太赫兹近场成像技术及进展

太赫兹(THz)波具有能量低、穿透性强、频带宽等特点,因而太赫兹成像技术在无损检测、生物医药、安全检测等众多领域得到了广泛应用,在实际应用中如何提高太赫兹成像的分辨力变得越来越重要。由于太赫兹近场成像技术可突破衍射极限,获得分辨力为亚微米甚至是纳米量级的高质量图像,基于近场技术的高分辨THz成像技术相继被提出,并得到了进一步的应用。本文首先阐述了太赫兹近场成像的基本原理;其次总结了近场成像进展及增强方法;最后对太赫兹近场成像的未来进行了展望。     

Time-domain channel estimator based on cyclic correlation for OFDM systems with guard interval

Channel impulse response （CIR） can be estimated on the basis of cyclic correlation in time-domain for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing （OFDM） systems, This article proposes a generalized channel estimation method to reduce the estimation error by taking the average of different CIRs. Channel impulse responses are derived according to the different starting points of cyclic correlation. In addition, an effective CIR length estimation algorithm is also presented. The whole proposed methods are more effective to OFDM systems, especialiy to those with longer cyclic prefix. The analysis and the simulation results verify that the mean square error performance is 4-5 dB better than the conventional schemes under the same conditions.     

Time-domain inverse scattering method for cross-borehole radar imaging

In this paper, we consider a solution method of the inverse problem of imaging two-dimensional (2D) objects buried underground by cross-hole radar data in the time domain. In addition to less information on the targets due to restriction on the arrangement of transmitters and receivers than for full-view cases such as imaging of objects in free space, the large search region between boreholes makes solving the inverse problem difficult. Although iterative optimization approaches take long computing time, these approaches give much better image qualities for high-contrast objects than linear inversions such as a diffraction tomography. However, the reconstruction in a large search region with limited-view measurements often fails trapped in a local minimum. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a two-step iterative approach: the first step is to reduce the search region to a smaller one and the second step is the accurate reconstruction of the targets in the small region. Both steps are based on an iterative optimization approach, i.e., the forward-backward time-stepping method previously proposed. This two-step approach is tested for detection of tunnel-like objects surrounded by a heterogeneous background medium to evaluate its performance. Numerical results indicate the efficiency of the approach and its ability of circumventing local minima.     

Experimental results for cascadable micropower time delay estimator

Experimental results of a micropower integrated circuit (IC) for the measurement of the relative time delay between two signals are presented. A complete experimental characterisation shows that the IC achieves an accuracy of 3 mus in the whole measurement range with a power consumption of 12 muW. This improves on all low-power designs previously reported in the literature     

Spherical wave near-field imaging and radar cross-sectionmeasurement

The paper presents a new inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) algorithm intended for radar cross-section (RCS) imaging and measurement from scattered fields. The method, based on a spherical-wave near-field illumination of the target, overcomes the requirement for an expensive compact range facility to produce a plane wave illumination. The formulation and the implementation of the algorithm are described. Some experimental results obtained in an anechoic chamber are presented to show RCS results similar to the conventional plane wave methods     

太赫兹近场合成孔径成像与焦平面成像对比

针对近场目标高分辨力成像,基于220~325 GHz频段的近场雷达收发模块,在相同测量条件下,分别采用合成孔径雷达成像以及焦平面成像。对比合成孔径成像算法以及焦平面测量法的优劣,获得详细的测量参数以及成像效果对比,用于太赫兹近场成像分辨力的提高。     

介质圆柱的单站微波成像方法

提出一种对介质圆柱实现单站微波成像的方法。该方法通过时域有限差分法进行电磁场正过程的仿真计算,采用整数微分进化策略实现逆过程的寻优计算。分别分析TE模式和TM模式的近场散射信号得到介质成像目标在电磁波传播方向上尺寸大小的估计,并以此为依据,确定成像目标的尺寸范围,从而确定逆过程的寻优区间。该方法无需像传统成像方法围绕成像目标设置多个发射/接收天线以获取成像信息,从而大大减少了成像的必要条件。采用该方法,在TE模式和TM模式下分别对介质圆柱目标进行仿真成像,获得了良好的效果。     

Time-domain near-field analysis of short-pulse antennas .II.Reactive energy and the antenna Q

For pt. I see ibid., vol.47, no.2, p.271-79 (1999). The time-domain (TD) multipole expansion, developed in the first part of this two-part sequence, is extended here to analyze the power-flow and energy balance in the vicinity of a pulsed antenna. Using the spherical transmission line formulation, we derive expressions for the pulsed power-flow and energy and identify the radiative and the reactive constituents. For time-harmonic fields, the reactive concepts are well understood in terms of the stored energy, but this interpretation is not applicable for short-pulse fields where there is no stored energy. By considering the TD energy balance, we clarify the transition of the near-zone pulsed reactive energy to the radiation power and show that the pulsed reactive energy discharges back to the source once the pulse has been radiated. We thus introduce a TD Q factor that quantifies the radiation efficiency. In particular, we show that super resolution using short-pulse fields involves large TD reactive energies and Q and is, therefore, not feasible. The general TD concepts discussed are demonstrated through a numerical example of radiation from a circular disk carrying a pulsed current distribution     

