Towards multi-probe high frame rate volumetric vector Doppler imaging: a feasibility study

The Doppler approach more frequently used for estimating two components of the velocity vector is based on the use of the “dual beams” associated with either two single-element probes or two sub-apertures of a linear array. With the diffusion of high frame rate (HFR) sequences, these methods have been adapted to the investigation of a planar region of interest (ROI). In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of using multiple 2-D sparse array probes to extend HFR vector Doppler imaging to a 3-D ROI. The results of this work confirm that accurate estimations of the velocity can be obtained. Our results show bias and standard deviation errors below 4.5 % and 13.0 %, respectively, and an achievable rate of 750 volumes per second.