Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system performs real-time image analysis of the 3D ultrasound images to identify anatomical structure and landmarks in the 3D images, so that it can be determined if a region of interest of a target anatomical structure is present. If the region of interest is not present, the location of the region of interest outside the field of view volume is inferred from the anatomical structure and landmarks that are detected within the field of view. A relative displacement between the reference anatomical plane and a position and orientation of the 3D ultrasound imaging probe can then be derived so that ultrasound guidance information can be given.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method (100) of visualizing a sequence of 3D ultrasound images of an object (10) in motion, wherein said motion is a complex motion composed of motion components from a plurality of origins, the method comprising acquiring (120) said sequence of 3D ultrasound images; providing (130) a motion tracking model modelling a contribution to the complex motion, said contribution originating from a subset of said motion components; determining (150) said complex motion from the first and second 3D ultrasound images; and visualizing (160) a contribution of the motion tracking model to the complex motion of said object in order to obtain a motion-decomposed visualization of said complex motion. A computer program product for implementing such a method on an ultrasound system and an ultrasound system including such a computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described by which a first sequence of ultrasound images of an organ such as the heart is acquired at a first image acquisition rate. The first sequence preferably images a larger volume or area in which a region of interest is located. Then a second sequence of three-dimensional ultrasound images of a sub-volume covering a part of anatomy of interest in the first sequence is acquired at a second image acquisition rate which is greater than the first acquisition rate. A third sequence of three-dimensional ultrasound images of a reference sub-volume is acquired at the second image rate. The second and third sequences of three-dimensional images are compared, enabling a clinician to focus on synchronism defects in the anatomy of interest with more precision and with a faster acquisition time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method (100) of visualizing a sequence of 3D ultrasound images of an object (10) in motion, wherein said motion is a complex motion composed of motion components from a plurality of origins, the method comprising acquiring (120) said sequence of 3D ultra-sound images; providing (130) a motion tracking model modelling a contribution to the complex motion, said contribution originating from a subset of said motion components; determining (150) said complex motion from the first and second 3D ultrasound images; and visualizing (160) a contribution of the motion tracking model to the complex motion of said object in order to obtain a motion-decomposed visualization of said complex motion. A computer program product for implementing such a method on an ultrasound system and an ultrasound system including such a computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for visualizing a myocardium represented by a cardiac image comprises a resampling means and a visualizing means. The resampling means resamples the intensity levels at sampling points on a plurality of curved surfaces, each curved surface enclosing at least part of a heart cavity and zero or more of the plurality of curved surfaces and being enclosed by the remaining curved surfaces of the plurality of curved surfaces, the plurality of curved surfaces together covering a hollow region in the cardiac image, the hollow region comprising the outer cavity walls of a group of at least one heart cavity. The visualizing means is arranged for visualizing at least part of at least one of the plurality of curved surfaces, using resampled intensity levels obtained from the resampling means. The group of at least one heart cavity may be the left atrium alone. It may also be the complete heart.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining at least one torsion angle of a left ventricle. The method includes the steps of collecting three-dimensional ultrasound data of the left ventricle (36) to obtain at least one first two-dimensional view and at least one second two-dimensional view thereof, wherein the first two-dimensional view is obtained at about the beginning of a cardiac phase and the second two-dimensional view is obtained at about the end of the cardiac phase, placing at least two tracking points (40, 42) on the at least one first two-dimensional view to draw a first torsion line (44), tracking the at least two tracking points to extrapolate the position thereof on the at least one second two-dimensional view and to draw a second torsion line (46), and calculating the at least one torsion angle by measuring an angle (A) formed by the intersection of the first and second torsion lines (44, 46).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging system for evaluating and displaying a deformation of a body organ. A sequence of image data sets comprising at least a first image data set and a second image data set of echographic data is acquired. A motion vector field is calculated between image points of the second image data set and image points of the first image data set. A reference point is chosen within or outside the first and second image data sets. A first scanline is defined, which comprises said reference point. A motion vector of an image point is projected onto the defined first scanline, which provides a projected tissue velocity along the first scanline. The projected tissue velocity is used for evaluating a ID component of a deformation of the body organ at the image point along the direction of the first scanline.

