Advancing towards ubiquitous medical ultrasound

随着成像设备越来越小，价格越来越低，市场越来越大，越来越多样化，超声波领域正在被颠覆。发展最快的超声波设备是价格接近2000美元的袖珍设备。新的微型超声波芯片电子产品、与智能手机的直接连接以及先进的实时图像处理技术都带来了增长。因此，这些极其便携的超声波设备有可能成为“无处不在的超声波”，因为它们进入了新的市场，有更广泛的操作员。我的研究方向是通过新的软件改善二维和三维的图像采集，以及提高图像质量。尽管我们已经成功地改进了这些方面，但越来越明显的是，传统超声硬件的采用仍然存在障碍。特别是，超声波必须更容易操作。今天，操作人员的专业知识仍然是一个关键和限制因素，所以即使是最新的超声波设备，与它们的潜在用途相比，使用频率也相对较低。我们实验室在超声波换能器方面的突破性研究有可能从根本上改变超声波的操作方式，并极大地扩大超声波的使用范围。特别是，我们发明了一种制造芯片上超声波的新方法，用一种灵活、透明、可穿戴的贴片取代了标准的刚性手持传感器。这笔拨款将开发新的计算机算法，利用这些能力以新的方式帮助操作超声波，特别是在指导专业程序方面。例如，一种灵活、透明、可穿戴的贴片可以让操作员用双手进行手术，同时在超声图像上实时观察手术过程。在这个和其他相关程序中启用超声引导将提高它们的吸收、速度、准确性和结果。所提出的算法将：(1)从柔性换能器形成高质量的超声图像；(2)使用透明换能器进行跟踪和引导；(3)利用增强现实技术计算并显示基于图像的导航；然后我们将(4)将这些算法整合成一个可用的系统，可以客观地测试。最终的结果将是一套技术，使新的和互补的方式操作超声。这些新技术不仅将在医疗应用中开辟新的应用，而且将在人造材料的无损检测中开辟新的应用，例如制造中的缺陷检测。这项研究资助将在这个不断发展的超声领域培养3名博士，3名MASc和4名BASc，加拿大在学术界和工业界都享有领先地位。这些HQP将获得超声信号和图像处理方面的特定技能，以及实时软件设计、增强现实和人工智能方面的更多通用技能，所有这些都是高需求的，跨学科的，具有代表性的，具有挑战性的，欢迎的研究环境。

The field of ultrasound is being disrupted as imaging devices get smaller, prices get lower, and markets get larger and more diverse. The fastest growing segment of ultrasound is in pocket-sized devices with prices approaching $2000. Growth has been derived from new, miniature ultrasound-on-a-chip electronics, direct connection to a smartphone, and advanced real-time image processing. As a result, these extremely portable ultrasound devices have the potential to become "ubiquitous ultrasound" as they reach new markets with a wider range of operators. My research has been on improving image acquisition in both 2D and 3D plus improving image quality through new software. Although we have been successful in improving these aspects, it is becoming clearer that barriers to adoption still exist with traditional ultrasound hardware. In particular, ultrasound must be easier to operate. Today, the expertise of the operator is still a critical and limiting factor, so even the latest ultrasound devices are used relatively infrequently compared to their potential usage. Breakthrough research in our lab on ultrasound transducers has the potential to fundamentally change the way ultrasound is operated and greatly expand the use of ultrasound. In particular, we invented a new way of creating ultrasound-on-a-chip that replaces the standard rigid hand-held transducer with a flexible, transparent, wearable patch. This grant will develop new computer algorithms that use these capabilities to help operate ultrasound in new ways, especially in guiding specialized procedures. For example, a flexible, transparent, wearable patch could allow an operator to use both hands to perform a procedure, while at the same time watch the procedure live on the ultrasound image. Enabling ultrasound guidance in this and other related procedures should improve their uptake, speed, accuracy and outcomes. The proposed algorithms will: (1) form high-quality ultrasound images from a flexible transducer; (2) perform tracking and guidance with a transparent transducer; (3) calculate and display image-based guidance using augmented reality; and then we will (4) integrate these algorithms into a usable system that can be objectively tested. The end result will be a set of technologies that enable a new and complementary way of operating ultrasound. These new technologies will open up new applications not only in medical applications but also in non-destructive testing of man-made materials such as flaw detection in manufacturing. This research grant will train 3 PhD, 3 MASc, and 4 BASc in this growing field of ultrasound that Canada enjoys a leading role both in academia and industry. These HQP will gain specific skills in ultrasound signal and image processing plus more general skills in real-time software design, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, all of which are in high demand, in an interdisciplinary, representative, challenging, and welcoming research environment.