Needle localization using Gabor filtering in 2D ultrasound images

In the percutaneous needle procedures using ultrasound (US) imaging, the needle should be detected precisely to avoid damage to the tissue and to get the samples from the appropriate site. Excessive artifacts and low resolution of the US images make it difficult to detect the needle and its tip. It is possible to enhance the needle image using image processing; and this work proposes a novel needle detection method in 2D US images based on the Gabor filter. This method enhances the needle outline while suppressing the other structures in the image. First, the needle insertion angle is estimated and then the needle trajectory is found with the RANSAC line estimator. The experiments with three different phantoms showed that the algorithm is robust and could work in percutaneous needle procedures using US images.