Coded excitation system for improving the penetration of real-time phased-array imaging systems

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Medical ultrasound imaging is limited by its inherent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
• Achieving higher SNR is crucial for improved diagnostic accuracy and image quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of coded excitation for enhancing SNR in real-time phased-array ultrasound systems.
• To introduce a simple pseudochirp-based coded excitation and equalization filtering method.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of inherent SNR in medical ultrasound.
• Development of a pseudochirp coded excitation technique for phased arrays.
• Implementation of equalization filtering.
• Validation through simulations and experimental measurements.

Main Results:

• Theoretical SNR improvements of 15-20 dB are possible with coded excitation.
• The described system achieved approximately 15 dB SNR improvement.
• Range sidelobe levels were found to be acceptable for medical imaging applications.

Conclusions:

• The pseudochirp coded excitation method effectively enhances SNR in real-time ultrasound imaging.
• This SNR improvement enables the use of higher frequencies, thereby increasing spatial resolution.
• The method is validated by both simulations and measurements, demonstrating its practical applicability.