Optimal Design Of Beam Pattern Of Ultrasound Arrays Considering Sensitivity Of Transducer

The beam pattern profile of an ultrasound array is of great importance in ultrasound imaging. This profile could be enhanced by weighting the elements of array. However, this technique will decreases the signal to noise ratio (S/N) and consequently the quality of the obtained image. In this study, the S/N variation in weighting process is mathematically analyzed, and a new method is proposed to optimize the weighting parameters. The main objective of the method is to provide the desired output of the beam pattern profile of the ultrasound array, as well as the highest possible S/N. The results show that S/N decreases with increasing the main lobe width of beam pattern. The decrease of S/N by weighting in full arrays is higher than in the sparse ones. Also, reducing the focusing depth has the same effect on S/N.