Real-Time FEM-Based Registration of 3-D to 2.5-D Transrectal Ultrasound Images.

We present a novel technique for real-time deformable registration of 3-D to 2.5-D transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images for image-guided, robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP). For RALRP, a pre-operatively acquired 3-D TRUS image is registered to thin-volumes comprised of consecutive intra-operative 2-D TRUS images, where the optimal transformation is found using a gradient des...