Ultrasound holographic B-scan imaging

An ultrasound holographic B-scan (UHB) imaging apparatus comprising a minicomputer system, a data acquisition unit, and a special 64-element UHB transducer has been developed. Simulation studies and real experiments with a tissue-equivalent phantom show that lateral and longitudinal resolution (-6 dB) of about 1 mm was achieved in the entire image. Furthermore, results from clinical evaluation, including diagnostic and neurosurgical imaging, suggest that the UHB imaging method is operational and has some special advantages in patient diagnosis. Theoretically, the addition of phase information to the ultrasound images can result in enhanced tissue characterization, which is extremely important in tumor diagnosis and treatment.