TRANSRECTAL ULTRASOUND FOR PUBIC ARCH DETECTION AND INTERFERENCE ASSESSMENT

摘要

Trans-rectal ultrasound is used for accurate planning, and targeting of placement of radioactive seeds by needles (Fig. 1) into the prostate in trans-perineal prostate brachy-therapy. An initial image of the pubic arch (Fig. 2) is also provided by trans-rectal ultrasound, in addition to a transverse cross-sectional image of the prostate. The initial image of the pubic arch is processed using a technique to selectively enhance the contrast of the linear features of the edge of the ultrasound image. The enhanced image is then threshold via the use of a percentile thresholding technique, and then a curve modeling the shape of the pubic arch is fitted against the threshold, enhanced image to produce a processed image of the pubic arch. This is then overlaid with the image of the prostate, and a determination made as to pubic arch interference.