Experimental evaluation of a non-linear coded excitation method for contrast imaging

Previously, we have shown that for a single bubble, using chirps as the excitation signal improves both the linear and the non-linear response. Computer simulations of randomly distributed contrast agent bubbles show an increase of 10-13 dB in response when comparing pulse excitations with chirp excitations that have equal bandwidths and peak amplitudes. Second harmonic compression of simulated bubble echoes with chirp excitation shows low side-lobe levels and limited loss of axial resolution when compared to pulse excitation. Experimental results from water tank measurements with SonoVue contrast agent are in agreement with computer simulations showing increased signal-to-noise ratio and an increase of approximately 12 dB at the second harmonic when comparing pulse and chirp excitation.     

Third order harmonic imaging for biological tissues using three phase-coded pulses

Compared to the fundamental and the second harmonic imaging, the third harmonic imaging shows significant improvements in image quality due to the better resolution, but it is degraded by the lower sound pressure and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this study, a phase-coded pulse technique is proposed to selectively enhance the sound pressure of the third harmonic by 9.5 dB whereas the fundamental and the second harmonic components are efficiently suppressed and SNR is also increased by 4.7 dB. Based on the solution of the KZK nonlinear equation, the axial and lateral beam profiles of harmonics radiated from a planar piston transducer were theoretically simulated and experimentally examined. Finally, the third harmonic images using this technique were performed for several biological tissues and compared with the images obtained by the fundamental and the second harmonic imaging. Results demonstrate that the phase-coded pulse technique yields a dramatically cleaner and sharper contrast image.     

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.     

Third harmonic transmit phasing for SNR improvement in tissue harmonic imaging with Golay-encoded excitation

Background

Ultrasound tissue harmonic signal generally provides superior image quality as compared to the linear signal. However, since the generation of the tissue harmonic signal is based on finite amplitude distortion of the propagating waveform, the penetration and the sensitivity in tissue harmonic imaging are markedly limited because of the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Methods

The method of third harmonic (3f₀) transmit phasing can improve the tissue harmonic SNR by transmitting at both the fundamental (2.25 MHz) and the 3f₀ (6.75 MHz) frequencies to achieve mutual enhancement between the frequency-sum and the frequency-difference components of the second harmonic signal. To further increase the SNR without excessive transmit pressure, coded excitation can be incorporated in 3f₀ transmit phasing to boost the tissue harmonic generation.

Results

Our analyses indicate that the phase-encoded Golay excitation is suitable in 3f₀ transmit phasing due to its superior transmit bandwidth efficiency. The resultant frequency-sum and frequency-difference components of tissue harmonic signal can be simultaneously Golay-encoded for SNR improvement. The increase of the main-lobe signal with the Golay excitation in 3f₀ transmit phasing are consistent between the tissue harmonic measurements and the simulations. B-mode images of the speckle generating phantom also demonstrate the increases of tissue harmonic SNR for about 11 dB without noticeable compression artifacts.

Conclusion

For tissue harmonic imaging in combination with the 3f₀ transmit phasing method, the Golay excitation can provide further SNR improvement. Meanwhile, the axial resolution can be effectively restored by pulse compression while the lateral resolution remains unchanged.     

超声阵列的多频脉冲压缩方法研究

脉冲压缩方法通过采用编码信号激励与脉冲压缩接收来提高超声检测的时间分辨率和信噪比。然而,受换能器带宽的限制,编码信号的时间带宽积往往有限,影响脉冲压缩效果。开展了基于超声阵列的多频脉冲压缩方法研究,超声阵列是由具有不同中心频率和带宽的多个阵元组成,从而使得整个阵列具有比单个换能器更宽的带宽。提出了压缩后叠加取包络的脉冲压缩方法,并研究了这种方法在提高时间分辨率和主副瓣比上的技术方案,对多频脉冲压缩的超声阵列进行了设计与优化,发现多频脉冲压缩方法能很大程度地提高时间分辨率,并能有效地抑制各阵元信号叠加产生的周期副瓣。理论和实验结果表明,这种压缩后叠加取包络的方法得到的时间分辨率在性能上受阵元带内不平整度的影响很小,能使阵元压缩包络中的主副瓣比得到明显改善。      

