Development of cost-effective 3D ultrasound imaging systems for pelvic floor imaging

盆腔器官脱垂（POP）是女性特有的常见疾病，其定义为盆腔器官下降到阴道腔内。POP的症状，如疼痛、膨胀感或失禁，可以通过使用阴道托来缓解，阴道托是一种被动医疗器械，插入阴道内以支撑盆腔器官。POP影响12%-50%的女性人口，预计到2050年将增加45%-200%。目前，脱垂的诊断评估是通过体格检查进行的。由于子宫托是在人工检查后通过试错法进行配合的，因此配合的准确性取决于医生的专业知识和子宫托设计的可用性。因此，许多患者不能成功地安装子宫托，并且许多患者由于并发症而停止子宫托治疗。需要一种定量技术来改善诊断和确定最佳的子宫托配合。Cosm是多伦多的一家医疗设备初创公司，正在开发一个数据驱动的平台，为POP创建个性化治疗，以改善加拿大和国外患者的生活。COSM开发了一种新的三维超声（3D）技术 US）对阴道腔进行成像，以定量评估脱垂并设计定制的子宫托。然而，商业3D US系统过于昂贵，难以使用和纳入Cosm的产品线。 Fenster的实验室已经发明、开发并将多个3D US系统转化为临床应用和公司。在该系统中，2D US探头连接到手持式电动扫描仪，其以已知运动移动探头并采集2D US图像，所述2D US图像被重建成3D US图像，从而显著降低3D成像的成本。我们的目标是设计，开发和评估一个具有成本效益的3D US系统的骨盆底成像。Cosm将获得监管部门的批准，将这一3D US系统推向市场。这一项目将成为加拿大妇女协会实现其改善加拿大妇女健康和减轻骨盆底功能障碍对保健系统的负担这一目标的一个重要里程碑。

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a common disorder exclusive to women, is defined as the descent of the pelvic organs into the vaginal cavity. Symptoms of POP, such as pain, bulging sensation, or incontinence, can be alleviated by using pessaries, which are passive medical devices, inserted intra-vaginally to support the pelvic organs. POP affects 12%-50% of the female population and is expected to increase by 45%-200% by 2050. Currently, diagnostic evaluation of prolapse is performed via physical examination. Since the pessaries are fit through trial and error after manual examination, the accuracy of the fit depends on the physician's expertise and the availability of pessary designs. Thus, many patients cannot be successfully fitted with a pessary, and many discontinue pessary treatment due to compilations. There is a need for a quantitative technique for improving the diagnosis and identifying the best pessary fit. Cosm, a medical device start-up in Toronto, is developing a data-driven platform to create a personalized treatment for POP to improve the lives of patients in Canada and abroad. Cosm has developed a novel technique for the use of three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) to image the vaginal cavity to quantitatively assess prolapse and design custom pessaries. However, commercial 3D US systems are too expensive and difficult to use and incorporate in Cosm's product pipeline. Fenster's lab has invented, developed, and translated multiple 3D US systems into clinical use and to companies. In this system, a 2D US probe is attached to a hand-held motorized scanner, which moves the probe in known motions and acquires 2D US images, which are reconstructed into a 3D US image, significantly reducing the cost of 3D imaging. Our goal is to design, develop, and evaluate a cost-effective 3D US system for pelvic floor imaging. Cosm will obtain regulatory approval for bringing this 3D US system into the market. This project would entail a major milestone for Cosm towards achieving their goal of improving Canadian women's health and reducing the burden of pelvic floor dysfunctions on the health care system.