Low cost ultrasound imaging device that uses optimal-lag pulse shaping filters

A new low-cost ultrasound imaging apparatus that uses optimal-lag pulse shaping filters was developed. The device comprises a personal computer with MMX CPU, a PCI expansion card, a simplified beamformer consisting of a single set of input/output amplifiers and a single-element piezoelectric transducer. The device is controlled by software that performs image processing, image display, real-time acoustic impedance reconstruction and pulse-shaping filter calculation.