An interactive tool to visualize three-dimensional ultrasound data.
Three-dimensional ultrasound can provide images that are easily understood by people who are not specialists in ultrasonography. However, current visualization methods do not perform very well on 3-D ultrasound data. Apart from some specific cases (obstetrics, cardiology), 3-D ultrasound images have not yet demonstrated major benefits from a clinical point of view. In this article, we introduce an interactive method that allows the user easily to produce 3-D images for each ultrasound examination. It is a two-step method. First, the user roughly segments the data by drawing three boundary curves in perpendicular planes. A ray-casting algorithm then automatically retrieves the details of the objects. Because it can be used routinely, this tool should help to evaluate the potential of 3-D ultrasonography.
Robert
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B
Laboratoire de Biophysique, Université Paris V, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France. robert@cochin.univ-paris5.fr
Richard
B
B
Nicolas
J A
JA
D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D011247:Pregnancy; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal