Chirp-coded excitation imaging with a high-frequency ultrasound annular array

High-frequency ultrasound (HFU, > 15 MHz) is an effective means of obtaining fine-resolution images of biological tissues for applications such as opthalmologic, dermatologic, and small animal imaging. HFU has two inherent drawbacks. First, HFU images have a limited depth of field (DOF) because of the short wavelength and the low fixed F-number of conventional HFU transducers. Second, HFU can be used to image only a few millimeters deep into a tissue because attenuation increases with frequency. In this study, a five-element annular array was used in conjunction with a synthetic-focusing algorithm to extend the DOF. The annular array had an aperture of 10 mm, a focal length of 31 mm, and a center frequency of 17 MHz. To increase penetration depth, 8-micros, chirp-coded signals were designed, input into an arbitrary waveform generator, and used to excite each array element. After data acquisition, the received signals were linearly filtered to restore axial resolution and increase the SNR. To compare the chirpcoded imaging method with conventional impulse imaging in terms of resolution, a 25-microm diameter wire was scanned and the -6-dB axial and lateral resolutions were computed at depths ranging from 20.5 to 40.5 mm. The results demonstrated that chirp-coded excitation did not degrade axial or lateral resolution. A tissue-mimicking phantom containing 10-microm glass beads was scanned, and backscattered signals were analyzed to evaluate SNR and penetration depth. Finally, ex vivo ophthalmic images were formed and chirpcoded images showed features that were not visible in conventional impulse images.     

In vivo ultrasound biomicroscopy of skin: spectral system characteristics and inverse filtering optimization

High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) in the 20 MHz to 100 MHz range has to meet the opposite requirements of good spatial resolution and of high penetration depth for in vivo ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) of skin. The attenuation of water, which serves as sound propagation medium between utilized single element transducers and the skin, becomes very eminent with increasing frequency. Furthermore, the spectra of acquired radio frequency (rf) echo signals change over depth because of the diffracted sound field characteristics. The reduction of the system's center frequency and bandwidth causes a significant loss of spatial resolution over depth. In this paper, the spectral characteristics of HFUS imaging systems and the potential of inverse echo signal filtering for the optimization of pulse-echo measurements is analyzed and validated. A Gaussian model of the system's transfer function, which takes into account the frequency-dependent attenuation of the water path, was developed. Predictions of system performance are derived from this model and compared with measurement results. The design of a HFUS skin imaging system with a 100 MHz range transducer and a broadband driving electronics is discussed. A time-variant filter for inverse rf echo signal filtering was designed to compensate the system's depth-dependent imaging properties. Results of in vivo measurements are shown and discussed.     

Detection of ultrawide-band ultrasound pulses in optoacoustic tomography

A laser optoacoustic imaging system (LOIS) uses time-resolved detection of laser-induced pressure profiles in tissue in order to reconstruct images of the tissue based on distribution of acoustic sources. Laser illumination with short pulses generates distribution of acoustic sources that accurately replicates the distribution of absorbed optical energy. The complex spatial profile of heterogeneous distribution of acoustic sources can be represented in the frequency domain by a wide spectrum of ultrasound ranging from tens of kilohertz to tens of megahertz. Therefore, LOIS requires a unique acoustic detector operating simultaneously within a wide range of ultrasonic frequencies. Physical principles of an array of ultrawide-band ultrasonic transducers used in LOIS designed for imaging tumors in the depth of tissue are described. The performance characteristics of the transducer array were modeled and compared with experiments performed in gel phantoms resembling optical and acoustic properties of human tissue with small tumors. The amplitude and the spectrum of laser-induced ultrasound pulses were measured in order to determine the transducer sensitivity and the level of thermal noises within the entire ultrasonic band of detection. Spatial resolution of optoacoustic images obtained with an array of piezoelectric transducers and its transient directivity pattern within the field of view are described. The detector design considerations essential for obtaining high-quality optoacoustic images are presented.     

