ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEM FOR PROSTHETIC SOCKET DESIGN

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER-AIDED PROSTHETIC SOCKET DESIGN TO REPLACE THE CURRENT METHOD OF MANUAL MODIFICATION OF A PLASTER CAST. WITH THE NEW SYSTEM THE EXTERNAL SHAPE AND THE INTERNAL STRUCTURAL INFORMATION OF THE RESIDUAL LIMB SHOULD BE ACQUIRED BY AN ULTRAS SOUND SCANNING DEVICE, FOLLOWED BY A THREE DIMENSIONAL (3-D) LIMB MODEL CONSTRUCTION, MODEL MODIFICATION, AND SOCKET DESIGN PERFORMED ON A COMPUTER. PHASE I WOULD FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ULTRASOUND COMPOUND B-SCAN IMAGING METHOD OPTIMIZED TO MAXIMIZE MEASUREMENT ACCURACY AND IMAGE QUALITY, WHILE MINIMIZING DATA ACQUISITION TIME AND HARDWARE COMPLEXITY. SPECIFIC AIMS WOULD ATTEMPT TO: DEMONSTRATE THAT THE EXTERNAL SHAPE OF A LIMB CAN BE DETERMINED FROM ULTRASOUND ECHO WITH AN ACCURACY ADEQUAATE TO THE PRACTICE OF PROSTHETIC SOCKET DESIGN; DEMONSTRATE THAT THE INTERNAL STRUCTURAL INFORMATION OF A LIMB, SUCH AS BONE POSITION, FAT-MUSCLE DISTRIBUTION CAN BE DISTINGUISHED BY COMPOUND ULTRASOUND B-SCAN IMAGES; AND ASCERTAIN THAT IT IS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE TO ENGINEER A RELATIVELY LOW-COST ULTRASOUND SCANNER TO ACQUIRE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION AT AN ACCEPTABLE SPEED. THE RESULTS WOULD BE VITAL IN THE PROTOTYPE DESIGN PLANNED FOR THE PHASE II.