3D Multi-Modality Free-Hand Ultrasound Imaging For Medical Research

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging can more accurately represent the volume, shape, and location of the lesion region than the two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound imaging. In this study, we propose a 3D multi-modality free-hand ultrasound imaging system (MFUSI) and focus on its clinical applications. The proposed MFUSI system locates the spatial position of the 2D ultrasound image and reconstructs the 3D ultrasound image through capturing an optical calibration board fixed on the ultrasound probe with a super high-resolution optical camera. In addition to 3D B-mode ultrasound imaging, our proposed MFUSI system is also compatible with 3D ultrasound Doppler imaging and 3D ultrasound elasticity imaging. In terms of clinical application, the MFUSI system has been applied to clinical diagnosis of scoliosis, thyroid nodules, and muscular atrophy, and it also has the potential to be applied in muscle strains, peripheral arterial disease, chronic venous disease, and deep vein thrombosis. We hope that our imaging system might enrich the clinical application of 3D ultrasound imaging.