Abstract: A system for visualizing a myocardium represented by a cardiac image comprises a resampling means and a visualizing means. The resampling means re-samples the intensity levels at sampling points on a plurality of curved surfaces, each curved surface enclosing at least part of a heart cavity and zero or more of the plurality of curved surfaces and being enclosed by the remaining curved surfaces of the plurality of curved surfaces, the plurality of curved surfaces together covering a hollow region in the cardiac image, the hollow region comprising the outer cavity walls of a group of at least one heart cavity. The visualizing means is arranged for visualizing at least part of at least one of the plurality of curved surfaces, using resampled intensity levels obtained from the resampling means. The group of at least one heart cavity may be the left atrium alone. It may also be the complete heart.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasound images acquisition system. First, a first sequence of ultrasound images (I1) of an organ (LV) is acquired at a first image rate (IR1). Then a second sequence of ultrasound three-dimensional images (I3D—1) of a sub-volume (S_V1) covering a part of interest (RI/VI) in the first sequence (I1) is acquired at a second image rate (IR2) and a third sequence of ultrasound three-dimensional images (I3D—2) of a reference sub-volume (S_V0) is acquired at the second image rate (IR2). Finally the second and third sequences of three-dimensional images sequences (I3D—1, I3D—2) are compared.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical imaging system. First, a sequence of images (SQ) of an organ (HRT) is acquired. Then, a region of tissue (PT) on said sequence of images and a parameter (P) characteristic of the motion of said region of tissue (PT) are defined. A set of phases (PH) characteristic of a cardiac cycle based on said parameter (P) is then defined. Finally, a local myocardial performance index (LMPI) for said region of tissue (PTR) based on said set of phases (PH) is computed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging system for evaluating and displaying a deformation of a body organ. A sequence of image data sets comprising at least a first image data set and a second image data set of echographic data is acquired. A motion vector field is calculated between image points of the second image data set and image points of the first image data set. A reference point is chosen within or outside the first and second image data sets. A first scanline is defined, which comprises said reference point. A motion vector of an image point is projected onto the defined first scanline, which provides a projected tissue velocity along the first scanline. The projected tissue velocity is used for evaluating a ID component of a deformation of the body organ at the image point along the direction of the first scanline.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for right ventricular 3D quantification by registering and merging or fusing together several (2-5) 3D acquisitions for an extended field of view in 3D to have the right ventricle in one 3D data set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for medical ultrasound imaging. A three dimensional image data of a whole organ is acquired at a first resolution during a cardiac cycle. A three dimensional image data of a sector of the organ is acquired at a second higher resolution during another cardiac cycle. The data are compared so as to allow registration of the sector with respect to the whole organ.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging system for displaying image data representative of a structure. The imaging system comprises display rendering means for processing data representative of the configuration of the structure and rendering a display representative of the configuration of the structure. The display comprises image view panes displaying different image views. The rendering means are responsive to user interaction to display synchronously a predetermined sequence run of images at the view panes, in response to a user input stimulus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging system for displaying image data representative of a structure investigated by scan image data acquisition means. The imaging system comprises display rendering means for processing scan data representative of the configuration of the structure and rendering a display comprising a 3D image of the structure superposed with a scan image representative of the extent of the scan region.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining at least one torsion angle of a left ventricle. The method includes the steps of collecting three-dimensional ultrasound data of the left ventricle (36) to obtain at least one first two-dimensional view and at least one second two-dimensional view thereof, wherein the first two-dimensional view is obtained at about the beginning of a cardiac phase and the second two-dimensional view is obtained at about the end of the cardiac phase, placing at least two tracking points (40, 42) on the at least one first two-dimensional view to draw a first torsion line (44), tracking the at least two tracking points to extrapolate the position thereof on the at least one second two-dimensional view and to draw a second torsion line (46), and calculating the at least one torsion angle by measuring an angle (A) formed by the intersection of the first and second torsion lines (44, 46).

Abstract: An automatic segmentation of the left or right cavities of the heart muscle is carried out. Once it is decided which cavities have to be isolated, three steps are implemented. A first step is performed to determine which is the volume comprising the cardiac cavities in a volume image resulting from an examination. This first step comprises a thresholding operation and an erosion, and then the determining of the greatest connected component. In a second step, an identification) is made of the left and right cavities. In a third step, a precise reconstruction is made of the contours of the left or right cavities for which it is sought to make the segmentation. The reconstruction is done by the watershed algorithm.