| 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 and the reflected ultrasound waves are conveyed to a computer wherein successive two-dimensional images of the target volume are reconstructed to form a three-dimensional image of the target volume. The three-dimensional image is displayed on the monitor of the computer. 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. |