# SIMUS: an open-source simulator for medical ultrasound imaging. Part I: theory & examples

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.02738 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.02738/

## Key facts

- Cited by 7 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 4 Feb 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Speckle2Self: Self-Supervised Ultrasound Speckle Reduction Without Clean Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.06828/) (2025)
- [Echocardiography video synthesis from end diastolic semantic map via diffusion model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.07131/) (2023)
- [Training-Free Condition Video Diffusion Models for single frame Spatial-Semantic Echocardiogram Synthesis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.03035/) (2024)
- [Deep Learning Strain Estimation: Is Physics-Based Simulation the Solution?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.28697/) (2026)
- [Pruning Sparse Tensor Neural Networks Enables Deep Learning for 3D Ultrasound Localization Microscopy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.09359/) (2024)
- [DeepSPV: A Deep Learning Pipeline for 3D Spleen Volume Estimation from 2D Ultrasound Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.11190/) (2024)
- [UltraScatter: Ray-Based Simulation of Ultrasound Scattering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.10612/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Background and Objective: Computational ultrasound imaging has become a well-established methodology in the ultrasound community. Simulations of ultrasound sequences and images allow the study of innovative techniques in terms of emission strategy, beamforming, and probe design. There is a wide spectrum of software dedicated to ultrasound imaging, each having its specificities in its applications and the numerical method. Methods: We describe in this two-part paper a new ultrasound simulator (SIMUS) for MATLAB, which belongs to the MATLAB UltraSound Toolbox (MUST). The SIMUS software simulates acoustic pressure fields and radiofrequency RF signals for uniform linear or convex probes. SIMUS is an open-source software whose features are 1) ease of use, 2) time-harmonic analysis, 3) pedagogy. The main goal was to offer a comprehensive turnkey tool, along with a detailed theory for pedagogical and research purposes. Results: This article describes in detail the underlying linear theory of SIMUS and provides examples of simulated acoustic fields and ultrasound images. The accompanying article (part II) is devoted to the comparison of SIMUS with several software: Field II, k-Wave, FOCUS, and the Verasonics simulator. The MATLAB open codes for the simulator SIMUS are distributed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License, and can be downloaded from https://www.biomecardio.com/MUST. Conclusions: The simulations described in the accompanying paper (Part II) show that SIMUS can be used for realistic simulations in medical ultrasound imaging.