Vertebral surface extraction from ultrasound images for technology-guided therapy

Diane M. Muratore; Benoit M. Dawant; Robert L. Galloway Jr.

doi:10.1117/12.348551

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21 May 1999 Vertebral surface extraction from ultrasound images for technology-guided therapy

Diane M. Muratore, Benoit M. Dawant, Robert L. Galloway Jr.

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Proceedings Volume 3661, Medical Imaging 1999: Image Processing; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.348551
Event: Medical Imaging '99, 1999, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The use of intra-operative spinal ultrasound (US) for surgical navigation of the spine has been proposed as a novel extension of interactive image-guided surgery (IIGS) procedures. For the proposed spinal applications, a surface-based registration of US images to preoperative CT or MR scans will be applied. This type of registration requires the extraction of numerous vertebral surface points from each slice in a series of US images. A plastic spine phantom immersed in a water tank was scanned posteriorly with one of several US transducers -- at frequencies 3.5, 4.5, and 7.5 MHz. Images from the lumbar region of the spine were captured in the transverse plane and were processed for surface detection of the spinous process, transverse processes and laminae. Steps in image processing included application of a morphological open operator, a linear threshold, a ray-tracing algorithm, and a 3-D point identifier. Despite the generally noisy environment of US, the three regions of interest from the lumbar vertebrae were successfully extracted from all three sets of images. With a successful segmentation of corresponding CT or MR images, registration of these modalities to intra-operative US images will provide surgeons with a step towards a less invasive method of spinal therapy.

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Diane M. Muratore, Benoit M. Dawant, and Robert L. Galloway Jr. "Vertebral surface extraction from ultrasound images for technology-guided therapy", Proc. SPIE 3661, Medical Imaging 1999: Image Processing, (21 May 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.348551

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