Introducing Spectral Estimation for Boundary Detection in Echographic Radiofrequency Images

In echocardiography, the radio-frequency (RF) image is a rich source of information about the investigated tissues. Nevertheless, very few works are dedicated to boundary detection based on the RF image, as opposed to envelope image. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility and limitations of boundary detection in echocardiographic images based on the spectral contents of the RF signal. Using the system approach, we study on models and simulations how the spectral contents can be used for boundary detection. We then introduce an original method of spectral estimation for boundary detection, and several images are analyzed with its mean. It is shown that, under the condition of high acquisition frequency, it is possible to use the spectral contents for boundary detection, and that improvement can be expected with respect to traditional methods. The conclusions may enable development of a robust boundary detection method, based both on the envelope and the spectral contents of the RF signal.