UltrasoundToGo
The objective of this project is to develop a scalable low-power, high-performance, trusted platform for high-bandwidth multi-dimensional signal processing, targeting future 3D portable ultrasound (US) systems. The motivation of this work is to provide a means for achieving a portable medical system that can be battery operated and thus be used in situations where classical ultrasound systems are still largely unusable, including medical emergencies and developing countries/areas where energy availability is sporadic. The high-performance and low-power features of the platform will enable unprecedented functionalities on a portable US platform, namely 3D ultrasound acquisition and reconstruction, opening up new perspectives for emergency care and telemedicine. At the same time, the platform will be flexible, capable of yielding high-quality diagnostic information in a number of different ultrasound applications hosted on an advanced programmable hardware platform. One of the distinctive features of the system is to support a qualified software deployment and maintenance model whereby new real-time control and analysis algorithms can be downloaded on the platform infield, under end-user control. In summary, this “smart” ultrasound system (where “smart” has the same connotation as in “smart”-phone) platform would compete in diagnostic quality with high-end power-hungry ultrasound systems while having the advantage of flexibility, portability and requiring a limited power budget.