有平界面存在时时间反转法的自聚焦性能

时间反转法是一种具有独特优点的自适应聚焦方法,对超声成像中图象畸变的消除有重要价值。本文就声场中存在介质分平面时,对时间反转法实现自聚焦的声场给出了解析式;并运用所建立起来的时间反转成像实验系统进行了有平界面存在时的自聚焦实验,实验所得自聚焦增益与理论计算结果相符。     

Time reversal and the inverse filter

To focus ultrasonic waves in an unknown inhomogeneous medium using a phased array, one has to calculate the optimal set of signals to be applied on the transducers of the array. In the case of time-reversal mirrors, one assumes that a source is available at the focus, providing the Green's function of this point. In this paper, the robustness of this time-reversal method is investigated when loss of information breaks the time-reversal invariance. It arises in dissipative media or when the field radiated by the source is not entirely measured by the limited aperture of a time-reversal mirror. However, in both cases, linearity and reciprocity relations ensure time reversal to achieve a spatiotemporal matched filtering. Nevertheless, though it provides robustness to this method, no constraints are imposed on the field out of the focus and sidelobes may appear. Another approach consists of measuring the Green's functions associated to the focus but also to neighboring points. Thus, the whole information characterizing the medium is known and the inverse source problem can be solved. A matrix formalism of the propagation operator is introduced to compare the time-reversal and inverse filter techniques. Moreover, experiments investigated in various media are presented to illustrate this comparison.     

Optimal adaptive focusing through heterogeneous media with the minimally invasive inverse filter

The inverse filter is a technique used to adaptively focus waves through heterogeneous media. It is based on the inversion of the Green's functions matrix between the M transducers of a focusing array and N control points in the focal area. The inverse filter minimizes the pressure deposited around the focal point. However it is highly invasive, requiring the presence of N transducers or hydrophones in the focal area at the control points' locations to measure the Green's functions. This paper presents a way of reaching the inverse filter's focusing quality with a minimally invasive setup: only one transducer (at the desired focal location) is needed. This minimally invasive inverse filter takes advantage of the fact all the information about the propagation medium can be retrieved from the signals backscattered by the medium towards the focusing array, if the propagation medium is lossless. A numerical simulation is performed to test this minimally invasive inverse filter through a scattering, lossless medium. The focusing quality equals the conventional, highly invasive inverse filter's. The average spatial and temporal contrast is increased by up to 10 dB compared to the time reversal focusing.     

Robust time reversal focusing in the ocean

Recent time-reversal experiments with high-frequency transmissions (3.5 kHz) show that stable focusing is severely limited by the time-dependent ocean environments. The vertical focal structure displays dynamic variations associated with focal splitting and remerging resulting in large changes in focal intensity. Numerical simulations verify that the intensity variation is linked to the focal shift induced by phase changes in acoustic waves resulting from sound speed fluctuations due to internal waves. A relationship between focal range shift, frequency shift, or channel depth changes is illustrated using waveguide-invariant theory. Based on the analysis of experimental data and numerical simulations, methods for robust time-reversal focusing are developed to extend the period of stable focusing.     

Optimal focusing by spatio-temporal inverse filter. II. Experiments. Application to focusing through absorbing and reverberating media

To focus ultrasonic waves in an unknown heterogeneous medium using a phased array, one has to calculate the optimal set of signals to be applied on the transducers of the array. (In most applications of ultrasound, medical imaging, medical therapy, nondestructive testing, the first step consists of focusing a broadband ultrasound beam deeply inside the medium to be investigated.) Focusing in a homogeneous medium simply requires to compensate for the varying focus-array elements geometrical distances. Nevertheless, heterogeneities in the medium, in terms of speed of sound, density, or absorption, may strongly degrade the focusing. Different techniques have been developed in order to correct such aberrations induced by heterogeneous media (time reversal, speckle brightness, for example). In the companion to this paper, a new broadband focusing technique was investigated: the spatio-temporal inverse filter. Experimental results obtained in various media, such as reverberating and absorbing media, are presented here. In particular, intraplate echoes suppression and high-quality focusing through a human skull, as well as hyper-resolution in a reverberating medium, will be shown. It is important to notice that all these experiments were performed with fully programmable multichannel electronics whose use is required to fully exploit the spatio-temporal technique.     

