Navalgund Rao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Physics
University of Minnesota
2136 Carlson
(585)475-7183
E-Mail: rao@cis.rit.edu
Research Highlights
Medical Imaging & Signal Processing
My research interests are in ultrasonic imaging and its applications to medical diagnosis and nondestructive evaluation of materials. The major goals are to evaluate the potential of new imaging techniques and to develop image and signal processing algorithms for tissue characterization. An ongoing project is aimed at evaluating the potential of a frequency modulated pulse for imaging in medical ultrasound. Theoretical simulation models have been developed, and experimental evaluation is being carried out in an attenuating medium.
Understanding the physics of speckle formation is important for random tissue
characterization and noise reduction. We are investigating the imaging system's
role in speckle formation. Three-dimensional simulation models have been
developed, and experiments are being carried out on well-defined phantoms.
Stochastic signal and image processing techniques are being investigated to
extract statistical parameters from the data and utilize them as features for
tissue characterization. Signal processing for speckle reduction is another
outcome of this research.
Selected Publications
S. Venkatraman and N.A.H.K. Rao, "Combining pulse compression and adaptive drive signal design
N.A.H.K. Rao, S. Venkatraman and R.Raman, "Medical Ultrasound Imaging with frequency modulated pulse: A new technical approach," paper presented at the Am. Inst. Ultrasound in Medicine annual conference, March 1996. J. Ultra. In Med.
Rao, N.A.H.K., Mehra, S., Bridges, J., and Venkatraman, S., "Experimental
point spread function of FM pulse imaging scheme," Ultrasonic Imaging
Vol. 17, 114-141 (1995).
Rao, N.A.H.K., Raman, R., Chandraroy, P., Venkatraman, S., and Dong-li Yang,
"pulse coding in medical ultrasound: some possible applications," Acoustical
Imaging, Vol. 21, 281-290 (Edited by J.P. Jones, Pelnum Press).
Rao, N.A.H.K., Venkatraman, S., and Y. Zhang, "On the role of system point spread
function in scattering structure characterization with ultrasound" submitted to
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (95).
Venkatraman, S., and Rao, N.A.H.K., "Combining pulse compression and adaptive
drive signal design to inverse filter the transducer system response and improve resolution
in medical ultrasound," submitted to J. Med. & Biol. Engg. & Computing (95).
Rao, N.A.H.K., "Investigation of a Pulse Compression Technique for Medical
Ultrasound: A Simulation Study," J. Med. & Biol. Eng. & Comp.,
32:181-188, (1994).
Rao, N.A.H.K. and W.M. Aubry, "Evaluation of a Pulse Coding Technique for
Structure Characterization," IEEE Trans. on Ultrason, Ferro. and Freq.
Control.,41:660-663, (1994).
Rao, N.A.H.K. and Z. Hui, "Simulation study of changes in
ultrasound speckle statistics with the system point spread function," J.
Acoust. Soc. Am., 95:1161-1164 (1994).
Rao, N. and Aubry, M., "Speckle Reduction and Structure
Characterization with FM Coded Waveforms," Proceedings of IEEE 1993
Ultrasonic Symposium, Baltimore, October 1993.
Rao, N.A.H.K. and S. Mehra, "Medical Ultrasound Imaging Using Pulse
Compression," Electronics Letter, 29:649-651 (1993).
Rao, N.A.H.K. and W.M. Aubry, "Evaluation of a Pulse Compression
Technique for Ultrasound Speckle Reduction," Electronic Letters,
29:1900-1901, (1993).
Rao, N. and M. Aubry, "Multispectral Ultrasound Imaging and Analysis of
Speckle Generating Medium," Proceedings of 19th Annual NE Bioengg.
Conf., pp 47-49 (1993).
Rao, N.A.H.K. and M. Aubry, "Evaluation of Pulse Compression Technique for
Ultrasound Speckle Reduction," Proc. of 14th International Conf. of IEEE
Eng. Med. & Biol. Soc., Paris. 5:2126-2128, (1992).
to inverse filter the transducer system response and improve resolution in medical ultrasound,"
J. Med & Biol. Engg. & Computing, Vol 34, pp. 318-320 (1996).