We have developed a non-invasive ultrasound-based method for performing particle image velocimetry in vivo. This method provides high resolution multi-component blood flow data with high temporal resolution. The method takes advantage of the non-linear ultrasound backscatter characteristics of small gas-filled microbubbles (ultrasound contrast) that are seeded into the blood stream [1]. Prelimi...

In recent years, noninvasive thermal treatment by using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has high potential in tumor treatment. The goal of this research is to develop an ultrasound imaging-guided robotic HIFU ablation system for tumor treatment. The system integrates the technologies of ultrasound image-assisted guidance, robotic positioning control, and HIFU treatment planning. With t...

Establishing image context is the major difficulty of performing laparoscopic ultrasound. The standard techniques used by transabdominal ultrasonographers to understand image orientation are difficult to apply with laparoscopic instruments. In this paper, we describe a navigation system that displays the position and orientation of laparoscopic ultrasound images to the operating surgeon in real...

This paper proposes a computer-aided cirrhosis diagnosis system to diagnose cirrhosis based on ultrasound images. We first propose a method to extract a liver capsule on an ultrasound image, then, based on the extracted liver capsule, we fine-tune a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model to extract features from the image patches cropped around the liver capsules. Finally, a trained supp...

Real Time Tomographic Reflection (RTTR) permits in situ visualization of ultrasound images so that direct hand-eye coordination can be employed during invasive procedures. The method merges the visual outer surface of a patient with a simultaneous ultrasound scan of the patient’s interior. It combines a flat-panel monitor with a half-silvered mirror such that the image on the monitor is reflect...

BACKGROUND To establish a histopathologic basis for angioscopic and ultrasound image interpretation we studied 70 postmortem human arterial segments in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS We used 7- to 9-French fiber-optic angioscopes and 20- to 30-MHz intravascular ultrasound imaging catheters. Three observers assigned an angioscopic and ultrasound image classification to each vessel segment. The ima...

Ultrasound image deconvolution has been widely investigated in the literature. Among the existing approaches, the most common are based on l2-norm regularization (or Tikhonov optimization) or the well-known Wiener filtering. However, the success of the Wiener filter in practical situations largely depends on the choice of the regularization hyperparameter. An appropriate choice is necessary to ...

Due to high noise, low contrast, and other imaging artifacts, region boundaries in ultrasound images often do not conform to the assumptions of many image processing algorithms. Specifically, the beliefs that region boundaries have a high gradient magnitude or a high intensity can break down in this context. In this paper, we present an alternative way of detecting likely boundary points in ult...

OBJECTIVE In 1995, a project was initiated in Trondheim, Norway, to investigate various possibilities for more frequent use of ultrasound in brain surgery. Since that time, the quality of ultrasonic images has improved considerably through technological adjustment of parameters. The objective of the present study was to explore essential clinical parameters required for the successful use of ul...

We are developing techniques for guiding ultrasound probes and other clinical tools with respect to the exterior of the patient, using one or more video camera(s) mounted directly on the probe or tool. This paper reports on a new method of matching the real-time video image of the patient’s exterior against a prior high-resolution surface map acquired with a multiple-camera imaging device used ...