Real-time 3D Fetal Ultrasound Visualization System

It is challenging to visualize 3D ultrasound data and offer high-fidelity anatomical information in a real-time manner. The outcomes always have high speckle noise and low signal-to-noise ratio. Besides, the complicated anatomical relationship among tissues also poses a problem for visualization. Existing visualization systems are inadequate for precise diagnosis.

We have thus developed a novel ultrasound visualization system, leveraging a set of advanced image denoising algorithms and volume rendering techniques. Offering enhanced anatomical details and depth information, the system can be used as a real-time 3D fetal ultrasound visualization system. It includes our new 3D denoising algorithm to effectively remove the speckle noise while preserving anatomical features in the ultrasound data. Secondly, our novel automated transfer function (TF) design scheme based on affinity propagation (AP) clustering algorithm can automatically differentiate different tissues, so that appropriate optical properties for visualization can be assigned. Thirdly, our perception enhanced global illumination model based on volumetric photon mapping can further enhance the details.

The proposed system can greatly increase the competitiveness of ultrasound devices, and hence has great commercial potential.