ABSTRACT
The application of x-ray diagnostics for intraoperative navigation and for registration of hard tissue structures is restrained due to high radiation loads and the not given real time ability. Previous approaches with conventional ultrasonic imaging are only interactively applicable due to the high information content of soft tissue optimised B-mode-images. A pure image processing does not allow an automatic identification of individual structures, so that this must be done by the physician. To decrease the high expense of time, this report presents a concept for an adapted chain of rf-signal processing as well as an ultrasonic system for the contrast-enhanced representation of tissue borders. The system permits an exact measurement of the body geometry, which is demonstrated by determining the position of the pelvis entry plane.
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/instrumentation , Electronic Data Processing/methods , Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/instrumentation , Orthopedic Procedures/instrumentation , Surgery, Computer-Assisted/instrumentation , Ultrasonography/instrumentation , Wounds and Injuries/surgery , Algorithms , Fourier Analysis , HumansABSTRACT
As alternatives to surgical resection and/or supportive to radio- or chemo-therapy of tumors and metastases minimal invasive interstitial thermal treatment procedures by which the tissue is heated up locally to temperatures up to 100 degrees C are used. However beside nuclear magnetic resonance tomography there is no economical, by routine applicable procedure for non invasive therapy control at present disposal. In this work the possibility of non invasive control of thermal therapies by means of temporal and spectral analysis of radio frequency ultrasound signals are evaluated. Two different ultrasonic procedures, the first beeing based on the analysis of local modifications in the time of flight of the ultrasound signal for determination of the temperature distribution in the tissue, the second beeing based on the physical attenuation characteristics of biological tissue and their dependence on the tissue structure are proposed and evaluated for therapy control. With in vitro experiments the possibilities and limitations of both procedures and preliminary results of a prototype control system are demonstrated.