Towards examiner-independent reproducible abdominal ultrasound examinations

Abstract

The proposed system aims at reproducibility in ultrasound follow-up examinations by storing the position of the ultrasound transducer in relation to acquired images. The system utilizes an electromagnetic tracking system. It includes a guidance feature to assist in placing the transducer correctly on the patient. Evaluation of the system involved technical accuracy tests on a phantom and accuracy tests on human subjects. The results showed that the technical accuracy of the system met the required criteria, but the transducer positioning error in realistic scenarios was above the threshold. Usability testing indicated potential benefits for medical training and provided suggestions for improving the user interface. Overall, the system shows promise for further development and can already be used for training ultrasound examinations.

Keywords

• ultrasound examination
• sonography
• reproducible sonography
• navigated ultrasound