Wideband holographic three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging of breast and liver phantoms

Wideband ultrasonic 3-D holography is a unique technique for volumetric imaging with extremely high lateral and depth resolution. The large frequency bandwidth, which is typically 25% to 100%, provides excellent depth resolution. The synthetic aperture provides optimum lateral resolution of one-half wavelength at the pulse center frequency. Wideband impulse holography is a multi-frequency detection and imaging technique where the reflected target's broadband time waveform signals are recorded over a defined aperture. The signals are then decomposed into their discrete frequency components as single frequency holograms, combined in the spatial frequency domain, and reconstructed into a 3-D composite image. The composite image may then be viewed with stereo glasses in 3-D. Recent 3-D holographic images of human female breast and liver phantoms with internal cysts (5 to 10 mm) at 5 MHz illustrate the efficacy of this technique for medical ultrasound 3-D volumetric imaging. A video of the breast and liver phantoms may be presented at the meeting.