Programmable low-cost ultrasound machine

Most commercial ultrasound machines do not allow the researcher to acquire internal data, modify the signal processing algorithms or test a new clinical application. A software-based ultrasound machine could offer the needed flexibility to modify the ultrasound processing algorithms and evaluate new ultrasound applications for clinical efficacy. We have designed an ultrasound machine in which all of the back-end processing is performed in software rather than in hardware. This programmable machine supports all the conventional ultrasound modes (e.g., B mode, color flow, M mode and spectral Doppler) without any performance degradation. The frame rates and image quality of this programmable machine were evaluated and found to be comparable to commercial ultrasound machines. Due to its programmability, we were able to improve the accuracy of flow velocity estimation by integrating a new clutter rejection filtering method into the system. The machine also supports advanced features such as 3D volume rendering in software. Our results demonstrate that a software-based ultrasound machine can provide the same functionality for clinical use as conventional ultrasound systems while offering increased flexibility at low cost.