Acoustic Speckle: Theory and Experimental Analysis

A theoretical and experimental study of speckle, as applied to ultrasonic imaging, is presented. The concept of laser speckle is briefly reviewed and is used as a starting point to explain the origin of acoustic speckle. The primary differences between these two phenomena are discussed and are confirmed by experiment. An experimental study of speckle reduction by summation of multiple images is also presented. Several techniques for generating independent speckle patterns for use in image summation schemes are proposed. A phased array, dynamically focused sector imaging system was used in all of the experimental studies reported.

[1]  K. Oughstun,et al.  T Computational Methods in Ultrafast Time-domain Optics C O M P U T I N G I N O P T I C S , 2022 .

[2]  A. S. Toporets.  Specular Reflection from a Rough Surface , 1964 .

[3]  G. Parry,et al.  Some effects of surface roughness on the appearance of speckle in polychromatic light , 1974 .

[4]  C. R. Christensen,et al.  Effects of speckle on resolution , 1976 .

[5]  E. Madsen,et al.  Tissue mimicking materials for ultrasound phantoms. , 1978, Medical physics.

[6]  K.C.D. Hickman.  Display Enlargements from Single Frame Motion Pictures , 1926 .

[7]  L. Allen,et al.  An analysis of the granularity of scattered optical maser light , 1963 .

[8]  J. Perrin,et al.  Optical surface roughness determination using speckle correlation technique. , 1975, Applied optics.

[9]  E. N. Leith,et al.  Quasi-holographic techniques in the microwave region , 1971 .

[10]  B. M. Oliver.  Sparkling spots and random diffraction , 1963 .

[11]  Robert V. Langmuir,et al.  SCATTERING OF LASER LIGHT , 1963 .

[12]  J. Goodman.  Some fundamental properties of speckle , 1976 .

[13]  Gordon S. Kino,et al.  Design of Slotted Transducer Arrays with Matched Backings , 1979 .

[14]  J. Leendertz,et al.  Interferometric displacement measurement on scattering surfaces utilizing speckle effect , 1970 .

[15]  G. Kino,et al.  Design of slotted transducer arrays with matched backings. , 1979, Ultrasonic imaging.

[16]  J A Ratcliffe,et al.  Investigation of molecular motions in supercooled liquids by Mossbauer scattering D C Champeney and F W D Woodhams Some Aspects of Diffraction Theory and their Application to the Ionosphere , 1956 .

[17]  J. C. Dainty,et al.  Stellar Speckle Interferometry , 1976 .

[18]  Philip S. Green,et al.  Spatially and Temporally Varying Insonification for the Elimination of Spurious Detail in Acoustic Transmission Imaging , 1977 .

[19]  R. L. Whitman,et al.  Elimination of Spurious Detail in Acoustic Images , 1974 .

[20]  Paul Kirkpatrick,et al.  Image Formation by Reconstructed Wave Fronts. I. Physical Principles and Methods of Refinement , 1956 .

[21]  Emmett N. Leith,et al.  Wavefront Reconstruction with Diffused Illumination and Three-Dimensional Objects* , 1964 .

[22]  A. Labeyrie.  Attainment of diffraction limited resolution in large telescopes by Fourier analysing speckle patterns in star images , 1970 .

[23]  K. Brendel,et al.  Studies of inhomogeneous substances by ultrasonic back-scattering. , 1976, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[24]  F. L. Thurstone,et al.  A New Ultrasound Imaging Technique Employing Two-Dimensional Electronic Beam Steering , 1974 .

[25]  F. L. Thurstone,et al.  Actual Time Scan Conversion and Image Processing in a Phased Array Ultrasound Imaging System , 1977 .

[26]  C. Burckhardt.  Speckle in ultrasound B-mode scans , 1978, IEEE Transactions on Sonics and Ultrasonics.

[27]  Philip S. Considine,et al.  Effects of Coherence on Imaging Systems , 1966 .

[28]  J Upatnieks,et al.  Improvement of two-dimensional image quality in coherent optical systems. , 1967, Applied optics.