Phase aberration correction using echo signals from moving targets. I: Description and theory.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Acoustics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Inhomogeneous acoustic velocity in human tissues causes phase aberration.
• Phase aberration significantly degrades the image quality of ultrasonic imaging systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel technique for compensating phase aberration in ultrasonic imaging.
• To utilize echo signals from moving diffuse targets as an image quality factor.

Main Methods:

• The technique employs echo signals from moving diffuse targets, such as flowing blood.
• Image subtraction of two consecutive target interrogations is used to obtain these signals.
• Fundamental statistics of the derived quality factor and related parameters are developed.

Main Results:

• A new image quality factor is proposed for phase aberration correction.
• The method provides a theoretical basis for aberration compensation using moving targets.
• Demonstrates potential for improving ultrasonic image quality.

Conclusions:

• The described technique offers a novel approach to compensate for phase aberration in ultrasonic imaging.
• Utilizing moving diffuse targets provides a viable method for assessing and correcting image quality degradation.
• Further development can enhance the accuracy and applicability of this aberration correction technique.