Super-resolution ultrasound imaging with Gaussian fitting method and plane wave transmission

Super-resolution ultrasound (SR-US) imaging can achieve a ten-fold resolution improvement compared with the traditional ultrasound technique, which is important for the medical diagnosis and treatment. However, challenges remain in SR-US imaging. In this paper, on one hand, a Gaussian fitting method, derived from optical localization microscopy, is used to improve the imaging spatial resolution of the SR-US. On the other hand, a plane wave technique is also used in US imaging for improving the imaging speed of the SR-US. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, the numerical simulation was performed based on a phantom model. The experimental results indicate that by the use of a Gaussian fitting location method, combined with a plane wave transmission technique, we can accurately image the movement of microbubble in the phantom at a high frame rate, compared to the conventional B-model imaging. Hence, the technique makes it possible to achieve fast SR-US imaging.