Multi-parameter acoustic imaging of uniform objects in inhomogeneous soft tissue

The problem studied in this paper is ultrasound image reconstruction from frequency-domain measurements of the scattered field from an object with contrast in attenuation and sound speed. The case in which the object has uniform but unknown contrast in these properties relative to the background is considered. Background clutter is taken into account in a physically realistic manner by considering an exact scattering model for randomly located small scatterers that vary in sound speed. The resulting statistical characteristics of the interference are incorporated into the imaging solution, which includes application of a total-variation minimization-based approach in which the relative effect of perturbation in sound speed to attenuation is included as a parameter. Convex optimization methods provide the basis for the reconstruction algorithm. Numerical data for inversion examples are generated by solving the discretized Lippman-Schwinger equation for the object and speckle-forming scatterers in the background. A statistical model based on the Born approximation is used for reconstruction of the object profile. Results are presented for a two-dimensional problem in terms of classification performance and compared with minimum-l2-norm reconstruction. Classification using the proposed method is shown to be robust down to a signal-to-clutter ratio of less than 1 dB.     

Optical imaging of transient acoustic fields generated bypiezocomposite transducers

Transient surface displacements of 1-3 piezocomposite transducers are measured and their correlative effects on the diffraction of the transmitted pulses are studied. The displacements of the surface of a 210 μm pitch piezocomposite are probed with a heterodyne, optical interferometer. An animate sequence is then built from the stored transient displacements so that each frame shows the instantaneous state of the surface of the piezocomposite. Such an animation proves to be a powerful analysing tool which provides a real insight into the piezocomposite's impulse behavior. Finally, the ultrasonic field transmitted in water and measured by the same optical probe is compared with simulations based on the diffraction impulse theory. The results of that comparison clearly show that, as far as diffraction is concerned, a piezocomposite transducer behaves like a homogeneous material     

一种有效的水声通信多普勒处理方法

在水声通信中,由于发射和接收平台之间的相对运动,多普勒频移是无法避免的。多普勒频移使信号频率和相位发生变化,降低载波估计的精度,造成自适应均衡器的发散,使整个系统的性能下降。文中设计了一种应用于水声多载波相干调制系统的多普勒处理方法,采用块估计和线性插值以抵消多普勒频移的影响。仿真结果表明,该方法能有效地抵消多普勒频移对多载波相干调制系统的影响。在信噪比为-10dB、数据率为100bit/s的条件下,系统允许相对运动速度可达到±10m/s。     

Optical imaging of inhomogeneous magnetic fields through the deformation of paramagnetic liquid films

A new quantitative method for optical imaging of inhomogeneous weak magnetic fields has been developed, using a thin paramagnetic liquid film on a surface in the region of the magnetic field. The deformation of the paramagnetic liquid film reveals the magnetic field distribution. The measurements were made interferometrically using a version of the Michelson interferometer through which an image could be observed. The expected theoretical behavior was developed, and the method was investigated experimentally using two different liquids in two temperature regions.     

Optical Fourier processor and point-diffraction interferometer for moving-object trajectory estimation

A hybrid optical-digital signal processing system that estimates the trajectory of moving targets in a two-dimensional field at video frame rates was developed and constructed. The hybrid system is particularly well suited to the trajectory estimation of small, barely discernable, moving objects of unknown position and velocity in high-resolution image sequences. The system uses an optical Fourier processor and a point-diffraction interferometer to calculate the frequency-domain representation of moving objects from which their trajectory is estimated by use of conventional electronic processing techniques. In a series of experiments, target velocities were estimated to within 4% of their actual value and direction was estimated to within 3 deg.     

A numerical solution algorithm for the spatially inhomogeneous equations of kinetic breakdown

A computational algorithm is described, based on the total approximation method. The discussion is centered on the example of the model problem of laser break-down of high-pressure atomic nitrogen near a metallic surface.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 55, No. 4, pp. 629–638, October, 1988.     

