Real time ultrasound needle image simulation using multi-dimensional interpolation.

In this paper, we propose an interpolation-based method for simulating needle images in B-mode ultrasound. We parametrize the needle image as a function of needle position and orientation. We collect needle images under various spatial configurations in a water-tank using a guidance robot. Then we use multi-dimensional tensor-product interpolation to simulate images of needles with arbitrary poses and positions using the collected images. Interpolated needle images are superimposed on top of phantom image backgrounds. The similarity between the simulated and the real images is measured using a correlation metric. A comparison with in-vivo images is also performed. The simulation procedure is demonstrated using transverse needle images and extended to sagittal needle images and brachytherapy seed images. The proposed method could be used in clinical procedure training simulators.