Ultrasound Beamformer Benchmarking Framework

Adaptive array signal processing methods are increasingly used to improve image quality in ultrasound based surveys. However, adaptive methods can be very sensitive to the circumstances they are used in. Therefore choosing the right one from the many available candidates requires extensive testing in various scenarios, which is often not feasible in practice. Ultrasound channel data can be generated by computer simulations for a large number of scenarios with a great freedom in choosing the parameters. These virtual recordings then can be used to benchmark adaptive array signal processing methods with the additional advantage that the ground truth is known, which can be difficult to ensure under field conditions. Realistic simulation of complex scenarios using the Field II Ultrasound Simulation Program in combination with adaptive array signal processing of the output using the open access package UltraSound ToolBox (USTB) has been previously demonstrated. The present pipeline builds on those results and realizes a detection theory based evaluation method that enables the direct comparison of beamformers in the context of the simulated scenario. There are two applications implemented at the moment. One is based on the survey of underwater infrastructure such as pipes and cables using multi-beam echo sounder systems. The other is based on a hypoechoic cyst phantom in medical ultrasound. However, the beamformers and the evaluation method are not application specific, so the scene can be modified to match other applications