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1

Estimation of radial artery reactive response using high frequency ultrasound

Nowicki A., Secomski W., Trawiński Z., Lewandowski M., Trots I., Szubielski M., Olszewski R.

Hydroacoustics

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2016

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Vol. 19

297--306

EN

Background: There is a growing interest in the application of non-invasive clinical tools allowing one to assess the endothelial function, preceding atherosclerosis. The precision in estimating of the artery Flow Mediated Vasodilation (FMD) using standard 10-12 MHz linear array probes does not exceed 0.2 mm, far beyond that required. Methods: We have introduced a wide-band, high frequency 25-30 MHz, Golay encoded wobbling type imaging to measure dilation of the radial artery instead of the brachial one. 18 young volunteers, and 4 volunteers with cardiac events history, were examined. In the second approach 20 MHz linear scanning combined with 20 MHz pulsed Doppler attached to the linear array was used. The radial artery FMD was normalized using shear rate at the radial artery wall. Results and Conclusions: For the “healthy” group, the FMD resulting from reactive hyperemia response was over 20%; while in the “atherosclerotic” group, the FMD was at least twice as small, not exceeding 10%. The shear rate (SR) normalized FMDSR was in the range from 7.8 to 9.9 in arbitrary units, while in patients with minor cardiac history FMDSR was clearly lower, 6.8 to 7.6. The normalized FMDSR of radial artery RARR can be an alternative to the brachial FMD where the precision of measurements is lower and the diameter dilation does not exceed 7-10%.

2

Mutually Orthogonal Golay Complementary Sequences in Synthetic Aperture Imaging Systems

Trots I.

Archives of Acoustics

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2015

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Vol. 40, No. 2

283--289

EN

The main objective of this study is to improve the ultrasound image by employing a new algorithm based on transducer array element beam pattern correction implemented in the synthetic transmit aperture (STA) method combined with emission of mutually orthogonal complementary Golay sequences. Orthogonal Golay sequences can be transmitted and received by different transducer elements simultaneously, thereby decreasing the time of image reconstruction, which plays an important role in medical diagnostic imaging. The paper presents the preliminary results of computer simulation of the synthetic aperture method combined with the orthogonal Golay sequences in a linear transducer array. The transmission of long waveforms characterized by a particular autocorrelation function allows to increase the total energy of the transmitted signal without increasing the peak pressure. It can also improve the signal-to-noise ratio and increase the visualization depth maintaining the ultrasound image resolution. In the work, the 128-element linear transducer array with a 0.3 mm pitch excited by 8-bits Golay coded sequences as well as one cycle at nominal frequencies of 4 MHz were used. The comparison of 2D ultrasound images of the phantoms is presented to demonstrate the benefits of a coded transmission. The image reconstruction was performed using the synthetic STA algorithm with transmit and receive signals correction based on a single element directivity function.

3

Circular Radon Transform Inversion Technique in Synthetic Aperture Ultrasound Imaging : an Ultrasound Phantom Evaluation

Tasinkevych J., Trots I.

Archives of Acoustics

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2014

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Vol. 39, No. 4

569--582

EN

The paper presents an overview of theoretical aspects of ultrasound image reconstruction techniques based on the circular Radon transform inversion. Their potential application in ultrasonography in a similar way as it was successfully done in the x-ray computer tomography is demonstrated. The meth- ods employing Radon transform were previously extensively explored in the synthetic aperture radars, geophysics, and medical imaging using x-ray computer tomography. In this paper the main attention is paid to the ultrasound imaging employing monostatic transmit-receive configuration. Specifically, a single transmit and receive omnidirectional source placed at the same spatial location is used for generation of a wide-band ultrasound pulse and detection of back-scattered waves. The paper presents derivation of the closed-form solution of the CRT inversion algorithms by two different approaches: the range-migration algorithm (RMA) and the deconvolution algorithm (DA). Experimentally determined data of ultrasound phantom obtained using a 32-element 5 MHz linear transducer array with 0.48 mm element pitch and 0.36 mm element width and 5 mm height, excited by a 2 sine cycles burst pulse are used for comparison of images reconstructed by the RMA, DA, and conventional synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT). It is demonstrated that both the RMA and SAFT allow better lateral resolution and visualization depth to be achieved as compared to the DA approach. Comparison of the results obtained by the RMA method and the SAFT indicates slight improvement of the lateral resolution for the SAFT of approximately 1.5 and 1.6% at the depth of 12 and 32 mm, respectively. Concurrently, however, the visualization depth increase for the RMA is shown in comparison with the SAFT. Specifically, the scattered echo amplitude increase by the factor of 1.36 and 1.12 at the depth of 22 and 32 mm is demonstrated. It is also shown that the RMA runs about 30% faster than the SAFT and about 12% faster than the DA method.

