Vector velocity estimation for portable ultrasound using directional transverse oscillation and synthetic aperture sequential beamforming

In this paper, a vector flow imaging method is presented, which combines the directional transverse oscillation approach with synthetic aperture sequential beamforming to achieve an efficient estimation of the velocities. A double-oscillating field is synthesized using two sets of focused emissions separated by a distance in the lateral direction. A low-resolution line (LRL) is created for each emission in the first stage beamformer, and a second beamformer provides the high-resolution data used for the velocity estimation. The method makes it possible to have continuously available data in the whole image. Therefore, high and low velocities can be estimated with a high frame rate and a low standard deviation. The first stage is a fixed-focus beamformer that can be integrated in the transducer handle, enabling the wireless transmission of the LRLs. The approach does not require any angle compensation or prior knowledge on the beam-to-flow angle. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated through simulations and flow rig measurements of a parabolic flow in a vessel at 90-degree beam-to-flow angle. The mean bias obtained from 50 independent measurements is equal to −0.67% for the lateral profile and −0.43% for the axial profile. The relative standard deviation is 3.19% and 0.47% for the lateral and axial profiles. It is, therefore, demonstrated that vector velocity estimation can be efficiently integrated in a portable ultrasound scanner with state-of-the-art performance.