CPC A61B 5/062 (2013.01) [A61B 1/267 (2013.01); A61B 5/113 (2013.01); A61B 5/7207 (2013.01); A61B 8/12 (2013.01); A61B 8/4254 (2013.01); A61B 8/5238 (2013.01); A61B 8/08 (2013.01); A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 8/467 (2013.01); A61B 8/5261 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
1. A method for lung visualization using ultrasound (US) imaging, the method comprising:
importing a first three-dimensional (3D) model of a luminal network of a lung;
generating an electromagnetic (EM) field about the luminal network;
sensing the EM field via an EM sensor;
transmitting US waves via an US transducer;
generating US images based on the US waves reflected from the luminal network, the EM sensor positioned at a distal portion of one of a first catheter and a second catheter and the US transducer positioned at a distal portion of the other one of the first and second catheters;
processing the sensed EM field to measure a travelling distance of the EM sensor;
scaling the travelling distance so that the scaled travelling distance is matched to a coordinate system of the first 3D model;
replacing lower resolution portions of Computed Tomography (CT) image data from which the first 3D model was generated with the generated US images at a location of the US transducer based on the scaling of the travelling distance, yielding a modified CT image data;
generating a second 3D model from the modified CT image data, wherein the second 3D model has a higher resolution than the first 3D model; and
displaying the second 3D model.
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