Robotized ultrasound imaging of the peripheral arteries – a phantom study

Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering

Kleemann Markus¹  Kaschwich Mark¹  von Haxthausen Felix²  Hagenah Jannis²  García-Vázquez Verónica²  Ernst Floris² 

[1] Division of Vascular- and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany;Institute for Robotics and Cognitive Systems, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany;

关键词: 2d ultrasound;    cnn;    peripheral arterial disease;    robotic ultrasound;    visual servoing;   

DOI  :  10.1515/cdbme-2020-0033

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The first choice in diagnostic imaging for patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is 2D ultrasound (US). However, for a proper imaging process, a skilled and experienced sonographer is required. Additionally, it is a highly user-dependent operation. A robotized US system that autonomously scans the peripheral arteries has the potential to overcome these limitations. In this work, we extend a previously proposed system by a hierarchical image analysis pipeline based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in order to control the robot. The system was evaluated by checking its feasibility to keep the vessel lumen of a leg phantom within the US image while scanning along the artery. In 100% of the images acquired during the scan process the whole vessel lumen was visible. While defining an insensitivity margin of 2.74 mm, the mean absolute distance between vessel center and the horizontal image center line was 2.47 mm and 3.90 mm for an easy and complex scenario, respectively. In conclusion, this system presents the basis for fully automatized peripheral artery imaging in humans using a radiation-free approach.

【 授权许可】

Unknown