Patent ID: 7302286

Claim:
A method for three-dimensional presentation of an examination region of a patient as a 3D reconstruction image, comprising the steps of: employing a preoperatively acquired 3D image dataset of an examination region of a subject that was acquired at a preoperative time preceding implementation of a medical procedure on the subject involving said examination region, said 3D image dataset representing voxels of said examination region; with an ultrasound system, acquiring a plurality of 2D image datasets respectively representing 2D ultrasound images of said examination region contemporaneously with said medical procedure involving said examination region; updating the preoperatively acquired 3D image dataset using said 2D image datasets representing said 2D ultrasound images to change some of said voxels of said 3D image dataset, to produce an updated 3D image dataset comprised of said preoperatively acquired 3D image dataset and the changed voxels, said updated 3D image dataset representing said examination region contemporaneously with said medical procedure; and reconstructing a 3D reconstruction image from said updated 3D image dataset and using said 3D reconstruction image in said medical procedure.