Log-converting processor element for CCD linear imaging arrays

A photosensor element suitable for incorporation into charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging arrays in which the charge injected into the CCD is proportional to the logarithm of incident light intensity is presented. The photosensor element consists of a photodiode directly coupled to a two-stage MOSFET common source amplifier. This element occupies an area of 25 x 100 microm and is arranged so that it could be incorporated into a linear CCD imaging array having a period of 25 microm. A logarithmic response is measured over a 68.6-dB range of incident light intensity with a sensitivity of 55 mV/decade of light intensity.     

Doppler-free, multiwavelength acousto-optic deflector for two-photon addressing arrays of Rb atoms in a quantum information processor

We demonstrate a dual wavelength acousto-optic deflector (AOD) designed to deflect two wavelengths to the same angles by driving with two RF frequencies. The AOD is designed as a beam scanner to address two-photon transitions in a two-dimensional array of trapped neutral Rb87 atoms in a quantum computer. Momentum space is used to design AODs that have the same diffraction angles for two wavelengths (780 and 480 nm) and have nonoverlapping Bragg-matched frequency response at these wavelengths, so that there will be no cross talk when proportional frequencies are applied to diffract the two wavelengths. The appropriate crystal orientation, crystal shape, transducer size, and transducer height are determined for an AOD made with a tellurium dioxide crystal (TeO(2)). The designed and fabricated AOD has more than 100 resolvable spots, widely separated band shapes for the two wavelengths within an overall octave bandwidth, spatially overlapping diffraction angles for both wavelengths (780 and 480 nm), and a 4 micros or less access time. Cascaded AODs in which the first device upshifts and the second downshifts allow Doppler-free scanning as required for addressing the narrow atomic resonance without detuning. We experimentally show the diffraction-limited Doppler-free scanning performance and spatial resolution of the designed AOD.     

Investigation of magnesium fluoride crystals for imaging acousto-optic tunable filter applications

Results of an investigation of acousto-optic (AO) cells using single crystals of magnesium fluoride (MgF2) are presented. Two acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) cells for imaging application have been designed and tested in the visible and ultraviolet (UV) regions of the spectrum from 190 to 490 nm. The two imaging filters were developed by using the wide-angle AO interaction geometry in the (010) and (11 0) planes of the crystal. These filters were used to obtain spectral images at the shortest wavelengths achieved so far. Advantages and drawbacks of this crystal are discussed and photoelastic, acoustic, and AO properties of MgF2 are examined. The investigation confirmed that MgF2-based AOTF cells can be used in the deep UV region up to 110 nm.     

Hybrid method for computing demagnetizing fields

A hybrid finite-element-boundary integral method is proposed for computing demagnetizing field. For a three-dimensional (3-D) mesh with N nodes in the magnetic region, the method requires storage O( N^4/3), and no nodes outside the magnetic region need to be considered. The method is suitable for nonlinear calculations, can be adapted to handle curved boundaries, and is especially convenient when the magnetic region consists of several parts whose relative positions are variable     

Neural network surface acoustic wave RF signal processor for digital modulation recognition

An architecture of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) processor based on an artificial neural network is proposed for an automatic recognition of different types of digital passband modulation. Three feed-forward networks are trained to recognize filtered and unfiltered binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signals, as well as unfiltered BPSK, QPSK, and 16 quadrature amplitude (16QAM) signals. Performance of the processor in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is simulated. The influence of second-order effects in SAW devices, phase, and amplitude errors on the performance of the processor also is studied.     

Position of the prism in a dispersion-compensated acousto-optic deflector for multiphoton imaging

The performance of a dispersion-compensated acousto-optic deflector (AOD) for steering femtosecond laser pulses was examined with the prism located before or after the AOD, which is regarded as prism-AOD and AOD-prism, respectively. Comparisons are made over parameters including the spot spatial pattern, output pulse width, scanning linearity, the field of view, and the transmission rate. Fluorescence images of 170 nm diameter beads and cells were measured to provide an overall evaluation for these femtosecond laser beam scanning configurations. On the basis of these experiments, the prism-AOD configuration is concluded to be more advantageous for the purpose of simultaneous compensation for the spatial and temporal dispersion.     

