Abstract
A novel ultrasound (US) high-channels platform is a pre-requisite to open new frontiers in diagnostic and/or therapy by experimental implementation of innovative advanced US techniques. To date, a few systems with more than 1000 transducers permit full and simultaneous control in both transmission and receiving of all single elements of arrays. A powerful US platform for implementing 4-D (real-time 3-D) advanced US strategies, offering full research access, is presented in this paper. It includes a 1024-elements array prototype designed for 4-D cardiac dual-mode US imaging/therapy and 4 synchronized Vantage systems. The physical addressing of each element was properly chosen for allowing various array downsampled combinations while minimizing the number of driving systems. Numerical simulations of US imaging were performed, and corresponding experimental data were acquired to compare full and downsampled array strategies, testing 4-D imaging sequences and reconstruction processes. The results indicate the degree of degradation of image quality when using full array or downsampled combinations, and the contrast ratio and the contrast to noise ratio vary from 7.71 dB to 2.02 dB and from 2.99 dB to −7.31 dB, respectively. Moreover, the feasibility of the 4-D US platform implementation was tested on a blood vessel mimicking phantom for preliminary Doppler applications. The acquired data with fast volumetric imaging with up to 2000 fps allowed assessing the validity of common 3-D power Doppler, opening in this way a large field of applications.
Highlights
In the last 15 years, open research US machines [1] have been developed for therapy and imaging in order to offer different solutions to the ultrasound (US) community
This paper presents a new powerful fully programmable US platform developed with specific performance for implementing 4-D advanced US strategies with custom data processing
The new ultrasound platform includes a 1024-element US probe with a specific wiring of the elements and a high-channels density US scanner driven by 4 individual Vantage 256 systems (Verasonics, Kirkland, WA, USA), synchronized together
Summary
In the last 15 years, open research US machines [1] have been developed for therapy and imaging in order to offer different solutions to the ultrasound (US) community. The US imaging modality is considered a versatile, well-established and widely used diagnostic tool in medicine, novel approaches based on modern signal and image processing methods are required in order to improve the image quality and diagnostic accuracy. The lack of flexibility offered by standard commercial systems, especially the limited access of RF raw data information and limited number of elements, does not always fit the requirements for data access and extensive control over imaging and systems parameters [2] and prevents a complete evaluation of new investigation methods [3]. Volumetric US scanners with open access, that enable real time
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