Three-dimensional system for abdominal aortic aneurysm evaluation

1. A system for abdominal aortic aneurysm evaluation and monitoring, comprising:

a hand-held data collection device which includes a plurality of separate ultrasound sources for obtaining three-dimensional ultrasound scan information of a selected portion of an abdominal aorta, each ultrasound source producing a three-dimensional scan, comprising a plurality of scan line planes, the three-dimensional scans arranged so as to overlap each other along the selected portion of the aorta;

a processor for converting the scan line plane information obtained by the plurality of ultrasound sources to coordinates in which the converted scan line planes slice approximately perpendicularly through the aorta;

a processor for determining aorta boundary information from the converted scan information; and

a calculation circuit for calculating the diameter of the aorta from the boundary information, wherein diameter information of the aorta at a plurality of locations therealong is useful in determining the existence of an aneurysm in the abdominal aorta artery.

2. A system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection device is initially positioned with an ultrasound beam in one dimension, wherein the system further includes a Doppler processing system for producing an audible sound when the data collection device is positioned over the aorta, thereby assisting the operator in initially positioning the data collection device on the patient.

3. A system of claim 2 , wherein the Doppler processing system operates to provide an image of blood flow through the aorta, which is useful in determining whether an existing stent in the aorta is leaking.

4. A system of claim 1 , wherein the converted scan planes slice through the aorta, separated by a preselected tilt angle relative to a vertex point of a source of the ultrasound signals.

5. A system of claim 1 , wherein the boundary information is provided by an ellipse fitting process using first a scan plane having a tilt angle of 0°, followed by the remaining scan planes to produce a center line of the aorta and a location of the boundaries of the aorta outwardly from the center line.

6. A system of claim 5 , wherein the calculating circuit operates to produce a diameter indication of the aorta, and wherein the diameter indication is made for a plurality of points along the aorta, so that an aneurysm in the aorta can be identified and monitored.

7. A system of claim 1 , wherein the boundary information is compounded by the processor to produce a visual representation of the surface of the aorta.

8. A system of claim 7 , wherein the three-dimensional image has a surface rendering aspect which provides a realistic representation of the aorta.

9. A system of claim 1 , including a database in which is stored results of successive scans, so that progression of the condition can be determined over time.

10. A method for abdominal aortic aneurysm evaluation and monitoring, comprising the steps of:

obtaining three-dimensional ultrasound scan information of a selected portion of an abdominal aorta from a plurality of ultrasound sources, each ultrasound source producing a three-dimensional scan, the three-dimensional scans arranged so as to overlap each other along the selected portion of the aorta;

converting the scan line plane information obtained by the plurality of ultrasound sources to coordinates in which the converted scan line planes slice approximately perpendicularly through the aorta;

determining aorta boundary information from the converted scan information; and

calculating the diameter of the aorta from the boundary information, wherein diameter information of the aorta at a plurality of locations therealong is useful in determining the existence of an aneurysm in the abdominal aorta artery.

11. A method of claim 10 , wherein the step of obtaining three-dimensional ultrasound scan information is accomplished by a data collection device which is initially positioned using an ultrasound beam in one dimension, wherein the system includes the further step of producing an audible sound when the data collection device is positioned over the aorta, thereby assisting the operator in initially positioning the data collection device on the patient.

12. A method of claim 10 , including the step of providing an image of blood flow through the aorta, which is useful in determining whether an existing stent in the aorta is leaking.

13. A method of claim 10 , wherein the converted scan planes slice through the aorta separated by a preselected angle relative to a vertex point from a source of ultrasound signals.

14. A method of claim 10 , wherein the step of determining the boundary information includes the use of an ellipse fitting process, using first a scan plane having a tilt angle of 0°, followed by the remaining scan line planes, to produce a center line of the aorta and then a location of the boundaries of the aorta outwardly from said center line.

15. A method of claim 10 , including the step of compounding the boundary information to produce a visual representation of the surface of the aorta, wherein the boundary information is rendered so that it is a realistic representation of the aorta.

16. A method of claim 10 , including the step of storing the results of successive ultrasound scans so that progression of the condition of the aorta can be determined over time.