Orbital and spin parts of energy currents for electromagnetic waves through spatially inhomogeneous media

We investigate electromagnetic waves propagating through non-magnetic and loss-free dielectric media, but with spatially inhomogeneous refractive indices. We derive hence a set of analytic formulae for conservation laws and energy-current (Poynting) vector. As a result, we deduce that the energy-current vector cannot be neatly separated into its orbital and spin parts in contrast to the cases with spatially homogeneous media. In addition, we present physical interpretations of the two additional terms due to spatial material inhomogeneity.     

Hybrid numerical scheme for time-evolving wave fields

Many problems in geophysics, acoustics, elasticity theory, cancer treatment, food process control and electrodynamics involve study of wave field synthesis (WFS) in some form or another. In the present work, modelling of wave propagation phenomena is studied as a static problem, using finite element method and treating time as an additional spatial dimension. In particular, WFS problems are analysed using discrete methods. It is shown that a fully finite element-based scheme is very natural and effective method for the solution of such problems. Distributed WFS in the context of two-dimensional problems is outlined and incorporation of any geometric or material non-linearities is shown to be straightforward. This has significant implications for problems in geophysics or biological media, where material inhomogeneities are quite prevalent. Numerical results are presented for several problems referring to media with material inhomogeneities and predefined absorption profiles. The method can be extended to three-dimensional problems involving anisotropic media properties in a relatively straightforward manner. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A finite-element method for computing three-dimensional electromagnetic fields in inhomogeneous media

A finite-element method is presented that is particularly suited for the computer modeling of three-dimensional electromagnetic fields in inhomogeneous media. It employs a new type of linear vectorial expansion functions. Across an interface where the constitutive coefficients are discontinuous, they have the following properties: (1) the continuity of the tangential components of the electric and the magnetic field strengths is exactly preserved, (2) the normal component of the electric and the magnetic field strengths are allowed to jump and (3) the electric and the magnetic fluxes are continuous within the pertaining degree of approximation. The system of equations from which the expansion coefficients are obtained is generated by applying a Galerkin-type weighted-residual method. Numerical experiments are described that illustrate the efficiency of our elements, and the computational costs of the method.     

3D source simulation method for static fields in inhomogeneous media

In this paper, an integral approach based on the source simulation method (SSM) for the solution of three dimensional (3D) static electric fields is presented. This is an extension of the well‐known charge simulation method to the electric and current static fields. The formulation allows the solution of 3D electrostatic or static current field problems, where several perfectly conducting bodies (electrodes) are placed in inhomogeneous media. Only electrode surfaces and dielectric interfaces need to be discretized by triangular elements. Matrix coefficients are accurately evaluated by using closed integral forms of 1/r and of grad(1/r). Dirichlet and Neumann conditions can be imposed on the different conducting bodies; in particular, floating potential problem can also be solved. The method of images allows ground plane to be taken into account. The procedure has been applied to several practical cases and it represents an efficient tool for the evaluation of lumped circuit parameters such as capacitances of 3D conducting bodies and ground resistances of grounding systems. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

FPGA-based reconfigurable processor for ultrafast interlaced ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging

In this paper, we report, to the best of our knowledge, a unique field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based reconfigurable processor for real-time interlaced co-registered ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging and its application in imaging tumor dynamic response. The FPGA is used to control, acquire, store, delay-and-sum, and transfer the data for real-time co-registered imaging. The FPGA controls the ultrasound transmission and ultrasound and photoacoustic data acquisition process of a customized 16-channel module that contains all of the necessary analog and digital circuits. The 16-channel module is one of multiple modules plugged into a motherboard; their beamformed outputs are made available for a digital signal processor (DSP) to access using an external memory interface (EMIF). The FPGA performs a key role through ultrafast reconfiguration and adaptation of its structure to allow real-time switching between the two imaging modes, including transmission control, laser synchronization, internal memory structure, beamforming, and EMIF structure and memory size. It performs another role by parallel accessing of internal memories and multi-thread processing to reduce the transfer of data and the processing load on the DSP. Furthermore, because the laser will be pulsing even during ultrasound pulse-echo acquisition, the FPGA ensures that the laser pulses are far enough from the pulse-echo acquisitions by appropriate time-division multiplexing (TDM). A co-registered ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging system consisting of four FPGA modules (64-channels) is constructed, and its performance is demonstrated using phantom targets and in vivo mouse tumor models.