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Updated: May 26, 2026
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An Experimental Protocol for Assessing the Performance of New Ultrasound Probes Based on CMUT Technology in Application to Brain Imaging
Published on: September 24, 2017
Accurate calibration method for 3D freehand ultrasound probe using virtual plane
Danilo De Lorenzo1, Alberto Vaccarella, Ghassan Khreis
1Politecnico di Milano, Bioengineering Department, Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Milano 20133, Italy.
Medical Physics
|December 14, 2011
Summary
A new ultrasound (US) probe calibration phantom and virtual plane method enable accurate 3D freehand scanning. This easy-to-use system achieves precise 3D point reconstruction for medical applications.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate calibration of ultrasound (US) probes is crucial for 3D freehand scanning.
- Existing methods can be complex and user-dependent, impacting reliability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present and evaluate a novel, easily manufactured, and user-friendly ultrasound probe calibration phantom.
- To introduce a new virtual plane method for accurate and user-robust calibration in 3D freehand scanning.
Main Methods:
- The phantom facilitates probe tracking through rotations and translations, maintaining a clear wire image.
- A virtual plane approach minimizes required probe poses for algorithm convergence.
- Image and position data are synchronized using a CORBA interface within the Image Guided Surgery Toolkit (IGSTK).
Main Results:
- The calibration method demonstrated high accuracy and precision.
- Mean 3D point reconstruction accuracy was 0.2 mm.
- Precision was measured at 0.4 mm standard deviation.
Conclusions:
- The developed technique is suitable for various medical applications.
- Applications range from morphological diagnosis to intraoperative surgical planning.
