This simple piece of plastic makes ultrasound easy

Ultrasound is one of the most common tools
used to survey the human body.
By emitting high frequency tones
and recording the echoes,
the reflected sounds combine to
form an image that is both easy to read
and much safer than other forms of medical imaging.
3D ultrasound is a recent development
in medical technology,
allowing doctors to observe babies
and hearts from all directions,
and more accurately diagnose patients.
However, like many new technologies,
there is a complexity, and cost to 3D ultrasound.
Because ultrasound relies on tiny, low-volume echoes,
these imaging devices can require
thousands of sensors to generate a detailed picture.
Researchers have developed a new system,
that cuts this complexity down to just one sensor.
In order to achieve this feat, they used a technique
called compressive sensing.
Compressive sensing involves using mathematics
to extrapolate the information from one data
source into many different points.
Most do this by using a “coded-aperture mask”
they place over the sensor.
Coded masks can actually be found
in many high-tech devices, such as space telescopes.
The prototype ultrasound mask is an irregularly shaped
piece of plastic, with small dots of
varying heights placed on the surface.
When the high frequency sound waves hit the plastic,
small delays are introduced into the audio.
The sound is then run through a computer algorithm
that picks out these delays
and represents them as individual pixels.
Because the dots are unevenly distributed
across the surface of the cover,
rotating the mask allows
more measurements to be performed,
and help resolve the object in higher detail.
The researchers tested this by submerging
two 3D-printed plastic letters in a small tank of water.
When they activated the ultrasound sensor,
the letters were able to be picked out of
the data, and pinpointed in 3D space.
While the sensitivity of the device is very low
compared to current 3D imaging systems,
the researchers believe compressive sensing
could bring down the price of ultrasound equipment,
and help doctors around the world.
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This simple piece of plastic makes ultrasound easy

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