Specific Delay Multiply and Sum Beamforming for 2-D and 3-D Coherent Multi-Transducer Ultrasound imaging

TY - CHAP

T1 - Specific Delay Multiply and Sum Beamforming for 2-D and 3-D Coherent Multi-Transducer Ultrasound imaging

AU - Peralta Pereira, Laura

AU - Mazierli, Daniele

AU - Hajnal, Jo

AU - Tortoli, Piero

AU - Ramalli, Alessandro

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Coherent multi-transducer ultrasound (CoMTUS) imaging enables the use of multiple arrays as one large effective aperture. This yields images with enlarged field of view, improved resolution, and higher SNR. However, creating a large but discontinuous effective aperture increases the grating and side lobe levels and generates cross-talk artifacts from the direct transmissions between arrays. These additional challenges can degrade the contrast of the images obtainedthrough the classic Delay and Sum (DAS) beamforming algorithm.This study investigates the use of an alternative nonlinear beamforming algorithm, the Delay Multiply and Sum (DMAS), to improve contrast and reduce cross-talk artifacts in CoMTUS. We adapted the original DMAS beamforming algorithm to the specific effective aperture of CoMTUS and tested its performance in a coherent dual-array system for both 2-D and 3-D imaging. The comparison between images obtained through CoMTUS DMAS and DAS was investigated by both 2-D and 3-D simulations and experiments. DMAS was shown effective to lower the side lobes and the noise floor, thus improving thedetectability of cystic lesions.

AB - Coherent multi-transducer ultrasound (CoMTUS) imaging enables the use of multiple arrays as one large effective aperture. This yields images with enlarged field of view, improved resolution, and higher SNR. However, creating a large but discontinuous effective aperture increases the grating and side lobe levels and generates cross-talk artifacts from the direct transmissions between arrays. These additional challenges can degrade the contrast of the images obtainedthrough the classic Delay and Sum (DAS) beamforming algorithm.This study investigates the use of an alternative nonlinear beamforming algorithm, the Delay Multiply and Sum (DMAS), to improve contrast and reduce cross-talk artifacts in CoMTUS. We adapted the original DMAS beamforming algorithm to the specific effective aperture of CoMTUS and tested its performance in a coherent dual-array system for both 2-D and 3-D imaging. The comparison between images obtained through CoMTUS DMAS and DAS was investigated by both 2-D and 3-D simulations and experiments. DMAS was shown effective to lower the side lobes and the noise floor, thus improving thedetectability of cystic lesions.

M3 - Conference paper

BT - IUS 2022 - International Ultrasonics Symposium, Proceedings

PB - IEEE

ER -