Angle independent ultrasonic blood flow detection by frame-to-frame correlation of B-mode images

We have previously reported initial clinical results of a novel blood velocity imaging technique utilizing a two-dimensional correlation search applied to consecutively acquired echoes. In this paper, we describe both the physical principles underlying this technique and test tank experiments which define its performance under a variety of conditions. The results indicate that, unlike Doppler flow imaging systems, this technique defines the flow velocity vector in two dimensions and is not subject to aliasing.