Volume rendering in the acoustic grid methods and systems for ultrasound diagnostic imaging

• US 6,852,081 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Cherry, John, Paladini, Gianluca, Sumanaweera, Thilaka
• Primary Examiner(s): IMAM, ALI M
• Application Number:
  US10/388,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 600437-472, 128/916, 364/7, 364/11, 364/130, 364/138, 736/25, 736/26
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/916 Ultrasound 3-D imaging

Abstract

Methods and systems for volume rendering three-dimensional ultrasound data sets in an acoustic grid using a graphics processing unit are provided. For example, commercially available graphic accelerators cards using 3D texturing may provide 256×, 256×128 8 bit volumes at 25 volumes per second or better for generating a display of 512×512 pixels using ultrasound data. By rendering from data at least in part in an acoustic grid, the amount of scan conversion processing is reduced or eliminated prior to the rendering.

Claims

1. A method for volume rendering ultrasound data for three dimensional imaging, the method comprising:

(a) loading ultrasound data formatted at least in part in an acoustic grid into a graphics processing unit (GPU); and

(b) volume rendering with the GPU from the ultrasound data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises volume rendering at least twenty five volumes a second for images at least 512×

512 pixels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises loading into a video random access memory of a graphics accelerator and (b) comprises volume rendering with the graphics accelerator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises texture mapping compressed ultrasound data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises loading data entirely in a polar coordinate format.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises loading data from a plurality of scan converted frames of ultrasound data spaced in an acoustic grid.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises volume rendering from ultrasound data free of conversion to a Cartesian coordinate format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises:

(b1) determining an intersection of a plurality of surfaces through the acoustic grid and perpendicular to a viewing direction;

(b2) generating polygons for each of the plurality of surfaces; and

(b3) alpha blending the ultrasound data as texture data as a function of the polygons.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein (b3) comprises rendering the ultrasound data as texture data within each of the polygons.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein (b1) comprises determining spatial coordinates, and (b2) comprises texture mapping with an application programming interface based on the spatial coordinates.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises:

(b1) identifying points of intersection between a surface and line segments of the acoustic grid;

(b2) mapping the ultrasound data as texture data, the mapping being a function of the points of intersection.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises loading data from a plurality of scan converted frames of ultrasound data spaced in an acoustic grid, and (b) comprises:

(b1) identifying vertices of intersection between the frames of ultrasound data and a surface;

(b2) ordering the vertices;

(b3) determining a plurality of polygons based on the ordered vertices;

(b4) texture mapping the ultrasound data onto a plurality of polygons; and

(b5) alpha blending the texture mapped ultrasound data.

13. An ultrasound system for volume rendering ultrasound data for three dimensional imaging, the system comprising:

a memory operable to store ultrasound data formatted at least in part in an acoustic grid; and

a graphics processing unit (GPU) connected with the memory, the GPU operable to volume render from the ultrasound data.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a transducer; and

a beamformer connected with the transducer, the beamformer operable to generate the ultrasound data in an acoustic grid.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a display, wherein the GPU is operable to generate images of at least 512×

512 pixels at least twenty five times a second.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the memory comprises a video random access memory.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the GPU comprises a graphics accelerator.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the GPU is operable to volume render from ultrasound data free of conversion to a Cartesian coordinate format.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the GPU is operable to texture map the ultrasound data with an application programming interface as a function of an intersection of a plane with the acoustic grid.