Telecommunication in a disordered environment with iterative time reversal

Abstract

We present a method to transmit digital information through a highly scattering medium in a MIMO-MU (multiple input multiple output multiple users) context. It is based on iterations of a time-reversal process, and permits us to focus short pulses, both spatially and temporally, from a base antenna to different users. This iterative technique is shown to be more efficient (lower inter-symbol interference and lower error rate) than classical time-reversal communication, while being computationally light and stable. Experiments are presented: digital information is conveyed from 15 transmitters to 15 receivers by ultrasonic waves propagating through a highly scattering slab. From a theoretical point of view, the iterative technique achieves the inverse filter of propagation in the subspace of non-null singular values of the time-reversal operator. We also investigate the influence of external additive noise, and show that the number of iterations can be optimized to give the lowest error rate.

(Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)     

Optimal focusing by spatio-temporal inverse filter. I. Basic principles

A focusing technique based on the inversion of the propagation operator relating an array of transducers to a set of control points inside a medium was proposed in previous work [Tanter et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 108, 223-234 (2000)] and is extended here to the time domain. As the inversion of the propagation operator is achieved both in space and time, this technique allows calculation of the set of temporal signals to be emitted by each element of the array in order to optimally focus on a chosen control point. This broadband inversion process takes advantage of the singular-value decomposition of the propagation operator in the Fourier domain. The physical meaning of this decomposition is explained in a homogeneous medium. In particular, a definition of the number of degrees of freedom necessary to define the acoustic field generated by an array of limited aperture in a focal plane of limited extent is given. This number corresponds to the number of independent signals that can be created in the focal area both in space and time. In this paper, this broadband inverse-focusing technique is compared in homogeneous media with the classical focusing achieved by simple geometrical considerations but also with time-reversal focusing. It is shown that, even in a simple medium, slight differences appear between these three focusing strategies. In the companion paper [Aubry et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 48-58 (2001)] the three focusing techniques are compared in heterogeneous, absorbing, or complex media where classical focusing is strongly degraded. The strong improvement achieved by the spatio-temporal inverse-filter technique emphasizes the great potential of multiple-channel systems having the ability to apply completely different signal waveforms on each transducer of the array. The application of this focusing technique could be of great interest in various ultrasonic fields such as medical imaging, nondestructive testing, and underwater acoustics.     

The spatial focusing of a leaky time reversal chaotic cavity

Elastic waves propagating inside a solid chaotic cavity create a diffusive random field that contains both longitudinal and shear waves. In the current paper, we are interested in the field radiated in a fluid in contact with such cavity. The goal of this paper is to predict the spatial focusing properties that can be obtained in the fluid using a time-reversal piezoelectric transducer in contact with the cavity. We present a statistical approach that supposes a fully diffused wavefield inside the cavity with an equipartition of energy between longitudinal and shear waves. We show that the critical angles of transmission in the solid-fluid interface generate a cut-off of the spatial frequencies and then a degradation in the spatial focusing. This limitation can be overcome using a rough surface. A set of experiments conducted in the MHz range confirm the theoretical model.     

Split-ring-based metamaterial for far-field subwavelength focusing based on time reversal

In this paper, split-ring-based metamaterial sheets are designed for the purpose of achieving far-field subwavelength focusing, with the aid of a time-reversal technique. The metamaterial sheets are inserted into a subwavelength array consist- ing of four element antennas, with the element spacing being as small as 1/15 of a wavelength. Experiments are performed to investigate the effect of the metamaterial sheets on the focusing resolution. The results demonstrate that in the presence of the metamaterial sheets, the subwavelength array exhibits the ability to achieve super-resolution focusing, while there is no super-resolution focusing without the metamaterial sheets. Further investigation shows that the metamaterial sheets are contributive to achieving super-resolution by weakening the cross-correlations of the channel impulse responses between the array elements.     

