Methods and system for shading a two-dimensional ultrasound image

1. A method, comprising:

generating a flat, 2D image from a 2D dataset including scalar image values without height values, the 2D dataset acquired with an ultrasound imaging system;

determining a gradient of height values from the scalar image values;

applying shading to the flat, 2D image using the determined gradient; and

displaying the shaded flat, 2D image, having a 3D appearance, via a display screen of the ultrasound imaging system, wherein the 2D dataset is a color Doppler dataset and the scalar image values are only a power component from the color Doppler dataset, wherein determining the gradient includes, for each pixel of the flat, 2D image generated from the 2D dataset including the scalar image values, converting a first scalar image value of the scalar image values included in the 2D dataset to a corresponding height value using a relationship between the first scalar image value and the height value, where the relationship is one of a linear relationship or a monotonic function, and where the height value represents a height value of the first scalar image value but does not include height data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the gradient of the height values includes determining a separate gradient for each height value of the height values, wherein each height value is associated with a corresponding pixel, and wherein the separate gradient for each height value is based on a difference between height values of pixels adjacent to the corresponding pixel within the flat, 2D image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each separate gradient for each height value is used to compute a surface normal, and wherein applying shading to the flat, 2D image includes applying shading to the flat, 2D image using the surface normal of each corresponding pixel of the flat, 2D image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the color Doppler dataset further includes a velocity value for each pixel of the flat, 2D image, each velocity value converted to a color value, and wherein shading the flat, 2D image includes shading the color value of each pixel of the flat, 2D image using the determined gradient.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing the 2D dataset from a memory of the ultrasound imaging system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering the scalar image values prior to determining the gradient.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying shading to the flat, 2D image using the determined gradient includes applying shading to the flat, 2D image based on a shading model which is a function of surface normals of the determined gradient, the shading model including one or more of a diffuse specular shading model, a Phong reflection model, a Blinn-Phong shading model, and a specular highlight shading model.

8. A method, comprising:

accessing a 2D dataset acquired with an ultrasound imaging system via a color Doppler ultrasound mode, the 2D dataset including a scalar, power component value and a velocity value, for each pixel of a flat, 2D image generated from the 2D dataset, the velocity value converted to a color value;

interpreting the flat, 2D image as a relief image by converting the scalar, power component value for each pixel to a height value using a scalar valued function, the converting including selecting pixels of the flat, 2D image that include color data and converting the scalar, power component value for each selected pixel to the height value using the scalar valued function which includes one of a linear function, a logarithmic function, or a sigmoid function;

determining a gradient of each height value;

shading the color value of each pixel of the flat, 2D image using a surface normal of each determined gradient; and

displaying the shaded, flat 2D image via a display screen of the ultrasound imaging system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein shading the color value of each pixel of the flat, 2D image includes applying a shading model to the color value of each pixel of the flat, 2D image using the surface normal of each determined gradient, wherein the shading model includes one or more of a diffuse specular shading model, a Phong reflection model, a Blinn-Phong shading model, and a specular highlight shading model.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising not shading pixels of the flat, 2D image that do not contain color data and wherein the scalar, power component value is only scalar.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising filtering the scalar, power component value of the selected pixels and converting the filtered scalar, power component value of each selected pixel to the height value.

12. A color Doppler ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

an ultrasound probe;

a display device; and

a processor communicatively connected to the ultrasound probe and the display device and including instructions stored in memory that, when executed during operation of the ultrasound imaging system, cause the processor to:

access a color Doppler 2D dataset, including only 2D scalar data and no 3D data, acquired with the ultrasound probe from the memory;

generate a flat, 2D image from the 2D dataset, where each pixel of the flat, 2D image includes a scalar power component value and a velocity value;

convert the velocity value of each pixel to a color value and convert the scalar, power component value of each pixel to a scalar, height value via a scalar valued function, including selecting pixels of the flat, 2D image that include a color value and converting the scalar, power component value for each selected pixel to the scalar, height value using the scalar valued function which includes one of a linear function, a logarithmic function, or a sigmoid function;

determine a gradient surface normal for each scalar, height value;

shade the color value of each pixel of the flat, 2D image using the gradient surface normal; and

display the shaded flat, 2D image via the display device.

13. The ultrasound imaging system of claim 12 , wherein determining the gradient surface normal for each scalar, height value includes, for a selected pixel, determining the gradient surface normal for the height value of the selected pixel using central differences and scalar, height values of pixels adjacent to the selected pixel.