This invention concerns a system and method of obtaining four-dimensional (4-D) ultrasound images of moving tissue such as the human heart or lungs, where time is the fourth dimension. 3-D ultrasound imaging has proven useful for generating high fidelity snap shot images of non-dynamic organs such as the breast, prostate, or liver. However, the volume of dynamic or moving organs such as the heart or lungs changes over time. As a result, there was a need in the art to simultaneously acquire and view 3-D images of moving organs over time. The 4-D ultrasound imaging or dynamic 3-D imaging technique of this invention is best described using the beating heart as an example. A plurality of two-dimensional (2-D) ultrasound images is taken of a beating heart and the data acquisition time is determined. The 2-D data are split into successive phases of the heart beat. 3-D images are then reconstructed from the successive 2-D phases. Time-dependent 3-D images are stored in a computer memory so that they can be retrieved and displayed successively to yield a real-time image of the beating heart. The patented systems and methods of dynamic display may also find application for 3-D image data obtained through other techniques, such as magnetic resonance or computed X-ray tomography.
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computed x-ray tomography
ultrasound imaging equipment
3-d ultrasound imaging
view 3-d images
time-dependent 3-d images