4

Cumulative method of the image reconstruction in synthetic aperture. Experimental results

Wójcik J., Trots I., Lewandowski M., Nowicki A.

Hydroacoustics

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2012

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Vol. 15

195-206

EN

An analytical model of imaging using synthetic aperture (SA) methods is presented. This model takes into account: fundamental features of an environment, of an electric transmission/reception path and a description of SA structure – possible schemes of transmission, reception and image formation. Then two schemes are analyzed: a proposed cumulative synthetic transmit aperture (CSTA) and for comparison of the standard STA schemes. For both methods identical basic parameters – equal sequences of transmit and receive transducers were applied. The distinctive feature of CSTA is gathering (summing up) echoes of subsequent transmissions in one acquisition matrix sufficient for image reconstruction. In traditionally applied STA methods a separate acquisition matrix for each transmission is created. Therefore there are a dozen to several dozen more matrices and the time of image reconstruction is at least several times longer than in CSTA. The presented experimental results obtained using wire and tissue mimicking phantoms have shown the comparable imaging quality in both methods.

5

Optimization of the Multi-element Synthetic Transmit Aperture Method for Medical Ultrasound Imaging Applications

Tasinkevych Y., Trots I., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M.

Archives of Acoustics

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2012

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Vol. 37, No. 1

47-55

EN

The paper presents the optimization problem for the multi-element synthetic transmit aperture method (MSTA) in ultrasound imaging applications. The optimal choice of the transmit aperture size is made as a trade-off between the lateral resolution, penetration depth and the frame rate. Results of the analysis obtained by a developed optimization algorithm are presented. The maximum penetration depth and lateral resolution at given depths are chosen as optimization criteria. The results of numerical experiments carried out in MATLAB Ž using synthetic aperture data of point reflectors obtained by the FIELD II simulation program are presented. The visualization of experimental synthetic aperture data of a tissue mimicking phantom and in vitro measurements of the beef liver performed using the SonixTOUCH Research system are also shown.

6

Golay Coded Sequences in Synthetic Aperture Imaging Systems

Trots I., Tasinkevych Y., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M.

Archives of Acoustics

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2011

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Vol. 36, No. 4

913-926

EN

The paper presents the theoretical and experimental study of synthetic transmit aperture (STA) method combined with Golay coded transmission for medical ultrasound imaging applications. The transmission of long waveforms characterized by a particular autocorrelation function allows to increase the total energy of the transmitted signal without increasing the peak pressure. It can also improve signal- to-noise ratio and increase the visualization depth maintaining the ultrasound image resolution. In the work the 128-element linear transducer array with 0.3 mm pitch excited by the 8 and 16-bits Golay coded sequences as well as a one cycle at nominal frequencies 4 MHz were used. The comparison of 2D ultrasound images of the tissue mimicking phantoms is presented to demonstrate the benefits of coded transmission. The image reconstruction was performed using synthetic STA algorithm with transmit and receive signals correction based on a single element directivity function.

7

Multi-Element Synthetic Transmit Aperture in Medical Ultrasound Imaging

Trots I., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M., Tasinkevych Y.

Archives of Acoustics

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2010

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Vol. 35, No. 4

687-699

EN

Synthetic aperture (SA) technique is a novel approach to present day commercial systems and has previously not been used in medical ultrasound imaging. The basic idea of SA is to combine information acquired simultaneously from all directions over a number of emissions and to reconstruct the full image from these data. The paper presents the multi-element STA (MSTA) method for medical ultrasound imaging. The main difference with the STA approach is the use of a few elements in the transmit mode in contrast to a single element aperture. This allows increasing the system frame rate, decreasing the number of emissions, and provides the best compromise between the penetration depth and lateral resolution. Besides, a modified MSTA is proposed with a corresponding RF signal correction in the receive mode, which accounts for the element directivity property. In the experiments a 32-element linear transducer array with 0.48 mm interelement spacing and a burst pulse of 100 ns duration were used. Two elements wide transmission aperture was used to generate an ultrasound wave covering the full image region. The comparison of 2D ultrasound images of a tissue mimicking phantom obtained using the STA and MSTA methods is presented to demonstrate the benefits of the second one.

8

Synthetic Transmit Aperture in Ultrasound Imaging

Trots I., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M.

