Improving tissue tracking on ultrasound movies of tendons in the wrist

Function of the hand is to a large extent determined by the long flexor and extensor tendons of the hand, originating proximally from the wrist and extending to the top of the fingers and thumb. Within a complex system of ligaments, pulleys and tendon sheets, the appropriate moment arm of the tendon at the different joints of the hand is maintained while the tendons can move highly independent from its surrounding tissues over relatively large distances. While highly efficient in healthy subjects, the function of the tendon can be severely impaired in a number of pathologies, e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome.

Measurement of tendon and nerve dynamics provides important insight into the (dys)function of the hand. We have developed image processing methods for 2D tracking of tendon and nerve tissue (ref: Korstanje JW et al, J Biomech 2010;43:1373-1379). These methods are currently being used in international clinical studies, and we want to optimize the methods for reproducibility and robustness. The project involves image processing (advanced speckle tracking) using Matlab and performing validation experiments on phantoms and ex-vivo material. This will be performed in cooperation with a clinical researcher.

The project will be performed in close cooperation with R.W. Selles, PhD, r.selles@erasmusmc.nl, dept. Rehabilitation / Plastic Surgery, Erasmus MC.

Short outline of the project (6-9 months)

• Study of literature (speckle tracking) and previous work (studies performed by our group)
• Acquire and analyze images of phantoms, volunteers and patients
• Improvements of two-dimensional tracking in B-mode images
• Testing and clinical validation

Requirements:

• Background in biomedical engineering, physics or similar
• Knowledge of image processing  techniques
• Programming experience in Matlab and/or C/C++

For more information, please contact:

J.G. Bosch PhD j.bosch@erasmusmc.nl
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter
Room Ee23.02, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC
P.O.Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
010-7038088 / 7044037