Ultrasound speckle reduction using harmonic oscillator models

A speckle reduction algorithm called the harmonic imaging (HI) algorithm is presented. It is based on a multicomponent scattering model for medical ultrasonics. The backscattered ultrasound quadrature signal is modeled as the sum of three components after demodulation. The first component represents nonresolvable diffuse scatterers, while the second component represents subresolvable quasi-periodic scatterers. The third component represents resolvable quasi-periodic scatterers and mirroring surfaces. Since the second component gives rise to the most long range destructive interference effects it is eliminated in the HI algorithm to reduce speckle. Due to its slow spatial variation, it can be almost completely eliminated simply by differentiating the backscattered demodulated quadrature signal. Lissajous-like figures are observed in complex plots of the signals from ultrasound beams going through tissues with quasi-periodic components and sometimes in areas with only diffuse scatterers. Therefore the sum of the complex signals from the resolvable and nonresolvable scatterers within a resolution cell is modeled by two orthogonal and independent harmonic oscillators. The estimated, total energy of these two oscillators determines the gray level value of the HI image within the resolution cell. The HI images produced using radio frequency data from a phantom and from tissues in vivo are more blurred than ordinary envelope images, but the signal to noise ratio and tissue contrast were higher for the HI images     

Transmit beamforming for optimal second-harmonic generation

A simulation study of transmit ultrasound beams from several transducer configurations is conducted to compare second-harmonic imaging at 3.5 MHz and 11 MHz. Second- harmonic generation and the ability to suppress near field echoes are compared. Each transducer configuration is defined by a chosen f-number and focal depth, and the transmit pressure is estimated to not exceed a mechanical index of 1.2. The medium resembles homogeneous muscle tissue with nonlinear elasticity and power-law attenuation. To improve computational efficiency, the KZK equation is utilized, and all transducers are circular-symmetric. Previous literature shows that second-harmonic generation is proportional to the square of the transmit pressure, and that transducer configurations with different transmit frequencies, but equal aperture and focal depth in terms of wavelengths, generate identical second-harmonic fields in terms of shape. Results verify this for a medium with attenuation f1. For attenuation f1.1, deviations are found, and the high frequency subsequently performs worse than the low frequency. The results suggest that high frequencies are less able to suppress near-field echoes in the presence of a heterogeneous body wall than low frequencies.     

Use of modulated excitation signals in medical ultrasound. Part II: Design and performance for medical imaging applications

In the first paper, the superiority of linear FM signals was shown in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and robustness to tissue attenuation. This second paper in the series of three papers on the application of coded excitation signals in medical ultrasound presents design methods of linear FM signals and mismatched filters, in order to meet the higher demands on resolution in ultrasound imaging. It is shown that for the small time-bandwidth (TB) products available in ultrasound, the rectangular spectrum approximation is not valid, which reduces the effectiveness of weighting. Additionally, the distant range sidelobes are associated with the ripples of the spectrum amplitude and, thus, cannot be removed by weighting. Ripple reduction is achieved through amplitude or phase predistortion of the transmitted signals. Mismatched filters are designed to efficiently use the available bandwidth and at the same time to be insensitive to the transducer's impulse response. With these techniques, temporal sidelobes are kept below 60 to 100 dB, image contrast is improved by reducing the energy within the sidelobe region, and axial resolution is preserved. The method is evaluated first for resolution performance and axial sidelobes through simulations with the program Field II. A coded excitation ultrasound imaging system based on a commercial scanner and a 4 MHz probe driven by coded sequences is presented and used for the clinical evaluation of the coded excitation/compression scheme. The clinical images show a significant improvement in penetration depth and contrast, while they preserve both axial and lateral resolution. At the maximum acquisition depth of 15 cm, there is an improvement of more than 10 dB in the signal-to-noise ratio of the images. The paper also presents acquired images, using complementary Golay codes, that show the deleterious effects of attenuation on binary codes when processed with a matched filter, also confirmed by presented simulated images.     

