Space-time encoding for high frame rate ultrasound imaging

Frame rate in ultrasound imaging can be dramatically increased by using sparse synthetic transmit aperture (STA) beamforming techniques. The two main drawbacks of the method are the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the motion artifacts, that degrade the image quality. In this paper we propose a spatio-temporal encoding for STA imaging based on simultaneous transmission of two quasi-orthogonal tapered linear FM signals. The excitation signals are an up- and a down-chirp with frequency division and a cross-talk of -55 dB. The received signals are first cross-correlated with the appropriate code, then spatially decoded and finally beamformed for each code, yielding two images per emission. The spatial encoding is a Hadamard encoding previously suggested by Chiao et al. [in: Proceedings of the IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, 1997, p. 1679]. The Hadamard matrix has half the size of the transmit element groups, due to the orthogonality of the temporal encoded wavefronts. Thus, with this method, the frame rate is doubled compared to previous systems. Another advantage is the utilization of temporal codes which are more robust to attenuation. With the proposed technique it is possible to obtain images dynamically focused in both transmit and receive with only two firings. This reduces the problem of motion artifacts. The method has been tested with extensive simulations using Field II. Resolution and SNR are compared with uncoded STA imaging and conventional phased-array imaging. The range resolution remains the same for coded STA imaging with four emissions and is slightly degraded for STA imaging with two emissions due to the -55 dB cross-talk between the signals. The additional proposed temporal encoding adds more than 15 dB on the SNR gain, yielding a SNR at the same order as in phased-array imaging.     

编码孔径成像系统中的点扩散函数

在X光编码孔径成像系统中，系统的点扩散函数决定成像系统的成像质量。由于系统的点扩散函数可用来求解系统的传递函数，并可由此制作实现图像重构的滤波器，因此点扩散函数的精确程度直接影响重构过程中图像的质量。本文以标量衍射理论为基础，从理论上推导出了衍射效应条件下编码孔径中圆环的点扩散函数，并将它用于制作光学系统的滤波器。最后利用Wiener滤波函数对编码重叠像的频谱分布进行滤波处理，再经过逆傅里叶变换得到了重构图像。     

Modified synthetic transmit aperture algorithm for ultrasound imaging

The modified synthetic transmit aperture (STA) algorithm is described. The primary goal of this work was to assess the possibility to improve the image quality achievable using synthetic aperture (SA) approach and to evaluate the performance and the clinical applicability of the modified algorithm using phantoms. The modified algorithm is based on the coherent summation of back-scattered RF echo signals with weights calculated for each point in the image and for all possible combinations of the transmit-receive pairs. The weights are calculated using the angular directivity functions of the transmit-receive elements, which are approximated by a far-field radiation pattern of a narrow strip transducer element vibrating with uniform pressure amplitude over its width. In this way, the algorithm takes into account the finite aperture of each individual element in the imaging transducer array. The performance of the approach developed was tested using FIELD II simulated synthetic aperture data of the point reflectors, which allowed the visualization (penetration) depth and lateral resolution to be estimated. Also, both simulated and measured data of cyst phantom were used for qualitative assessment of the imaging contrast improvement. The experimental data were obtained using 128 elements, 4 MHz, linear transducer array of the Ultrasonix research platform. The comparison of the results obtained using the modified and conventional (unweighted) STA algorithms revealed that the modified STA exhibited an increase in the penetration depth accompanied by a minor, yet discernible upon the closer examination, degradation in lateral resolution, mainly in the proximity of the transducer aperture. Overall, however, a considerable (12 dB) improvement in the image quality, particularly in the immediate vicinity of the transducer’s surface was demonstrated. The modified STA method holds promise to be of clinical importance, especially in the applications where the quality of the “near-field” image, that is the image in the immediate vicinity of the scanhead is of critical importance such as for instance in skin- and breast-examinations.     

基于粒子群算法的稀疏阵列超声相控阵全聚焦成像

为降低相控阵超声检测全聚焦算法的成像数据量及阵列稀疏优化的计算时间,研究了一种用于稀疏阵列全聚焦成像的阵列优化算法,并通过实验对其成像效果进行了验证。针对目前超声相控阵检测的全矩阵采集数据量大、全聚焦算法成像时间长的难点,该文通过构建稀疏阵列,在保证成像质量的同时显著降低成像数据量,提高了全聚焦算法的成像效率。通过以主瓣宽度、旁瓣峰值以及主瓣峰值作为约束条件构建适应度函数,采用粒子群算法得到稀疏阵元位置分布并进行阵元权重修正,并将其用于稀疏全聚焦成像。相比全阵元成像,使用粒子群算法所得的稀疏阵列的阵元个数降低了56.25%、65.62%,数据使用量降低了80.86%、88.18%。在阵列优化方面,相比遗传算法减少了84.86%的计算时间。     