超声换能器对线性调频信号脉冲压缩性能的影响分析*

该文研究了不同编码带宽下超声换能器对编码信号脉冲压缩后信噪比与轴向分辨率的影响关系。将脉冲压缩后的时域峰值转化为频域积分的形式，得到考虑换能器影响的脉冲压缩信噪比公式。以线性调频信号为例，仿真与实验结果表明，编码激励相对于方波激励的信噪比增益随编码带宽的减小而增大，因为受换能器带宽限制，编码激励的轴向分辨率随编码带宽的增大先减小后趋于稳定。该研究为编码激励方法更有效地应用于超声检测的背景中提供了参考。     

Coded tissue harmonic imaging with nonlinear chirp signals

Coded tissue harmonic imaging with pulse inversion (CTHI-PI) based on a linear chirp signal can improve the signal-to-noise ratio with minimizing the peak range sidelobe level (PRSL), which is the main advantage over CTHI with bandpass filtering (CTHI-BF). However, the CTHI-PI technique could suffer from motion artifacts due to decreasing frame rate caused by two firings of opposite phase signals for each scanline. In this paper, a new CTHI method based on a nonlinear chirp signal (CTHI-NC) is presented, which can improve the separation of fundamental and harmonic components without sacrificing frame rate. The nonlinear chirp signal is designed to minimize the PRSL value by optimizing its frequency sweep rate and time duration. The performance of the CTHI-NC method was evaluated by measuring the PRSL and mainlobe width after compression. From the in vitro experiments, the CTHI-NC provided the PRSL of −40.6 dB and the mainlobe width of 2.1 μs for the transmit quadratic nonlinear chirp signal with the center frequency of 2.1 MHz, the fractional bandwidth at −6 dB of 0.6 and the time duration of 15 μs. These results indicate that the proposed method could be used for improving frame rates in CTHI while providing comparable image quality to CTHI-PI.     

Frequency dependence of quantum path interference in non-collinear high-order harmonic generation

High-order harmonic generation(HHG) driven by two non-collinear beams including a fundamental and its weak second harmonic is numerically studied. The interference of harmonics from adjacent electron quantum paths is found to be dependent on the relative delay of the driving pulse, and the dependences are different for different harmonic orders.This frequency dependence of the interference is attributed to the spatial frequency chirp in the HHG beam resulting from the harmonic dipole phase, which in turn provides a potential way to gain an insight into the generation of high-order harmonics. As an example, the intensity dependent dipole phase coefficient α is retrieved from the interference fringe.     

啁啾补偿的折返点匹配二倍频

提出了一种啁啾补偿群速色散的倍频方法,通过向入射基频光引入合适的初始啁啾,让其与色散相互作用,以实现对基频光脉冲宽度的主动控制,提高转换效率。研究结果表明,这种方法能显著地提高倍频转换效率,以氘含量12.6%(摩尔百分比)的KD*P晶体对脉宽30fs,中心波长为1.053μm的宽带基频光的折返点匹配宽带二倍频过程为例,当基频光转换极限位置处于晶体中心时,能取得最佳的啁啾补偿效果,转换效率可提高近22%。进一步研究了转换效率和转换带宽与晶体长度的关系。     

Coherent control of high-order harmonics generated with intense femtosecond laser pulses

Experimental results and theoretical analysis on the coherent control of high-order harmonics with chirped femtosecond laser pulses are presented. The coherent control of high-order harmonic generation resulted in sharp harmonic spectra by compensating for induced harmonic chirp with the control of applied laser chirp and it was found to be crucial also in producing sharp and bright harmonics.Received: 18 November 2002, Published online: 8 July 2003PACS: 42.65.Ky Frequency conversion; harmonic generation, including higher-order harmonic generation - 32.80.-t Photon interactions with atoms - 42.65.Re Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression     

Stochastic resonance in an under-damped bistable system driven by harmonic mixing signal

