Method and apparatus for 3d ultrasound imaging using a stationary beam to estimate a parameter

A method of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging comprising:

• acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound images as a 2D imaging plane is swept across an imaging volume that contains a cardiac source, the cardiac source having a number of cardiac phases, and wherein acquiring the plurality of 2D ultrasound images comprises using a transducer with 3D electronic steering configured (i) for electronically steering ultrasound beams to acquire 2D ultrasound images and (ii) for sweeping the 2D imaging plane across the imaging volume;
• acquiring data from a stationary ultrasound beam concurrently with the acquiring of the plurality of 2D ultrasound images, wherein acquiring the stationary ultrasound beam data further comprises using the transducer with 3D electronic steering, wherein the transducer with 3D electronic steering is further configured for (iii) interleaving the acquiring of the 2D ultrasound images with stationary ultrasound beam data acquisition;
• analyzing the stationary ultrasound beam data to derive a cardiac phase from the stationary ultrasound beam data;
• and
• rearranging the 2D ultrasound images for 3D processing as a function of the derived cardiac phase.