Real-time curvilinear and improved rectilinear volumetric imaging

• Published in: IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium 2001 Vol. 2; pp. 1117 - 1122 vol.2
• Main Authors: Yen, J.T., Smith, S.W.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 2001
• Subjects: Abdomen; Breast; Computer simulation; Delay; Flexible printed circuits; Integrated circuit interconnections; Interference; Milling machines; Ribs; Transducers
• ISBN: 0780371771; 9780780371774
• DOI: 10.1109/ULTSYM.2001.991915

Current real time volumetric scanners use a two-dimensional array to scan a pyramidal volume comprised of many sector scans stacked in the elevation direction. This scan format is primarily useful for cardiac imaging to avoid interference from the ribs. However, a real time curvilinear or rectilinear volumetric scan with a wider field of view close to the transducer could prove more useful for abdominal, breast, or vascular imaging. In previous work, computer simulations of very sparse array transducer designs in a rectilinear volumetric scanner demonstrated that a Mills cross array showed the best overall performance given current system constraints. Consequently, a 94/spl times/94 Mills cross array including 372 active channels operating at 5 MHz has been developed on a flexible circuit interconnect. In addition, the beam former delay software and scan converter display software of the Duke volumetric scanner was modified to achieve real-time rectilinear volumetric scanning consisting of a 30 mm/spl times/8 mm/spl times/60 mm scan at a rate of 47 volumes/sec. Real-time rectilinear volumetric images were obtained of tissue mimicking phantoms showing spatial resolution of 1-2 mm.