Passive cavitation imaging using different advanced beamforming methods

Abstract

The imaging of cavitation is mandatory in order to optimize, quantify and localize accurately ultrasound thrombolysis. The therapy system implemented in the present study uses a novel and dynamic technique to regulate the cavitation activity. To monitor this therapy, passive ultrasound acquisitions are conducted during the sonication, allowing a real-time regulation of cavitation activity. Different advanced passive imaging's methods are investigated here for the reconstruction of cavitation activity maps. More specifically, Time reversal method (TRM) and passive acoustic mapping (PAM) were implemented and discussed. In order to improve the PAM, an additional factor is considered in the beamforming, the phase coherence factor (PCF). To evaluate the importance of each method, two dataset were used: ultrasound cavitation in water bath recorded by a linear ultrasound probe and bubble activity simulation. We conclude by this study that PCF weighted PAM reconstruction algorithm overcome TRM technique for passive cavitation imaging.