ATL's Digital 3DI powers new 3-D work

Ultrasound vendor ATL will continue to explore the realm of 3-Dultrasound imaging with the debut of Digital 3DI, a work-in-progress3-D image-processing workstation. The Bothell, WA, vendor willalso display new capabilities for its flagship HDI 3000 scanner,such as harmonic imaging of contrast agents.

Digital 3DI runs on the new O2 workstation developed by computervendor Silicon Graphics, according to Jim Brown, senior directorof product marketing. ATL has integrated the Digital 3DI workstationwith HDI 3000 to allow clinicians to send data from the scannerto the workstation for off-line analysis and processing. Digital3DI is capable of pre-rendering HDI 3000 data based on the typeof scan conducted, and can operate sophisticated 3-D techniquessuch as surface renderings and fly-throughs, Brown said.

ATL developed Digital 3DI in collaboration with Vital Images,a 3-D software developer that has built its own workstation basedon O2 for use in 3-D imaging in modalities besides ultrasound(SCAN 10/23/96). ATL plans to market Digital 3DI as a turnkeyadvanced 3-D workstation that is more powerful than the 3-D ColorPower Angio techniques already available on HDI 3000. The companyis targeting a commercial shipment date of late 1997.

Other new technologies on display in ATL's booth include AdvancedBreast Analysis Package, the first in a series of enhancementsto improve the breast imaging capabilities of HDI 3000, Brownsaid. The package is designed to improve the documentation processof a breast examination.

ATL will also display its new Power Harmonic feature on HDI3000. The technology, first announced at last month's AmericanHeart Association meeting in New Orleans, can be used in conjunctionwith ATL's Power Motion Imaging technique to improve visualizationin cardiac studies, such as myocardial perfusion exams, Brownsaid.

Finally, ATL will show NetLink, which enables direct DICOM3.0 output from HDI 3000 to the Access image management workstationwithout an interface box.