Visual tracking of soft tissue targets in sequences of 3D ultrasound images

This work considers tracking of deforming soft tissues in sequences of three-dimensional ultrasound images. The chosen approach to the tracking is basedon modeling the deformations using the thin-plate spline warp. In practice, thetracking is reduced to the estimation of the changes in control point locations byexamining the intensity changes of neighbouring three-dimensional images in thesequence. The problem this approach faces is its low robustness to ultrasoundnoise, preventing the correct evolution of the deformation model.In this work, the basic method for tracking of the deforming soft tissueswas implemented, along with two new methods used for improving of the basicmethod’s robustness. The two new methods used were the regularization of thethin-plate spline warp used as the motion model, and the adding of a mass-springsystem used for physically constraining the movement of the control points.The new used methods are described and the results acquired by performingtests on simulated sequences of deforming three-dimensional ultrasound imagesare discussed.