ULA-OP: an advanced open platform for ultrasound research

TLDR

Commercial ultrasound machines lack flexibility, offering only beam‑formed RF or demodulated echo signals, whereas high‑level research platforms provide more flexibility but are costly and bulky. The study introduces a portable, high‑performance ultrasound system specifically designed for research applications. It employs high‑level commercial integrated circuits to maximize flexibility and data access while minimizing electronics. Preliminary tests demonstrate the system’s capability for nonstandard imaging transmit/receive strategies and simultaneous B‑mode and multigate spectral Doppler imaging.

Abstract

The experimental test of novel ultrasound (US) investigation methods can be made difficult by the lack of flexibility of commercial US machines. In the best options, these only provide beamformed radiofrequency or demodulated echo-signals for acquisition by an external PC. More flexibility is achieved in high-level research platforms, but these are typically characterized by high cost and large size. This paper presents a powerful but portable US system, specifically developed for research purposes. The system design has been based on high-level commercial integrated circuits to obtain the maximum flexibility and wide data access with minimum of electronics. Preliminary applications involving nonstandard imaging transmit/receive strategies and simultaneous B-mode and multigate spectral Doppler mode are discussed.