Two-dimensional ultrasound image matching system for photodynamic therapy

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Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound imaging is commonly used for diagnosis in a variety of medical fields. However, there are several drawbacks of conventional 2D-ultrasound imaging. These include prostate or transducer movement that produces sets of different images that are difficult to interpret. Also during patient's reexamination correspondence between sets of images before reexamination and after is difficult to establish. This can be described as a problem of correlation between two sets of images: the first created before distortion or examination, the second one after. We propose a method to register 2D ultrasound volumes based on external markers introduced in the prostate. The metal balls are inserted in the prostate at three distinct locations in the prostate. These appear as bright dots in the ultrasound field, serve as reference points, are then outlined through a user-interactive program from two sets of images. Then, the computer program rotates and translates till they match respectively, and displays the mapped points with their corresponding location. Based on this idea we developed an image-guided system for PDT that require high-precision placement of implants. In the planning stage, the system performs an automatic acquisition of 2D transrectal ultrasound images that will ultimately be used to construct the treatment plan. At the time of the therapy, new sets of ultrasound images are acquired and a match is established between the virtual world and the patient's real world with the aid of manually introduced markers and image matching algorithms.