Preliminary study of self-shape estimation of ultrasonic flexible probe using direct waves among elements for medical ultrasound imaging

摘要

We propose a method for estimating the shape of an ultrasonic flexible probe, which can be utilized in ultrasound imaging for medical applications. Ultrasonic flexible probes are required to visualize hard and curved parts; further, they are expected to visualize soft parts while maintaining their shape. This paper presents the proposed method for obtaining a suitable probe shape by estimating the coordinates of all elements. The ultrasonic direct waves obtained by the deformed probe were used to estimate the shape of the probe. As a result, the mean absolute and maximum errors were confirmed to be 0.29 mm and 0.55 mm, respectively, using a probe with a pitch of 162 mu m and a frequency of 4.625 MHz. (C) 2020 The Japan Society of Applied Physics