Parameter optimization of pulse compression in ultrasound imaging systems with coded excitation

A linear array imaging system with coded excitation is considered, where the proposed excitation/compression scheme maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and minimizes sidelobes at the output of the compression filter. A pulse with linear frequency modulation (LFM) is used for coded excitation. The excitation/compression scheme is based on the fast digital mismatched filtering. The parameter optimization of the excitation/compression scheme includes (i) choice of an optimal filtering function for the mismatched filtering; (ii) choice of an optimal window function for tapering of the chirp amplitude; (iii) optimization of a chirp-to-transducer bandwidth ratio; (iv) choice of an appropriate n-bit quantizer. The simulation results show that the excitation/compression scheme can be implemented as a Dolph–Chebyshev filter including amplitude tapering of the chirp with a Lanczos window. An example of such an optimized system is given where the chirp bandwidth is chosen to be 2.5 times the transducer bandwidth and equals 6 MHz: The sidelobes are suppressed to −80 dB, for a central frequency of 4 MHz, and to −94 dB, for a central frequency of 8 MHz. The corresponding improvement of the SNR is 18 and 21 dB, respectively, when compared to a conventional short pulse imaging system. Simulation of B-mode images demonstrates the advantage of coded excitation systems of detecting regions with low contrast.     

Efficient array beam forming by spatial filtering for ultrasound B-mode imaging

This paper proposes an efficient array beam-forming method using spatial matched filtering (SMF) for ultrasonic imaging. In the proposed method, ultrasonic waves are transmitted from an array subaperture with fixed transmit focus as in conventional array imaging. At receive, radio frequency echo signals from each receive channel are passed through a spatial matched filter that is constructed based on the system transmit-receive spatial impulse response. The filtered echo signals are then summed without time delays. The filter concentrates and spatially registers the echo energy from each element so that the pulse-echo impulse response of the summed output is focused with acceptably low side lobes. Analytical beam pattern analysis and simulation results using a linear array show that this spatial filtering method can improve lateral resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio as compared with conventional dynamic receive focusing (DRF) methods. Experimental results with a linear array are consistent but point out the need to address additional practical issues. Spatial filtering is equivalent to synthetic aperture methods that dynamically focus on both transmit and receive throughout the field of view. In one common example of phase aberrations, the SMF method was degraded to a degree comparable to conventional DRF methods.     

大口径光学合成孔径成像技术发展现状

简明介绍了光学合成孔径的两种成像方式和光学波段合成孔径的发展概况。全面介绍镜面拼接、稀疏孔径和位相阵列3种合成孔径结构系统国内外发展现状。归纳出了目前光学合成孔径技术在天基和地基观测系统的发展趋势及技术难题。与传统单一口径的光学系统相比,光学合成孔径系统具有更高的分辨率、镜面加工难度低、易折叠、重量轻等特点,是实现高分辨率光学成像系统的一种重要且有效途径。     

X射线编码孔径成像中的一种高精度图像重构方法

在惯性约束聚变实验的过程诊断研究中,采用环形编码孔径成像技术可以同时获得高的空间分辨力和时间分辨力。获得高的空间分辨力的关键之一是如何准确地获得目标的点扩展函数。通常采用直接投影法。但这种方法忽略了X射线的衍射效应,因此限制了分辨力的提高。依据光的标量衍射理论,考虑X射线的衍射效应,导出了环形编码孔径的点扩展函数。并在此基础上制作了维纳滤波器。在激光等离子体重点实验室,用内直径为250μm,外直径为260μm的环形孔径板,对惯性约束聚变（ICF）的过程进行成像实验,得到了靶标的编码图像。采用以衍射为基础的维钠滤波器进行重构,获得的重构图像明显的优于用直接投影法得到的结果。     

Focal-plane and aperture-plane heterodyne array receivers for millimeter-wave radioastronomy—A comparison

In this paper we consider the maximization of the throughput of a single large antenna, for two possible array configurations: focal plane imaging arrays and aperture plane phased arrays. We discuss trade-offs between the two types of array in terms of field of view, sampling efficiency and time to map, a source. We also discuss limits on the number of feed elements in an imaging array imposed by the deterioration in aperture efficiency off-axis.     

