Abstract
Three-dimensional (3-D) imaging has recently been utilized for medical diagnosis alongside of the use of cross-sectional imaging. In X-ray CT and MRI equipment, a computer installed inside executes 3-D image reconstruction with the raw data obtained from the patient. However, in ultrasound equipment, it is necessary for 3-D imaging to use specific technologies that take the inherent characteristics of the ultrasonic echo data into account. In this paper, I broadly divide manners of 3-D image rendering into "direct" methods and "i ndirect" methods. Direct methods have recently prevailed in the area of ultrasonic 3-D imaging, as these methods are particularly appropriate for processing ultrasound data. In terms of trends, both technologies of segmentation and real-time imaging for the 3-D ultrasound will emerge as the dominant technologies in the future.
