Synthetic aperture flow imaging using dual stage beamforming: simulations and experiments

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• High frame rate ultrasound imaging is crucial for accurate flow estimation.
• Current synthetic aperture flow imaging methods face computational challenges for commercial implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a dual stage beamforming method for synthetic aperture flow imaging.
• To achieve high frame rates with sufficient beamforming quality for commercial scanners.
• To reduce computational demands compared to full synthetic aperture flow imaging.

Main Methods:

• Developed a dual stage beamforming approach for synthetic aperture flow imaging.
• Utilized Field II simulations and experimental measurements with the SARUS scanner.
• Acquired flow data using a 7 MHz linear array transducer and a flow rig system.

Main Results:

• The method generates continuous high frame rate flow images with lower computational requirements.
• Measurements showed a peak velocity of 0.12 m/s with 6.4% relative standard deviation and 7.6% bias.
• Parameter studies identified key factors influencing performance, including emission spacing and averaging.

Conclusions:

• Dual stage beamforming offers a viable solution for high frame rate synthetic aperture flow imaging on commercial scanners.
• The method significantly reduces beamformed samples and increases frame rate compared to full synthetic aperture techniques.
• This advancement holds potential for improved clinical ultrasound applications requiring precise flow visualization.