METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEGMENTING B-MODE INTENSITY DATA USING DOPPLER SHIFT DATA IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING

A method and an apparatus for improving the segmentation of a three-dimensional B-mode image by limiting the volume of pixel intensity data projected onto the imaging planes. If the volume of interest contains moving ultrasound scatterers, e.g., blood flowing in an artery or vein, the Doppler shift present in the ultrasound reflected from the flowing blood can be detected and then used to limit the amount of pixel data which is projected. The velocity or power data is used to identify those intensity values to be projected onto the imaging plane. This is accomplished by locating a reference data volume of pixels for which the velocity or power value is non-zero and then defining a source data volume which is essentially a function of that reference data volume. The reference data volume comprises pixels acquired from echo return signals reflected by the moving ultrasound scatterers. The source data volume comprises both pixels acquired from echo return signals reflected by the blood flow and pixels acquired from echo return signals reflected by the artery or vein containing that blood flow. Pixels outside the source data volume are not used to reconstruct the projected images of the artery or vein.