Three-dimensional flow visualization via reconstruction from successive two-dimensional vector velocity maps

A translation system has been assembled to assist in high speed acquisition of parallel planes of ultrasonic data from phantoms and human tissue. Using a previously developed system that measures two-dimensional velocities in real time by tracking speckle patterns, evenly spaced two-dimensional vector maps of flow in a free turbulent jet phantom were obtained. These vector maps were then combined using visualization software to produce three-dimensional representations of the flow. Results indicate that three-dimensional flow characteristics may be examined from the reconstructed images