A reduced multiplier beamformer architecture for ultrasound imaging systems

This paper presents a new ultrasound beamforming architecture that greatly reduces the number of multiplications in a DAS (Delay And Sum) implementation as MLAs (Multiple Line Acquisitions) and data channels increase in the system. A mathematical derivation is provided for the new DAS-DPC (Data Path Combined) beamformer architecture along with multiplier analysis that compares the new architecture to a standard DAS implementation. Simulation results using a kidney image from a well-known simulation tool called Field II are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new beamforming architecture as compared to a standard DAS architecture.