Compounded direct pixel beamforming for medical ultrasound imaging

In this paper, a new compounded direct pixel beamforming (CDPB) method is presented to remove blurring artifacts introduced by ultrasound scan conversion. In CDPB, receive focusing is directly performed on each display pixel in Cartesian coordinates using the raw RF data from adjacent transmit firin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 2012-03, Vol.59 (3), p.572-582
Main Authors: Lee, Yuhwa, Lee, Woo Youl, Lim, Chae-Eun, Chang, Jin Ho, Song, Tai-Kyong, Yoo, Yangmo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustic signal processing
Acoustics
Algorithms
Array signal processing
Beamforming
Biological and medical sciences
Conversion
Entropy
Exact sciences and technology
Focusing
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Image Enhancement - methods
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods
In vivo
Interpolation
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Medical
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous. Technology
Physics
Pixels
Radio frequency
Reproducibility of Results
Sensitivity and Specificity
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
Transduction
acoustical devices for the generation and reproduction of sound
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonic investigative techniques
Ultrasonography - methods
Ultrasound
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Summary:In this paper, a new compounded direct pixel beamforming (CDPB) method is presented to remove blurring artifacts introduced by ultrasound scan conversion. In CDPB, receive focusing is directly performed on each display pixel in Cartesian coordinates using the raw RF data from adjacent transmit firings so that artifacts from the scan conversion can be removed. In addition, the energy variations resulting from the distance between the transmit scanline and display pixel are compensated by utilizing the gain factor obtained from the ultrasound beam pattern. The proposed CDPB method was evaluated using simulation and in vivo liver data acquired by a commercial ultrasound machine equipped with a research package. The experimental results showed that the proposed CDPB method improved the information entropy contrast (IEC) by 23.6% compared with the conventional scan conversion method and it reduced the blocking artifacts factor (BAF) by 16.4% over the direct pixel-based focusing method. These results indicate the proposed new direct pixel beamforming method could be used to enhance image quality in medical ultrasound imaging.
ISSN:0885-3010
1525-8955
DOI:10.1109/TUFFC.2012.2231