Integration of Acoustic Emission and Ultrasound for Needle Guidance in Interventional Procedures

Abstract

Challenges like interrupted visualization and artifacts are common during interventional surgery while guiding medical interventional devices (MIDs) such as needles, catheters, etc. This proclaims the need of efficient accessories for improving simultaneous targeting and visualization of MIDs during interventional surgeries. Diagnostic devices are often used, but only visual perception is not enough due to image-related shortcomings. This article proposes a novel approach that reads audio signals via microphone attached to the proximal end of a biopsy needle to support verification and tracking during a surgery. A needle tracking algorithm was also integrated for visual support of intervention. The algorithm acquires the audio signal due to tissue-needle interaction and simultaneously detects the needle in the ultrasound frames using progressive regional properties. The proposed combination has ability to solve problems related to MID localization during interventional procedures, where it is crucial to maintain information flow for verification and target location.