Abstract
Ultrasonic projection imaging is similar to X-ray radiography. Nowadays,
ultrasonic projection methods have been developed in the set-up of
multi-element flat arrays with miniature transducers, where one of the
array acts as a transmitter and the other one is a receiver.
In the paper, a new method of the projection imaging using a 1024-element
circular ultrasonic transducer array is presented. It allows the choice of
a projection scanning plane for any angle around a studied object
submerged in water. Fast acquisition of measurement data is achieved as a
result of parallel switching of opposite transmitting and receiving
transducers in the circular array and vertical movement of the array. The
algorithm equalizing the length of measurement rays and the distances
between them was elaborated for the reconstruction of projection images.
Projection research results of breast phantom obtained by means of the
elaborated measurement set-up and compared with mammography simulations
(acquired through overlapping of X-ray tomographic images) show that
ultrasonic projection method presented in this paper (so-called ultrasonic
mammogra-phy) can be applied to the woman's breast and be used as a
diagnosis for an early detection of cancerous lesions. It can, most of
all, be used as an alternative or complementary method to standard
mammography, which is harmful because of ionizing radiation and invasive
due to the mechanical compression of tissue.
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