Abstract: A system and method for providing an anatomic orientation indicator with a patient-specific model of an anatomical structure of interest extracted from a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound volume is provided. The method includes extracting the anatomical structure of interest from the 3D volume and generating a patient-specific model of the anatomical structure of interest. The method includes generating an anatomic orientation indicator including at least one mocked patient anatomy model of an anatomical structure adjacent the anatomical structure of interest at a position and orientation relative the patient-specific model. The method includes displaying the anatomic orientation indicator with the patient-specific model at a same first point of view. The method includes receiving an instruction to change a point of view of the patient-specific model to a second point of view and updating the displaying of the anatomic orientation indicator with the patient-specific model to the second point of view.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for fusing tissue characterization information into ultrasound images. In one example, a method includes obtaining first image data of an anatomical region of interest (ROI) of a patient, the first image data including tissue characterization information and acquired with a first imaging modality; obtaining second image data of the anatomical ROI of the patient, the second image data acquired with a second imaging modality; registering the first image data and the second image data; adjusting the second image data based on the tissue characterization information and the registration, wherein the adjusting includes filtering, adjusting colorization, adjusting brightness, and/or adjusting material appearance properties of one or more aspects of the second image data; generating a fused image from the adjusted second image data; and outputting the fused image for display and/or storage.

Abstract: The system and method provide an automatic aligned and co-oriented display of a 3D anatomical model adjacent to one or more 2D MPR views of a 3D echocardiographic image dataset. The 3D model is presented in alignment with the displayed 3D and 2D images to provide an indication of the orientation of each of the 3D volume and 2D planar views with respect to the 3D model and to one another. The 3D model can include labels or information regarding an anatomical feature(s) of interest to enable the user to readily visualize the disposition of the 2D planar view relative to the anatomical feature(s) in the 3D model. While interacting with the 2D views or 3D model, the 2D views and 3D anatomical model will change orientation simultaneously, with the representation of the 2D plane in the 3D model moving in correspondence with the 2D image.

Abstract: The system and method employ anatomical information provided via a detailed anatomical 3D model to generate 2D view bookmarks or short-cuts defined with reward to the 3D model. These short-cuts utilize the information provided by the 3D model to determine the optimal positions for acquisition of 2D images of particular desired views or structures based on the structure of the 3D anatomical model. Because the short-cuts are based on the structure of the 3D model, when the model is registered to a 3D volume generated from the 3D echocardiographic dataset for any patient, the short-cuts are directly applicable to obtaining 3D/2D images generated from the 3D dataset. In addition, the 3D model assists the user with regard to the navigation of the 3D dataset using the 3D volume and/or 2D planar views by providing known anatomical reference(s) in the 3D model correlating to the reference(s) in the displayed views.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an anatomic orientation indicator with a patient-specific model of an anatomical structure of interest extracted from a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound volume is provided. The method includes extracting the anatomical structure of interest from the 3D volume and generating a patient-specific model of the anatomical structure of interest. The method includes generating an anatomic orientation indicator including at least one mocked patient anatomy model of an anatomical structure adjacent the anatomical structure of interest at a position and orientation relative the patient-specific model. The method includes displaying the anatomic orientation indicator with the patient-specific model at a same first point of view. The method includes receiving an instruction to change a point of view of the patient-specific model to a second point of view and updating the displaying of the anatomic orientation indicator with the patient-specific model to the second point of view.

Abstract: A medical imaging workstation and a method for visualizing overlapping images includes accessing a first image data set and a second image data set. The workstation and method includes displaying a first image on a display device, where the first image includes at least a portion of the first image data set and includes a structure. The workstation and method includes displaying a second image on the display device at the same time as the first image, where the second image includes at least a portion of the second image data and includes the structure, and where at least a portion of the second image overlaps the first image. The workstation and method includes automatically cyclically varying an opacity of the at least the portion of the second image that overlaps the first image.

Abstract: A medical imaging workstation and a method for visualizing overlapping images includes accessing a first image data set and a second image data set. The workstation and method includes displaying a first image on a display device, where the first image includes at least a portion of the first image data set and includes a structure. The workstation and method includes displaying a second image on the display device at the same time as the first image, where the second image includes at least a portion of the second image data and includes the structure, and where at least a portion of the second image overlaps the first image. The workstation and method includes automatically cyclically varying an opacity of the at least the portion of the second image that overlaps the first image.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for visualizing intersection information on ultrasound images. In one embodiment, a method comprises rendering a three-dimensional (3D) image and at least one two-dimensional (2D) image from a 3D dataset, generating a 3D model of at least a subset of the 3D dataset, identifying intersections between the 3D image, the at least one 2D image, and the 3D model, and displaying the 3D model and the intersections on the 3D model. In this way, a user may easily visualize how the 2D slice planes are positioned with respect to the volume rendering.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for visualizing intersection information on ultrasound images. In one embodiment, a method comprises rendering a three-dimensional (3D) image and at least one two-dimensional (2D) image from a 3D dataset, generating a 3D model of at least a subset of the 3D dataset, identifying intersections between the 3D image, the at least one 2D image, and the 3D model, and displaying the 3D model and the intersections on the 3D model. In this way, a user may easily visualize how the 2D slice planes are positioned with respect to the volume rendering.