Virtual reality training system for diagnostic ultrasound

Training is a critical yet costly aspect of effective utilization of diagnostic ultrasound, where ultrasound simulation may come to play a key role. We have developed a low-cost and adaptive interactive ultrasound training system. The cost is minimized by keeping the physical components to a minimum (sham transducer, generic scan surface and a laptop or PC), while the adaptive nature is achieved by using virtual reality concepts to scan a virtual subject, unique to each image volume, with a virtual transducer. The position and orientation of the virtual transducer along with the displayed 2D image are controlled by the movement of the sham transducer on the scan surface.