Chaotic frequency-modulating continuous wave for an ultrasonic doppler blood flow velocity measurement system

Abstract

Although a pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler system can measure blood velocity with range information, measurable velocity is limited by frequency aliasing, and signal-noise-ratio (SNR) is poor. Continuous wave (CW) Doppler system offers a higher SNR in Doppler signal and no measurable velocity limitations but does not provide ranging information. Linear frequency-modulated continuous wave (LFMCW) and sine frequency-modulating continuous wave are able to provide high SNR Doppler signals with ranging information, and low clutter power, but with a certain range ambiguity due to signal periodicity of the Doppler signal spectrum. Various efforts have been made to improve the SNR, range resolution, and velocity limitations with FMCW Doppler system. An ultrasonic doppler blood flow velocity measurement system based on chaotic FMCW is proposed which has a higher SNR with no range ambiguity because of the aperiodicity of the Doppler signal spectrum. Principle analysis and experimental simulation show that the effectiveness of the new system is verified.