At Center for Fast Ultrasound, we are building a unique multichannel ultrasound system featuring 1024 independent channels in both transmit and receive. It will allow researchers to test new imaging techniques
for better visualization of the soft tissue structures in the human body.
The data acquisition and processing logic of the system is realized using large Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices. These contain significant amounts of logic resources, which allow implementation of advanced ultrasound data processing algorithms in addition to the original ultrasound system logic.
In cooperation with its industrial partner, BK Medicial, the Center is also evaluating ultrasound imaging algorithms implemented on Graphic Processor Units (GPU), whose performance has been rapidly increasing and whose flexibility, with respect to general-purpose computing, has been steadily improving.
The algorithms being targeted for implementation are in the fields of compound imaging (speckle reduction), blood flow estimation and adaptive imaging.
This research is performed by Post.docs. Matthias Bo Stuart and Borislav Tomov, and PhD student Jens Munk Hansen.