Post-processing enhancement of reverberation-noise suppression in dual-frequency SURF imaging

A post-processing adjustment technique to enhance dual-frequency second-order ultrasound field (SURF) reverberation-noise suppression imaging in medical ultrasound is analyzed. Two variant methods are investigated through numerical simulations. They both solely involve post-processing of the propagated high-frequency (HF) imaging wave fields, which in real-time imaging corresponds to post-processing of the beamformed receive radio-frequency signals. Hence, the transmit pulse complexes are the same as for the previously published SURF reverberation-suppression imaging method. The adjustment technique is tested on simulated data from propagation of SURF pulse complexes consisting of a 3.5-MHz HF imaging pulse added to a 0.5-MHz low-frequency soundspeed manipulation pulse. Imaging transmit beams are constructed with and without adjustment. The post-processing involves filtering, e.g., by a time-shift, to equalize the two SURF HF pulses at a chosen depth. This depth is typically chosen to coincide with the depth where the first scattering or reflection occurs for the reverberation noise one intends to suppress. The beams realized with post-processing show energy decrease at the chosen depth, especially for shallow depths where, in a medical imaging situation, a body-wall is often located. This indicates that the post-processing may further enhance the reverberation- suppression abilities of SURF imaging. Moreover, it is shown that the methods might be utilized to reduce the accumulated near-field energy of the SURF transmit-beam relative to its imaging region energy. The adjustments presented may therefore potentially be utilized to attain a slightly better general suppression of multiple scattering and multiple reflection noise compared with non-adjusted SURF reverberation-suppression imaging.     

Echography using correlation techniques: choice of coding signal

Theoretical studies made in the early 1980's suggest that ultrasonic imaging using correlation technique can overcome some of the drawbacks of classical pulse echography. Indeed by transmitting a continuous coded signal and then compressing it into a short, high resolution pulse at the receiver the total signal to noise ratio (SNR) is improved. The target location is determined by cross correlation of the emitted and the received signal. The band compression allows, by increasing SNR, the retrieval of echo signals buried in the receiver noise. Thus in medical-type echography, where the signal attenuation at fixed depth is proportional to the frequency, the SNR improvement allows the use of higher frequency signals and leads to improved resolution. We report here the results of comparative experimental studies of simple echo B type images as obtained by the classical pulse echo and correlation techniques. Because the optimisation of the coded signal plays a crucial role in the performance of the correlation technique we will also present a comparative study of the performances of the most common codes (m-sequences and complementary series). In particular we shall emphasise the following points: the relative importance of the central lobe as compared to the side lobes of the correlation function, which is directly related to the dynamic of the imaging system, the width of the correlation peak which is directly related to the axial resolution of the system, the facility of the realisation. The merit of B-mode images obtained with the coded signals will be discussed showing that as far as signal modulation is used the best results are obtained with periodic m-sequences     

Fabrication of high frequency spherically shaped ceramictransducers

Difficulty in obtaining well focused efficient ultrasound transducers has limited the development of new high frequency applications of B-mode imaging. This paper describes a method for fabricating high frequency (53 MHz) spherically focused lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers. A transducer is fabricated by bonding a malleable backing layer onto a thin plate of PZT and then pressing the plate into a spherically shaped well. The backing layer evenly distributes stresses across the material when it is pressed into the well. Local concentrations of stress which lead to fracture are avoided and the material can be deformed without macroscopic cracking. The characteristics of a 2 mm diameter 53 MHz PZT transducer with a 4 mm focal length are described. A lateral beam width of 68 μm and a 12 dB depth of field of 1.5 mm were obtained. The minimum two-way insertion loss of the system was -25 dB and the 6 dB bandwidth of the pulse echo response was 30%. An image of a resolution phantom and an in vivo skin image illustrate the excellent imaging characteristics of the transducer     

Characterization of the spatial resolution of different high-frequency imaging systems using a novel anechoic-sphere phantom

