Articulated ultrasound imaging probe for an image-guided burr hole neurosurgery procedure

1 . A side-fire ultrasound imaging probe configured for an image-guided neurosurgery procedure through a burr hole in a skull of a patient, comprising:

an elongated shaft, including:

a first end region;

a second opposing end region;

a long axis;

at least a first rigid transducer array and a second rigid transducer array arranged in the first end region along the long axis of the elongated shaft; and

an articulating region between the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array; and

a handle including;

a first end region, wherein the first end region of the handle is coupled to the second opposing end region of the elongated shaft,

wherein a largest cross-sectional dimension of the first end region of the elongated shaft is smaller than a diameter of the burr hole in the skull of the patient

wherein echoes received by the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array are processed to generate an individual image for each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array,

wherein a position and orientation of each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array is determined based on overlapping regions of the individual images,

wherein the echoes received by the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array are processed based on the determined position and orientation of each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array to generate a composite image with an acoustic aperture that is larger than an acoustic aperture of images generated for individual arrays of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array, and

wherein the composite image is displayed on a display monitor.

2 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the burr hole diameter is in a range of four (4) to fourteen (14) millimeters (mm).

3 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array respectively have at least a first length in an azimuth direction and a second length in the azimuth direction, and an aggregate length of the at least the first length and the second length is larger than the diameter of the burr hole.

4 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array are arranged in a straight line on the long axis of the elongated shaft.

5 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the first end region of the elongated shaft includes a bifurcated tip with two branches that are parallel to each other along the long axis of the elongated shaft, and each of the two branches includes at least one of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array.

6 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the elongated shaft is configured to articulate only in-plane.

7 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the elongated shaft is configured to automatically articulate in response to the first end region of the elongated shaft physically contacting structure.

8 . The side-fire ultrasound imaging probe of claim 1 , wherein the elongated shaft is configured for manual articulation.

9 . A method for an image-guided neurosurgery procedure through a burr hole in a skull of a patient, comprising:

receiving echoes by at least a first rigid transducer array and a second rigid transducer array of a side-fire ultrasound imaging probe,

wherein the side-fire ultrasound imaging probe includes an elongated shaft with a long axis, the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array arranged along the long axis, and an articulating region between the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array,

wherein a largest cross-sectional dimension of the first end region is smaller than a diameter of the burr hole in the skull of the patient;

processing the echoes received by the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array to generate an individual image for each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array;

determining a position and orientation of each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array based on overlapping regions of the individual images;

processing the echoes received by the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array based on the determined position and orientation of each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array to generate a composite image with an acoustic aperture that is larger than an acoustic aperture of images generated for individual arrays of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array; and

displaying the composite image on a display monitor.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

articulating the elongated shaft only in-plane.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

steering the elongated shaft in a cavity in the skull.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

combining the individual images to generate the composite image based on features extracted from the individual images.

13 . The ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the burr hole diameter is in a range of 4 to 14 mm.

14 . A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive echoes by at least a first rigid transducer array and a second rigid transducer array of a side-fire ultrasound imaging probe during an image-guided neurosurgery procedure through a burr hole in a skull of a patient,

wherein the side-fire ultrasound imaging probe includes an elongated shaft with a long axis, the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array arranged along the long axis, and an articulating region between the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array,

wherein a largest cross-sectional dimension of the first end region is smaller than a diameter of the burr hole in the skull of the patient;

process the echoes received by the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array to generate an individual image for each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array;

determine a position and orientation of each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array based on overlapping regions of the individual images;

process the echoes received by the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array based on the determined position and orientation of each of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array to generate a composite image with an acoustic aperture that is larger than an acoustic aperture of images generated for individual arrays of the at least the first rigid transducer array and the second rigid transducer array; and

display the composite image on a display monitor.

15 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

combine the individual images to generate the composite image based on features extracted from the individual images.

16 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the burr hole diameter is in a range of 4 to 14 mm.