The application of k-space in pulse echo ultrasound

• Published in: IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 541 - 558
• Main Authors: Walker, W.F., Trahey, G.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.05.1998; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Acoustic imaging; Acoustic pulses; Acoustic scattering; Acoustic signal processing; Acoustical measurements and instrumentation; Acoustics; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Biological and medical sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency domain analysis; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Geometry; Image analysis; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Miscellaneous. Technology; Physics; Speckle; Statistics; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Fourier transformation; Pulse echo method; Statistical moment; Synthetic aperture; Speckle; Signal processing; Medical imagery; Frequency domain method; Acoustic antenna; Measurement method; Acoustic image; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 0885-3010; 1525-8955
• DOI: 10.1109/58.677599

K-space is a frequency domain description of imaging systems and targets that can be used to gain insight into image formation. Although originally proposed in ultrasound for the analysis of experiments involving anisotropic scattering and for the design of acoustic tomography systems, it is particularly useful for the analysis of pulse echo ultrasonic imaging systems. This paper presents analytical and conceptual techniques for estimating the k-space representation of pulse echo imaging systems with arbitrary transmit and receive array geometries and apodizations. Simple graphical methods of estimating the first and second order statistics of speckle are presented. Examples are presented that utilize k-space to gain insight regarding the performance of spatial and frequency compounding and to describe the impact of synthetic receive aperture geometry on beamforming and speckle statistics. The Van Cittert-Zernike theorem is presented in k-space, and techniques for improving echo coherence are discussed.