System and method for constructing virtual radial ultrasound images from CT data and performing a surgical navigation procedure using virtual ultrasound images

A method for constructing virtual radial ultrasonic images from CT data, the method comprising:

• receiving preoperative CT data of a branched luminal network;
• calculating a gradient of the CT data;
• obtaining 2D slices of the CT data by interpolation in 3D;
• calculating transmission and reflection values on radial lines away from a center of each 2D slice to create a lesion image;
• converting the lesion image to a polar lesion image;
• generating random noise in the polar lesion image;
• adding random comet tails to the polar lesion image based on the random noise;
• creating a background image by computing a mean profile along a radius from a series of polar lesion images;
• merging the background image with the polar lesion image to create a merged image;
• generating random noise in a background of the merged image;
• simulating density variations in the merged image;
• and
• transforming coordinates of the merged image to Cartesian to construct a virtual radial ultrasound image.