An approach to the design of sparse array systems

Sparse arrays have been proposed for two-dimensional arrays for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging in order to reduce the number of channels in the system. Such arrays have been designed by picking array elements in a random fashion, either according to a uniform or a Gaussian distribution. A random array can have large variations in the level of the maximum sidelobe. A method for optimization of the sidelobe level of 1-D sparse arrays has been demonstrated. This shows that weighting can give responses that resemble filled Dolph-Chebyshev arrays. The initial thinning pattern is of less importance for the final result, but the less ideal the unweighted pattern is, the more dynamic range is required from the weight function