[P047] Ultrasound imaging: Towards smaller portable systems using signal and image processing tools

Introduction Handheld pocket-sized ultrasound systems are becoming a useful diagnostic tool in recent years. The demand for higher resolution requires, however, an increasing number of elements in their transducer, thus driving up the associated data flow, which increases the size of the device, its battery consumption and cost. These considerations prevent the construction of smaller high-quality portable ultrasound devices. Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a suitable approach to the design of portable ultrasound devices with enhanced image quality that can be used outdoors and in emergency situations away from a clinic or hospital. Materials and methods In this study we introduce a compact transducer in which the beamformed signals are multiplied and processed to form an image. Our analysis shows that the beam pattern of this transducer provides the same resolution as an array used in ordinary transducers with significantly more receiving elements. In order to compensate for the signal-to-noise (SNR) reduction, image processing techniques are used. Results Our tests show that two sub-arrays amounting to 16 (i.e., 8 + 8) elements of a thinned array together with associated image processing techniques, produce better imaging results than the original imaging produced by a 64-element array. Conclusions Due to the reduced number of elements and input channels, our proposed approach enables the implementation of computationally complex algorithms that were previously unrealistic for real-time ultrasound devices. As a result, our technique allows reduced costs and size, as well as lowering battery power consumption, while increasing image quality and resolution. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.