Method and apparatus for acquiring and fusing ultrasound images with pre-acquired images

摘要

A method of fusing ultrasound images with pre-acquired images includes acquiring a first 3D ultrasound image in real-time; identifying at least one known reference pattern or object within a pre-acquired 3D image and the 3D ultrasound image; registering the real-time 3D ultrasound image with the pre-acquired 3D image by using the reference pattern or object; fusing the 3D ultrasound images of a sequence of real-time 3D ultrasound images; with the pre-acquired 3D image using data of the co-registration; and displaying fusion tomographic images, each including the corresponding real-time ultrasound image and the pre-acquired image. The registration between real-time 3D ultrasound images and the pre-acquired 3D image is performed continuously in the background by continuing to acquire the real-time 3D ultrasound images and to register them with the pre-acquired 3D images using the reference pattern or patterns or the object or objects.

主权项

1. A method of fusing ultrasound images (1) with pre-acquired images (60), comprising the following steps:
a) acquiring (61) a first 3D ultrasound image in real-time; b) identifying at least one known reference pattern or object within a pre-acquired 3D image and the first 3D ultrasound image; c) registering (63) the first 3D ultrasound image acquired in real-time with the pre-acquired 3D image by using the reference pattern or object; d) fusing (64) 3D ultrasound images of a sequence of first 3D ultrasound images acquired in real-time with the pre-acquired 3D image by using data of a co-registration between said first 3D ultrasound image and the pre-acquired 3D image; and e) displaying (65) fusion tomographic images, each fusion image comprising the corresponding 3D ultrasound image acquired in real-time and the pre-acquired 3D image, wherein the co-registration (63) between 3D ultrasound images acquired in real-time and the pre-acquired 3D image is performed in a continuous manner in a background, by continuing to acquire in the background the real-time 3D ultrasound images and to register said real-time 3D ultrasound images with the pre-acquired 3D images by using said reference pattern or patterns or said object or objects.