Hardware and software platform for real-time processing and visualization of echographic radiofrequency signals

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Existing echographs often lack the flexibility for advanced processing.
• Evaluating new diagnostic techniques requires adaptable experimental setups.
• Real-time processing is crucial for clinical applicability of ultrasound investigations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel hardware and software platform for ultrasonic investigations.
• To enable real-time processing of radiofrequency (RF) echo signals from commercial echographs.
• To transform standard echographs into versatile test systems for evaluating new diagnostic methods.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a personal computer (PC) with analog front-end hardware.
• Direct access and processing of the radiofrequency echo signal.
• Development of a user interface for real-time, simultaneous visualization of processing stages.
• Utilizing custom algorithms and commercial libraries for software signal processing.

Main Results:

• A powerful echographic system capable of experimenting with various processing techniques.
• Real-time acquisition and processing of RF echo signals.
• Flexible and intuitive visualization of processing results via PC interface.
• Direct RF signal processing facilitates analysis of ultrasound-media interactions.

Conclusions:

• The platform effectively transforms commercial echographs into advanced test systems.
• Direct RF signal processing is key for comprehensive ultrasound-media interaction analysis.
• The PC integration offers programmability and leverages rapid technological advancements for enhanced diagnostic research.