(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2005/0137478 Al
Younge et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jun. 23,2005
(54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR 3-D IMAGING
(76) Inventors: Robert G. Younge, Portola Valley, CA (US); Daniel T. Wallace, Burlingame, CA (US)
Correspondence Address:
Bingham McCutchen, LLP
Suite 1800
Three Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111-4067 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 10/923,660
(22) Filed: Aug. 20, 2004
Related U.S. Application Data
(60) Provisional application No. 60/496,944, filed on Aug. 20, 2003. Provisional application No. 60/506,231, filed on Sep. 25, 2003.
Publication Classification
(51) Int. CI.7 A61B 5/05
(52) U.S. C I 600/437
(57) ABSTRACT
A system and method for recording and depicting ultrasound images of a moving object are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, ultrasound images are acquired as the field of view of an ultrasound probe is advanced across the tissues of interest during a resting period between periods of relatively large-scale heart cycle motion. A series of images acquired during a particular resting period may be represented as a three-dimensional volume image, and the comparison of volume images from adjacent cardiac resting periods enables three-dimensional volume image modulation analysis which may be presented for a user as a moving volume image of the objects of interest within the field of view.
