US 5,842,473 A · Three-dimensional imaging system

Abstract

A three-dimensional ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe to direct ultrasound waves to and to receive reflected ultrasound waves from a target volume of a subject under examination. The ultrasound probe is swept over the target volume along a linear scanning path and the reflected ultrasound waves are conveyed to a computer wherein successive two-dimensional images of the target volume are digitized. The digitized two-dimensional images can be used to generate a three-dimensional image with virtually no delay. A user interface allows a user to manipulate the displayed image. Specifically, the entire displayed image may be rotated about an arbitrary axis, a surface of the displayed image may be translated to provide different cross-sectional views of the image and a selected surface of the displayed image may be rotated about an arbitrary axis. All of these manipulations can be achieved via a single graphical input device such as a mouse connected to the computer.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A three-dimensional imaging system for acquiring a succession of two-dimensional images of a target volume represented by an array of pixels I(x,y,z) into a three-dimensional image represented by a volumetric image array V(x,y,z), the system comprising:

scanning means to:
(i) scan said target volume along a predetermined geometric substantially linear scanning path, and (ii) generate a succession of digitized two-dimensional images thereof representing cross-sections of said target volume on a plurality of planes spaced along said scanning path, said cross-sections being tilted with respect to an axis normal to the substantially linear scanning path;
memory storing:
(i) said succession of digitized two-dimensional images, and (ii) other related image data defining the location of said two-dimensional images in said memory and defining interpretation information relating to the relative position of pixels within said two-dimensional images and to the relative position of pixels in adjacent two-dimensional images within said target volume;
transformation means receiving said digitized two-dimensional images and said other related image data, said transformation means transforming said two-dimensional images and said other related image dated in a volumetric image array using a shear transformation;
display means to generate a three-dimensional image of said target volume from said volumetric image array.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Three-dimensional imaging system

Life of this patent

Three-dimensional imaging system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17