When switching from 2D to 3D imaging, how is frame rate typically affected?

• A. Frame rate remains unchanged
• B. Frame rate typically decreases due to larger data volumes
• C. Frame rate increases
• D. Frame rate becomes unreliable

Answer: (B)

When you switch from 2D to 3D imaging, you are moving from imaging a single plane to capturing a whole volume. That means many more data points must be acquired, transmitted, and processed to fill the voxel grid of the volume. Because the amount of data per frame is so much larger, the time required to complete one volume increases, so the number of volumes you can produce per second (the frame rate, or volume rate) drops. In practice, you typically get a lower rate in 3D than in 2D unless you sacrifice resolution, use a smaller scan volume, or rely on more advanced hardware and processing.