Stochastic resonance(SR) is studied in an under-damped bistable system driven by the harmonic mixing signal and Gaussian white noise. Using the linear response theory(LRT), the expressions of the spectral amplification at fundamental and higher-order harmonic are obtained. The effects of damping coefficient, noise intensity, signal amplitude, and frequency on spectral amplifications are explored. Meanwhile, the power spectral density(PSD) and signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) are calculated to quantify SR and verify the theoretical results. The SNRs at the first and second harmonics exhibit a minimum first and a maximum later with increasing noise intensity. That is, both of the noise-induced suppression and resonance can be observed by choosing proper system parameters. Especially, when the ratio of the second harmonic amplitude to the fundamental one takes a large value, the SNR at the fundamental harmonic is a monotonic function of noise intensity and the SR phenomenon disappears.     

Optimization of third harmonic generation for two coupled three-frequency interactions of waves with multiple frequencies in periodic crystals

Third harmonic generation with simultaneous excitation of degenerate two-frequency (2ω = ω + ω) and three-frequency (3ω = 2ω + ω) interactions of collinear waves in periodic crystals is considered. It is shown that the optimal condition for third harmonic generation, in this case, is determined by the ratio of the amplitudes of the fundamental and second harmonics at the entrance of the crystal. The optimal value of this ratio, for which the efficiency of the third harmonic generation may reach 96%, is found.     

Second-harmonic generation with traveling-wave pulses

We experimentally studied properties of traveling-wave excitation and traveling-wave pulse compression for a Nd : glass laser system with a streak camera. These properties were extended to second-harmonic generation with a type-11 KDP crystal. We found that the second-harmonic pulse generated from the chirped-fundamental pulse also has a good chirp linearity, but the spectral bandwidth and temporal duration were reduced. We demonstrated the effective subpulse suppression in the compressed pulse with the second-harmonic generation. The pulse with tilted wave front, short wavelength and high contrast ratio can be obtained by the second-harmonic generation of traveling-wave pulse.     

压缩平稳重调脉冲的色散渐减光纤的设计

文章根据平稳重调脉冲(SRP)在梳状光纤(CPF)结构中的压缩原理,对色散渐减光纤(DDF)的色散特性进行设计,结果发现该色散渐减光纤的色散特性呈线性递减.对于平稳重调脉冲其压缩比与功率比等于光纤始末两端二阶色散系数的比值.当色散渐减光纤的斜率足够小时,无啁啾基阶孤子可以近似为平稳重调脉冲,当色散渐减光纤的色散斜率较大时,无啁啾基阶孤子不能近似为平稳重调脉冲.当基阶孤子带有与光纤色散斜率成正比的线性啁啾时,脉冲的压缩比与功率比更接近于光纤始末两端二阶色散系数的比值.说明带有线性啁啾的基阶孤子比不带啁啾的基阶孤子更接近于平稳重调脉冲. 关键词： 平稳重调脉冲(SRP) 梳状光纤(CPF) 色散渐减光纤(DDF) 色散递减表达式     

A simulation study on tissue harmonic imaging with a single-element intravascular ultrasound catheter

Recently, in vivo feasibility of tissue harmonic imaging with a mechanically rotated intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter was experimentally demonstrated. To isolate the second harmonic signal content, a combination of pulse inversion and analog filtering was used. In this paper the development of a simulation tool to investigate nonlinear IVUS beams is reported, and the influence of transducer rotation and axial catheter-to-tissue motion on the efficiency of PI signal processing is evaluated. Nonlinear beams were simulated in homogeneous tissue-mimicking media at a transmit frequency of 20 MHz, which resulted in second harmonic pressure fields at 40 MHz. The competing effects of averaging and decorrelation between neighboring rf lines on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were studied for a single point scatterer. An optimal SNR was achieved when lines were combined over 3 degrees - 3.75 degrees. When the transducer was rotated with respect to point scatterers, simulating the acoustic response of tissue, the fundamental frequency suppression using PI degraded rapidly with increasing interpulse angles. The effect of axial catheter-to-tissue motion on the efficiency of pulse inversion seemed to be of less influence for realistic motion values. The results of this study will aid in the optimization of harmonic IVUS imaging systems.     