Archives of Acoustics

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2009

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Vol. 34, No. 4

685-695

EN

The paper describes the use of synthetic transmit aperture (STA) imaging in medical ultrasound. The synthetic aperture (SA) imaging is a novel approach to today’s commercial systems. In these systems the image is acquired sequentially one image line at a time that puts a strict limit on the frame rate and the possibility of acquiring a sufficient amount of data for high image quality. This limitation can be lifted by employing SA imaging where the data are acquired simultaneously from all directions over a number of emissions, and the full image can be reconstructed from those data. Due to the complete data set, it is possible to have full transmitting and receiving focusing at the entire image region to improve the contrast dynamic and spatial resolution. The paper describes the STA imaging with a single element transmitting and all elements receiving apertures. In experiments, 32-element linear transducer array with 0.48 mm inter-element spacing and a burst pulse of 100 ns duration were used. The single element transmission aperture was used to generate a spherical wave covering the full image region. The 2D ultrasound images of wire phantom are presented to demonstrate the benefits of SA imaging.

9

The influence of the transducer bandwidth and double pulse transmission on the encoded imaging ultrasound

Trots I., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M., Secomski W., Litniewski J.

Hydroacoustics

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2008

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Vol. 11

419-430

EN

An influence effect of fractional bandwidth of ultrasound imaging transducer on the gain of compressed echo signal being the complementary Golay sequences (CGS) with different spectral widths is studied in this paper. Also, a new composing transmission method of CGS is discussed together with compression technique applied in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and penetration. The CGS with two different bit lengths, one-cycle and two-cycles are investigated. Two transducers with fractional bandwidth of 25% and 80% at centre frequency 6 MHz are used. The experimental results are presented, clearly proofing that increasing of the code length leads to compressed echo amplitude enhancement. The smaller the bandwidth is the larger is this effect; the pulse-echo sensitivity of the echo amplitude increases by 1.88 for 25% fractional bandwidth and 1.47 for 80% while preserving time resolution. The presented results of double transmission of short codes show the penetration and SNR improvement while maintaining dead zone.

10

Laboratory setup for synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging

Trots I., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M.

Archives of Acoustics

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2008

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Vol. 33, No. 4

573-580

EN

The paper describes the synthetic transmit aperture (STA) imaging system with a single element transmitting and multi-element reception in medical ultrasound. Synthetic aperture method allows to achieve high electronic signal-to-noise ratio and good contrast resolution. A laboratory setup for acquisition of RF signals from linear transducer array was built. Simulated multichannel acquisition by multiplexing individual transducer was performed. In experiments 32-element linear transducer array with 0.48 mm inter-element spacing and a burst pulse with time duration 100 ns was used. Single element in the transducer transmitting aperture was used to generate a spherical wave covering the full image region. The echo signals were sampled independently by individual elements for each transmission. The comparison of 2D ultrasound images of wire phantom obtained using STA method and standard linear array scanning with commercial ultrasonograph is given. The results show excellent image resolution of the STA method and its robustness to refraction, attenuation and multiple reflection of ultrasound waves.

11

Double pulse transmission - signal-to-noise ratio improvement in ultrasound imaging

Trots I., Nowicki A., Lewandowski M., Secomski W., Litniewski J.

Archives of Acoustics

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2008

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Vol. 33, No. 4

593-601

EN

This study investigates a new composing method of double transmission of short coded sequences based on well-known Golay complementary codes, which allow to obtain the higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and increase penetration depth. The proposed method can potentially find application in small parts ultrasonography and play important role in examination of superficial structures, e.g. in dermatology, ophthalmology, etc., where using longer coded sequences leads to increase of a dead zone and single pulse transmission of short sequences does not assure sufficient SNR. This paper discusses the comparison of results obtained during the examination of four different lengths pairs of Golay coded sequences excited at 3.7 MHz: the single 64-bits pair of Golay sequences and combined sequences consisting of two 8-, 16-, and 32-bits Golay codes separated in time. The experimental results have shown that using the double pulse transmission allows to suppress considerably the noise level, the SNR increases by 5.7 dB in comparison with the single pulse transmission of Golay sequences of the same length. The results of this work indicate that double pulse transmission enhances SNR while maintaining the dead zone short.

12

Direct and post-compressed sound fields for different coded excitations - experimental results

Klimonda Z., Lewandowski M., Nowicki A., Trots I., Lewin P. A.

