sonotrainer is a computer-based learning and training system for ultrasound diagnosis. It runs on a standard PCs, and no special hardware or additional investment is needed. The system is web-based; for users with a slow Internet connection sonotrainer provides a hybrid operation mode where traffic-critical material is delivered on CD-ROM.

A lot of practice and training is required for a physician to become an expert in ultrasound examination and diagnosis. Especially difficult is the coordination of the hand moving the ultrasound probe over the patient's body while the eyes are simultaneously watching the picture on the ultrasound monitor. sonotrainer has been developed to offer medical professionals and students an opportunity to learn and to practice ultrasound diagnosis. The situation for trainees is often characterised by a lack of expert teachers, patients, probands, and available ultrasound machines for training. To offer a solution for this common problem sonotrainer simulates the complete ultrasound examination and diagnosis on a standard PC. With sonotrainer it is also possible to learn in groups or alone, with real experts or with the integrated virtual expert.

The sonotrainer ultrasound learning and training system is implemented in Java to ensure platform independent execution. The sonotrainer Java applets use Java-3D technology to render 2D-ultrasound images in real-time from 3D-datasets. These 3D-datasets are generated through real ultrasound examinations using a special device that enables conventional ultrasound machines to deliver volume datasets. The amount of data transferred between the server and the clients is small enough to facilitate acceptable performance over a DSL connection.

sonotrainer is easy to understand and to use. It shows a typical examination situation: a darkened room, a patient lying on a bed and an ultrasound machine with probe and monitor. The virtual probe is moved with the computer mouse by placing the cursor over the probe. The axes and directions of movement are determined by the cursor position over the virtual probe and it is very easy to achieve any possible position. Every move of the virtual probe causes an immediate update of the virtual monitor with a corresponding ultrasound picture.

The body and the inner organs of the virtual patient can be switched to a transparent mode allowing a view through the skin. Additionally, the plane generated by the probe and cutting the different structures is visualized. The exact position of the probe, the plane, and the affected structures are displayed simultaneously. To know how it looks in 3D helps the student to understand the 2D images and supports the mental training of this transformation and the hand-eye-coordination.

The ultrasound pictures rendered on the virtual monitor offer clickable areas and annotations that are linked to a learning book. Contours from the virtual organs can be overlaid on the image plane to provide additional orientation about view position and structures. sonotrainer will offer a variety of virtual patients and pathological findings for many medical specialities.

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

Ultrasound is one of the most used imaging techniques in medicine. To become an expert in the field of ultrasound diagnosis needs a lot of practice. But the resources, such as expert teachers, patients, probands, and ultrasound machines, are limited for the intensive training needed. With sonotrainer everybody can learn and train anywhere. A PC and access to the Internet is all that is needed.

Dr. med. Dino Carl Novak

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT

Schloss Birlinghoven

D-53754 Sankt Augustin

Germany

Phone: +49 (0)2241 14 21 52

Fax: +49 (0)2241 14 21 46

Email: dino.novak@fit.fraunhofer.de

Website: http://www.fit.fraunhofer.desonotrainer