The spatial resolution of high-frequency ultrasound (HFU, >20 MHz) imaging systems is usually determined using wires perpendicular to the beam. Recently, two tissue-mimicking phantoms (TMPs) were developed to estimate three-dimensional (3-D) resolution. Each TMP consists of nine 1-cm-wide slabs of tissue-mimicking material containing randomly distributed anechoic spheres. All anechoic spheres in one slab have the same dimensions, and their diameter is increased from 0.1 mm in the first slab to 1.09 mm in the last. The scattering background for one set of slabs was fabricated using 3.5-μm glass beads; the second set used 6.4-μm glass beads. The ability of a HFU system to detect these spheres against a speckle background provides a realistic estimation of its 3-D spatial resolution. In the present study, these TMPs were used with HFU systems using single-element transducers, linear arrays, and annular arrays. The TMPs were immersed in water and each slab was scanned using two commercial imaging systems and a custom HFU system based on a 5-element annular array. The annular array had a nominal center frequency of 40 MHz, a focal length of 12 mm, and a total aperture of 6 mm. A synthetic-focusing algorithm was used to form images with an increased depth-of-field. The penetration depth was increased by using a linear-chirp signal spanning 15 to 65 MHz over 4 μs. Results obtained with the custom system were compared with those of the commercial systems (40-MHz probes) in terms of sphere detection, i.e., 3-D spatial resolution, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Resulting B-mode images indicated that only the linear-array transducer failed to clearly resolve the 0.2-mm spheres, which showed that the 3-D spatial resolution of the single-element and annular-array transducers was superior to that of the linear array. The single-element transducer could only detect these spheres over a narrow 1.5 mm depth-of-field, whereas the annular array was able to detect them to depths of at least 7 mm. For any size of the anechoic spheres, the annular array excited by a chirp-coded signal provided images of the highest contrast, with a maximum CNR of 1.8 at the focus, compared with 1.3 when using impulse excitation and 1.6 with the single-element transducer and linear array. This imaging configuration also provided CNRs above 1.2 over a wide depth range of 8 mm, whereas CNRs would quickly drop below 1 outside the focal zone of the other configurations.     

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers: next-generation arrays for acoustic imaging?

Piezoelectric materials have dominated the ultrasonic transducer technology. Recently, capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) have emerged as an alternative technology offering advantages such as wide bandwidth, ease of fabricating large arrays, and potential for integration with electronics. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the viability of CMUTs for ultrasound imaging. We present the first pulse-echo phased array B-scan sector images using a 128-element, one-dimensional (1-D) linear CMUT array. We fabricated 64- and 128-element 1-D CMUT arrays with 100% yield and uniform element response across the arrays. These arrays have been operated in immersion with no failure or degradation in performance over the time. For imaging experiments, we built a resolution test phantom roughly mimicking the attenuation properties of soft tissue. We used a PC-based experimental system, including custom-designed electronic circuits to acquire the complete set of 128 x 128 RF A-scans from all transmit-receive element combinations. We obtained the pulse-echo frequency response by analyzing the echo signals from wire targets. These echo signals presented an 80% fractional bandwidth around 3 MHz, including the effect of attenuation in the propagating medium. We reconstructed the B-scan images with a sector angle of 90 degrees and an image depth of 210 mm through offline processing by using RF beamforming and synthetic phased array approaches. The measured 6-dB lateral and axial resolutions at 135 mm depth were 0.0144 radians and 0.3 mm, respectively. The electronic noise floor of the image was more than 50 dB below the maximum mainlobe magnitude. We also performed preliminary investigations on the effects of crosstalk among array elements on the image quality. In the near field, some artifacts were observable extending out from the array to a depth of 2 cm. A tail also was observed in the point spread function (PSF) in the axial direction, indicating the existence of crosstalk. The relative amplitude of this tail with respect to the mainlobe was less than -20 dB.     

超声频率一致性分析及其在缺陷分类中的应用

超声检测中,需要根据不同的情况,如试样厚度、分辨率、缺陷深度及方向等而使用不同中心频率的探头。这成为信号自动分类中的一个主要问题。因为大多数模式分类算法与信号的形状密切相关,而信号的形状很大程度上随检测频率的变化而变化。为使分类系统不受检测频率的影响而能识别不同频率的同一类缺陷信号,文中采用了基于时间尺度化的频率一致性分析方法把不同频率的信号映射到同一参考频率。采集了两个焊接缺陷样本库也即尺度化处理样本库和没有尺度化处理样本库,并用类别可分性判据做定量对比。实验结果验证了频率一致性处理方法的有效性,能够消除换能器频率对分类的影响。     

Estimation of ultrasound attenuation from broadband echo-signals using bandpass filtering