Experimental investigation of the pulse inversion technique for imaging ultrasound contrast agents

The application of ultrasound contrast agents aims to detect low velocity blood flow in the microcirculation. To enhance discrimination between tissue and blood containing the contrast agent, harmonic imaging is used. Harmonic imaging requires the application of narrow-band signals and is obscured by high levels of native harmonics generated in an intervening medium. To improve discrimination between contrast agent and native harmonics, a pulse inversion technique has been proposed. Pulse inversion allows wide-band signals, thus preserving the axial resolution. The present study examines the interference of native harmonics and discusses the practical difficulties of wide-band pulse inversion measurements of harmonics by a single transducer. Native harmonics are not eliminated by pulse inversion. Furthermore, only even harmonics remain and are amplified by 6 dB, alleviating the requirement for selective filtering. Finally, it is shown that the contaminating third harmonic contained in the square wave activation signal leaks through in the emitted signal. The spectral location of the contaminating third harmonic is governed by the transducer spectral characteristics while the location of the native and contrast agent second harmonics is not. Thus the contaminating third harmonic and the native and contrast agent second harmonics may overlap and interfere. Optimal discrimination requires a balance between maximal sensitivity for the second harmonic at reception and minimal interference from the contaminating third harmonic.     

Determination of spectral width and chirp of ultrashort light pulses by analysis of second harmonic beam divergence

It is shown that in the noncollinear second harmonic generation scheme used for ultrashort light pulse duration measurements the divergence of the second harmonic beam is determined by the spectral width and chirp of the pulse. This enables one to measure simultaneously the spectral width, pulse duration, spectral-time product, chirp and its sign for a single pulse in the same device.     

谐波回旋速调管的效率优化

推导出了由两个无量纲量群聚系数与相位系数构成的非线性运动方程,并对其进行了数值计算分析。数值计算结果表明:通过优化设计参数,当谐波回旋速调管工作在放大区时,其基波、二次谐波、三次谐波、四次谐波的纵向互作用效率分别可达到55%,40%,30%,15%;当其工作在振荡区时,其基波、二次谐波、三次谐波、四次谐波的纵向互作用效率最高分别可达到93.9%, 88.2%, 81.8%, 62.7%。     

Coded excitation for ultrasound tissue harmonic imaging

Coded excitation can improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in ultrasound tissue harmonic imaging (THI). However, it could suffer from the increased sidelobe artifact caused by incomplete pulse compression due to the spectral overlap between the fundamental and harmonic components of ultrasound signal after nonlinear propagation in tissues. In this paper, three coded tissue harmonic imaging (CTHI) techniques based on bandpass filtering, power modulation and pulse inversion (i.e., CTHI-BF, CTHI-PM, and CTHI-PI) were evaluated by measuring the peak range sidelobe level (PRSL) with varying frequency bandwidths. From simulation and in vitro studies, the CTHI-PI outperforms the CTHI-BF and CTHI-PM methods in terms of the PRSL, e.g., −43.5 dB vs. −24.8 dB and −23.0 dB, respectively.     

Investigation of linear and nonlinear frequency modulated excitation effects on tissue harmonic imaging

The generation of tissue harmonics is due to nonlinear nature of ultrasound wave propagation in biological tissues.The tissue harmonics for imaging i.e.tissue harmonic imaging (THI)uses higher frequency components for imaging in which the resolution improves significantly but signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and penetration depth remains low as compared to both fundamental and second harmonic imaging.The coded excitations have potential to improve the SNR which ultimately leads to improved penetration depth.In the present work,the linear frequency modulated(chirp/LFM)and nonlinear frequency modulated(NLFM)signals have been used to investigate the nonlinear ultrasound wave propagation and harmonic generation in biological tissues.The SNR has been found to be substantially improved for coded tissue harmonic imaging(CTHI)as well as for coded superharmonic imaging(CSHI).