1. A method for identifying a distinctive region in a medical image data set for a patient, comprising: acquiring a medical image data set with an ultrasound imaging device; applying an array of two or more multi-stage classifiers, wherein each of the multi-stage classifiers comprises a first classifier and a second classifier, to the medical image data set by applying the first classifier to the medical image data set, the first classifier having a sensitivity configured to identify a first subset of the medical image data set with one or more characteristics similar to a first specified distinctive region, passing the identified first subset to the second classifier, and applying the second classifier to the first subset, the second classifier having a specificity configured to confirm the presence, or absence, of the first specified distinctive region within one or more portions of the first subset, wherein the first specified distinctive region is selected from an occlusive plaque region and a vulnerable plaque region; and displaying a medical image based on the medical image data set and showing one or more first specified distinctive regions as identified by the multi-stage classifiers.