Method and apparatus for acquiring and fusing ultrasound images with pre-acquired images
First Claim
1. A method of fusing ultrasound images (1) with pre-acquired images (60), comprising the following steps:
- a) acquiring (61) a first 3D ultrasound image in real-time;
b) identifying at least one known reference pattern or object within a pre-acquired 3D image and the first 3D ultrasound image;
c) registering (63) the first 3D ultrasound image acquired in real-time with the pre-acquired 3D image by using the reference pattern or object;
d) fusing (64) 3D ultrasound images of a sequence of first 3D ultrasound images acquired in real-time with the pre-acquired 3D image by using data of a co-registration between said first 3D ultrasound image and the pre-acquired 3D image; and
e) displaying (65) fusion tomographic images, each fusion image comprising the corresponding 3D ultrasound image acquired in real-time and the pre-acquired 3D image,wherein the co-registration (63) between 3D ultrasound images acquired in real-time and the pre-acquired 3D image is performed in a continuous manner in a background, by continuing to acquire in the background the real-time 3D ultrasound images and to register said real-time 3D ultrasound images with the pre-acquired 3D images by using said reference pattern or patterns or said object or objects.
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Abstract
A method of fusing ultrasound images with pre-acquired images includes acquiring a first 3D ultrasound image in real-time; identifying at least one known reference pattern or object within a pre-acquired 3D image and the 3D ultrasound image; registering the real-time 3D ultrasound image with the pre-acquired 3D image by using the reference pattern or object; fusing the 3D ultrasound images of a sequence of real-time 3D ultrasound images; with the pre-acquired 3D image using data of the co-registration; and displaying fusion tomographic images, each including the corresponding real-time ultrasound image and the pre-acquired image. The registration between real-time 3D ultrasound images and the pre-acquired 3D image is performed continuously in the background by continuing to acquire the real-time 3D ultrasound images and to register them with the pre-acquired 3D images using the reference pattern or patterns or the object or objects.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of fusing ultrasound images (1) with pre-acquired images (60), comprising the following steps:
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a) acquiring (61) a first 3D ultrasound image in real-time; b) identifying at least one known reference pattern or object within a pre-acquired 3D image and the first 3D ultrasound image; c) registering (63) the first 3D ultrasound image acquired in real-time with the pre-acquired 3D image by using the reference pattern or object; d) fusing (64) 3D ultrasound images of a sequence of first 3D ultrasound images acquired in real-time with the pre-acquired 3D image by using data of a co-registration between said first 3D ultrasound image and the pre-acquired 3D image; and e) displaying (65) fusion tomographic images, each fusion image comprising the corresponding 3D ultrasound image acquired in real-time and the pre-acquired 3D image, wherein the co-registration (63) between 3D ultrasound images acquired in real-time and the pre-acquired 3D image is performed in a continuous manner in a background, by continuing to acquire in the background the real-time 3D ultrasound images and to register said real-time 3D ultrasound images with the pre-acquired 3D images by using said reference pattern or patterns or said object or objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
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13. A device for acquiring and displaying ultrasound images, comprising:
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a probe (3) provided with one or more electroacoustic transducers; a unit (57) transmitting an ultrasonic beam through the transducers into a body under examination; a unit (58) receiving and processing ultrasound signals received from the transducers for generating real-time images; a tracking system (53) for the probe (3); a registration unit (54) registering an acquired real-time ultrasound image (1) with a pre-acquired image, to combine a coordinate system of the body under examination, a coordinate system of the probe and a coordinate system of the pre-acquired image into a single coordinate system; and a displaying unit (56) displaying a sequence of fusion images, each fusion image comprising the corresponding real-time image and the pre-acquired image, wherein the registration unit (54) operates in real time for each or some of the real-time images.
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Specification