• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.19A no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2012

This paper explores the optimal processing element (PE) configuration for ultrasonic image processing at different resolutions ($256{\times}256$, $768{\times}1,024$, and $1,024{\times}1,280$). To determine the optimal PE configuration, this paper evaluates the impacts of a data-per-processing element (DPE) ratio that is defined as the amount of image data directly mapped to each PE on system performance and both energy and area efficiencies using architectural and workload simulations. This paper illustrates the correlation between DPE ratio and PE architecture for a target implementation in 130nm technology. To identify the most efficient PE structure, seven different PE configurations were simulated for ultrasonic image processing. Experimental results indicate that the highest energy efficiencies were achieved at PEs=1,024, 4,096, and 16,384 for ultrasonic images at $256{\times}256$, $768{\times}1,024$, $1,024{\times}1,280$ resolutions, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum area efficiencies were yielded at PEs=256 ($256{\times}256$ image) and 4,096 ($768{\times}1,024$ and $1,024{\times}1,280$ images), respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.493-500
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• 2009

An ultrasonic signal processing algorithm was developed for extracting the information of cracks generated around the keyway of a turbine rotor disk. B-scan images were obtained by using keyway specimens and an ultrasonic scan system with x-y position controller. The B-scan images were used as input images for 2-Dimensional signal processing, and the algorithm was constructed with four processing stages of pre-processing, crack candidate region detection, crack region classification and crack information extraction. It is confirmed by experiments that the developed algorithm is effective for the quantitative evaluation of cracks generated around the keyway of turbine rotor disk.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.225-232
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• 2010

In this study, an automated ultrasonic testing system and post signal and image processing techniques are developed in order to construct ultrasonic flaw images in weldments. Image processing algorithms are built into the flaw image processing system for the automated ultrasonic testing system. The developed signal and image analysis algorithms addressed in this study include an A-Scan data compression algorithm, ultrasonic image amplification algorithm and B-scan flaw image correction algorithm(SAFT). This flaw image processing system for the automated ultrasonic testing system can be applied to various inspection fields.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.209-213
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• 2006

In this paper describes image enhancement technique using deconvolution processing for ultrasonic nondestructive testing. . When flaws are detected for B-scan or C-scan, blurring effect which is caused by the moving intervals of transducer degrades the quality of images. In addition, acquisited images suffer form speckle noise which is caused by the ultrasonic components reflected from the grain boundary of material [1,2]. The deconvolution technique can restore sharp peak value or clean image from blurring signal or image. This processing is applied to C-scan image obtained from known specimen. Experimental results show that the deconvolution processing contributes to get improved the quality of C-scan images.

• Biomedical Engineering Letters
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.355-364
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• 2018

When focusing using an ultrasonic transducer array, a main lobe is formed in the focal region of an ultrasound field, but side lobes also arise around the focal region due to the leakage. Since the side lobes cannot be completely eliminated in the focusing process, they are responsible for subsequent ultrasound image quality degradation. To improve ultrasound image quality, a signal processing strategy to reduce side lobes is definitely in demand. To this end, quantitative determination of main and side lobes is necessary. We propose a theoretically and actually error-free method of exactly discriminating and separately computing the main lobe and side lobe parts in ultrasound image by computer simulation. We refer to images constructed using the main and side lobe signals as the main and side lobe images, respectively. Since the main and side lobe images exactly represent their main and side lobe components, respectively, they can be used to evaluate ultrasound image quality. Defining the average brightness of the main and side lobe images, the conventional to side lobe image ratio, and the main to side lobe image ratio as image quality metrics, we can evaluate image characteristics in speckle images. The proposed method is also applied in assessing the performance of side lobe suppression filtering. We show that the proposed method may greatly aid in the evaluation of medical ultrasonic images using computer simulations, albeit lacking the use of actual experimental data.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.245-249
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• 2007

In this paper describes image enhancement technique using deconvolution processing for ultrasonic nondestructive testing. When flaws are detected fur B-scan or C-scan, blurring effect which is caused by the moving intervals of transducer degrades the quality of images. In addition, acquisited images suffer form speckle noise which is caused by the ultrasonic components reflected from the grain boundary of material (1,2). The deconvolution technique can restore sharp peak value or clean image from blurring signal or image. This processing is applied to C-scan image obtained from known specimen. Experimental results show that the deconvolution processing contributes to get improved the quality of C-scan images.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.299-306
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• 2015

A conventional phased array system can control an ultrasonic beam electronically by adjusting the excitation time delay of individual elements in a multi-element probe and produce an ultrasonic image. In Contrast, full matrix capture (FMC) is a data acquisition process that allows receiving ultrasonic signals from one single shot of the phased array transducer element through all the other elements and captures the complete dataset from every possible transmit-receive combination. This FMC data can be used to create the ultrasonic image in post processing. It is possible to produce not only images equivalent to conventional phased array image but also total focusing method (TFM) images with improved resolution and sharpness, which is virtually focused at any point in a region of interest. In this paper, the system that can perform FMC by using a conventional phased array instrument is developed, and a study was conducted on the imaging algorithms to reconstruct sector B-scan and TFM images from FMC dataset.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2017

A conventional phased array ultrasonic system offers the ability to steer an ultrasonic beam by applying independent time delays of individual elements in the array and produce an ultrasonic image. In contrast, full matrix capture (FMC) is a data acquisition process that collects a complete matrix of A-scans from every possible independent transmit-receive combination in a phased array transducer and makes it possible to reconstruct various images that cannot be produced by conventional phased array with the post processing as well as images equivalent to a conventional phased array image. In this paper, a basic algorithm based on the LLL mode total focusing method (TFM) that can image crack type flaws is described. And this technique was applied to reconstruct flaw images from the FMC dataset obtained from the experiments and ultrasonic simulation.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2012

This paper proposes an optima] many-core processor architecture that meets the requirements of low power and high performance for different ultrasonic image resolutions in hand-held ultrasonic devices. To identify the optimal many-core architecture, seven different PE configurations are simulated for processing ultrasonic images in terms of execution performance and energy consumption. Experimental results indicate that the highest energy efficiencies are achieved at PEs=1,024, 64, and 256 for ultrasonic images at $256{\times}256$, $320{\times}240$, and $800{\times}480$ resolutions, respectively. In addition, the maximum area efficiencies are obtained at PEs=256 (for $256{\times}256$ and $800{\times}480$ image resolutions) and 64 (for $320{\times}240$ image resolution).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1569-1573
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• 2008

This paper describes a development of Ultrasonic NDE software to analyze steam generator of nuclear power plant. The developed software includes classical analysis method such as A, B, C and D-scan images. And it can analyze the detected internal cracks using 3D image processing method. To do such, we obtain raw data from specimens of real pipeline of power plants, and get the envelope signal using Empirical Mode Decomposition from obtained ultrasonic 1-dimensional data. The reconstructed 3D crack images offer useful information about the location, shape and size of cracks, even if there is no special 2D image analysis technique. The developed analysis software is applied to specimens containing various cracks with known dimensions. The results of application showed that the developed software provided accurate and enhanced 2D images and reconstructed 3D image of cracks.