Archives of Acoustics

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2005

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Vol. 30, No. 4

507-514

EN

Coded ultrasonography is intensively studied in many laboratories due to its remarkable properties: increased depth penetration, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain and improved axial resolution. However, no data concerning the spatial behavior of the pressure field generated by coded bursts transmissions were reported so far. Five different excitation schemes were investigated. Flat, circular transducer with 15 mm diameter, 2 MHz center frequency and 50\% bandwidth was used. The experimental data was recorded using the PVDF membrane hydrophone and collected with computerized scanning system developed in our laboratory. The results of measured pressure fields before and after compression were then compared to those recorded using standard ultrasonographic short-pulse excitation. The increase in the SNR of the decoded pressure fields is observed. The modification of the spatial pressure field distribution, especially in the intensity and shape of the sidelobes is apparent. Coded sequences are relatively long and, intuitively, the beam shape could be expected to be very similar to the sound field of long-period sine burst. This is true for non-compressed distributions of examined signals. However, as will be shown, the compressed sound fields, especially for the measured binary sequences, are similar rather to field distributions of short, wideband bursts.

13

Golay's codes sequences in ultrasonography

Nowicki A., Trots I., Secomski W., Litniewski J.

Hydroacoustics

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2004

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Vol. 7

173-182

EN

The issue of maximizing penetration depth with concurrent retaining or enhancement of image resolution constitutes one of the time invariant challenges in ultrasound imaging. Concerns about potential and undesirable side effects set limits on the possibility of overcoming the frequency dependent attenuation effects by increasing peak acoustic amplitudes of the waves probing the tissue. To overcome this limitation a pulse compression technique employing 16 bits Complementary Golay Code (CGS) was implemented at 4 MHz. In comparison with other, earlier proposed, coded excitation schemes, such as chirp, pseudo-random chirp and Barker codes, the CGS allowed virtually side lobe free operation. Computer simulation results for CGS pulse compression are presented. Next three different methods and algorithms used to calculate the pairs of Golay sequences of the different length are described. Experimental results are presented in the form, which in clear way illustrates the resolution, signal penetration and contrast dynamics of ultrasonic images obtained by using Golay coded excitation.

14

Extending penetration depth using coded ultrasonography

Nowicki A., Secomski W., Trots I., Litniewski J.

Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Technical Sciences

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2004

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Vol. 52, nr 3

215-220

EN

The issue of maximizng penetration depth with concurrent retaining or enhancement of image resolution constitutes one of the time in variant challenges in ultrasound imaging. Concerns about potential and undesirable side effects set limits on the possibility of overcoming the frequency depended attuenuation effects by increasing peak acoustic amplitudes of the waves probing the tissue. To overcome this limitation a pulse compression technique employing 16 bits Complementary Golay Sequences (CGS) Code was implemented at 4 MHz. In comparison with other, erlier proposed excitation schemes, such as chirp, pseudo-random chirp and Barker codes, the CGS allowed virtually side lobe free operation. Experimental data indicate that the quality - resolution, signal penetration and contrast dynamics - of CGS images is better then the one obtain standard ultrasonography using short burst excitation.

15

Golay sequences - side-lobe - canceling codes for ultrasonography

Trots I., Nowicki A., Secomski W.

Archives of Acoustics

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2004

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Vol. 29, no. 1

87-97

EN

In this paper three different methods and algorithms used to calculate the pairs of Golay sequences of the different length are described. The program for simulating the pairs of the Golay sequences of different length is given. This program (using Matlab™ routines) is based on the basic properties of complementary series and is simple and computationally effective. Experimental results are presented in the form, which in a clear way illustrates the resolution, depth penetration and contrast dynamics of ultrasonic images obtained using the Golay coded excitation.

16

On the application of signal compression using Golay's codes sequences in ultrasound diagnostic

Nowicki A., Secomski W., Litniewski J., Trots I., Lewin P. A.

Archives of Acoustics

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2003

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Vol. 28, no. 4

313-324

EN

The issue of maximizing penetration depth with concurrent retaining or enhancement of image resolution constitutes one of the time invariant challenges in ultrasound imaging. Concerns about potential and undesirable side effects set limits on the possibility of overcoming the frequency dependent attenuation effects by increasing peak acoustic amplitudes of the waves probing the tissue. To overcome this limitation a pulse compression technique employing 8 bits Complementary Golay Code (CGS) was implemented at 4 MHz. In comparison with other, earlier proposed, coded excitation schemes, such as chirp, pseudo-random chirp and Barker codes, the CGS allowed virtually side lobe free operation. Computer simulation results for CGS pulse compression are presented. Next, the images of RMI tissue phantom generated by those two excitations schemes are presented. Identical peak power conditions in the experimental setup were implemented with the earlier mentioned 8 bits CGC and 2 periods tone burst. Experimental data indicate that the quality of CGS images is comparable to that acquired using conventional pulse imaging. CGS exhibited signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain of 9.6 dB with the axial resolution being virtually the same for both transmitting schemes.