Diverging wave compounding with spatio-temporal encoding using orthogonal Golay pairs for high frame rate imaging.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Golay coded excitation improves signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast in high frame rate cardiac ultrasound.
• Conventional methods require two transmissions per code, halving the frame rate.
• A need exists for methods that maintain high frame rates while improving image quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate an orthogonal Golay pairs coded diverging wave compounding (OGPs-coded DWC) sequence.
• To address the frame rate reduction issue associated with complementary Golay codes in DWC.
• To achieve high frame rate and high quality cardiac imaging.

Main Methods:

• Developed an OGPs-coded DWC sequence implementing spatio-temporal encoding.
• Transmitted two diverging waves (DWs) simultaneously using orthogonal Golay pairs.
• Separated the DWs based on Golay pair orthogonality.
• Validated the sequence through simulations and experimental phantom studies, including in vivo testing.

Main Results:

• Simulations showed OGPs-coded DWC achieved comparable resolution with 7.5-10 dB SNR gains and 3-5 dB contrast gains over non-coded DWC.
• Experimental phantom results demonstrated 3-6 dB SNR and 1-2 dB contrast improvements.
• In vivo imaging revealed brighter myocardium and increased penetration depth.

Conclusions:

• The OGPs-coded DWC sequence effectively overcomes frame rate limitations of traditional Golay coded DWC.
• The proposed method offers significant improvements in SNR and contrast for ultrasound imaging.
• OGPs-coded DWC shows strong potential for advancing high frame rate, high-quality cardiac imaging.