方法，以及基于这些模型的指导和模拟医疗程序（包括机器人辅助程序）的方法。我们将考虑基于针头的手术和机器人辅助的微创手术。涉及组织变形或应变成像以及由应变产生的组织粘弹性特性的研究领域称为弹性成像。弹性成像涉及到外部组织激励的应用，例如超声探头在身体上的压缩，由此产生的组织变形的估计，使用模型对变形进行建模，以及使用模型计算组织力学性能的图像。

The applicant and his group's research is in the area of biomedical engineering, and is concerned with methods of obtaining anatomical models that include tissue deformation and methods of guiding and simulating medical procedures, including robot-assisted procedures, based on such models. We will consider needle-based procedures and robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. The research area that involves the imaging of tissue deformation, or strain, and of tissue viscoelastic properties derived from strain, is called elastography. Elastography involves the application of an external tissue excitation, such as the compression of the ultrasound probe on the body, the estimation of the resulting tissue deformation, the modeling of the deformation using a model, and the use of the model to compute images of tissue mechanical properties.