Robust semi-transparent volume rendering of abdominal 3D ultrasound data

A new method for surface- and depth-shaded volume rendering of medical ultrasound data is presented. Robust semi-transparent rendering is obtained using a special opacity function which includes both echo intensities and echo gradients. Interactive cutting of the 3D scene with randomly oriented 2D slices was essential for the clinical use of the system. A device for mechanical tilting of a standard 2D probe was used to record the ultrasound data. The new method has been successfully used in examining both structures with distinct tissue transitions such as the gastric antrum wall and liver cysts, and more fuzzy structures such as hyper- and hypo-echoic tumors in the liver and pancreas