3-D ultrasound imaging: A review

Medical ultrasound has become more indispensable in providing high quality real time images of the anatomy and blood flow. Three dimensional ultrasonic imaging has recently been developed which overcomes the limitations of two-dimensional ultrasound by reducing the variability and allowing the diagnostician to view the anatomy in 3D. This technique also provides tomographic images at a high rate, and the orientation of the images is flexible because they are not necessarily acquired as a stack of planes. The acquisition, reconstruction, and rendering techniques for 3D imaging are discussed, including their various applications and limitations.