多阵元聚焦换能器声场的数值模拟及分析

提出一种新型的多阵元聚焦换能器,该聚焦换能器由6个排列在一个球径为146 mm的凹球面上的透镜式单元换能器组成,透镜曲率半径为112 mm,工作频率为1 MHz。该文应用坐标变换法对该聚焦换能器的复杂声场分布进行了数值计算,并测定了其声功率。研究结果表明:该结构具有较大的聚焦深度、较理想的焦域、可改变的声场能量,工艺简单,成本低廉。     

阵元失效对超声阵列换能器的影响及优化研究

超声阵列换能器单个或多个阵元的振动效率、几何尺寸等参数的改变,会影响整个阵列的声场分布等性能参数,降低超声检测的分辨率及相应的检测效果.基于阵列换能器声压分布理论,利用自适应算法,从阵元激励的角度,探讨阵列超声换能器阵元激励的优化方法,消除阵元失效的影响.研究结果表明,利用声场分布空间中有限数量的优化参考点,经过对激励参数的优化,可以使有阵元失效阵列的整个声场分布、指向性及聚焦特性等性能指标与标准无阵元失效阵列的基本一致,达到期望的标准声场分布的参数指标,大大降低超声检测设备的应用成本,提高检测效果.     

螺旋结构相控聚焦超声换能器的研究进展

影响相控聚焦超声换能器声场特性的因素很多,其中重要的一项是阵元的排布方式.目前临床治疗用相控聚焦超声换能器的阵元排布主要使用非螺旋方式,这类排布方式在控制栅瓣水平和提高焦点能量方面很难两全.螺旋相控阵是近年发展起来的新相控阵排布方式,其在控制旁瓣水平的同时提高焦点的能量,具有比普通相控阵更多优点.该文着重研究了几种螺旋...     

聚焦超声换能器的研究现状与发展

超声以其无创性在生物医学及工业无损检测等领域备受关注,超声换能器作为实现超声应用的关键载体,需具备高的空间分辨率和特定的声场分布。常见的单阵元换能器需通过设计优化来满足上述需求,聚焦是最直接且有效的工艺方法。针对不同类型、不同工艺研制的超声换能器,提出了多种聚焦工艺,以实现换能器性能优化。     

凹球面双频聚焦超声声场的线性声学分析

在线性声学条件下,研究了差频相干模式下的双频聚焦声场的空间-时间特性,分析了换能器分割面积、不同频差对声场的影响.通过计算两波在不同初始相位时轴上瞬时声压起伏的周期性变化规律,证明其合成声场是统计平稳和均匀的.结果表明,适当选择分割面积比和频差,双频声场的"损伤声焦域"相对于单频有明显扩大,并在离体牛肝的损伤实验中得到初步验证,为双频高强度聚焦超声(HIFU)换能器的设计及提高治疗效率提供参照.     

一种超声针灸换能器设计

一种超声针灸换能器的设计方法,它将普通凹型聚焦换能器与平凸声透镜组合,使换能器发出的聚焦超声波能量在透镜平面和换能器外球面之间产生多次反射,每次只能有一小部分能量射出,经过不同反射次数后出射的聚焦超声波聚焦在声轴线的不同位置,通过选择反射材料的声速和换能器的半径,就可从在换能器输出面后得到细长的声压分布,声场检测结果与设计结果符合得很好,临床实验表明,这种换能器比其他类型的传统换能器更易使患者产生得气的感觉.     

相控阵聚焦超声控制系统的设计

低强度聚焦超声治疗技术是当前超声治疗领域的研究热点,应用场景不同对于超声系统的参数和性能要求也具有差异化,相控阵技术的引入为解决聚焦声场精确控制带来了新的思路。现有相控阵聚焦超声控制系统的输出参数相对固定,频率和功率可调范围窄,且支持换能器阵列通道的规模较小。该文设计了一种基于现场可编程逻辑门阵列(FPGA)的256通道的相控阵超声控制系统。实验结果表明,该系统实现频率1~3 MHz 可调,输出电压峰 峰值±100 V连续可调,相位延时精度为5 ns,可驱动不同阵元数的相控阵探头,从而为超声治疗技术的研究提供多元化激励实施方案。     

本刊"病例讨论"栏目征稿

主要研究了高强度聚焦声场及其检测装置.首先从理论角度分析了高强度聚焦超声(HIFU)换能器的声场特性,然后在Matlab软件中,对小振幅条件下的聚焦声场作了计算机仿真.最后理论结合实践,设计并实现了一套具有实用价值的、基于计算机采集与控制的聚焦声场三维自动检测系统,并介绍了相关软、硬件的实现过程.     

基于凌华PCI-9846高速数字化仪的复杂超声场自动检测与分析

应用背景医用超声诊断和治疗设备已经成为医疗卫生事业中不可或缺的组成,尤其是对患者的健康生活起着重要的作用。在超声诊断和治疗中都离不开超声换能器这一重要的器件。因此对其声场特性和频率等性能的准确测定,需要引起超声设备研究人员和换能器生产单位的足够重视。现在国内对声换能器性能的全面测试还没有普及,尤其是与国外产品相比,性能,     

自聚焦多元辐射器超声热场的计算机模拟与实验研究

分析了非相干自聚焦多元辐射器的声场结构，对该声场进行了模拟计算，绘制了声强分布图，并利用自行研制的九元阵装置进行了实验研究。结果表明：非相干自聚焦多元辐射器可以产生具有较好聚焦特性的超声热场；焦域吸收率SAR大于80％，焦域温度在2s内达45℃，焦域直径在φ5mm以内。上述特性适合于高强度超声聚焦热疗使用。     

