Short pulse detection and imaging of objects behind obscuring random layers

This paper presents a theory of imaging objects behind layers of scattering media. The transmitter is a focused array or an aperture emitting a short pulse. The scattered pulse is received by a focused array or aperture. The received signal consists of two components: the pulse scattered from a random medium and from the target, and these two components can be distinguished by the use of ultra wide band (UWB) pulse. The second moment of the received signal includes the fourth-order moments of stochastic Green's functions, which are reduced to the second moments by the use of the circular complex Gaussian assumption, and of the generalized two-frequency mutual coherence function. This imaging theory is a generalization of optical coherence tomography (OCT), SAR and confocal imaging. It clarifies the relationships among resolution, coherence length, shower curtain effects and backscattering enhancement.     

Inverse aperture synthesis in an acoustic dark field

A method is proposed for extracting the signal scattered by a moving acoustic screen and for reconstructing the image of the scatterer. The results of the preliminary numerical calculations performed for a free space agree well with the results of the full-scale experiment in a lake. A good agreement between theory and experiment is achieved with an aperture synthesis by the signal magnitude. The characteristic feature of the proposed method of aperture synthesis is the use of an extended acoustic array in the target tracking mode of operation. This provides an additional condition for the determination of the parameters of the experiment, thus allowing one to determine two such parameters.     

随机电磁涡旋光束的深聚焦特性

基于德拜矢量积分理论,研究了随机电磁涡旋光束经过大数值孔径透镜之后的聚焦特性及透镜的数值孔径、入射光束的偏振度、拓扑荷以及横向相干长度对焦平面附近聚焦光束的光强分布和相干度的影响.结果表明:适当地选择相关参量,可在焦平面上得到椭圆形光斑的光强分布以及平顶光强分布.随机电磁涡旋光束在焦平面上同一点处两个相互垂直分量之间的相干度,不同两点处两个相同分量之间的相干度以及不同两点处两个相互垂直分量之间的相干度研究表明,入射光束的拓扑荷和横向相干长度对聚焦光束的相干性有着十分明显的影响.     

生物组织成像中用反相位脉冲技术提高二次谐波信噪比的研究

本文基于有限振幅声波在介质中的非线性传播理论,分析了反相位脉冲技术对生物组织中二次谐波增强的原理.实验中利用反相位脉冲激发超声换能器,对生物组织中传播的非线性信号相加分析.结果表明反相位脉冲技术可有效抑制基波及奇次谐波信号,而可增强偶次谐波信号6dB.与滤波器滤波法相比,反相位脉冲技术在抑制基波信号的同时,可有效地提高二次谐波的信噪比,因而在生物组织的二次谐波成像中具有广阔的应用前景.     

Shallow water narrowband coherence measurements in the Florida Strait

A set of measures of coherence are defined and applied to the CALOPS experiment, conducted off the coast of Florida in the summer of 2007. A set of narrowband CW tones were transmitted from a towed source received on a 118-element bottom mounted horizontal line array (206 m aperture) with broadside oriented along the 250 m isobath. Two coherence measures are based upon the eigenvalue spread: the power factor and the eigenvalue ratio. This approach is not sensitive to array element error or model mismatch. Two measures are based upon phase residuals; these include the rms-phase error and the coherence function. Three measures are based upon power responses: beam width, array signal gain degradation, and array gain. These approaches have varying sensitivity to array location errors, model mismatch, signal-to-noise ratio, and the structure of the noise field. A Gaussian noise model is used to infer a coherence length from most of the coherence measures. The primary result is that coherence lengths increase with frequency and are on the order of 200 m, the length of the array. The frequency increased coherence length with frequency goes against conventional wisdom, which is to define the coherence length as a fixed number of wavelengths.     

Factorial moment of the photon counting distribution of gaussian-lorentzian light under various spatial coherence

The generating function of the photon counting distribution is studied under consideration of the spatial coherence. The high order factorial moments are induced from the generating function, and are found to be experimental proof for the theory. The behavior of the second factorial moment is investigated for the purpose of spectroscopy of Rayleigh scattered light. The factorial moment measurements are made by using a digitalized electric system. The spectral line shape is determined quantitatively under various spatial coherence conditions.     

