Construction of a 3D Model of Kidney Using Visual SLAM and Deep Learning with Robotic Ultrasound

Abstract

Ultrasonography is less invasive and safer than MRI or CT. However, image acquisition is dependent on the skill of the probe operator, and it is difficult for an untrained examiner to understand the three-dimensional structure of the organ. For the above reason, we use a robot to acquire ultrasound images and estimate the position of the probe using Visual SLAM. The obtained images are segmented and combined with position information to construct a three-dimensional model of the organ. In this study, the right kidney of the phantom was used as the target, and the results of position estimation and segmentation accuracy were high. The model of the right kidney was constructed based on these results.