Towards a 3D Real Time Renal Calculi Tracking for Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

Abstract

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can fragment renal stones so that they can pass out during urination. Breathing can induce motion of the kidneys which results in reduced efficiency of the treatment. This study attempts to evaluate if a three dimensional method of stone tracking could be possible with existing hardware and software components. A gelatin phantom was imaged with ultrasound to create a three dimensional volume image. Subsequently, two dimensional images acquired in parallel and perpendicular directions to the scans that produced the volume image were registered within the image volume. It is shown that data reduction methods and optimized software can achieve processing times suitable for real time processing.