A novel method to design sparse linear arrays for ultrasonic phased array

In ultrasonic phased array testing, a sparse array can increase the resolution by enlarging the aperture without adding system complexity. Designing a sparse array involves choosing the best or a better configuration from a large number of candidate arrays. We firstly designed sparse arrays by using a genetic algorithm, but found that the arrays have poor performance and poor consistency. So, a method based on the Minimum Redundancy Linear Array was then adopted. Some elements are determined by the minimum-redundancy array firstly in order to ensure spatial resolution and then a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the remaining elements. Sparse arrays designed by this method have much better performance and consistency compared to the arrays designed only by a genetic algorithm. Both simulation and experiment confirm the effectiveness.     

A post-compression based ultrasound imaging technique for simultaneous transmit multi-zone focusing

The compression error of post-compression based coded excitation techniques increases with decreasing f-number, which causes the elevation of side-lobe levels. In this paper, a post-compression based coded excitation technique with reduced compression errors through dynamic aperture control is proposed. To improve the near-field resolution with no frame rate reduction, the proposed method performs simultaneous transmit multi-zone focusing using two mutually orthogonal complementary Golay codes. In the proposed method, the two mutually orthogonal sequences of length 16 are simultaneously transmitted toward two different focal depths, which are separately compressed into two short pulses on receive after dynamic focusing is performed. After carrying out the same transmit-receive operation for the same scan line with the complementary set of the orthogonal Golay codes, a single scan line with two transmit foci is obtained.The computer simulation results using a linear array with a center frequency of 7.5 MHz and 60% 6 dB bandwidth show that the range side-lobe level can be suppressed below −50 dB, when f-number is maintained not smaller than 3. The performance of the proposed scheme for a smaller f-number of 2 was also verified through actual experiments using a 3.85 MHz curved linear array with 60% 6 dB bandwidth. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method provides improved lateral resolution compared to the conventional pre-compressed and post-compression based coded excitation imaging using Golay codes.     

光学稀疏孔径系统的成像及其评价方法

对典型阵列结构的光学稀疏孔径系统成像特性进行了数值仿真分析,并采用基于光学实验测量的调制传递函数（MTF）完成了光学稀疏孔径系统成像实验的图像复原处理.针对复杂目标成像,为了评价光学稀疏孔径系统最终成像的整体质量,不仅考虑系统的调制传递函数指标,还提出了一种基于相关系数的成像质量客观评价方法.数值仿真结果和光学实验结果均表明,基于相关系数的成像质量客观评价方法是可行的,实验说明光学稀疏孔径系统成像质量可以达到其等效单个大孔径成像系统的成像效果.     

Current CONtrolled Transmit And Receive Coil Elements (C2ONTAR) for Parallel Acquisition and Parallel Excitation Techniques at High-Field MRI

A novel intrinsically decoupled transmit and receive radio-frequency coil element is presented for applications in parallel imaging and parallel excitation techniques in high-field magnetic resonance imaging. Decoupling is achieved by a twofold strategy: during transmission elements are driven by current sources, while during signal reception resonant elements are switched to a high input impedance preamplifier. To avoid B(0) distortions by magnetic impurities or DC currents a resonant transmission line is used to relocate electronic components from the vicinity of the imaged object. The performance of a four-element array for 3 T magnetic resonance tomograph is analyzed by means of simulation, measurements of electromagnetic fields and bench experiments. The feasibility of parallel acquisition and parallel excitation is demonstrated and compared to that of a conventional power source-driven array of equivalent geometry. Due to their intrinsic decoupling the current-controlled elements are ideal basic building blocks for multi-element transmit and receive arrays of flexible geometry.     

扩散场重建格林函数检测钢轨近表面缺陷*

利用超声相控阵全矩阵捕获功能获取后期时间的扩散场信息,实现钢轨近表面缺陷成像。对扩散场信号进行互相关,重建阵元之间的格林函数,获取阵元之间未延时的响应,恢复被噪声湮没的早期缺陷信息,将波数成像方法用于近表面缺陷的快速成像。采用两种超声相控阵探头在钢轨表面采集实验数据,说明格林函数恢复效果与相控阵阵元的个数和激励频率有关。实验结果清晰地显示了距钢轨表面5～10 mm处的缺陷,证实了互相关方法重建格林函数对近表面缺陷检测的有效性。     

A compressed sensing approach for enhancing infrared imaging resolution

This paper presents a novel approach for improving infrared imaging resolution by the use of Compressed Sensing (CS). Instead of sensing raw pixel data, the image sensor measures the compressed samples of the observed image through a coded aperture mask placed on the focal plane of the optical system, and then the image reconstruction can be conducted from these samples using an optimal algorithm. The resolution is determined by the size of the coded aperture mask other than that of the focal plane array (FPA). The attainable quality of the reconstructed image strongly depends on the choice of the coded aperture mode. Based on the framework of CS, we carefully design an optimum mask pattern and use a multiplexing scheme to achieve multiple samples. The gradient projection for sparse reconstruction (GPSR) algorithm is employed to recover the image. The mask radiation effect is discussed by theoretical analyses and numerical simulations. Experimental results are presented to show that the proposed method enhances infrared imaging resolution significantly and ensures imaging quality.     

