A 3D/4D freehand ultrasound system for cardiac modelling and analysis

In this work we present a prototype of a precise freehand 3D/4D ultrasound imaging system equipped with an universal wireless 3D tracker for digitizing spatial coordinates of an ultrasonic transducer, consider the system calibration using a plane phantom and carry out validation of the setup on a pig heart specimen. The system basic functionality, features and an application for cardiac purposes are described. Considering a number of visualization techniques used in the system, we demonstrate an alternative method of the surface reconstruction for sparse ultrasound data based on the active contour model.