Doppler measurement system and method

A Doppler shift measurement system comprising:

• a random generator outputting a control signal encoding a random selection;
• an ultrasonic array transducer for emitting a sequence of transmit pulses at a target and for receiving an echo of each transmit pulse reflected from the target, each transmit pulse independently adjusted to an adjustable steering angle corresponding to a unique random selection so that the sequence of transmit pulses is a random sweep;
• a memory for storing echo data;
• a processor connected to the memory for using echo data to extract a Doppler parameter;
• and
• a display for providing a visual representation of the Doppler parameter;
• wherein a conventional two-step process of compounding a plurality of first images to form a second image, and then using a plurality of the second images as a Doppler ensemble to produce a Doppler image, is replaced with a single step that uses the plurality of first images, acquired using the random sequence of steering angles, as the Doppler ensemble to directly produce the Doppler image, each second image of the plurality of the second images having a higher spatial resolution than each first image of the plurality of the first images.

A Doppler shift measurement method comprising:

• selecting a random steering angle;
• transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic transmit pulses directed by a random sequence of adjustable steering angles;
• the random sequence of adjustable steering angles comprises a plurality of subsequences, each of the plurality of subsequences comprising a unique random ordering of a common set of the adjustable steering angles;
• receiving echo data corresponding to each transmit pulse;
• storing the echo data in memory;
• using the stored echo data to extract a Doppler parameter;
• and
• displaying a visual representation of the Doppler parameter.

A Doppler shift measurement method comprising:

• selecting a random steering angle;
• transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic transmit pulses directed by a random sequence of adjustable steering angles;
• receiving echo data corresponding to each transmit pulse;
• storing the echo data in memory;
• using the stored echo data to extract a Doppler parameter;
• and
• displaying a visual representation of the Doppler parameter;
• producing a Doppler flow image that does not comprise a two-step process of compounding a plurality of first images to form a second image, and then using a plurality of the second images as a Doppler ensemble to produce the Doppler flow image, but instead comprises a one-step process that uses the plurality of first images, acquired using the random sequence of transmit steering angles, as the Doppler ensemble to directly produce the high resolution Doppler flow image, each second image of the plurality of the second images having a higher spatial resolution than each first image of the plurality of the first images.