Computed-tomography or Magnetic Resonance based 3D model synchronization with real-time ultrasound data

This paper describes a method of augmenting real-time ultrasound imagery with accurate 3D models computed earlier from sources richer in data - Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. The 3D models are built for a number of phases of motion, therefore a collection of CT / MR scans needs to be taken or techniques such as Cine-MRI can be used. The ultrasound data is processed on-line and the phase of organ motion is estimated at each frame. That information is used to pick a nearest-match 3D model. In this paper we will examine the heart and its motion during its systole-diastole cycle as an example.