Estimation of Diagonal Motion in 3D Ultrasound Imaging using a Modified Transducer

摘要

An approach for acquiring 3D data using a modified transducer array was previously described. This array employs one "Imaging" array and two "Tracking" arrays placed perpendicular to the Imaging array. Any component of diagonal motion due to imperfect elevational scanning has the potential to cause dimensional error in the 3D reconstruction. In this paper, diagonal motion is determined by examining the ratio of cross-correlation values, between successive image frames, from both the Imaging array data sets and the Tracking array data sets. The elevational translation is computed using a speckle tracking method on the Tracking array data if there is more elevational motion than azimuthal motion. Similarly, the speckle tracking is performed on the Imaging array data if there is more azimuthal motion. The angle of motion and the translational component derived from one of the two orientations of arrays allows computation of the component of translation in the other direction. MATLAB simulations and experimental result illustrate that the error in speckle tracking was dependent on the angle of the diagonal motion, and that there were distinct rates of decorrelation from each array for different diagonal motions.