3D ultrasound

3D ultrasound is a medical imaging technology. It is often used in obstetrics, cardiology, and for making pictures of blood vessels and arteries. It is also used for giving guidance to surgeons.  

The technology is often used in fetal, cardiac, trans-rectal (GI) and intra-vascular (such as the arteries and veins) applications.  
 Uses 
3D ultrasound gets used for making pictures (images) to diagnose symptoms in women of the vaginal cavities, the inside of breasts, and the inside of the womb. 

Other kind of inside the body pictures are also made of the bodies of men and women. For example, surgeons can use 3D ultrasound to show that their tools (for cutting) are moving in the correct direction. These tools could be used by the surgeons take away tumors from the abdomen (or stomach), breast, or brain for example.

 Background 
Governments use a lot of money on 2D ultrasound on pregnant women. Governments have used some money on 3D ultrasound. They have been used since before 1898, which is the year that the first ultrasound scan was taken. 
 Economy 
C. 46% of the ultrasound-machines in Germany were for 3D in 2024. Furthermore, The 3D ultrasound and 4D ultrasound imaging (as part) "the German ultrasound machine/devices market had 46% of market in 2024", according to media.https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/germany-ultrasound-devices-market. Retrieved 2025-04-28

History
In 1986, the very first 3D picture of a fetus inside the womb was taken, according to media.https://summitwomenshealth.com/blog/how-ultrasounds-have-changed-over-the-years#:~:text=3D%20and%204D%20ultrasounds%20now%20available&text=In%20the%201980s%20the%20first,shows%20movement%2C%20made%20its%20debut. Retrieved 2025-04-27

The "first commercial 3D machine/scanner in the market" came in 1989. It was model Combison 330.https://www.ob-ultrasound.net/history-3D.html. Retrieved 2025-04-28

Other information
Surgeons can use pictures from 3D ultrasound, as kind of a map,https://www.kirurgen.no/fagstoff/nevrokirurgi/intra-operativ-3d-ultralydbasert-navigasjon-og-reseksjonskontroll-i-nevrokirurgi/. Retrieved 2025-04-27 while surgeons are doing an operation inside the body (of a human).

Three-dimensional ultrasound is a technology that changes common 2D grayscale ultrasound pictures into a volumetric dataset", according to media.

 Related pages 
 grayscale form of ultrasound
 Cardiotocography, another medical imaging test (including during pregnancy) 
 Obstetric ultrasonography
 computed tomography (CT scan)

 References  


Category:Medical imaging in pregnancy
Category:3D imaging
Category:Obstetrics and gynecology
Category:Pregnancy and childbirth
Category:Medical procedures