Compounding in synthetic aperture imaging.

A method for obtaining compound images using synthetic aperture data is investigated using a convex array transducer. The new approach allows spatial compounding to be performed for any number of angles without reducing the frame rate or temporal resolution. This important feature is an intrinsic property of how the compound images are constructed using synthetic aperture data and an improvement compared with how spatial compounding is obtained using conventional methods. The synthetic aperture compound images are created by exploiting the linearity of delay-and-sum beamformation for data collected from multiple spherical emissions to synthesize multiple transmit and receive apertures, corresponding to imaging the tissue from multiple directions. The many images are added incoherently, to produce a single compound image. Using a 192-element, 3.5-MHz, λ-pitch transducer, it is demonstrated from tissue-phantom measurements that the speckle is reduced and the contrast resolution improved when applying synthetic aperture compound imaging. At a depth of 4 cm, the size of the synthesized apertures is optimized for lesion detection based on the speckle information density. This is a performance measure for tissue contrast resolution which quantifies the tradeoff between resolution loss and speckle reduction. The speckle information density is improved by 25% when comparing synthetic aperture compounding to a similar setup for compounding using dynamic receive focusing. The cystic resolution and clutter levels are measured using a wire phantom setup and compared with conventional application of the array, as well as to synthetic aperture imaging without compounding. If the full aperture is used for synthetic aperture compounding, the cystic resolution is improved by 41% compared with conventional imaging, and is at least as good as what can be obtained using synthetic aperture imaging without compounding.

Implementation of a versatile research data acquisition system using a commercially available medical ultrasound scanner.

This paper describes the design and implementation of a versatile, open-architecture research data acquisition system using a commercially available medical ultrasound scanner. The open architecture will allow researchers and clinicians to rapidly develop applications and move them relatively easy to the clinic. The system consists of a standard PC equipped with a camera link and an ultrasound scanner equipped with a research interface. The ultrasound scanner is an easy-to-use imaging device that is capable of generating high-quality images. In addition to supporting the acquisition of multiple data types, such as B-mode, M-mode, pulsed Doppler, and color flow imaging, the machine provides users with full control over imaging parameters such as transmit level, excitation waveform, beam angle, and focal depth. Beamformed RF data can be acquired from regions of interest throughout the image plane and stored to a file with a simple button press. For clinical trials and investigational purposes, when an identical image plane is desired for both an experimental and a reference data set, interleaved data can be captured. This form of data acquisition allows switching between multiple setups while maintaining identical transducer, scanner, region of interest, and recording time. Data acquisition is controlled through a graphical user interface running on the PC. This program implements an interface for third-party software to interact with the application. A software development toolkit is developed to give researchers and clinicians the ability to utilize third-party software for data analysis and flexible manipulation of control parameters. Because of the advantages of speed of acquisition and clinical benefit, research projects have successfully used the system to test and implement their customized solutions for different applications. Three examples of system use are presented in this paper: evaluation of synthetic aperture sequential beamformation, transverse oscillation for blood velocity estimation, and acquisition of spectral velocity data for evaluating aortic aneurysms.

In vivo evaluation of synthetic aperture sequential beamforming.

Ultrasound in vivo imaging using synthetic aperture sequential beamformation (SASB) is compared with conventional imaging in a double blinded study using side-by-side comparisons. The objective is to evaluate if the image quality in terms of penetration depth, spatial resolution, contrast and unwanted artifacts is comparable to conventional imaging. In vivo data was acquired using a ProFocus ultrasound scanner (BK Medical, Herlev, Denmark) and a 192-element 3.5 MHz convex array transducer (Sound Technology Inc., PA, USA). Data were acquired interleaved, ensuring that the exact same anatomical locations were scanned. Eighteen volunteers were scanned abdominally resulting in 85 image sequence pairs. Evaluation of image quality was performed by five medical doctors. Results show that image quality using SASB was significantly better than conventional imaging (p value: <0.01). There was not a significant difference in penetration depth (p value: 0.55). The study supports that in vivo ultrasound imaging using SASB is feasible for abdominal imaging.

Comparison of real-time in vivo spectral and vector velocity estimation.

The purpose of this study is to show whether a newly introduced vector flow method is equal to conventional spectral estimation. Thirty-two common carotid arteries of 16 healthy volunteers were scanned using a BK Medical ProFocus scanner (DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark) and a linear transducer at 5 MHz. A triplex imaging sequence yields both the conventional velocity spectrum and a two-dimensional vector velocity image. Several clinical parameters were estimated and compared for the two methods: Flow angle, peak systole velocity (PS), end diastole velocity (ED) and resistive index (RI). With a paired t-test, the spectral and vector angles did not differ significantly (p = 0.658), whereas PS (p = 0.034), ED (p = 0.004) and RI (p < 0.0001) differed significantly. Vector flow can measure the angle for spectral angle correction, thus eliminating the bias from the radiologist performing the angle setting with spectral estimation. The flow angle limitation in velocity estimation is also eliminated, so that flow at any angle can be measured.