A variable sampling receive beamformer for high resolution ultrasound endoscopy

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Conventional low frequency large penetration ultrasound imaging systems are based on large arrays of miniature transmitter-receiver elements called a transducer array. By using a transducer array, made of many individually addressed transduction elements, the effective curvature of the aperture can be changed electronically, resulting in a much better image quality. This is because the ultrasound energy can be focused and steered off to different angles. High-frequency ultrasound, on the other hand, is a relatively new technology that uses micro-fabricated imaging arrays that are capable of an order of magnitude higher resolution than conventional ultrasound systems currently used in diagnostic imaging. Although resolution increases with ultrasound frequency, the difficulty in fabricating the transducer arrays and electronic hardware is increased. This is because the size of the transduction elements become microscopic, and the required analog and digital frequencies of the electronic hardware increase. Despite these challenges, our research group has developed a high frequency miniaturized ( <3mm) imaging endoscope and most of the associated electronic hardware and software that will enable this technology to be used as a tool for visualizing tissues from within the body, as opposed to the current equivalent technology that is limited to external topical applications. Potential applications of such a high resolution endoscope include laparoscopic, auditory, intracardiac, neural imaging, and many more. Currently no other ultrasound technology exists that combines such high resolution, with the miniature forward looking endoscopic form factor. The potential for this technology to revolutionize diagnostics in several different fields of medicine is very real. This Idea to Innovation proposal describes the development of novel piece of high frequency ultrasound electronic hardware, and a strategy for transferring this into a commercial product. The proposed piece of relatively low-cost electronic hardware, will allow for images to be generated with minimal data capture rates and electronic processing so that images can be generated at extremely high frame rates.