An improved blood velocity estimator optimized for real-time ultrasound flow applications

Abstract

An approach in which maximum entropy spectral estimation techniques are used was applied to color Doppler imaging systems with significant improvements in the results. In order to compare and contrast the performances of different frequency estimation algorithms used in color Doppler systems, eight criteria for color Dopper performance were derived from clinical application requirements. These are velocity range, frame rate, penetration, accuracy, velocity resolution, spatial resolution, sensitivity, and unresolved flow. The goal in choosing an estimation algorithm is to be robust in each of these eight areas. These criteria are used as a basis for contrasting the maximum entropy method (MEM) with other estimators. The theoretical development of the MEM algorithm and the simulation results are presented.<>