Ultrasound Beamforming and Image Formation: Mark L. Palmeri, M.D., Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering Duke University

Ultrasound concepts Beamforming Image formation Absorption & TGC Advanced beamforming
Ultrasound beamforming and image formation

Mark L. Palmeri, M.D., Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering Duke University
RSNA 2007 RC632B
Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)
RSNA 2007
Introduction
Slides adapted from those prepared by Dr. Jeremy Dahl A PDF of these slides will be available at: http://www.duke.edu/mlp6/rsna07/RC632B.pdf No relevant nancial relationships to disclose
RSNA 2007
Outline
Ultrasound concepts Beamforming Image formation Absorption and TGC Advanced beamforming techniques

Synthetic receive aperture Parallel beamforming Spatial compounding Adaptive beamforming
RSNA 2007
Ultrasonic imaging

Use acoustic (pressure) waves to form images Frequency range: 1-20 MHz Tomographic view: imaging plane is orthogonal to the surface Pulse-echo imaging
RSNA 2007
Ultrasound system
Beamformer TGC A/D Conversion Geometric Focal Delays Summation
Transducer
Signal Processing IQ Computation Magnitude Calculation Compression Filtering Flow Processing Image Mode Processing
Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B) RSNA 2007
Scan Conversion and Display
Coordinate system
Elevation (y)
Azimuthal (x) Transducer Elements
Axial (z)
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Transmit/receive Array types Fixed focusing Dynamic focusing Aperture growth & apodization
Outline

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Transmit beamforming
System Time Delays
1 2 3 4 5
Scattering Medium
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Receive beamforming
Signal Alignment
1 2
Scattering Medium
Summed RF Data
(RF Line out)
3 4 5
System Time Delays
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RF data generation
Returned Echos Focused
50
Summed
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500 1.5 1 0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 x 10

21
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Array types
Transducer Array
Beams
111 00 000 11 00 11
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Array type examples
Linear
Phased
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Fixed focus beamforming
10
10
15
15
Depth (mm)
20
Depth (mm) 1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)
20
25
25
30
30
35
35
1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)
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Fixed focus beamforming

12 14 16 Depth (mm)
Depth (mm) 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
18 20 22 24 26 28 30 5 0 (mm) 5
0 (mm)
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Dynamic-receive beamforming
System Time Delays
Propagation Direction
Transducer
RSNA 2007
10
10
15
15
Depth (mm)
20
20
25
25
30
30
35
35
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12 14 16 Depth (mm)
Depth (mm) 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
18 20 22 24 26 28 30 5 0 (mm) 5
0 (mm)
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Aperture growth and apodization
Time: Apodization Weight: Aperture Growth: Depth 1 0
t1 1 0
t2 1 0
t3
Unused Transducer Elements
RSNA 2007
10
10
15
15
Depth (mm)
20
20
25
25
30
30
35
35
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12 14 16 Depth (mm)
Depth (mm) 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
18 20 22 24 26 28 30 5 0 (mm) 5
0 (mm)
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RF data Envelope detection Compression
Outline

RSNA 2007
Radio-frequency (RF) image
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Envelope detection
Envelope
Signal with Carrier Frequency
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Envelope detection
Filter To other post processing filters
RF Line in
cos 2 f0
I +Q
Compression and Mapping
Filter
sin 2 f0
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RF vs. envelope detected data
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Compression and gray-scale mapping
The dynamic range of the envelope detected signals is still to large to provide useful images. Bright targets can drown out the low signals of important structures. Compression and gray scale mapping techniques are used to reduce the dynamic range.
RSNA 2007
Compressed image
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Absorption TGC
Outline

RSNA 2007
Absorption TGC
Absorption
Not all of the transmitted ultrasonic energy is reected. In fact, most of the transmitted energy is absorbed by the tissue. The typical rate of absorption of ultrasonic energy is 0.5 dB/cm/MHz. For example, an acoustical pulse at 5 MHz that travels 10 cm 1 of into tissue loses 25 dB of its signal strength (i.e., about 18 the original amplitude). Absorption is frequency dependent: The higher the frequency, the greater the absorption. Although resolution is better at the higher frequencies, the penetration of the ultrasound signal is not as good as the lower frequencies.
RSNA 2007
Absorption TGC
Absorption liver examples
5.7 MHz
8.0 MHz
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10.0 MHz
Absorption TGC
Time-gain compensation (TGC)
Time-gain compensation is used to counteract the eects of absorption. Gain is applied to the signal as a function of time (or distance). Manufacturers apply pre-determined TGC to the ultrasonic signals, however they still allow some user control of the gain with depth. Gain can be applied down to reasonable depths depending on the frequency. At some point, however, the SNR of the signal is so low that applying any TGC only serves to amplify noise.
RSNA 2007
Absorption TGC
Time-gain compensation (TGC)
- TGC
+ TGC
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Synthetic receive aperture Parallel receive Spatial compounding Adaptive beamforming
Outline

