3D ultrasound imaging is one of the most desired features of an ultrasound imaging system. It provides comprehensive evaluations of the targeted tissue and effectively alleviates the user dependence of ultrasound. Achieving a high imaging volume rate is critical for all the 3D ultrasound applications. The current 3D ultrasound technologies use 1D or 2D ultrasound transducers, but they face challenges including limited imaging volume rate, high cost, and technical issues. 

A high volume-rate 3D ultrasound imaging method and a device based on Fast Acoustic Steering via Tilting Electromechanical Reflectors (FASTER). This technology addresses challenges of conventional 3D ultrasound imaging like high cost, suboptimal imaging quality, and low volume scan rate. FASTER is capable of high volume rate (up to 500 Hz compared to 0.2-20 Hz for conventional techniques) large field-of-view 3D imaging with conventional 1D transducers. 

Publication

Z. Dong, S. Li, M. R. Lowerison, J. Pan, J. Zou and P. Song, "Fast Acoustic Steering Via Tilting Electromechanical Reflectors (FASTER): A Novel Method for High Volume Rate 3-D Ultrasound Imaging," in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 675-687, March 2021, doi: 10.1109/TUFFC.2020.3020871 [2]