P3D Re: 3-D Ultra-sound (was 3-D X-Rays)

["Greg Wageman" <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Gabriel Jacob <jacob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>


>All this talk about 3-D X-Rays begs the question,
>how about 3-D Ultra-sound? Has this been done?

When I worked for a 3D medical imaging company a few years back, their
scientists were experimenting with this (for purposes of volumetric
rendering, though, not for stereoscopy).  The results were
unsatisfactory because of the graininess of ultrasound (low
signal-to-noise ratio).  Registration is also difficult because the
ultrasound transceiver is hand-held, so there is no fixed point of
reference (unlike, say, CT and MRI which are very precisely and
repeatably aligned so long as the patient lies still).  Unfortunately
you can get rotational errors (roll, pitch, yaw) in addition to simple
translation in one or more axes.

Still, it is technically possible and with a careful scanning protocol,
could be done.

     -Greg W. (gjw@xxxxxxxxxx)



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