RSNA 2007
Synthetic receive aperture
Synthetic receive aperture imaging emulates a larger transducer when a systems available beamforming channel count is smaller than the number of elements in the transducer. The beamforming is considered synthetic because multiple transmits are used to construct the beam as if it were received on the entire transducer at once.
RSNA 2007
Synthetic receive aperture
First Transmit
Second Transmit
Transmitting Receiving Transmitting and Receiving
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Parallel receive beamforming
Parallel receive beamforming, also known as Explososcanning, is a method of beamforming that forms multiple receive beams from a single transmit event. In parallel receive beamforming, a broad transmit beam is red, and multiple receive beams are formed within the bounds of the transmit beam. Parallel receive beamforming is used to increase frame rate. This is most useful when the imaging deep within tissue, or when real-time 3-D imaging is desired.
RSNA 2007
Parallel receive beamforming

Transducer
Transmit Beam Receive Beams
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Spatial compounding
All ultrasound images suer from coherent noise, called speckle. Speckle results from the constructive and destructive wave interference of reections from sub-resolution scatterers, and gives the image a grainy appearance. Speckle reduces the visible resolution by a factor of 10. Spatial compounding is a means by which the eects of speckle can be reduced.
RSNA 2007
Spatial compounding
In spatial compounding, multiple images of the same target are averaged in order to reduce the coherent noise. Each image must contain uncorrelated speckle patterns. Many ways to obtain uncorrelated speckle patterns:

Divide the transducer into small sub-apertures Change the steering angle of the beams Physically translate the transducer Change the transmit frequency
RSNA 2007
Spatial compounding
Normal Spatially compounded
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Adaptive beamforming
Up to this point, weve assumed that the sound speed in human tissue is a constant (1540 m/s). This is just an average of the soft tissue sound speed.
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Adaptive beamforming
Because the sound speed can change from tissue to tissue, AND because the thickness of these tissues vary from location to location, the sound wave used for ultrasonic imaging can become distorted. The distortion in the sound wave is called aberration in adaptive beamforming. In adaptive beamforming (also called adaptive imaging) we attempt to correct the beamformer for the aberration.
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Eects of aberration
Reduced image brightness Loss in resolution Obscured targets Image artifacts
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Eects of aberration
Control Aberrated
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Aberration correction
Many methods have been created to compensate for aberration. They generally fall into two classes, based on the model of aberration used:

Near-eld phase-screen models Distributed aberration models
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Near-eld phase screen model

Signal Misalignment Phase Error
1 2
Near Field PhaseScreen
Summed RF Data
3 4 5
System Time Delays
Scattering Medium
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Distributed aberration model

MidRange PhaseScreen
1 2
Scattering Medium
Summed RF Data
3 4 5
System Time Delays
Propagation of Distorted Wavefronts
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Aberration correction
Aberrated Corrected
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Challenges in adaptive beamforming
Requires access to the channel signals; most manufacturers do not provide access to these signals. The volume of data created by the channel signals is extremely large. Signicant computational eort. Low frame rates - relatively few have attempted to make adaptive beamforming work with real-time imaging.
RSNA 2007
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RSNA 2007

Ultrasound Beamforming and Image Formation: Mark L. Palmeri, M.D., Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering Duke University

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Ultrasound Beamforming and Image Formation: Mark L. Palmeri, M.D., Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering Duke University

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Formats disponibles

Ultrasound concepts Beamforming Image formation Absorption & TGC Advanced beamforming

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation

RSNA 2007 RC632B

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Synthetic receive aperture Parallel beamforming Spatial compounding Adaptive beamforming

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Scan Conversion and Display

Azimuthal (x) Transducer Elements

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Synthetic receive aperture Parallel beamforming Spatial compounding Adaptive beamforming

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

System Time Delays

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

System Time Delays

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

500 1.5 1 0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 x 10

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Array type examples

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Fixed focus beamforming

Depth (mm) 1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)

1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Fixed focus beamforming

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Depth (mm) 1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)

1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Aperture growth and apodization

Time: Apodization Weight: Aperture Growth: Depth 1 0

Unused Transducer Elements

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Aperture growth and apodization

Depth (mm) 1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)

1 0 1 Azimuthal Span (mm)

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

Aperture growth and apodization

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression

Synthetic receive aperture Parallel beamforming Spatial compounding Adaptive beamforming

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression

Radio-frequency (RF) image

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression

Signal with Carrier Frequency

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression

Filter To other post processing filters

Compression and Mapping

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression

RF vs. envelope detected data

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression

Compression and gray-scale mapping

Ultrasound beamforming and image formation (RC632B)

RF data Envelope detection Compression