title: Performance of time delay estimation methods for small time shifts in ultrasonic signals.
abstract: In this study several time delay estimation (TDE) methods were investigated for estimation of time shifts of less than 10 ns at a frequency of 30 MHz. Using simulated and experimental echosignals we investigated the performance of five methods: two phase related methods (phase shift and phase difference method); two correlation methods (cross-correlation and correlation interpolation method); and a demodulation method. The results showed that the correlation interpolation method is by far the most accurate for all time delays. With this method, estimation errors of about 200 ps are achievable with an signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 40 dB (f0 = 30 MHz, bandwidth = 20 MHz) for time shifts of up to 10 ns.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Echocardiography, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. dekorte@tch.fgg.eur.nl
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: de Korte
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: van der Steen
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Dijkman
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lancée
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*