Compounding for a forward-viewing ring-annular ultrasound array system

The 3-D data set from a forward-viewing ring-annular array opens up opportunities for compounding in both axial and lateral directions. To explore this potential, we performed a simulation study analyzing 3-D ultrasound data from various phantoms. For a vessel phantom, our results indicate compounding could boost contrast to noise ratio (CNR) (up to a factor of 4 in our results) without significant compromise in in-plane image resolution. For an isotropic cyst phantom, axial and lateral compounding performs similarly. Such improvement should be helpful for device guidance with IVUS (Intravascular Ultrasound) in interventional procedures.