Slicer3:4DUltrasound 4D US

Introduction

The following graph shows how the Ultrasound scanner will be connected with 3D Slicer using the IGT Link

Transfer Image from Ultrasound

To the right the Ultrasound Server is retrieving images based on the position of the scanner. The computer's server software supports an interface to translate the scanning planes and to retrieve and send images from the scanner.

Then the data is transferred over the network using the OpenIGTLink, the network protocol of 3D Slicer.

Finally 3D Slicer visualizes the data and sends tracking commands back over the link to update the viewing plane.

Detailed Process

Image Acquisition

This is the region that has to be designed by the developers of the scanner.

Data Transfer

There are two data transfers involved in this process, Image Transfers from the scanner to slicer and command transfers into the revers direction.

Image Transfers

To transfer an image from a server to 3D Slicer the following objects have to considered:

1. Open connection to 3D Slicer
2. Data Creation
   1. Create ImageData buffer on server
   2. Create MRML Node holding a ImageData in Slicer connected to the ImageData on the server
3. Data Transfer
   1. Fill ImageData buffer on Server with US Data
   2. Send Data over Link

By now the MRML node's image data is updated and ready to visualize.

Command Transfer

Tracking commands are sent using the command structure supported by slicer's openIGT Link

Data Visualization

To Transfer 3D images from the scanner to Slicer we make use of openIGT Link

Misc

A tutorial to get openIGT Link running with 3D Slicer and 4D volume rendering can be found here.