菲索式合成孔径望远镜光学系统设计

设计了菲索式合成孔径望远镜光学系统,用3个小口径子孔径合成大口径以获得等效大口径的分辨率。首先,兼顾空间频率u-v覆盖和结构简单化,选择子孔径排列方式为Golay-3阵列,填充因子F=0.44。然后,依据光学系统结构特性,将光学系统分成子孔径、光束控制器和光束组合器,分别进行光学设计。无焦式子孔径采用后接双胶合消色差透镜的卡塞格林结构,孔径为300 mm,视场为0.2°,角放大率为10。光束组合器为五片式结构,采用高折射率玻璃和特殊部分色散玻璃,焦距为600 mm,F/#=6,视场为2°。分析总系统点扩散函数和调制传递函数显示：总系统等效口径为子孔径口径的1.89倍,总系统角分辨率为0.24″。     

时域压缩合成孔径超分辨水声成像算法

提出一种针对水下稀疏目标的时域压缩合成孔径声呐成像方法(TC-SAS),实现了水声目标高分辨实时成像。通过多子阵的孔径合成,在时域上构造出成像网格格点到有效孔径内逐帧阵列的格林函数,并给出成像区域散射强度到数据域的映射矩阵;然后利用该区域空域稀疏的先验知识,通过正交匹配追踪的稀疏重构方式,解算出成像区域散射系数矩阵,实现了稀疏目标高分辨成像.同时,针对线性调频信号提出数据缩减的方法,通过对观测数据和字典矩阵同时脉压后截取,减小了数据规模;进一步结合二维矩阵数表查表的方法,以空间换时间,实现了区块实时成像。数值仿真以及湖试试验表明,所提算法能分辨出传统的时延求和算法难以分辨的目标,并且在图像清晰度指标上平均提升4.9 dB.改善了合成孔径声呐的成像质量.      

Acoustooptic Correlation Processing of Frequency-Diversity Signals from Phased Antenna Arrays

A new architecture of an acoustooptic processor intended for processing of signals from a linear phased antenna array is suggested. The main feature of the processor is the frequency diversity of signals received by individual elements of the array with their subsequent summation and entering into an acoustooptic correlator with time integration built around four single-channel acoustooptic modulators.     

Statistically motivated design of input signals for modern ultrasonic array systems

Modern array systems allow for excitation of separate elements using arbitrary wave forms. This is utilized in pulse compression and coded excitation techniques to improve the imaging performance. Such techniques are however somewhat inflexible since they use predefined excitation schemes. This paper presents a more flexible method for optimizing the input signals to an ultrasonic array in such a way that the scattering strengths at arbitrarily chosen control points in the insonified object can be estimated with as small an error as possible, measured with a mean squared error criteria. The statistically motivated method is based on a linear model of the array imaging system and the method takes into account both prior information regarding the scattering strengths and measurement errors. The input signals are found by using genetic optimization and are constrained to have finite duration and bounds on the maximum amplitudes. Different constellations of control points, and different signal-to-noise ratios, yield different excitation schemes. The design approach finds multiple selective focal laws when choosing relatively well separated control points and when the control points are closely spaced, the resulting excitations result in more diffuse fields. Because of the flexibility in choosing the control points, the design method will be useful when developing transmission schemes aiming at fast imaging of large image areas using few transmissions.     

基于实际空间截止频率的稀疏孔径双圆周阵列的优化

提出了一种新的稀疏孔径光瞳结构-两个圆周阵内外嵌套而成的双圆周结构,并研究了该结构的调制传递函数.该结构以实际空间截止频率作为约束条件,保证调制传递函数在最小截止频率以内无零频,以阵列的u-v覆盖点间距最大化及最小冗余度来设计目标函数,并采用这种优化方法对3-3、5-3以及6-3双圆周阵列进行了优化排列.将优化结果与相同子孔径数目的均匀圆周阵以及Golay结构进行仿真实验和比较.结果表明,优化后的双圆周阵列,具有最大的实际空间截止频率和实际等效口径.