Biomedical subjects

Otto T Bruhns

Publications and source records attributed to Otto T Bruhns.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Ultrasonic strain imaging and reconstructive elastography for biological tissue.

Mechanical properties of biological tissue represent important diagnostic information and are of histological and pathological relevance. In order to obtain non-invasively mechanical properties of tissue, we developed a real-time strain imaging system for clinical applications. The output data of this system also allow an inverse elastography approach leading to the spatial distribution of the relative elastic modulus of tissue. The internal displacement field of biological tissue is determined using the above mentioned strain imaging system by applying quasi-static compression to the considered tissue. Axial displacements are calculated by comparing echo signal sets obtained prior to and immediately following less than 0.1% compression, using the fast root seeking technique. Strain images representing mechanical tissue properties in a non-quantitative manner are displayed in real-time mode. For additional quantitative imaging, the stiffness distribution is calculated from the displacement field assuming the investigated material to be elastic, isotropic, and nearly incompressible. Different inverse problem approaches for calculating the shear modulus distribution using the internal displacement field have been implemented and compared. The results of an ongoing clinical study with more than 200 patients show, that our real-time strain imaging system is able to differentiate malignant and benign tissue areas in the prostate with a high degree of accuracy (sensitivity=76% and specificity=89%). The reconstruction approaches applied to the strain image data deliver quantitative tissue information and seem promising for an additional differential diagnosis of lesions in biological tissue. Our real-time system has the potential of improving diagnosis of prostate and breast cancer.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Technologies for haptic systems in telemedicine.

The ability to image the elastic properties of tissue is potentially useful in a variety of applications. The field of elastic imaging has grown in response to the potential use of such information in medical diagnosis. Real time ultrasound elastography represents a recent development in determining strain and elasticity distributions. Nevertheless, commonly used imaging techniques rely on the interpretation of two dimensional visual data displayed on a video screen. In reality however, physicians often prefer tactile exploration making the simultaneous portrayal of both video and haptic information most desirable. Since the 1970's many alphanumeric to tactile data conversion methods have been investigated, mainly with the ultimate aim of assisting the blind. More recently, interest has been directed toward the display of pictures on haptically explorable surfaces--Tactile imaging. Such a system would allow surgeons to examine hard sectors contained within soft tissue, and thereby assist in operations held remotely. The expansion of ultrasound elastography to 3D formats would mean the ability to haptically explore regions of the body normally inaccessible to human hands. For three-dimensional imaging the acquisition of sequential tomographic slices using Elastography, combined with image segmentation, enables the reconstruction, quantification and visualisation of tumour volumes. In a collaborative project between four research institutes, the aim is to produce a prototype three dimensional tactile displays comprising electrically switchable micromachined cells, whose mechanical moduli are governed by phase changes experienced by electrorheological and/or magnetorheological fluids. This will be integrated with a sensory ultrasonic elastography in order to present the human fingers with controllable surfaces capable of emulating biological tissue, muscle and bone.

Computer Simulation↗