CPC A61B 8/5253 (2013.01) [A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/4254 (2013.01); A61B 8/483 (2013.01); G01S 15/8993 (2013.01); G01S 15/8995 (2013.01)] | 11 Claims |
1. Ultrasound imaging system configured to acquire a plurality of 3D ultrasound image data having different but at least partially overlapping field of views for producing a spatially compounded 3D ultrasound image data, comprising:
at least one processor configured to determine a relative spatial position of each of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data with respect to each other, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to compound the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data, wherein the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data includes at least three 3D ultrasound image data, by stitching them to each other in order to generate a compounded 3D ultrasound image data,
wherein the stitching includes determining a stitching order of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data based on the determined relative spatial position of the 3D ultrasound image data for minimizing an overlapping area of the different field of views of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data,
wherein determining the stitching order includes determining distances between spatial positions of center points of each of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data and ordering the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data based on the determined distances,
wherein the stitching order begins with one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data that has been acquired comparatively the latest in time being stitched to another one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data, the center point of which having the comparatively largest distance from the center point of the one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data that has been acquired comparatively the latest in time,
wherein the stitching order is further determined by selecting, as each subsequent 3D ultrasound image data to be stitched, the 3D ultrasound image data of remaining ones of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data which is farthest from a preceding one of the 3D ultrasound image data,
wherein the at least one processor is adapted to stitch the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data according to the stitching order,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to continue stitching a further one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data with the already stitched 3D ultrasound image data,
wherein the center point of the further one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data has the comparatively largest distance from the center points of each of the already stitched 3D ultrasound image data, and
wherein the distance from the center points of each of the already stitched 3D ultrasound image data to the center point of the further one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data is computed as the sum of the distances from the center point of each of the already stitched 3D ultrasound image data to the center point of the further one of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data.
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