EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS WITH A REAL-TIME ADAPTIVE ULTRASONIC-IMAGING SYSTEM FOR VIEWING THROUGH DISTORTING MEDIA

An on-line adaptive phased array ultrasonic imaging system capable of markedly improving the detectability of targets viewed through inhomogeneous media is described. The system currently generates a "corrected" image in approximately 0.1 s and utilizes no a priori knowledge of the aberrating media or the target. The adaptive imaging algorithm employs regional target brightness as a quality factor. The theoretical basis for this technique and the results of in vitro tests with this system using electronic and physical aberrators for both diffuse and point-like targets are presented. © 1990 IEEE