Beamforming and imageforming for 3D ultrasound imaging system using 2-D CMUT-on-ASIC arrays

For real-time volumetric imaging system using 2-D arrays, control of massive ultrasound data acquired from a large number of system channels is challenging. Given a system with manageable number of channels, new methods of array configuration and beamforming are necessary to achieve the performance of utilizing the full array elements and channels. In this paper, Electric Wobbling (EW) and Elevational Synthetic Focusing (ESF) methods are proposed. Theoretical studies and simulation were performed to evaluate the quality of 3-D volume imaging methods.