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Biomedical subjects

W D Richard

Publications and source records attributed to W D Richard.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Real-time ultrasonic scan conversion via linear interpolation of oversampled vectors.

Scan conversion is required in order to display conventional B-mode ultrasonic signals, which are acquired along radii at varying angles, on standard Cartesian-coordinate video monitors. For real-time implementations, either nearest-neighbor or bilinear interpolation is usually used in scan conversion. If the sampling rate along each radius is high enough, however, the gray-scale value of a given pixel can be interpolated accurately using the nearest samples on two adjacent vectors. The required interpolation then reduces to linear interpolation. Oversampling by a factor of 2 along with linear interpolation was superior to bilinear interpolation of vectors sampled to match pixel-to-pixel spacing in 6 representative B-mode images. A novel 8-bit linear interpolation algorithm was implemented as a CMOS VLSI circuit using a readily available, high-level synthesis tool. The circuit performed 30 million interpolations per second. Arithmetic results produced by the 8-bit interpolator on 7-bit samples were virtually identical to IEEE-format, single-precision, floating-point results.

Algorithms↗

Segmenting ultrasound images of the prostate using neural networks.

This paper describes a method for segmenting transrectal ultrasound images of the prostate using feedforward neural networks. Segmenting two-dimensional images of the prostate into prostate and nonprostate regions is required when forming a three-dimensional image of the prostate from a set of parallel two-dimensional images. Three neural network architectures are presented as examples and discussed. Each of these networks was trained using a small portion of a training image segmented by an expert sonographer. The results of applying the trained networks to the entire training image and to adjacent images in the two-dimensional image set are presented and discussed. The final network architecture was also trained with additional data from two other images in the set. The results of applying this retrained network to each of the images in the set are presented and discussed.

Adult↗

A method for three-dimensional prostate imaging using transrectal ultrasound.

This paper describes a method for forming three-dimensional images of the prostate using transrectal ultrasound. This method extracts three-dimensional images of the prostate from sets of two-dimensional ultrasound images obtained via a special-purpose transrectal ultrasound probe. Each two-dimensional image is segmented and the results used to form a three-dimensional image of the prostate. A method for segmenting two-dimensional images of the prostate based on the Laplacian-of-Gaussian edge operator is described. The three-dimensional imaging method described provides a new, noninvasive method for monitoring gland pathology during radiation therapy.

Adult↗

Three-dimensional imaging with stereotactic ultrasonography.

Stereotactic ultrasonography is a technique for determining the position and orientation of B-mode ultrasound images in a reference coordinate system. A technique for constructing three-dimensional (3D) image volumes has been developed that uses this new technology. Given several registered images, a 3D volume is constructed either by a "nearest-neighbor" or a "closest-points" interpolation approach. The resulting volume can be rendered using 3D rendering software. In addition, the voxels in the volume are at known positions allowing determination of position for structures in the volume. Results are shown for various test cases, and applicability to medical imaging applications and stereotactic neurosurgery is discussed.

Algorithms↗

Frameless stereotactic ultrasonography: method and applications.

In stereotactic neurosurgery, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images are registered in a coordinate system defined with respect to the skull. By intraoperatively tracking the coordinate position of a surgical instrument, various displays can be formed which show the position of the instrument in the MR and/or CT images. However, the accuracy of this display varies because intracranial structures may shift or warp from their position prior to surgery. Ultrasonic imaging systems provide real-time images of the brain, but structures in these images are difficult to interpret because the images are based on ultrasonic echoes. A method has been developed for the real-time registration of these images. With this registration, software continuously updates a corresponding image constructed from the set of MR and/or CT images used for guidance. By developing this second view of the structures in the ultrasound image, the surgeon can easily interpret the ultrasound image, and it becomes possible to determine the extent of the intra-operative structure shift between the two images.

Algorithms↗

Automated texture-based segmentation of ultrasound images of the prostate.

Segmenting two-dimensional images of the prostate into prostate and nonprostate regions is required when forming a three-dimensional image of the prostate from a set of parallel two-dimensional images. The texture-based segmentation method presented here is a pixel classifier based on four texture energy measures associated with each pixel in the image. An automated clustering procedure is used to label each pixel in the image with the label of its most probable class. The segmented images produced as the result of applying the algorithm to an example image are presented and discussed. The automated segmentation algorithm has been found to hold promise as an automated segmentation method.

Adult↗

A low-cost PCI-bus-based ultrasound system for use in image-guided neurosurgery.

A low-cost PCI-bus-based ultrasound sub-system has been developed and integrated into the image-guided neurosurgery system currently in use at the Cleveland Clinic. Two software applications have been developed that integrate real-time ultrasound images with preoperative MR and CT data sets. By tracking the position of the ultrasound probe during surgery, it is possible to display a real time ultrasound image and the corresponding (preoperative) oblique CT or MR slice. This provides immediate positional feedback to the neurosurgeon during the surgical procedure.

Analog-Digital Conversion↗