基于虚拟源时间反转的经颅超声精确聚焦*

针对经颅超声难以精确聚焦的问题,本文研究了基于虚拟源的时间反转方法,建立颅骨二维数字模型,在聚焦目标处设置虚拟声源,利用时域有限差分法模拟超声时间反转过程,并考察基于虚拟源时间反转方法的聚焦效果。数值仿真结果表明,基于虚拟源的时间反转方法可以实现经颅超声的精确聚焦,聚焦强度和精度好于传统的相控聚焦;换能器中心频率和数量对聚焦效果的影响规律与相控聚焦时类似;该方法可以同时向多个焦点聚焦,并自适应调节各焦点处声压幅度。     

Real time correlation filter for optical particle counter

Particle signals are detected by two parallel measuring chains which consist of a detector and analog to digital converter. We have used OPT101 as photodiode and ADS7870 for A/D converter and the output signal from two parallel measuring chains is processed by on line correlation filter. This filter works as real time systems. A correlation algorithm has been applied for this work. The signal to noise ratio has been increased by applying correlation filter. The gain of the filter has been improved by introducing digital signal processing.     

时间反演电磁波在金属丝阵列媒质中的超分辨率聚焦

本文利用一种已有的金属丝阵列结构, 验证了时间反演技术的时空聚焦特性, 并证明了在该阵列结构中, 时间反演电磁波具有超分辨率聚焦特性. 利用金属丝阵列能为凋落波提供传播渠道这一特性, 通过改变信号对时间反演镜的激励方式, 得到了多种亚波长异地成像的仿真结果. 本文的分析和仿真结果证实了利用时间反演技术, 可以采用传统的材料和设备, 在远场实现超分辨率聚焦成像, 并能在多个位置实现对源信号的提取和分析. 关键词： 时间反演 金属丝阵列 超分辨率聚焦 异地成像     

Buried target detection based on time reversal focusing with a probe source

Buried target detection under the background of strong reverberation in shallow water is a complicated problem. As the target is buried, the echo of the active sonar is very weak and the echo-to-reverberation ratio (ERR) is quite low. In the paper, the technique of time reversal (TR) with a probe source is discussed to detect a buried target. By TR transmission, the sound wave is focused at the target and the ensonification acoustic energy at the target is maximized. By reception focusing, the echo received by each sensor is added coherently and the waveform of the transmitted signal is recovered. Finally, the matched filtering is used to detect the target and estimate the target range. The waveguide experiment provides a practical implementation guideline to apply TR to buried target detection.     

Revisiting iterative time reversal processing: application to detection of multiple targets

The iterative time reversal processing represents a high speed and easy way to self-focus on the strongest scatterer in a multitarget medium. However, finding weaker scatterers is a more difficult task that can be solved by computing the eigenvalue and eigenvector decomposition of the time reversal operator, the so-called DORT method. Nevertheless, as it requires the measurement of the complete interelements response matrix and time-consuming computation, the separation of multiple targets may not be achieved in real time. In this study, a new real time technique is proposed for multitarget selective focusing that does not require the experimental acquisition of the time reversal operator. This technique achieves the operator decomposition using a particular sequence of filtered waves propagation instead of computational power. Due to its simplicity of implementation, this iterative process can be achieved in real time. This high speed selective focusing is experimentally demonstrated by detecting targets through a heterogeneous medium and in a speckle environment. A theoretical analysis compares this technique to the DORT formalism.     

