Enabling low-cost point-of-care ultrasound imaging system using single element transducer and delta configuration actuator

摘要

Ultrasound is a cost-effective and real-time modality for image-guided intervention for challenging and complication- prone procedure. Conventional ultrasound machines usually require the use of expensive probes and bulky electronics because of the need to acquire and process hundreds of channel data simultaneously. In contrast, a single-element ultrasound system creates a virtual array by scanning an ultrasound element with robotic actuation and tracking instead of using a physical array of ultrasound elements as in conventional ultrasound machine. It not only enables visualization of procedures that otherwise require a custom probe but also dramatically reduces cost and improves the accessibility of image-guided intervention in point-of-care applications. In this work, we present a single-element ultrasound imaging system with a delta configuration actuator modified from a low-cost commercial off-the-shelf 3-D printer, which can serve as both a prototype for clinical application and a research platform. We demonstrated the capability of the system with experiments of spine visualization. We scanned a spine phantom with a needle-based ultrasound. The results indicate the feasibility of compact and economically friendly single-element ultrasound imaging solution for spinal intervention applicable to guiding lumbar puncture and epidural needle insertion.