Interactive Training System for Medical Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging relies heavily on the skills of the sonographer, requiring extensive hands-on training. The Interactive Training System for Medical Ultrasound is an inexpensive, software-based training system, in which the trainee scans a lifelike manikin using a sham transducer, containing a 6 degree of freedom (DoF) tracking sensor. The observed ultrasound image is generated from a pre-stored 3D image volume and is controlled by the tracking sensor's position and orientation. Based on the selected 3D volume, the manikin may represent normal anatomy, exhibit a specific trauma or present a given physical condition. An Ascension trakSTAR tracking system provides accurate position and orientation tracking, and the components of the tracking system are embedded into a manikin and a transducer shell to remove the awareness of the tracking system. The training system provides a realistic scanning experience. Successful methods of data capture have been developed for acquiring data volumes composed of multiple transducer sweeps. Training data sets were subsequently generated from these sets of overlapping individual 3D scans on phantoms and a human subject. The ultrasound training system can provide cost-effective and convenient training of physicians and sonographers.