A problem with video signal analysis for estimating frequency-dependent ultrasonic attenuation is that relative echogenicity versus depth curves are distorted when broadband pulses are used. In this correspondence, we present results that demonstrate improved accuracy of attenuation estimates computed from B-mode or envelope data derived after narrowband (1 MHz BW) filtering at different frequencies around the center frequency of the broadband echo signal. Based on the premise that transducer center frequencies are selected in part on penetration or imaging depth requirements, simulation and experimental results for a typical ultrasound imaging system show that narrowband video signal analysis for frequencies lower than or at the center frequency of the broadband pulse provide unbiased attenuation estimation over this depth. Filtered signals above the center frequency of the pulse yield accurate results only at shallow depths.     

A 100-200 MHz ultrasound biomicroscope

The development of higher frequency ultrasound imaging systems affords a unique opportunity to visualize living tissue at the microscopic level. This work was undertaken to assess the potential of ultrasound imaging in vivo using the 100-200 MHz range. Spherically focused lithium niobate transducers were fabricated. The properties of a 200 MHz center frequency device are described in detail. This transducer showed good sensitivity with an insertion loss of 18 dB at 200 MHz. Resolution of 14 /spl mu/m in the lateral direction and 12 /spl mu/m in the axial direction was achieved with f/1.14 focusing. A linear mechanical scan system and a scan converter were used to generate B-scan images at a frame rate up to 12 frames per second. System performance in B-mode imaging is limited by frequency dependent attenuation in tissues. An alternative technique, zone-focus image collection, was investigated to extend depth of field. Images of coronary arteries, the eye, and skin are presented along with some preliminary correlations with histology. These results demonstrate the feasibility of ultrasound biomicroscopy In the 100-200 MHz range. Further development of ultrasound backscatter imaging at frequencies up to and above 200 MHz will contribute valuable information about tissue microstructure.     

Anechoic sphere phantoms for estimating 3-D resolution of very-high-frequency ultrasound scanners

Two phantoms have been constructed for assessing performance of high-frequency ultrasound imagers. They also allow for periodic quality assurance tests and training technicians in the use of higher-frequency scanners. The phantoms contain eight blocks of tissue-mimicking material; each block contains a spatially random distribution of suitably small anechoic spheres having a small distribution of diameters. The eight mean sphere diameters are distributed from 0.10 to 1.09 mm. The two phantoms differ primarily in terms of the frequency dependence of the backscatter coefficient of the background material. Because spheres have no preferred orientation, all three (spatial) dimensions of resolution contribute to sphere detection on an equal basis; thus, the resolution is termed 3-D. Two high-frequency scanners are compared. One employs single-element (fixed focus) transducers (25 and 55 MHz), and the other employs variable focus linear arrays (20, 30, and 40 MHz). The depth range for detection of spheres of each size is determined corresponding to determination of 3-D resolution as a function of depth. As expected, the single-element transducers are severely limited in useful imaging depth ranges compared with the linear arrays. In this preliminary report, only one human observer analyzed images.     

Image reconstruction for photoacoustic scanning of tissue structures

Photoacoustic signal generation can be used for a new medical tomographic technique. This makes it possible to image optically different structures, such as the (micro)vascular system in tissues, by use of a transducer array for the detection of laser-generated wide-bandwidth ultrasound. A time-domain delay-and-sum focused beam-forming technique is used to locate the photoacoustic sources in the sample. To characterize the transducer response, simulations have been performed for a wide variety of parameter values and have been verified experimentally. With these data the weight factors for the spectrally and temporally filtered sensor signals are determined in order to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio of the beam former. The imaging algorithm is investigated by simulations and experiments. With this algorithm, for what is to our knowledge the first time, the three-dimensional photoacoustic imaging of complex optically absorbing structures located in a highly diffuse medium is demonstrated. When 200-mum-diameter hydrophone elements are used, the depth resolution is better than 20 mum, and the lateral resolution is better than 200 mum, independent of the depth for our range of imaging (to ~6 mm). Reduction of the transducer diameters and adaptation of the weight factors, at the cost of some increase of the noise level, will further improve the lateral resolution. The synthetic aperture algorithm used has been shown to be suitable for the new technique of photoacoustic tissue scanning.     

