A Novel Method for Enhanced Needle Localization Using Ultrasound-Guidance

In this paper, we propose a novel and fast method to localize and track needles during image-guided interventions. Our proposed method is comprised of framework of needle detection and tracking in highly noisy ultrasound images via level set and PDE (partial differential equation) based methods. Major advantages of the method are: (1) efficiency, the entire numerical procedure can be finished in real-time: (2) robustness, insensitive to noise in the ultrasound images and: (3) flexibility, the motion of the needle can be arbitrary. Our method will enhance the ability of medical care-providers to track and localize needles in relation to objects of interest during image-guided interventions.