Ultrasound Imaging Initiative
Abstract
This objective of this project was to build a real-time 3D ultrasound imaging system for combat casualty care. The high frame rate necessary for real-time 3D imaging was obtained using a synthetic aperture beamforming technique. The technique uses a fraction of the transmit pulses required by a conventional imaging system and permits very rapid image acquisition with no degradation of image quality. A beamformer capable of generating 650 2D image per second was implemented using a network of high speed digital signal processors. These images were then formatted to form 20 volumes (3D images) per second using a transducer array mounted on a mechanically rocking assembly. The array also featured a new multi-layer transducer design for improved electrical matching and noise performance. Alongside the scanner development, an extensive set of software tools were developed to allow real-time visualization and provide easy and accurate analysis of the resulting 3D data. All components were integrated and a prototype system was successfully tested during the summer of 2002.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADB286590
Entities
People
- Raj Shekhar