Accelerating near-field 3D imaging approach for joint high-resolution imaging and phase error correction

The computational complexity and memory requirements of large-scale data seriously affect the application of compressed sensing (CS) in near-field three-dimensional (3-D) imaging system. In addition, as influenced by the measurement environment, the error in echo phase results in imaging defocusing. This paper proposes a CS near-field 3-D imaging approach based on nonuniform fast Fourier transform and phase error correction. It applies the fast Gaussian gridding nonuniform fast Fourier transform technique and Separable Surrogate Functionals with only matrix and vector multiplied to accelerate imaging speed and reduce memory requirements; it adopts the phase error correction technique to realize highly-focused imaging; in addition, a sparse observation approach based on Logistic sequence is proposed in this paper for easy availability of engineering realization for CS imaging. As indicated by numerical analysis and actual measurement in anechoic chamber, the approach proposed in this paper, compared with traditional imaging approaches, has the following advantages: accurate high resolution 3-D image of target can be obtained by applying small amount of observation data (10%); the computational complexity falls from O(LN) to O(3N) and memory occupation quantity drops from O(LN) to O(N); it can effectively perform highly-focused imaging for echo signal with phase error; the measurement matrix designed has better non-coherence and easy availability for engineering realization.

     

水下近场探测与成像的光学调制技术研究

基于光学调制的水下探测与成像技术是目前最先进的水下光电探测技术之一。本文结合国外最新的理论研究成果、实验装置与实验结果对水下近场探测与成像的光学调制技术进行了进一步的探索。论证了光学调制技术作为水下探测方面的最新技术,其相对于众多成熟技术的优势与在该领域的发展潜力,并对水下环境特征、基于频域的水下探测技术以及应用于水下近场成像的时变强度调制技术进行了分析与讨论。     

The bi-polar planar near-field measurement technique, part II:near-field to far-field transformation and holographic imaging methods

A novel customized bi-polar planar near-field measurement technique is presented in a two-part paper. This bipolar technique offers a large scan plane size with minimal “real-estate” requirements and a simple mechanical implementation, requiring only rotational motions, resulting in a highly accurate and cost-effective antenna measurement and diagnostic system. Part I of this two-part paper introduced the bi-polar planar near-field measurement concept, discussed the implementation of this technique at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and provided a comparative survey of measured results. This paper examines the data processing algorithms that have been developed and customized to exploit the unique features of the bi-polar planar near-field measurement technique. Near-field to far-field transformation algorithms investigated include both interpolatory and non-interpolatory algorithms due to the a typical arrangement of the bi-polar near-field samples. The algorithms which have been tailored for the bi-polar configuration include the optimal sampling interpolation (OSI)/fast Fourier transform (FFT), Jacobi-Bessel transform, and Fourier-Bessel transform. Additionally, holographic imaging for determination of antenna aperture fields has been incorporated to facilitate antenna diagnostics. Results for a simulated measurement of an array of infinitesimal dipoles and a measured waveguide-fed slot array antenna are included. Appropriate guidelines with respect to the advantages and disadvantages of the various processing algorithms are provided     

CMOS chip for invasive ultrasound imaging

A very small transmit/receiver chip has been developed for use in an arterial ultrasonic imaging system. In this technique, a solid-state ultrasonic imaging head placed within a small medical catheter is used to provide high quality 360° images of arteries as small as 2 mm in diameter. Novel design and packaging techniques have been used to allow four easily testable 0.86 mm×1.65 mm mixed-signal CMOS die to be placed on a multichip carrier within this 1.83 mm diameter imaging probe. Each chip contains interface circuitry for sixteen transducers including 20 MHz transmit pulsers and receive current amplifiers with approximately 1.3 pA/rt-Hz equivalent input noise performance. The techniques described here are generally applicable to any probe or device with extreme size and performance requirements     

Programmable ultrasound imaging using multimedia technologies: anext-generation ultrasound machine

High computational and throughput requirements in modern ultrasound machines have restricted their internal design to algorithm-specific hardware with limited programmability. The authors have architected a programmable ultrasound processing system, Programmable Ultrasound Image Processor (PUIP), to facilitate engineering and clinical ultrasound innovations. Multiple high-performance multimedia processors were used to provide a computing power of 4 billion operations per second. Flexibility was achieved by making the system programmable and multimodal, e.g., B-mode, color flow, cine and Doppler data can be processed. They have successfully designed and implemented the PUIP to fit within an ultrasound machine. It provides a platform for rapid testing of new concepts in ultrasound processing and enables software upgrades for future technologies. Current and future clinical applications include extended fields of view, quantitative measurements, three-dimensional ultrasound reconstruction and visualization, adaptive persistence, speckle reduction, edge enhancement, image segmentation, and motion analysis. The PUIP is a significant step in the evolution of ultrasound machines toward more flexible and generalized systems bridging the gap between many innovative ideas and their clinical use in ultrasound machines     

