An ultrasound imaging apparatus is configurable for acquiring a two dimensional flat image of a curved region (206) within a curved plane. The apparatus includes a transducer array for imaging the region a processor for localizing the region with respect to the transducer array and a processor for operating the transducer array for the imaging of the region and for projecting the region onto a two dimensional (2D) flat image plane. Alternatively or in addition an ultrasound imaging apparatus configurable for acquiring a 2D flat image of a curved region within a curved plane includes a transducer array for imaging the region the array having a face and transducer elements (142) a module for extracting a centerline of a curved object that contains the curved region and a processor for: projecting the centerline (254) onto the face of the arrayselecting from among the elements a set along the projection onto the facereceive beamforming specifically using the set to image the curved region and thereby acquire a curved image and projecting the curved region onto a 2D flat image plane.