浅海非均匀水平阵宽带声场信号无源孔径扩展

大孔径水平阵对于浅海低频水声物理实验研究和应用至关重要,然而受实际情况制约,通常使用的水平基阵孔径十分有限,通过孔径扩展处理来扩展基阵孔径是一条重要途径。传统的无源孔径扩展方法是建立在均匀线阵、匀速相对运动和相干窄带连续信号的基础上的,难以适用于非均匀阵以及非连续宽带声源的情况。针对这些问题,提出了非均匀阵宽带声场信号的无源孔径扩展方法。使用静止布设在海底的非均匀水平短阵接收运动声源重复发射的宽带声信号,先开展均匀空间插值,然后在阵元域和波束域进行宽带扩展孔径处理。仿真和实验结果表明,在水深约70 m的浅海波导环境中,纵向间隔27.5 m的2个阵元接收20~200 Hz宽带声场,其空间插值结果与真值的相关系数大于0.99,说明宽带声场插值方法的合理性。在水平非均匀、纵向孔径250 m的短阵接收声场无法分析简正波频散特征的情况下,仿真和实验数据经过宽带无源孔径扩展处理得到孔径大于1 km的均匀线阵的声场,能高分辨区分各阶简正波,证明所提方法是有效的。      

电光调制在被动综合孔径成像探测中的应用

介绍了一种新型被动综合孔径成像探测方法:视场辐射信号被接收和放大后,通过电光幅度调制将其幅度和相位信息加载到光波上,经光纤传输在末端形成阵列,通过光学系统直接成像,将视场实时恢复出来.该方法可实现工作在微波、毫米波和太赫兹波段的高分辨力实时成像探测的目的.深入分析了电光调制器在综合孔径成像探测中的应用,建立电光调制模型,讨论了在小信号调制下的电光幅度调制近似理论.通过数值计算与仿真分析,得到综合孔径成像探测中电光调制器的调制信号强度限制的有关结论.结果表明,利用上变频电光调制技术和光信息处理,所得到的成像仿真图的半峰全宽和信噪比性能都优于传统的基于下变频技术的成像仿真结果.     

Optoacoustic imaging with synthetic aperture focusing and coherence weighting

Optoacoustic imaging takes advantage of high optical contrast and low acoustic scattering and has found several biomedical applications. In the common backward mode a laser beam illuminates the image object, and an acoustic transducer located on the same side as the laser beam detects the optoacoustic signal produced by thermoelastic effects. A cross-sectional image is formed by laterally scanning the laser beam and the transducer. Although the laser beam width is generally narrow to provide good lateral resolution, strong optical scattering in tissue broadens the optical illumination pattern and thus degrades the lateral resolution. To solve this problem, a combination of the synthetic aperture focusing technique with coherence weighting is proposed. This method synthesizes a large aperture by summing properly delayed signals received at different positions. The focusing quality is further improved by using the signal coherence as an image quality index. A phantom comprising hair threads in a 1% milk solution was imaged with an optoacoustic imaging system. The results show that the proposed technique improved lateral resolution by 400-800% and the signal-to-noise ratio by 7-23 dB over conventional techniques.     

Estimating the instantaneous velocity of randomly moving target swarms in a stratified ocean waveguide by Doppler analysis

Doppler analysis has been extensively used in active radar and sonar sensing to estimate the speed and direction of a single target within an imaging system resolution cell following deterministic theory. For target swarms, such as fish and plankton in the ocean, and raindrops, birds and bats in the atmosphere, multiple randomly moving targets typically occupy a single resolution cell, making single-target theory inadequate. Here, a method is developed for simultaneously estimating the instantaneous mean velocity and position of a group of randomly moving targets within a resolution cell, as well as the respective standard deviations across the group by Doppler analysis in free-space and in a stratified ocean waveguide. While the variance of the field scattered from the swarm is shown to typically dominate over the mean in the range-velocity ambiguity function, cross-spectral coherence remains and maintains high Doppler velocity and position resolution even for coherent signal processing algorithms such as the matched filter. For pseudo-random signals, the mean and variance of the swarms' velocity and position can be expressed in terms of the first two moments of the measured range-velocity ambiguity function. This is shown analytically for free-space and with Monte-Carlo simulations for an ocean waveguide.     

