Evaluation of a Dual Linear Flexible Ultrasound Array for Surgical Interventional Guidance

Scaphoid fractures, the most common of wrist bone fractures, are typically treated using Percutaneous Scaphoid Fixation (PSF). Incorporating ultrasound guidance into this technique could reduce reliance on fluoroscopy, thereby avoiding ionizing radiation and improving procedural accuracy. However, the scaphoid’s position can shift as a result of hand movement during PSF, adding complexity to the procedure. Real-time ultrasound motion tracking of the scaphoid during PSF could simplify the intervention, which would necessitate a flexible transducer array to maintain contact during wrist motion. Our previous research proposed a transducer design with two parallel flexible 1D arrays, enabling simultaneous acquisition of two parallel images. This study focuses on transitioning from theoretical design to practical application by evaluating the performance of the custom array in terms of image quality using phantoms. We assessed image quality using the generalized contrast-to-noise ratio (gCNR) on a cyst phantom and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) on a wire phantom. Results demonstrated gCNR values above 0.67 and FWHM values below 0.70 mm across all sequences. These measurements fall within the acceptable range for the phantoms. Since the primary goal of the array is to track the scaphoid bone during surgery, requiring relatively high image quality, the values observed in this study are suitable for this application.