Title :
4C-3 Limited-Angle Spatial Compound Imaging of Skin with High-Frequency Ultrasound (20 MHz)
Author :
Vogt, M. ; Ermert, H.
Author_Institution :
Ruhr-Univ. Bochum, Bochum
Abstract :
Ultrasound spatial compounding has been proven to successfully improve the image contrast, to achieve a more isotropic resolution and to reduce imaging artifacts in comparison with conventional B-mode imaging. For high- frequency ultrasound (HFUS) imaging of skin, usually linear scans only are performed perpendicularly to the axial direction of sound propagation. In this paper the potential of HFUS limited- angle spatial compounding for skin imaging is evaluated. We have implemented a new 20 MHz ultrasound system for limited- angle (up to plusmn40deg) spatial compound imaging. A sophisticated scanner was designed for high-resolution imaging with a spherically focused single-element transducer. The influence of unknown parameters of the system is eliminated by calibration measurements on a wire phantom. The imaging properties of the implemented system were assessed by means of phantom and in vivo measurements. A ray-tracing method for the compensation of artifacts, which are caused by refraction at the skin surface, is proposed and evaluated.
Keywords :
biomedical transducers; biomedical ultrasonics; calibration; image resolution; phantoms; skin; ultrasonic propagation; ultrasonic refraction; ultrasonic transducers; HFUS imaging; calibration measurement; frequency 20 MHz; high-frequency ultrasound; image artifact reduction; image contrast; in vivo measurements; isotropic resolution; limited-angle spatial compound imaging; linear scans; ray-tracing method; skin imaging; skin surface refraction; sound propagation; spherically focused single-element transducer; wire phantom; Acoustic imaging; Acoustic propagation; Frequency; High-resolution imaging; Image resolution; Imaging phantoms; Skin; Spatial resolution; UHF propagation; Ultrasonic imaging;
Conference_Titel :
Ultrasonics Symposium, 2007. IEEE
Conference_Location :
New York, NY
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-1384-3
Electronic_ISBN :
1051-0117
DOI :
10.1109/ULTSYM.2007.71