Deconvolution of Ultrasound Images

Abstract

Based on physical models, it is indicated that the received pressure field in ultrasound B-mode images can be described by a convolution between a tissue reflection signal and the emitted pressure field. This result is used in a description of current image formation and in formulating a new processing scheme. The suggested estimator can take into account the dispersive attenuation, the temporal and spatial variation of the pulse, and the change in reflection strength and signal-to-noise ratio. Details of the algorithm and the estimation of parameters to be used are given. The performance is indicated by two examples. One is for a synthetic signal and the other is for data measured from a tissue mimicking phantom. The last example shows a finer speckle pattern, giving an increased resolution.