Phase Aberration Correction Using Echo Signals from Moving Targets II: Experimental System and Results

Abstract

A method for correcting errors due to near-field tissue inhomogeneities in phased array ultrasound images is evaluated experimentally. The method uses the brightness of a moving speckle-generating target, such as blood, as a quality factor to correct for unknown phase aberrations. A real time experimental system utilizing the technique has been constructed and is described. Initial results from in vitro studies using a flow phantom are compared to theoretical predictions. The results indicate that the technique can provide significant improvements in image quality when imaging through aberrating media, and may find application in clinical imaging through skull and fatty layers.