ICA Based Synthetic Ultrasonic Transmit Aperture

In traditional synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging system, the elements in a transducer array transmit ultrasound pulse consecutively and then all elements receive the echo signals simultaneously. Though it is capable of obtain an complete dataset of the echoes, the process is very slow and thus not practical due to too many transmission times. We developed an simultaneously transmitting approach by introducing the concept of ICA (Independent Component Analysis) into the separation of the mixed echo signals. Using this method, two or more elements can be excited at one time to transmit distinct waveforms, and the received mixed echoes can be separated through ICA operation to extract the different components. Consequently, a complete dataset can be obtained through less transmission times. Simulation results show that it can raise the rate of ultrasound imaging while maintaining high resolution.