Micromachined array tip for multifocus fiber-based optical coherence tomography

High-resolution optical coherence tomography demands a large detector bandwidth and a high numerical aperture for real-time imaging, which is difficult to achieve over a large imaging depth. To resolve these conflicting requirements we propose a novel multifocus fiber-based optical coherence tomography system with a micromachined array tip. We demonstrate the fabrication of a prototype four-channel tip that maintains a 9-14-microm spot diameter with more than 500 microm of imaging depth. Images of a resolution target and a human tooth were obtained with this tip by use of a four-channel cascaded Michelson fiber-optic interferometer, scanned simultaneously at 8 kHz with geometric power distribution across the four channels.     

超声虚源成像中自适应双向空间逐点聚焦方法

针对传统超声成像中图像分辨率和对比度随深度下降的问题,提出了一种基于虚源的自适应双向空间逐点聚焦超声成像方法。首先,使用超声换能器线列阵分子孔径分别定焦点发射和接收超声波,采集扫描线数据;然后将焦点视为虚拟点声源,计算虚源到空间成像点的延时,利用合成孔径原理再次进行空间逐点聚焦;在合成过程中采用相干系数进行自适应加权。采用空间脉冲响应法对不同深度的点目标和囊目标仿真成像,从而量化分辨率和对比度。在F数为1.5、焦距为10 mm时(对应子孔径阵元数为17)可以获得与64通道定焦点发射、动态聚焦接收相当的图像质量且在所有深度上保持一致。实际硬件平台的体模成像实验进一步验证了方法的有效性。该方法可在整个成像深度范围内保持和常规成像一致的分辨率和对比度,从而获得更优的整体成像效果。      

水下声成像中旁瓣抑制方法及其实验研究

提出了一种近场条件下采用不等间隔阵并进行孔径变迹处理的水下声成像旁瓣抑制方法,并进行了理论和实验研究。考虑以球面波传播理论为基础的聚焦波束形成,首先通过阵元位置微调,设计了可实现低旁瓣的不等间隔阵,从单程波束响应上降低旁瓣;然后,将孔径变迹处理方法应用于水下声成像中,全部阵元用于接收,部分阵元用于发射,从双程波束响应上进一步降低旁瓣。通过水池实验对所提出的方法进行了验证。结果表明:采用不等间隔阵并进行孔径变迹处理可以更为有效地降低旁瓣,而主瓣仅有小量展宽,且该方法工程应用简便易行,在改善成像质量的同时降低了系统复杂度。      

Incoherent signal source resolution based on coherent aperture synthesis

A technique is proposed for resolving two incoherent signal sources of the same frequency and significantly different intensities with similar angular coordinates. The technique is based on aperture synthesis of a receiving array, first, by the signal of higher-power source and the estimate of its angular coordinate with subsequent subtraction of the signal spectrum from the angular spectrum of the received field. This makes it possible to achieve aperture synthesis and estimate the angle of arrival of a higher-power signal. Thus, the technique is of interest not only for synthesized apertures, but also for arrays with a filled aperture, since it eliminates the restrictions imposed by the presence of lateral lobes of the array response. Our mathematical simulation data demonstrate the efficiency of this technique in the detection and location of weak signals against the background of high-power noise sources even at their close angular positions.     

激光尘埃粒子计数器微型光学传感器的研究

研制成功便携式激光尘埃粒子计数器的核心部件———微型光学传感器。该传感器采用直角散射光收集形式,以高功率半导体激光器作为光源,同时采用高性能的PIN型光电二极管作为光电探测器。散射光收集系统为单一大数值孔径的球面反射镜,其对粒子散射光的收集角范围从20°到160°。粒子散射光信号是脉冲信号,其频谱成份主要在高频段,所以在PIN型光电二极管后用一个带通式前置放大器来消除外界的低频噪声,根据米氏散射理论计算了该光学传感器的光散射响应特性,并用聚苯乙烯标准粒子实测了该光学传感器的性能。结果表明,该系统具有高的信噪比、计数效率和尺寸分辨本领。     

Ultrasonic guided wave focusing by a generalized phased array

Ultrasonic guided wave focusing by a generalized phased array is studied based on dispersion curves in a multi-layered medium. The different phase of the guided waves with different frequency is added on the excitation signal on each element of the transducer array for focusing. This can be realized by designing a proper excitation pulse based on the dispersion curves of the guided waves for each of the transducer array elements. The numerical simulation results show that the guided waves with different modes, different frequency components, and from different elements of the transducer array can all be focused at the target and focusing is achieved.     

