Diagnostic imaging quality of ultrasound systems is defined by the beamformingcharacteristics of the ultrasonic device.
Dynamic focusing, steering,amplitude weighting, pulse coding and controlling the size of the aperture of an array probe are the techniques which are used to form the acoustic beam. 
Using multiple beams simultaneously shortens the time to acquire one image. 
Especially for research and development work it is interesting to have complete controlling possibilities over the parameters that determine the geometry, the direction, the number and the acoustical properties of the sound beams. 
The Ultrasound Research Platform DiPhAS (Digital Phased Array System), which is in its sixth generation of development, provides full control over these parameters like delays, amplitude-weighting-factors, pulse form, frequency and size-control of the aperture.

For detailed information about the ultrasound research platform please refer to this following page.

The development of new procedures and techniques using ultrasound imaging requires the use of measured raw radiofrequent ultrasound data.
Looking at commercial platformsthis is currently only available with limited access to system parameters and usability. 
We offer a complete ultrasound research package including a software architecture based on the scalable DiPhAS multichannel ultrasound research hardware with free access to all system parameters for beamforming and signal-/image-processing, including multicore and GPU accelerated 2d scanconversion, 3d volume reconstruction and raw single channel data access. 
The scalable hardware system and the software implementation is used in medical products with certification for clinical use and utilizes a unique closed loop control for implementation of new algorithms and procedures without losing a clinical validation.

For detailed information about the ultrasound research software interface please refer to this following page.

Today mobile computing is gaining more importance in medical imaging. Existing solutions provide image display based on DICOM image data but Fraunhofer IBMT is raising the bar with full ultrasound signal processing done on iOS devices like iPad or iPhone. Based on measurement data of the IBMT ultrasound research platform “DiPhAS” or other raw-data formats the mobile App provides rf-data signal processing like tissue characterization and other spectral analysis functions.

The iOS App provides the basic operation of the IBMT offline analysis tool for signal analysis, algorithm development and data export.

For detailed information about the ultrasound research software interface please refer to this following page.

The reconstruction and visualization of three-dimensional volume information in a three-dimensional context can facilitate the interpretation of the included data. For example, the diagnosis is facilitated for medical professionals by visualizing different imaging planes and different image contents of multi-dimensional datasets. For reconstructing and visualizing three-dimensional datasets from ultrasound data, the basis point and the directional information of every ultrasound line has to be stored and evaluated. The reconstruction of such irregular datasets requires techniques different from the well-known tomographic reconstructions used in computed tomography. The methods for visualizing ultrasound data differ from the ones used in MRI and CT imaging and are based on indirect methods for calculating of isosurfaces or on direct methods, such as ray casting or splatting, which can be adapted to different applications. The application-specific reconstruction and visualization of measured data assures the combination of ease of use and maximum of information.

Ultrasound is a mechanical wave that changes its properties - such as frequency, amplitude and phase - during the transit through a medium. These changes can be measured. However, only the research and development of methods for sound generation in combination with algorithms for signal processing allow the extraction of reproducible measurement values and informative and qualitatively high images. Methods for doppler processing, speckle tracking, scatterer analysis, attenuation measurement, elastografy, analysis of 2nd harmonic and sub harmonic imaging, coded excitation, and matched filter approaches, according to the needs of the application, are used, evaluated and further enhanced for product development. One of the main topics under investigation is the development of automated analysis for generation of reliable and reproducible measurements.

In modern medicine using minimal invasive therapies, the surgeon's on-site control of the therapy is often complicated and not feasible without technical support. Due to the minimal invasive approaches the field of view is limited and visual therapy control not possible. In addition, new therapeutic concepts, such as thermal tumor treatments using laser or radio frequency induced heat, allow no direct differentiation of the therapy efficacy. Using non-invasive ultrasound technology, with a combination of specialized sound generation, signal processing and application-specific reconstruction and visualization of the data, it is possible to give real time feedback and aid to the surgeon. The Biomedical Ultrasound Research Group develops systems for therapy control of thermal therapies such as for ophthalmological and liver treatments.

For many surgical procedures preoperative CT or MRI datasets are used for surgery planning and navigation. However, aside from the exposure to radiation, those datasets are lacking real time information for intraoperative use. A cost-efficient, non-invasive, online alternative is given by the use of ultrasound systems. The latter can vary between one-dimensional, two-dimensional or three-dimensional systems according to the requirements of the application. In combination with application-specific filtering and processing, these systems can make the surgical procedures safer and more gentle for the patient. The Biomedical Ultrasound Research Group offers the development of application-specific solutions for intraoperative ultrasound navigation.