时间反演镜对时间反演电磁波聚焦特性影响因素的研究

时间反演电磁波聚焦特性的主要影响因素来自于时间反演镜(time reversal mirror,TRM).利用电磁仿真工具,对各种影响因素进行分析,给出了改善时间反演电磁波聚焦特性的方法.最后,通过实验对改善方法的有效性进行了验证. 关键词： 时间反演镜 时间反演电磁波 聚焦特性 影响因素     

Source point discovery through high frequency asymptotic time reversal

Given local frequency domain wave data, the Numerical Micro-Local Analysis (NMLA) method (Benamou et al., 2004) [5] and its recent improved version (Benamou et al., 2011) [4] gives a pointwise numerical approximation of the number of rays, their slowness vectors and corresponding wavefront curvatures. With time domain wave data and assuming the source wavelet is given, the method also estimates the travel-time. The paper provides a non technical presentation of the improved NMLA algorithm and presents a numerical application which can be interpreted as a high frequency asymptotic version of the classical time reversal method (Borcea et al., 2003) [7]. A detailed technical presentation of the algorithm is available in Benamou et al. (2011) [4] and more numerical experiments can be found in Collino and Marmorat (2011) [15].     

Experimental detection and focusing in shallow water by decomposition of the time reversal operator

A rigid 24-element source-receiver array in the 10-15 kHz frequency band, connected to a programmable electronic system, was deployed in the Bay of Brest during spring 2005. In this 10- to 18-m-deep environment, backscattered data from submerged targets were recorded. Successful detection and focusing experiments in very shallow water using the decomposition of the time reversal operator (DORT method) are shown. The ability of the DORT method to separate the echo of a target from reverberation as well as the echo from two different targets at 250 m is shown. An example of active focusing within the waveguide using the first invariant of the time reversal operator is presented, showing the enhanced focusing capability. Furthermore, the localization of the scatterers in the water column is obtained using a range-dependent acoustic model.     

Isolating scattering resonances of an air-filled spherical shell using iterative, single-channel time reversal

Iterative, single-channel time reversal is employed to isolate backscattering resonances of an air-filled spherical shell in a frequency range of 0.5-20 kHz. Numerical simulations of free-field target scattering suggest improved isolation of the dominant target response frequency in the presence of varying levels of stochastic noise, compared to processing returns from a single transmission and also coherent averaging. To test the efficacy of the technique in a realistic littoral environment, monostatic scattering experiments are conducted in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City, Florida. The time reversal technique is applied to returns from a hollow spherical shell target sitting proud on a sandy bottom in 14 m deep water. Distinct resonances in the scattering response of the target are isolated, depending upon the bandwidth of the sonar system utilized.     

Adaptive and optimal detection of elastic object scattering with single-channel monostatic iterative time reversal

In active sonar operation,the presence of background reverberation and the low signal-to-noise ratio hinder the detection of targets.This paper investigates the application of single-channel monostatic iterative time reversal to mitigate the difficulties by exploiting the resonances of the target.Theoretical analysis indicates that the iterative process will adaptively lead echoes to converge to a narrowband signal corresponding to a scattering object’s dominant resonance mode,thus optimising the return level.The experiments in detection of targets in free field and near a planar interface have been performed.The results illustrate the feasibility of the method.     

Robust time reversal focusing based on Maximin criterion in a waveguide with uncertain water depth

Time reversal processing(TRP) might be regarded as matched field processing with known environmental knowledge.However,the performance of TRP is degraded in an uncertain environment.A technique based on the Maximin criterion is proposed for enhancing the robustness of TRP in a waveguide with uncertain water depth.The relationship between the water depth and the focal spot translation is examined based on the waveguide-invariant theory.Then the time reversal transmission scheme with the Maximin criterion is performed to maximize the minimum transmission power on a target of interest.At the receiving end,coherent summation operation is carried out over the received data by a reception focusing bank.If it is necessary to enhance the target echo further,the iterative time reversal can be considered where the target echo corresponding to the first time reversal transmission is regarded as a secondary source.Numerical simulations and experimental results of the target localization in a waveguide tank have verified the effectiveness of robust TRP.