A variable sampling receive beamformer for high resolution ultrasound endoscopy

Conventional low frequency large penetration ultrasound imaging systems are based on large arrays of miniature transmitter-receiver elements called a transducer array. By using a transducer array, made of many individually addressed transduction elements, the effective curvature of the aperture can be changed electronically, resulting in a much better image quality. This is because the ultrasound energy can be focused and steered off to different angles. High-frequency ultrasound, on the other hand, is a relatively new technology that uses micro-fabricated imaging arrays that are capable of an order of magnitude higher resolution than conventional ultrasound systems currently used in diagnostic imaging. Although resolution increases with ultrasound frequency, the difficulty in fabricating the transducer arrays and electronic hardware is increased. This is because the size of the transduction elements become microscopic, and the required analog and digital frequencies of the electronic hardware increase.Despite these challenges, our research group has developed a high frequency miniaturized (