Non-linear Imaging Using an Experimental Synthetic Aperture Real Time Ultrasound Scanner

This paper presents the first non-linear B-mode image of a wire phantom using pulse inversion attained via an experimental synthetic aperture real-time ultrasound scanner (SARUS). The purpose of this study is to implement and validate non-linear imaging on SARUS for the further development of new non-linear techniques. This study presents non-linear and linear B-mode images attained via SARUS and an existing ultrasound system as well as a Field II simulation. The non-linear image shows an improved spatial resolution and lower full width half max and -20 dB resolution values compared to linear B-mode imaging on the other systems. For the second scatterer at 47 mm depth the -20 dB resolution value for the non-linear SARUS image is 0.9907 mm and 1.1970 mm for the linear image from SARUS.