Trans-skull imaging system by ultrasonic array probe

• Published in: 2009 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics pp. 1096 - 1101
• Main Authors: Hiramatsu, G., Ikeda, Y., Kobashi, S., Hata, Y., Imawaki, S., Kitamura, J.Yu, Yanagida, T.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-10-2009
• Subjects: Bones; brain imaging; Frequency; fuzzy inference; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Optical imaging; Probes; Skull; Steel; thickness determination; Ultrasonic imaging; ultrasonic system; X-ray imaging
• DOI: 10.1109/ICSMC.2009.5345974
• EISSN: 2577-1655
• ISBN: 9781424427932; 1424427932
• ISSN: 1062-922X

In this paper, we propose a trans-skull imaging system of the human brain using an ultrasonic array probe. In it, we employ a cow scapula imitated to human skull and a steel with ditches imitated to cerebral sulci. We scan the phantom consisting of the bone and steel ditches by a 32 channel array probe and obtain the B-mode image. From the B-mode image, we extracted the bone thickness by fuzzy inference, and visualize the ditches by filtering techniques. Experimental result shows that the mean error of bone thickness is less than 1 mm and that the mean errors of the ditch width and depth are 6.9 mm and 2.8 mm, respectively.