Architecture for an Ultrasound Advanced Open Platform With an Arbitrary Number of Independent Channels

Ultrasound open platforms are programmable and flexible tools for the development and test of novel methods. In most cases, they embed the electronics for the independent control of (maximum) 256 probe elements. However, a higher number of channels is needed for the control of 2-D array probes. This paper presents a system architecture that, through the hardware and software synchronization of multiple ULA-OP 256 scanners, may implement advanced open platforms with an arbitrary number of channels. The proposed solution needs a single personal computer, maintains real-time features, and preserves portability. A prototype demonstrator, composed of two ULA-OP 256 scanners connected to 512 elements of a matrix array, was implemented and tested according to different channel configurations. Experiments performed under MATLAB control confirmed that by doubling the number of elements (from 256 to 512) the signal-to-noise and contrast ratios improve by 9 dB and 3 dB, respectively. Furthermore, as a full 512-channel scanner, the demonstrator can produce real-time B-mode images at 18 Hz, high enough for probe positioning during acquisitions. Also, the demonstrator permitted the implementation of a new high frame rate, bi-plane, triplex modality. All probe elements are excited to simultaneously produce two planar, perpendicular diverging waves. Each scanner independently processes the echoes received by the 256 connected elements to beamform 1300 frames per second. For each insonified plane, good quality morphological (B-mode), qualitative (color flow-), and quantitative (spectral-) Doppler images are finally shown in real-time by a dedicated interface.