Compared to conventional 2D Ultrasound (US), 3D US provides a comprehensive anatomical overview and is less operator dependent allowing 3D US to compete with MRI or X-ray based techniques. However, the implementation of 3D US in not straightforward and is application specific which impedes its clinical use.
The main objective of this thesis is to extend the area of clinical applications of 3D US, especially for diagnosis of breast cancer and muscle dystrophy.
The first and probably the most important contribution of this work is introduction of a 3D US imaging technology, Automated Cone-based Breast US Scanner, which can standardize 3D US breast imaging and has a potential to reduce usage of MRI-guided breast biopsy. We demonstrated the value of 3D US for muscle imaging and introduced the fast free-hand 3D US technique which has a potential to boost the clinical use of 3D US and improved diagnosis of muscle diseases.
Anton received his master's degree in micro- and nano-system technology from the University of South Norway (USN) in 2015. Between 2015 and 2016 he stayed at USN as a research assistant. In 2016 he joined the Medical Ultrasound Imaging Center (MUSIC) in Radboudumc in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Currently, Anton is working as a postdoctoral researcher at Erasmus MC.