1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating a three-dimensional image of a left ventricle of the heart, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for automatically generating a three-dimensional image of a left ventricle of the heart using two dimensional echocardiograms without a separate three-dimensional image photographing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatuses are widely used in medicine to acquire information on an internal structure of a subject due to their easy mobility, noninvasive and nondestructive characteristics, and capabilities of providing images in real time.
In general, ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatuses provide two dimensional images of a subject by transmitting ultrasonic signals to the subject, receiving the ultrasonic signals reflected from the subject, followed by performing signal and image processing with respect to the reflected signals.
The heart is an organ that generates periodic electrical stimulation to cause contraction and relaxation of muscles, thereby circulating blood throughout the body, and, in particular, the left ventricle at the lower left in the heart purifies blood from the left atrium and sends it to the aorta.
In other words, blood receiving oxygen from the lung passes from the pulmonary vein into the left atrium and then heads for the underlying left ventricle when a wall of the left ventricle contracts. Particularly, the left ventricle has the thickest wall of the four cardiac chambers since the blood must be strongly pumped to be sent through arteries to the whole body.
The heart is the most important vital organ and thus normal function of the heart needs to be verified in various ways using the ultrasonic image diagnostic apparatuses as set forth above.
By way of example, there has been developed a technique of providing two dimensional color Doppler images for displaying velocity components of a blood flow in a direction of ultrasonic wave propagation by transmitting/receiving ultrasonic signals to/from fluid flowing within a subject, for example, a blood flow in blood vessels, followed by calculating Doppler frequencies.
One example of the related art is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1998-0042140 (published on Aug. 17, 1998 and entitled “Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for analysis of left ventricular function”).