Basic considerations in the use of coded excitation for color flow imaging applications

Coded excitation is now a well-established technique in medical ultrasound for B-mode imaging applications. It enables a gain in depth of penetration, without sacrificing the spatial resolution and maintaining an acceptable peak intensity for patient safety. The rationale of this technique for velocity estimation applications still has to be formulated in more precise terms. In particular, differences in the situation that arise in color flow imaging (CFI) applications from typical B-mode imaging conditions, such as signal-to-noise ratio conditions, pulsing strategy, and safety requirements, need to be specifically addressed to assess more quantitatively the potential of this technique. This paper discusses the potential improvement in sensitivity, resolution, and statistical performance provided by coded excitation for CFI applications from theoretical considerations and simulations.