0.33 THz雷达三维近场成像系统设计及成像试验

提出了采用步进频率结合平面扫描的THz雷达近场成像系统设计方案,基于宽带全息成像原理,可以实现三维高分辨率近场成像。采用多通道收发探头阵列缩短机械扫描行程,提高成像速度。给出了基于快速傅里叶变换（Fast Fourier Transform,FFT）和Stolt插值的三维图像重建算法,成像理论分辨率与波长相当。利用THz矢量网络分析仪和辅助设备,搭建了0.215~0.33 THz成像试验装置,完成了对多层金属-泡沫目标三维成像,成像分辨率达到预期水平,验证了系统设计和三维图像重建算法的正确性。     

Progress in multimodality imaging: truly simultaneous ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging

Multimodality medical imaging takes advantage of the strengths of different imaging modalities to provide a more complete picture of the anatomy under investigation. Many complementary modalities have been combined to form such systems and some are gaining use clinically. One combination that has not been developed, in large part due to technical difficulties, is a combined magnetic resonance (MR) and ultrasound (US) imaging system. Such a system offers the potential to combine the strengths of these modalities in a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of performing simultaneous multimodality US and MR imaging. An US imaging system capable of operation in a clinical MR imager was developed, and methods to perform simultaneous imaging were investigated. Simultaneous imaging was feasible without any mutual interference by either filtering the transmitted and received US signal, or by synchronizing data acquisition between the two imaging systems. Spatial registration between the two modalities was achieved by using a reference phantom with implanted glass beads in orthogonal planes. Excellent agreement was observed between spatial measurements of an object made with both modalities, and the feasibility of using this system in vivo was demonstrated in a rabbit model. Simultaneous US and MR imaging is achievable, and can provide complementary information about an object under investigation. This demonstration of technical feasibility and the development of a prototype system open up the potential to investigate the promising clinical applications of this combined technology.     

Comparison and application of near-field ISAR imaging techniques for far-field Radar cross section determination

Inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging is a powerful tool for the characterization of scattering properties of radar targets. In particular, near-field techniques allow for short distance imaging with results comparable to those of standard far-field ISAR techniques. The resulting near-field images can be used to extract the far-field radar cross section (RCS) of the target overcoming the need for long-range measurement setups. This paper compares different near-field imaging techniques and reveals an in-depth insight into the imaging process, especially with regard to the subsequent RCS extraction. The performance of the different techniques together with processing improvements are demonstrated by means of numerical target models as well as by measured data of test objects and a scaled aircraft model.     

Detection performance theory for ultrasound imaging systems

A rigorous statistical theory for characterizing the performance of medical ultrasound systems for lesion detection tasks is developed. A design strategy for optimizing ultrasound systems should be to adjust parameters for maximum information content, which is obtained by maximizing the ideal observer performance. Then, given the radio-frequency data, image and signal processing algorithms are designed to extract as much diagnostically relevant information as possible. In this paper, closed-form and low-contrast approximations of ideal observer performance are derived for signal known statistically detection tasks. The accuracy of the approximations are tested by comparing with Monte Carlo techniques. A metric borrowed and modified from photon imaging, Generalized Noise Equivalent Quanta, is shown to be a useful and measurable target-independent figure of merit when adapted for ultrasound systems. This theory provides the potential to optimize design tradeoffs for detection tasks. For example it may help us understand how to push the limits of specific features, such as spatial resolution, without significantly compromising overall detection performance.     

Time-delay- and time-reversal-based robust Capon beamformers for ultrasound imaging

Currently, the nonadaptive delay-and-sum (DAS) beamformer is extensively used for ultrasound imaging, despite the fact that it has lower resolution and worse interference suppression capability than the adaptive standard Capon beamformer (SCB) if the steering vector corresponding to the signal of interest (SOI) is accurately known. The main problem which restricts the use of SCB, however, is that SCB lacks robustness against steering vector errors that are inevitable in practice. Whenever this happens, the performance of SCB may hecome worse than that of DAS. Therefore, a robust adaptive beamformer is desirable to maintain the robustness of DAS and adaptivity of SCB. In this paper we consider a recent promising robust Capon beamformer (RCB) for ultrasound imaging. We propose two ways of implementing RCB, one based on time delay and the other based on time reversal. RCB extends SCB by allowing the array steering vector to be within an uncertainty set. Hence, it restores the appeal of SCB including its high resolution and superb interference suppression capabilities, and also retains the attractiveness of DAS including its robustness against steering vector errors. The time-delay-based RCB can tolerate the misalignment of data samples and the time-reversal-based RCB can withstand the uncertainty of the Green's function. Both time-delay-based RCB and time-reversal-based RCB can be efficiently computed at a comparable cost to SCB. The excellent performances of the proposed robust adaptive beamforming approaches are demonstrated via a number of simulated and experimental examples.