LOW-COST, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, PORTABLE ULTRASOUND IMAGING

描述(由申请人提供)： 在临床医学中，低成本、易使用和便携式的经皮成像系统将具有巨大的价值。超声成像可能特别适合于提供清晰的软组织解剖图像，并提供高时间分辨率，同时具有低成本、易于使用和可靠的特点。虽然超声在引导针插入静脉系统中的作用是众所周知的，但在这一应用和类似的相关应用中仍有相当大的改进和推广空间。具体地说，我们的研究旨在实现数量级的成本降低，保持合理的图像质量(特别是对比度)，并开发多功能性，以提供比目前常见的扫描平面更多的扫描平面。更准确地说，除了传统的B超，我们还将使用高度集成的换能器阵列和波束形成器提供C扫描(平行于皮肤表面的图像平面)。我们假设，增加C扫描功能将使我们的成像系统更容易被经验较少的用户使用，因此更有可能被广泛接受。目标是：1)设计、制作和测试低成本全采样二维阵列。为了使用固态换能器装置形成C扫描，需要使用2D换能器阵列。我们已经开发出完美的解决方案来实现高度集成的紧凑型换能器阵列-波束形成器对，它将以更低的成本产生所需的图像，并且在非常紧凑的空间中适合临床上的普遍使用。2)开发和测试高效的C-模式波束形成和成像算法将采用新的波束形成算法来同时形成C-扫描和B-扫描图像。我们还将开发新的合成和流量估计方法，以利用完全采样的2D阵列。3)设计、制造和集成具有2D阵列的发射和采样电子器件拟议工作的主要贡献是高度集成的小型器件(大约计算器大小)。这是通过将电子集成到与阵列相邻安装的专用IC上来实现的。4)通过体模和活体实验对图像质量和血管可视化进行量化。我们将进行实际测试，以验证原型设备的实用性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are numerous applications in clinical medicine where a low cost, easy to use, and portable transcutaneous imaging system would be of great value. Ultrasound imaging may be uniquely suited to provide clear anatomic images of soft tissue and offer high temporal resolution, while being low-cost, easy to use, and reliable. While the role of ultrasound in the guidance of needle insertion into the venous system is well known, there is considerable scope for improvement and extension in this and similar, related applications. Specifically, our research is oriented towards achieving an order of magnitude cost reduction retaining reasonable image quality (particularly contrast), and developing the versatility to offer additional scan planes beyond those currently in common practice. More precisely, in addition to traditional B-Scans, we will provide C-Scans (image plane parallel to skin surface) using a highly integrated transducer array and beamformer. We hypothesize that adding the C-Scan capability will make our imaging system considerably easier to use by the less experienced user and therefore far more likely to be widely accepted. The Aims are: 1) Design, fabricate and test low-cost fully sampled 2D array. In order to form a C-Scan using a solid-state transducer device, it is necessary to employ a 2D transducer array. We have developed elegant solutions for realizing a highly integrated compact transducer array - beamformer pair that will produce the desired images at reduced cost and in a very compact space suitable for ubiquitous use in the clinic. 2) Develop and test efficient C-Mode beamforming and imaging algorithms New beamforming algorithms will be employed to form both C-Scan and B-Scan images. We will also develop novel compounding and flow estimation methods to take advantage of the fully sampled 2D array. 3) Design, fabricate, and integrate transmit and sampling electronics with 2D array A central contribution of the proposed work is a highly integrated small device (approximately the size of a calculator). This is achieved by integrating the electronics on special purpose ICs mounted adjacent to the array. 4) Quantify image quality and blood vessel visualization through phantom and in vivo experiments. We will perform realistic testing to validate the utility of the prototype device.