3D ultrasound (US) imaging: the method

• A truly 3D whole-breast ultrasound image is composed of ultrasound signals that are emitted sequentially by a multitude of single transducers.
• 3D Ultrasound images can be obtained from waves that are transmitted through the breast and from waves that are reflected.
• Transmitted waves can be analyzed quantitatively in terms of the delay that the ultrasound pulses that travel through the tissue are experiencing, whereas compensating for refraction. This results in a so-called 3D Speed-of-Sound (SoS) map.
• The transmitted waves can also be analyzed quantitatively in terms of how the intensity of the wave is reduced (this wave attenuation is caused by ultrasound absorption and scattering).