1. An automated qualitative image quality method for an ultrasound imaging system comprising the steps of: using a wire-in-water phantom ultrasound imaging system having a wire target to imitate the ultrasound imaging system; determining an impulse response of the system, including the steps of putting the wire target in a water tank, setting a transducer to be perpendicular to an axis of the wire target to display a cross-section of the wire, transmitting sound waves into the cross-section of the wire, receiving reflected echoes at different gain settings, using curve fitting to form a system beam profile, and determining acoustic peak to noise and detail resolution qualitative image quality measurements using the system beam profile; determining a cystic filling of the system; and using the impulse response and the cystic filling of the system to achieve improved image quality for the ultrasound imaging system.