In this paper, a method of vascular structure identification in intraoperative 3D Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) data is presented. Ultrasound imaging is commonly used in brain tumor surgery to investigate in real time the current status of cerebral structures. The use of an ultrasound contrast agent enables to highlight tumor tissue, but also surrounding blood vessels. However, these stru...

Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) is a rare congenital syndrome of unknown etiology. Additional disorders can be present up to 70% of PFFD cases. Management (including termination) depends on the severity of the malformation. We present a case of a 32-year-old woman referred for routine ultrasound examination in the 12th week of pregnancy. Detailed 3D/4D evaluation revealed asymmetry of ...

In this paper we describe an approach to interactively render ultrasound images for a transesophageal echocardiogram procedure. Our prototype features an animated 3D model of a human heart that is used to synthesize virtual ultrasound images in real-time. The user can control the probe and interact with the simulator via a GUI or with a haptics device. The ultrasound plane is rendered in a clas...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to assess the advantages and disadvantages of 3D gray-scale and power Doppler ultrasound, including thin slice volume rendering (TSVR), applied for evaluation of thyroid nodules. METHODS The retrospective evaluation by two observers of volumes of 71 thyroid nodules (55 benign, 16 cancers) was performed using a new TSVR technique. Dedicated 4D ultrasoun...

Ultrasound transmission tomography is presented as an imaging modality for breast cancer diagnosis. A 3D reconstruction technique is proposed for estimation of soundspeed images for the Karlsruhe 3D ultrasound transmission tomograph. The problems of sparse spatial distribution of ultrasound transducers and of low signal-to-noise ratio are approached using synthetic aperture focusing. The image ...

OBJECTIVES To establish 3D models of coronary arteries (CA) and study their application in localization of CA segments identified by Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE). METHODS Sectional images of the heart collected from the first CVH dataset and contrast CT data were used to establish 3D models of the CA. Virtual dissection was performed on the 3D models to simulate the conventional secti...

This paper presents an approach for reducing speckle in three dimensional (3D) ultrasound images. A 2D speckle reduction technique, speckle reducing anisotropic diffusion (SRAD), is explored and extended to 3D. 3D SRAD is advantageous in that, like 2D SRAD, it keeps the advantages of the conventional anisotropic diffusion and the traditional speckle reducing filter, the Lee filter, by exploitin...

Objective – To assess the precision of individual ovarian volume measurements by 2D and 3D transvaginal ultrasound scan. Study Design – Transvaginal 2D and 3D ultrasound examinations were performed on 49 women attending a tertiary centre for investigation or treatment for subfertility. Two observers calculated ovarian volume, using both the prolate ellipsoid formula and virtual organ computer-a...

Background: To evaluate the role of 3D, 4D and color Doppler ultrasound (US) in the assessment of early human development. Materials and Methods: 380 women with uncomplicated early pregnancy between 5 and 14 weeks were evaluated by 3D, 4D and color Doppler US. Results: Regression analysis revealed exponential rise of the gestational sac volume with gestational age throughout the first trimester...

Laparoscopic surgery is performed through small incisions that limit free sight and possibility to palpate organs. Although endoscopes provide an overview of organs inside the body, information beyond the surface of the organs is missing. Ultrasound can provide real-time essential information of inside organs, which is valuable for increased safety and accuracy in guidance of procedures. We hav...