Resolution enhancement of ultrasonic B-mode images

The use of ultrasonic array imaging systems is now commonplace throughout the NDT industry, but interpretation of the images produced by such systems can be a time-consuming process, which is further complicated by the inherent suboptimal resolution of such images. This paper proposes a three-step processing chain: noise-to-signal ratio (NSR) deconvolution, beam model weighted synthetic aperture focusing technique (BMW-SAFT) and statistical background noise removal (SBNR) image noise removal, which can be used to significantly enhance the temporal and spatial resolution of these systems. A validated simulation model is used to generate B-scan image data. Conventional Wiener filter deconvolution and SAFT methods are compared to those proposed, with results indicating a significant improvement.