Patent ID: 6988991

Claim:
A three-dimensional ultrasound imaging apparatus, comprising: a transducer array for transmitting ultrasound signals to a target object and receiving echo signals reflected from the target object, wherein the transducer array is comprised of a plurality of transducer elements; means for receive-focusing the echo signals from the transducer array to generate a plurality of consecutive two-dimensional ultrasound image frames; means for converting the consecutive two-dimensional ultrasound image frames into a three-dimensional ultrasound image, wherein the converting means comprises: a plane location modifying unit for aligning the consecutive two-dimensional ultrasound image frames with no offset to each other in a three-dimensional space by estimating an inter-frame movement in upper, lower, right and left directions; and an inter-frame distance estimating unit for estimating a distance between two adjacent frames among the aligned two-dimensional ultrasound image frames and interpolating a frame location of the respective aligned two-dimensional image frames as a lateral distance correlation function obtained in a lateral direction on a plane defined by the lateral direction and an elevation direction of the two-dimensional ultrasound image frames in a three-dimensional space, wherein the lateral distance correlation function is partially isotropic with an elevation distance correlation function obtained in the elevation direction, to thereby make an inter-frame distance uniform; and a display for displaying the three-dimensional ultrasound image.