Active Inference for Closed-Loop Transmit Beamsteering in Fetal Doppler Ultrasound

Beatrice Federici; Ruud J. G. Van Sloun; Massimo Mischi

doi:10.1109/OJUFFC.2025.3636108

Active Inference for Closed-Loop Transmit Beamsteering in Fetal Doppler Ultrasound

Beatrice Federici (Corresponding author)
, Ruud J. G. Van Sloun
, Massimo Mischi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

This work introduces a closed-loop transmit beamsteering system for fetal Doppler ultrasound, driven by an active inference agent. The agent actively reduces uncertainty in fetal heart localization - estimated from power Doppler data via sequential Monte Carlo methods - by adaptively steering the ultrasound beam. This uncertainty-aware approach maintains high-quality Doppler signals and enables robust heart rate tracking, even under challenging, low signal-to-noise conditions.

Original language	English
Article number	11269010
Pages (from-to)	276-280
Number of pages	5
Journal	IEEE Open Journal of Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/OJUFFC.2025.3636108
Publication status	Published - 25 Nov 2025

Keywords

Doppler effect
Heart rate
Fetal heart
Transducers
Biomedical monitoring
Ultrasonic imaging
Target tracking
Signal to noise ratio
Estimation
Phased arrays
Cognitive systems

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10.1109/OJUFFC.2025.3636108

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abstract = "This work introduces a closed-loop transmit beamsteering system for fetal Doppler ultrasound, driven by an active inference agent. The agent actively reduces uncertainty in fetal heart localization - estimated from power Doppler data via sequential Monte Carlo methods - by adaptively steering the ultrasound beam. This uncertainty-aware approach maintains high-quality Doppler signals and enables robust heart rate tracking, even under challenging, low signal-to-noise conditions.",

keywords = "Doppler effect, Heart rate, Fetal heart, Transducers, Biomedical monitoring, Ultrasonic imaging, Target tracking, Signal to noise ratio, Estimation, Phased arrays, Cognitive systems",

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AU - Federici, Beatrice

AU - Sloun, Ruud J. G. Van

AU - Mischi, Massimo

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Y1 - 2025/11/25

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AB - This work introduces a closed-loop transmit beamsteering system for fetal Doppler ultrasound, driven by an active inference agent. The agent actively reduces uncertainty in fetal heart localization - estimated from power Doppler data via sequential Monte Carlo methods - by adaptively steering the ultrasound beam. This uncertainty-aware approach maintains high-quality Doppler signals and enables robust heart rate tracking, even under challenging, low signal-to-noise conditions.

KW - Doppler effect

KW - Heart rate

KW - Fetal heart

KW - Transducers

KW - Biomedical monitoring

KW - Ultrasonic imaging

KW - Target tracking

KW - Signal to noise ratio

KW - Estimation

KW - Phased arrays

KW - Cognitive systems

U2 - 10.1109/OJUFFC.2025.3636108

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VL - 5

SP - 276

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JO - IEEE Open Journal of Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control

JF - IEEE Open Journal of Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control

M1 - 11269010

ER -

Active Inference for Closed-Loop Transmit Beamsteering in Fetal Doppler Ultrasound

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Keywords

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