Development of novel ultrasound techniques for imaging and elastography : : from simulation to real-time implementation / / Alessandro Ramalli.

• Superior document: Premio Tesi di dottorato
• VerfasserIn: Ramalli, Alessandro, 1983-
• Place / Publishing House: Firenze, Italy : : Firenze University Press,, [2013]; ©2013
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Series: Premio Tesi di dottorato.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (119 pages) :; illustrations.

Ultrasound techniques offer many advantages, in terms of ease of realization and patients' safety. The availability of suitable hardware and software tools is condicio sine qua non for new methods testing. This PhD project addresses medical ultrasound signal processing and seeks to achieve two scientific goals: the first is to contribute to the development of an ultrasound research platform, while the second is introducing and validating, through this platform, non-standard methods. During the thesis, the capabilities of the system were improved by creating advanced software tools, such as acoustic field simulators, and by developing echo-signals elaboration programs. In particular, a novel technique for quasi-static elastography was developed, in-vitro tested and implemented in real-time.

Table of Contents

Introduction -- Contributions -- 1. Ultrasound Basics -- 1.1. Ultrasound propagation -- 1.2. Transducers and probes -- 1.3. Echo-signal elaboration -- 1.4. Open issues in ultrasound investigation -- 2. ULA-OP -- 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. System description -- 2.3. Examples of non-standard application -- 2.4. High Frame Rate Imaging -- 2.5. Expansion capabilities and future work -- 3. Novel Ultrasound Simulation Methods -- 3.1. Field simulation in homogeneous linear media: Simag -- 3.2. Field simulation in nonlinear media: GASM -- 4. A Novel Ultrasound Experimental Method: Frequency Domain Elastography -- 4.1. Introduction -- 4.2. Methods -- 4.3. Computational cost analysis and reduction -- 4.4. Computer-guided compression experiments -- 4.5. Freehand compression experiments -- 4.6. Real-time implementation -- 4.7. Discussion and conclusion -- 5. Novel Ultrasound Experimental Methods: Work in Progress -- 5.1. 2D HFR color vector Doppler -- 5.2. Adaptive beamforming through layered structures -- 5.3. Pulse compression -- 6. Conclusion -- Bibliography.