Edge wave on axis behind an aperture or disk having a ragged edge

Diffraction by a circular aperture or disk having a ragged edge is investigated. Theory and measurements are reported. The ragged edge is modeled as N arcs, of differing radii a(i), each of which contributes a scattered signal to the edge wave on axis behind the aperture or disk. The amplitude of each scattered signal is proportional to the angle of the arc, and the corresponding time delay is square root of [(ai)2 + (s0)2/c0], where s0 is the axial distance from the aperture plane and c0 is the sound speed. Kirchhoff theory is used to make the calculation. A formula is derived for the rms pressure of the edge wave in terms of the rms pressure and autocorrelation function of the incident wave. The formula can be evaluated for incident waves that are sinusoidal, random (e.g., noise), or transient. Predictions agree reasonably well with underwater measurements made with a spark-generated pulse incident on various apertures. The main result is that making the edge ragged reduces the rms pressure of the edge wave. Indeed, an edge profile is presented that, for a given frequency and axial observation point, eliminates the edge wave completely.     

A novel approach to the aperture windowing in medical imaging

A new technique is proposed to improve the lateral resolution in the conventional B-mode imaging systems, which enables a simple array aperture windowing in the transmitting mode. Amplitude shaping is performed without modifying the transmitting voltage of the array elements, but only varying the excitation pulse length from one element to another. This method presents some attractive practical advantages, and the reduction of the sidelobe energy is comparable to that attainable with a conventional aperture windowing. Parametric plots are given, which transform an amplitude apodization into a 'time apodization' for any type of transducer array.     

Pulse compression technique for simultaneous HIFU surgery and ultrasonic imaging: a preliminary study

In an ultrasound image-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) surgery, reflected HIFU waves received by an imaging transducer should be suppressed for real-time simultaneous imaging and therapy. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of pulse compression scheme combined with notch filtering in order to minimize these HIFU interference signals. A chirp signal modulated by the Dolph-Chebyshev window with 3-9 MHz frequency sweep range is used for B-mode imaging and 4 MHz continuous wave is used for HIFU. The second order infinite impulse response notch filters are employed to suppress reflected HIFU waves whose center frequencies are 4 MHz and 8 MHz. The prototype integrated HIFU/imaging transducer that composed of three rectangular elements with a spherically con-focused aperture was fabricated. The center element has the ability to transmit and receive 6 MHz imaging signals and two outer elements are only used for transmitting 4 MHz continuous HIFU wave. When the chirp signal and 4 MHz HIFU wave are simultaneously transmitted to the target, the reflected chirp signals mixed with 4 MHz and 8 MHz HIFU waves are detected by the imaging transducer. After the application of notch filtering with pulse compression process, HIFU interference waves in this mixed signal are significantly reduced while maintaining original imaging signal. In the single scanline test using a strong reflector, the amplitude of the reflected HIFU wave is reduced to −45 dB. In vitro test, with a sliced porcine muscle shows that the speckle pattern of the restored B-mode image is close to that of the original image. These preliminary results demonstrate the potential for the pulse compression scheme with notch filtering to achieve real-time ultrasound image-guided HIFU surgery.     

The application of steady-state free precession in rapid 2DFT NMR imaging: FAST and CE-FAST sequences

In the classic spectroscopic steady-state free precession (SSFP) experiment, a regular sequence of phase-coherent radio frequency pulses is applied with constant flip angle and a repetition time shorter than the NMR relaxation times of the sample. As the steady state is reached, an NMR signal appears between pulses that consists of two distinct components: a free induction signal following the RF pulses and decaying during the repetition interval and a spin-echo-like signal forming at its end prior to the subsequent RF pulse. Both signals may be exploited for NMR imaging if the gradient schemes fulfill the phase coherence requirements of SSFP. This article describes two Fourier acquired steady-state sequences dubbed FAST and CE-FAST, which may be used for the rapid acquisition of NMR images from the SSFP signals.