Regular Issue Papers Computer Model for Harmonic Ultrasound Imaging

Harmonic ultrasound imaging has received great attention from ultrasound scanner manufacturers and researchers. In this paper, we present a computer model that can generate realistic harmonic images. In this model, the incident ultrasound is modeled after the "KZK" equa- tion, and the echo signal is modeled using linear propaga- tion theory because the echo signal is much weaker than the incident pulse. Both time domain and frequency domain nu- merical solutions to the "KZK" equation were studied. Re- alistic harmonic images of spherical lesion phantoms were generated for scans by a circular transducer. This model can be a very useful tool for studying the harmonic buildup and dissipation processes in a nonlinear medium, and it can be used to investigate a wide variety of topics related to B- mode harmonic imaging.