An ultrasonic imaging speckle-suppression and contrast-enhancement technique by means of frequency compounding and coded excitation
A method for improving the contrast resolution of B-mode images is proposed by combining the speckle-reduction technique of frequency compounding (FC) and the coded excitation and pulse-compression technique called resolution enhancement compression (REC). FC suppresses speckle but at the expense of...
| Veröffentlicht in: | IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control. - 1986. - 56(2009), 7 vom: 15. Juli, Seite 1327-39 |
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| Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | English |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2009
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control |
| Schlagworte: | Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural |
| Zusammenfassung: | A method for improving the contrast resolution of B-mode images is proposed by combining the speckle-reduction technique of frequency compounding (FC) and the coded excitation and pulse-compression technique called resolution enhancement compression (REC). FC suppresses speckle but at the expense of a reduction in axial resolution. Using REC, the axial resolution and bandwidth of the imaging system was doubled. Therefore, by combining REC with FC (REC-FC), the tradeoff between axial resolution and contrast enhancement was extended significantly. Simulations and experimental measurements were conducted with a single-element transducer (f/2.66) having a center frequency of 2.25 MHz and a -3-dB bandwidth of 50%. Simulations and measurements of hyperechoic (+6 dB) tissue-mimicking targets were imaged. Four FC cases were evaluated: full-, half-, third-, and fourth-width of the true impulse response bandwidth. The image quality metrics used to compare REC-FC to conventional pulsing (CP) and CP-FC were contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), speckle signal-to-noise ratio, histogram pixel intensity, and lesion signal-to-noise ratio. Increases in CNR of 121%, 231%, 302%, and 391% were obtained in experiments when comparing REC-FC for the full-, half-, third-, and fourth-width cases to CP. Furthermore, smaller increases in CNR of 112%, 233%, and 309% were obtained in experiments when comparing CP-FC for the half-, third-, and fourth-width cases to CP. Improved lesion detectability was observed by using REC-FC |
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| Beschreibung: | Date Completed 22.10.2009 Date Revised 03.07.2009 published: Print Citation Status MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1525-8955 |
| DOI: | 10.1109/TUFFC.2009.1189 |