Pulse inversion sequences for mechanically scanned transducers

Mechanically scanned transducers are currently used for tissue harmonic imaging (THI) and nonlinear microbubble imaging at high frequencies. The pulse inversion (PI) technique is widely used for suppressing the fundamental signal, but its effectiveness is reduced by relative tissue/ transducer motion. In this paper, we investigate multipulse inversion (MPI) sequences that achieve a significant improvement on the fundamental suppression for mechanically scanned single-element transducers. MPI was subsequently applied on simulated and measured RF-data and relative fundamental suppression was compared with the 2-pulse PI technique. Simulations showed, for example, an increased fundamental suppression of 6 and 10 dB for MPI-sequences that combined 3 and 7 pulses, respectively, for a rotating intravascular ultrasound transducer with an interpulse angle of 0.15deg. Initial application of MPI sequences on RF-data from in vivo acquisitions resulted in similar fundamental suppression levels. The investigated MPI technique will help to reduce relative tissue/transducer motion effects and might lead to improved sensitivity and spatial resolution in nonlinear tissue imaging and improved microbubble detection in contrast imaging for mechanically scanned transducers.     

Principles and applications of ultrasound backscatter microscopy

The development of ultrasound backscatter microscopy (UBM) is described together with initial clinical and biological applications. UBM is essentially an extension of the powerful B-mode backscatter methods developed for clinical imaging in the 3-10-MHz frequency range. The development of new high sensitivity transducers in the 40-100-MHz range now permits visualization of tissue structures with resolution approaching 20 mum and a maximum penetration of approximately 4 mm. The performance characteristics and trade-offs of these new polymer and ceramic devices are reviewed, and the implementation of high-frequency imaging systems is described. Initial clinical applications of UBM include ophthalmic, skin, and intravascular imaging. Examples of images and progress in these areas are presented. The biological application of UBM is illustrated by studies of drug uptake in living tumor spheroids. Significant increases in backscatter levels resulting from drugs targeting oxic and hypoxic cell populations are demonstrated.     

Native tissue imaging at superharmonic frequencies

The second harmonic imaging mode has been adapted to image tissue and shown considerable improvements in image quality in several applications compared to the fundamental mode. The improvements were attributed to the effects of wave distortion due to nonlinear propagation in tissue. However, imaging tissue at the second harmonic frequency only has various drawbacks. Because the energy in the second harmonic frequency band is much lower than that in the fundamental frequency band, there must be excellent sensitivity and dynamic range in the receiving system to achieve an acceptable amount of signal-to-noise ratio. To increase the sensitivity, the spectral overlap between the fundamental and the second harmonic has to be diminished, which in return deteriorates the imaging resolution. Consequently, a trade-off is mandatory between resolution and sensitivity. Using simulations and measurements, we show that, at appropriate scanning acoustic settings, higher harmonics are generated in tissue. The higher harmonics represent additional, relevant information for tissue imaging and characterization. An elegant way to take advantage of the higher harmonics and to bring all the information together is to combine and incorporate all the multiple higher harmonics into a single component that we call the superharmonic component. Using a newly developed array transducer having a wide frequency band, B-mode images of a phantom were made in the superharmonic mode transmitting at 1.2 MHz. These images have exceptionally improved clarity and yield a dramatically cleaner and sharper contrast between the different structures being imaged. In addition to increased signal-to-noise ratio, superharmonic imaging shows better contrast and axial resolution as well as acceptable penetration depth.     

Two-dimensional imaging of dense tissue-simulating turbid media by use of sonoluminescence

An optical imaging technique that is believed to be novel was developed for noninvasive cross-sectional imaging of tissuelike turbid media. By use of a sonoluminescence signal generated internally in the media with a 1-MHz continuous-wave ultrasound, two-dimensional images were produced for objects embedded in turbid media by a raster scan of the media. Multiple objects of different shapes were resolved with this imaging technique. The images showed a high contrast and good spatial resolution. The spatial resolution was limited by the focal size of the ultrasonic focus.