3D Visualization System Takes Ultrasound Imaging to the Next Level

A new immersive ultrasound viewing experience enables expecting parents and their medical caregivers to view the fetus with fine detail using three-dimensional (3D) glasses.

The new Siemens Healthcare (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) ultrasound fourSight workplace image management software uses the Nvidia (St. Clara, CA, USA) 3D Vision stereoscopic glasses and the Quadro FX high-end professional graphics solution to create startling 3D images of an unborn baby. The clinical images, obtained with the Siemens Acuson S2000 ultrasound system, are further enhanced using amnioscopic rendering, an exclusive technology that produces photorealistic 3D images of the fetus. While conventional 3D ultrasound technologies use two-dimensional monitors for the evaluation of 3D images, utilizing the Nvidia technology helps users experience 3D images in real 3D, vastly improving the overall ultrasound experience.

"Imagine the absolute thrill of an expectant mom and dad putting on 3D glasses and being able to really see what their baby looks like in vivid, high-resolution detail,” said Jeff Brown, general manager of Nvidia professional solutions. "Nvidia Quadro technology enables our partners like Siemens Healthcare to make the impossible possible - offering remarkable 3D visual experiences that are also cost-effective for physicians.”

"Our fourSight Workplace, combined with the Nvidia Quadro professional graphics solution and 3D Vision technology, offers a truly remarkable experience that's rewarding for parents and their doctors, while also delivering practical benefits in medicine,” said Barbara Del Prince, global segment manager of obstetrics and gynecology at Siemens.

Amnioscopic rendering is a new graphic enhancement method that allows the user control over a virtual light source illuminating even the darkest spaces of the uterus. By simulating the scattering of directed light within the uterus, translucency and shadow effects are produced. Much like looking into the uterus with a fetoscope, the fetal skin appears brighter and more translucent.

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