An ultrasonic imaging speckle supression and contrast enhancement technique by means of frequency compounding and coded excitation

Jose R. Sanchez, Michael L. Oelze

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

A method for improving the contrast resolution of B-mode images is proposed by combining the speckle reduction technique of frequency compounding (FC), and the coded excitation and pulse compression technique called resolution enhancement compression (REC). FC suppresses speckle but at the expense of a reduction in axial resolution. Using REC the axial resolution and bandwidth of the imaging system was doubled. Therefore, by combining REC with FC (REC-FC), the trade-off between axial resolution and contrast enhancement was extended significantly. Simulations and experimental measurements were conducted with a single-element transducer (f/2.66) having a center frequency of 2.25 MHz and a -3-dB bandwidth of 50%. Simulations and measurements of hyperechoic (+6dB) tissue-mimicking targets were imaged. Two FC cases were evaluated: full-, and half-width of the true impulse response bandwidth. The image quality metrics used to compare REC-FC to conventional pulsing (CP) and CP-FC were: contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), speckle signal-to-noise ratio and histogram percent overlap. Increases in CNR of 121%, and 230% were obtained in experiments when comparing REC-FC for the full-, and half-width cases to CP. Improved lesion detectability was observed by using REC-FC.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2007 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings, IUS
Pages464-467
Number of pages4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Event2007 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS - New York, NY, United States
Duration: Oct 28 2007Oct 31 2007

Publication series

NameProceedings - IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium
ISSN (Print)1051-0117

Other

Other2007 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, IUS
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityNew York, NY
Period10/28/0710/31/07

Keywords

  • Coded excitation
  • Contrast
  • Frequency compounding
  • Frequency diversity
  • Pulse compression
  • Speckle

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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