A scalable architecture for forming real-time synthetic focus images is described and the design of a 256-channel system using currently-available technology is presented as an example implementation of the architecture. The parallelism of the system scales directly with the number of array elements and the image computation rate for a given image size (in pixels) stays constant as the number of array elements is increased. The system leverages earlier work in the real-time generation of the required time-of-flight surfaces and allows either real-time image generation or iterative adaptive image generation from a single complete data set.
JainAK, Image reconstruction from projections, in Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing, pp. 431–475 (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989).
2.
ArthurRMBroadstoneSR, Imaging via inversion of ellipsoidal projections of solutions to the linear acoustic wave equation, IEEE Trans Med Imaging8, 89–95 (1989).
3.
ArthurRMBeetnerDG, Representation of time-of-flight surfaces for synthetic-focus, ultrasonic imaging in inhomogeneous media, Ultrasonic Imaging17 (1995).
4.
BeetnerDGArthurRM, Generation of synthetic-focus images from pulse-echo ultrasound using difference equations, IEEE Trans Medical Imaging15, 665–672 (1996).
5.
BroadstoneSRArthurRM, An approach to real-time reflection tomography using the complete dataset, in Proc IEEE Ultrason Symp, pp. 829–831, IEEE cat. no. 86CH2375-4 (1986).
6.
DuckFJohnsonSGreenleafJSamayoaW, Digital image focussing in the near field of a sampled acoustic aperture, Ultrasonics15, 83–88 (1977).
7.
PetersonDKKinoGS, Real-time digital image reconstruction: a description of imaging hardware and an analysis of quantization errors, IEEE Trans Sonics UltrasonSU-31, 337–351 (1984).
8.
NockLFTraheyGE, Synthetic receive aperature imaging with phase correction for motion and tissue inhomogeneities-part i: basic principles, IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelec Freq Cont39, 489–495 (1992).
9.
TraheyGENockLF, Synthetic receive aperature imaging with phase correction for motion and tissue inhomogeneities-part ii: effects of and correction for motion, IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelec Freq Cont39, 496–501 (1992).
10.
Xilinx Virtex-II Pro Platform Field Programmable Gate Array Data Sheet (Xilinx, Inc., 2100 Logic Drive, San Jose, CA, 95124, 2003).
11.
ArthurRMBroadstoneSR, The effect of background velocity variation on the point-spread function of ultrasonic transducer arrays, in Proc IEEE Ultrason Symp, pp. 947–950, IEEE cat. no. 87CH242-T (1987).
12.
FranklinMAMahajanAArthurRM, Parallel implementation of an ultrasonic image generation algorithm using MPI, in Proc Eleventh IASTED International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing and Systems, pp. 589–596 (1999).
13.
FranklinMAMahajanAArthurRM, Parallel implementations of 3d synthetic-focus ultrasonic image generation using MPI, Proc Thirteenth ICSA International Conf on Parallel and Distributed Computing and Systems, pp. 205–212 (2000).
14.
BroadstoneSRArthurRM, Determination of time-of-flight surfaces using the method of moments, IEEE Trans Med Imag10, 173–179 (1991).
15.
RichardWD, A new time-gain correction method for standard B-mode ultrasonic imaging, IEEE Trans Med Imag8, 283–285 (1989).
16.
AndersonD, FireWire System Architecture (Addison-Wesley/New York, 1999).
17.
AxelsonJ, USB Complete (Lakeview Research, Madison, Wisconsin, 1999).
18.
Analog Devices AD8332 Datasheet (Analog Devices, Inc., One Technology Way, Norwood, MA, 02062, 2003).
19.
RichardWDArthurRM, Real-time ultrasonic scan conversion via linear interpolation of oversampled vectors, Ultrasonic Imaging16, 109–123 (1994).
