Clinical realization of short-lag spatial coherence imaging on 2D arrays

To improve image quality in 3D ultrasound we extended a coherence-based imaging method named Short-lag Spatial Coherence (SLSC) imaging to 2D arrays. Specifically, we collected partially beamformed channel signals from a clinical matrix array and 3D ultrasound scanner to reconstruct matched SLSC and B-mode volumes of the in vivo liver vasculature. Volumetric SLSC imaging shows suppressed clutter and improved visualization of blood vessels when compared to conventional 3D B-mode. Contrast and CNR values computed on the selected cross-sections from the matched volumes range from 14 dB to 18 dB and from 1.40 to 2.10 for SLSC and from 4 dB to 13 dB and from 0.63 to 1.05 for B-mode slices.