Beam compression of multistatic intravascular ultrasound data by an adaptive kernel function

To improve the image quality of intravascular ultrasound (TVUS) systems, which is among others limited by a poor lateral or angular resolution, a reconstruction in the Fourier domain based on beam compression by matched filtering offers the major advantage to consume far less acquisition and computation time. The reconstruction can be performed on 1/7(th) of the raw signals acquired with an EndoSonics In-Vision(TM) system by a simple 2D multiplication with a Kernel function in the Fourier domain. In the past, a simplified monostatic Kernel function was introduced. By applying an adaptive multistatic Kernel function accounting for different transmitting and receiving elements the lateral resolution can be further improved. Simulation and experimental results are discussed to find a useful selection of signals to process with respect to computation time. Reconstruction results obtained in a human coronary artery show the effectiveness of the algorithm.