Award

Development of a general purpose ultrasound cross-correlator module that is proposed for a) blood flow estimation in one, two and three dimensions b) blood flow estimation in an overlapped mode for use in high frequency small vessels c) coded excitation deconvolution d) A-Mode tissue characteristic correlation quantification The module would be capable of accepting Digitized RF data at rates up to 4o million 12 bit samples per second from a beamformer and returning the Sum of the Products (SOP) of multiple selectable ranges of up to 48 samples with a theoretical accuracy of 1/128th of a sample in the range dimension and a dynamic range of 36 bits in the intensity dimension at the rate of the input data. Multiple results based upon the SOP would also be output. The chosen algorithms would be loaded through a Firewire interface to a personal computer (PC) in a sub second rates. The correlator modules would output its results again through the Firewire interface into the PC for further image optimization and viewing. Initially the module would be tested with the company's Beamformer but efforts would be made to offer a universal interface so researchers could utilize the computing power of the correlator on other instruments. It is also intended to make available the parameters of the algorithms for researchers to use this tool for further developments. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This proposed tool would be applicable in the research then clinical evaluation of true three-dimensional real time blood flow in the major vessels of the body down to the capillary vessels and in tissue flow as in angiogenesis. The correlator potentially will be used in improving he dynamic range, and quality of ultrasonic imaging. A possible application to be investigated is the correlators potential for recognizing tissue characteristics in real time.