Abstract
Plane Wave Imaging (PWI) has been recently proposed for fast ultrasound inspections in the Non-Destructive-Testing (NDT) field. By using a single (or a reduced number) of plane wave emissions and parallel beamforming in reception, frame rates of hundreds to thousands of images per second can be achieved without significant image quality losses with regard to the Total Focusing Method (TFM) or Phased Array (PA). This work addresses the problem of applying PWI in the presence of arbitrarily shaped interfaces, which is a common problem in NDT. First, the mathematical formulation for generating a plane wave inside a component of arbitrary geometry is given, and the characteristics of the resultant acoustic field are analyzed by simulation, showing plane wavefronts with non-uniform amplitude. Then, an imaging strategy is proposed, accounting for this amplitude effect. Finally, the proposed method is experimentally validated, and its application limits are discussed.
Highlights
In recent years, various methods for ultrasound imaging with array transducers were developed and studied in the Non–Destructive Testing (NDT) field
By using a single of plane wave emissions and parallel beamforming in reception, frame rates of hundreds to thousands of images per second can be achieved without significant image quality losses with regard to the Total Focusing Method (TFM) or Phased Array (PA)
The lateral extent of the plane wave is limited to the region (PWR, Plane Wave Region) between the entry points of the extreme array elements, and only those pixels inside the PWR should be considered for reception beamforming with this plane wave angle. This is the main limitation of plane wave imaging: The effective imaging area for each emission is limited to the projection of the array aperture at the propagation angle
Summary
Various methods for ultrasound imaging with array transducers were developed and studied in the Non–Destructive Testing (NDT) field. This is the main limitation of plane wave imaging: The effective imaging area for each emission is limited to the projection of the array aperture at the propagation angle Another effect is shown by the simulation: the field amplitude is not constant across the wavefront, which could lead to echo amplitude differences because of a noncontrolled apodization. This behavior is produced mainly by the angular sensitivity of the array elements, the geometric spreading of the beam, and the distribution of the entry points along the interface.
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