Post-beamforming second-order Volterra filter for pulse-echo ultrasonic imaging

We present a new algorithm for deriving a second-order Volterra filter (SVF) capable of separating linear and quadratic components from echo signals. Images based on the quadratic components are shown to provide contrast enhancement between tissue and ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) without loss i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 50; no. 8; pp. 987 - 1001
Main Authors: Phukpattaranont, P., Ebbini, E.S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.08.2003
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subjects:
Acoustics
Algorithms
Biological and medical sciences
Connective Tissue - diagnostic imaging
Contrast agents
Dynamic range
Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed - instrumentation
Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed - methods
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
General equipment and techniques
Harmonics
High-resolution imaging
Image contrast
Image Enhancement - instrumentation
Image Enhancement - methods
Imaging
Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Media
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous. Technology
Nonlinear filters
Phantoms, Imaging
Physics
Power harmonic filters
Radio frequency
Robustness
Scattering
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
Spatial resolution
Studies
Testing
Transducers
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonic investigative techniques
Ultrasonics, quantum acoustics, and physical effects of sound
Human
B scan
Image databank
Volterra filter
Radiofrequency
Real time
Beam forming
Tissue
Medical imagery
Acoustic image
Spatial resolution
Contrast media
Image contrast
ISSN:0885-3010, 1525-8955
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:We present a new algorithm for deriving a second-order Volterra filter (SVF) capable of separating linear and quadratic components from echo signals. Images based on the quadratic components are shown to provide contrast enhancement between tissue and ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) without loss in spatial resolution. It is also shown that the quadratic images preserve the low scattering regions due to their high dynamic range when compared with standard B-mode or harmonic images. A robust algorithm for deriving the filter has been developed and tested on real-time imaging data from contrast and tissue-mimicking media. Illustrative examples from image targets containing contrast agent and tissue-mimicking media are presented and discussed. Quantitative assessment of the contrast enhancement is performed on both the RF data and the envelope-detected log-compressed image data. It is shown that the quadratic images offer levels of enhancement comparable or exceeding those from harmonic filters while maintaining the visibility of low scattering regions of the image.
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ISSN:0885-3010
1525-8955
DOI:10.1109/TUFFC.2003.1226543