Development and clinical trial of a system for three-dimensional ultrasound

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A system for 3-D ultrasonic imaging using a graphic computer has been developed for the fetus in utero. The advantages of 3-D ultrasonic images over the conventional tomographic images have been investigated by applying it to the following clinical situations.1) Fetus; The new system could clearly depict subtle morphological abnormalities, such as fetal face, as well as polydactyly.2) Placental Blood Flow; A color Doppler ultrasound was used to acquire contiguous blood flow images of the placenta. These images were processed by the computer in the same manner as fetal 3- D imaging. The3-D blood flow imaging demonstrated placental blood flow distribution, which was thought to have the potential to provide good information on placental circulation and to be helpful in predicting fetal growth abnormalities caused by placenta dysfunction.3) Breast; Three real time image processors were applied for the preprocessing of breast tumor images. Unlike the fetus in amniotic fluid, breast tumors are difficult to distinguish from the surrounding breast tissue. The real time image processors were controlled by a microcomputer and could reduce the noise generated by the surrounding tissue. 3-D images of breast cancers, cysts and fibroadenomas were displayed distinctly. The 3-D images were favorable for differentiating between benign or malignant breast lesions. Computer generated 3-D ultrasonic images can further supplement the contiguous tomographic images. The technique has great promise in fetal imaging and might find usefulness in investigations concerning fetal blood flow and breast screening.