Intelligent real time 3D ultrasound diagnostic imaging technology with automated diagnostic capabilities

3^rd International Conference on Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering

November 07-08, 2016 Barcelona, Spain

Stergios Stergiopoulos, PhD

Defence Research and Development Canada, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Bioengineer & Biomedical Sci

Abstract :

Approximately 90% of trauma deaths occur in an accident or combat zone prior to medical or surgical intervention. In most cases of an accident, paramedics, who are the first to arrive on the scene, or medical personnel in trauma management situations, such as combat field hospitals, and/or mass casualty incidents, are not always sufficiently equipped to quickly and reliably determine internal bleeding or non-visible abdominal trauma. To this day, commercial diagnostic mobile systems that provide intelligent automated software tools that could detect life threatening injuries within the so-called golden hour of trauma diagnosis do not exist. To address this technological gap, the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) has developed an innovative real time 3D (4D) ultrasound medical diagnostic imaging system that aims to address the Canadian Armed Forces Health Services combat casualty care requirements in far forward operations. This technology development consists of a fully digital 3D ultrasound adaptive beam former based on a fully coherent processing of a (32x32)1024-transducers matrix array ultrasound probe. Based on the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) protocol and by emulating the radiologist�s tasks, DRDC�s field-deployable compact 4D ultrasound imaging system integrates automated diagnostic capabilities to detect non-visible abdominal bleeding, hematothorax and effusion, with the aim to minimize training requirements by emulating a radiologist�s tasks in order to support triage for trauma care by medics in remote and/or hostile environments. The present paper will discuss the technological challenges associated with this development and will introduce the main components of DRDC�s technology that consist of: a 2D (32x32) matrix transducer array probe; volumetric image reconstruction processing based on a 3D adaptive beam former; a back-end 4D software visualization tools as an open architecture for third parties to easily integrate additional functionality and; software modules with automated diagnostic capabilities to detect non-visible abdominal bleeding.

Biography :

Email: Stergios.Stergiopoulos@drdc-rddc.gc.ca