Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging

Two-dimensional viewing of three-dimensional anatomy by conventional ultras ound limits our ability to quantify and visualize a number of diseases and is partly responsible for the reported variability in diagnosis. Over the p ast two decades, many investigators have addressed this limitation by devel oping three-dimensional imaging techniques, including three-dimensional ult rasound imaging. In this paper we describe the development of a number of t hree-dimensional ultrasound imaging systems that make use of B mode, color Doppler, and power Doppler. In these systems, the conventional ultrasound t ransducer is scanned mechanically or by a freehand technique. The ultrasoun d images are digitized and then reconstructed into a three-dimensional volu me, which can be viewed and manipulated interactively by the diagnostician with a variety of image-rendering techniques. These developments as well as future trends are discussed with regard to their applications and limitati ons.