Automatic guidance of an ultrasound probe by visual servoing based on B-mode image moments. Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention : MICCAI ... International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention [Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv Int Conf Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv] Journal article

We propose a new visual servo approach to automatically control in real-time the full motion of a 2D ultrasound (US) probe held by a medical robot in order to reach a desired image of motionless soft tissue object in B-mode ultrasound imaging. Combinations of image moments of the observed object cross-section are used as feedback information in the visual control scheme. These visual features are extracted in real-time from the US image thanks to a fast image segmentation method. Simulations performed with a static US volume containing an egg-shaped object, and ex-vivo experiments using a robotized US probe that interacts with a motionless rabbit heart immersed in water, show the validity of this new approach and its robustness to different perturbations. This method shows promise for a variety of US-guided medical interventions that require real-time servoing.

Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention : MICCAI ... International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention [Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv Int Conf Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv]

Algorithms
Feedback
Humans
Image Enhancement
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
Reproducibility of Results
Robotics
Sensitivity and Specificity
Ultrasonography