Author(s)

K. Hamamoto, M. Nakanishi & T. Shiina

Abstract

In the field of medical ultrasonics, ultrasonic elasticity imaging has been developed and used in practical diagnosis. However, unfortunately, elasticity information is now displayed on ordinary 2D screens (for example, CRT). Since elasticity information is haptic information, not visible information, the information is expected to be displayed in \“the sense of haptic”. In this research, it is attempted to display this elasticity information on a haptic display. In this system, a target tissue is expressed by many small cubes in 3D virtual space. Each cube has its own elasticity information. When a cube is pressed, not only the cube but some cubes around it are simultaneously moved in the direction of the pressure, but if the pressure disappears, the cubes come back to their original position. This movement of cubes can express a dent in the surface of the body. At that time we can feel haptic sense from the pressed point, which is caused by the mass and elasticity of some cubes around the pressed point. This newlydevised system enables to put the haptic sense to close \“Human Haptic”. The system also enables one to display the haptic sense in real time after getting elastic information of tissues. This system can realize a virtual palpation system and may realize a tele-palpation system. Keywords: tissue characterization, ultrasonic imaging, elasticity imaging, virtual reality, haptic interface, virtual palpation, real time system.

Keywords

tissue characterization, ultrasonic imaging, elasticity imaging, virtual reality, haptic interface, virtual palpation, real time system.