Real-time anatomically based deformation mapping and correction

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer processor, causes the processor to:

• generate a real-time ultrasound image of an anatomy of interest of a subject being scanned, wherein at least a first sub-portion of the anatomy of interest is deformed from an initial location to a different location by pressure applied by an external force and a second sub-portion of the anatomy of interest is not deformed by the pressure applied by the external force;
• obtain, during a scan, a 2-D slice, which corresponds to a same plane as the real-time ultrasound image, from previously acquired 3-D reference image data, wherein corresponding first and second sub-portions are at the initial location in the 2-D slice;
• measure a first distance between a contour of the first sub-portion and a contour of the second sub-portion in the real-time ultrasound image;
• measure a second distance between a contour of the first sub-portion and a contour of the second sub-portion in the 2-D slice;
• determine a differential displacement of the first sub-portion from the first distance and the second distance;
• and
• deform, during the scan, the previously acquired 3-D reference image data based on the differential displacement to create deformed 3-D reference image data;
• combine the real-time ultrasound image with the deformed 3-D reference image data at a corresponding plane in the previously acquired 3-D reference image data;
• and
• display the combined data, wherein the combined data is used to navigate a probe to a tissue of interest in the anatomy of interest.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a beamformer configured to generate a real-time ultrasound image of an anatomy of interest of a subject being scanned, wherein at least a first sub-portion of the anatomy of interest is deformed from an initial location to a different location by pressure applied by an external force and a second sub-portion of the anatomy of interest is not deformed by the pressure applied by the external force;
• a 3-D reference image data memory that stores 3-D reference image data of a volume of interest;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• obtain, during a scan, a 2-D slice, which corresponds to a same plane as the real-time ultrasound image, from the stored 3-D reference image data, wherein corresponding first and second sub-portions in the stored 3-D reference image data are at the initial location;
• measure a first distance between a contour of the first sub-portion and a contour of the second sub-portion in the real-time ultrasound image;
• measure a second distance between a contour of the first sub-portion and a contour of the second sub-portion in the 2-D slice;
• determine a differential displacement of the first sub-portion from the first distance and the second distance;
• and
• deform, during the scan, the stored 3-D reference image data based on the differential displacement to create deformed 3-D reference image data;
• combine the real-time ultrasound image with the deformed 3-D reference image data at a corresponding plane in the previously acquired 3-D reference image data;
• and
• display the combined data, wherein the combined data is used to navigate a probe to a tissue of interest in the anatomy of interest.