Reconstruction of echocardiographic sector images from digital radiofrequency data

The authors have developed a method for the digital acquisition of the radiofrequency (RF) data in echocardiography. They are able to digitize the reflected ultrasound signal just behind the summation of the signals from the individual crystals of a phased array probe. It is possible to acquire the complete signal from at least one (and the same) heart cycle. This approach enables the authors to study the echographic imaging process digitally. Each processing step can be performed in software facilitating the application of digital signal- and image-processing techniques. The authors have implemented the reconstruction of the echocardiographic sector scan starting from the RF data. This process consists of attenuation correction, demodulation and conversion into the sector shape. Another promising application of digital RF images is the measurement and investigation of the interaction between tissue and ultrasound.<>