纵弯转换超声振动球面聚焦系统聚焦特性研究

该文提出了一种由夹心式纵振动换能器与带孔球壳组成的纵弯转换型球面聚焦系统。应用弹性力学的板壳振动理论和亥姆霍兹-基尔霍夫声场理论分析了新型聚焦系统的振动特征和声场聚焦特征,并通过实验进行了验证。研究结果表明,球壳弯曲振动的辐射声场具有显著的聚焦特性,焦点位置、声压强度、焦区形状受球壳曲率半径的影响。在结构一定的情况下,聚焦的特性受谐振频率的影响,高阶谐振频率的聚焦效果比低阶谐振频率好,但焦点声压低于低阶谐振频率。由于弯曲振动与气体介质的辐射阻抗匹配要好于纵向振动,因此这种新型聚焦系统具有更强的实际应用意义。     

ZnO film concave transducer for focusing radiation of microwave ultrasound

A ZnO piezoelectric film has been satisfactorily deposited on a concave substrate of a gold hemispherical shell to produce a concave transducer for microwave ultrasound. The fabrication process of the concave transducer, with a focal distance of 5?9 mm, and also experiments on focusing radiation in water at 100 MHz. are described.     

Feasibility of Using Lateral Mode Coupling Method for a Large Scale Ultrasound Phased Array for Noninvasive Transcranial Therapy

A hemispherical-focused, ultrasound phased array was designed and fabricated using 1372 cylindrical piezoelectric transducers that utilize lateral coupling for noninvasive transcranial therapy. The cylindrical transducers allowed the electrical impedance to be reduced by at least an order of magnitude, such that effective operation could be achieved without electronic matching circuits. In addition, the transducer elements generated the maximum acoustic average surface intensity of $hbox{27 W/cm}^{2}$. The array, driven at the low (306-kHz) or high frequency (840-kHz), achieved excellent focusing through an ex vivo human skull and an adequate beam steering range for clinical brain treatments. It could electronically steer the ultrasound beam over cylindrical volumes of 100-mm in diameter and 60-mm in height at 306 kHz, and 30-mm in diameter and 30-mm in height at 840 kHz. A scanning laser vibrometer was used to investigate the radial and length mode vibrations of the element. The maximum pressure amplitudes through the skull at the geometric focus were predicted to be 5.5 MPa at 306 kHz and 3.7 MPa at 840 kHz for RF power of 1 W on each element. This is the first study demonstrating the feasibility of using cylindrical transducer elements and lateral coupling in construction of ultrasound phased arrays.      

Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers for Therapeutic Ultrasound Applications

Therapeutic ultrasound guided by MRI is a noninvasive treatment that potentially reduces mortality, lowers medical costs, and widens accessibility of treatments for patients. Recent developments in the design and fabrication of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) have made them competitive with piezoelectric transducers for use in therapeutic ultrasound applications. In this paper, we present the first designs and prototypes of an eight-element, concentric-ring, CMUT array to treat upper abdominal cancers. This array was simulated and designed to focus 30–50 mm into tissue, and ablate a 2- to 3-cm-diameter tumor within 1 h. Assuming a surface acoustic output pressure of 1 MPa peak-to-peak (8.5 W/cm$^2$) at 2.5 MHz, we simulated an array that produced a focal intensity of 680 W/cm$^2$ when focusing to 35 mm. CMUT cells were then designed to meet these frequency and surface acoustic intensity specifications. These cell designs were fabricated as 2.5 mm $times$ 2.5 mm test transducers and used to verify our models. The test transducers were shown to operate at 2.5 MHz with an output pressure of 1.4 MPa peak-to-peak (16.3 W/cm$^2$). With this CMUT cell design, we fabricated a full eight-element array. Due to yield issues, we only developed electronics to focus the four center elements of the array. The beam profile of the measured array deviated from the simulated one because of the crosstalk effects; the beamwidth matched within 10% and sidelobes increased by two times, which caused the measured gain to be 16.6 compared to 27.4.      

Isolation Amplifier Energized by Ultrasound

A power supply energized by ultrasound has been developed and investigated. The supply can be used in medical applications where a high isolation from earth is essential, for example in the protection of a patient from the hazards of electric shock caused by medical instrumentation. The ultrasound energy is generated by a transmitting piezoelectric crystal (transducer) and sent to a receiving transducer via a glass rod 20 mm long. At the receiving transducer the acoustic energy is converted back to electric energy. The power transmission has been measured at different resonances of the glass rod-transducer combination. The radial mode resonance of the transducer seems to give the largest power transfer and the highest efficiency.     

相控阵声束焦距深度与晶片数目的优化研究

相控阵技术的突出优点包括实现灵活聚焦和激发孔径的自由选择。相控阵技术在实际检测过程中聚焦深度一般会固定但是其聚焦深度与激发孔径的大小（即激发晶片数目的多少）之间具有复杂的相互关联和制约关系。因此基于相控阵声束形成及聚焦的原理,采用32阵元线型阵列换能器,通过实验方式研究了聚焦深度为10～50mm时激发孔径的最佳范围。研究结果希望会对今后的相控阵检测起到重要的参考价值。     

高频球面宽波束水声换能器研究

该文对高频球面宽波束水声换能器的声学特性与制作工艺进行了分析和研究,制作出了满足设计要求的换能器样品,并对其声学性能参数进行了测试。实验分析结果表明,研制的高频球面宽波束换能器具有在工作频带内模态单一,高频工作时水平和垂直方向具有宽波束等特点,该型水声换能器应用于声呐系统时,可有效增加声呐系统的辐射范围。     

Ultrasound applicators with internal water-cooling for high-powered interstitial thermal therapy

Internal water-cooling of direct-coupled ultrasound (US) applicators for interstitial thermal therapy (hyperthermia and coagulative thermal therapy) was investigated. Implantable applicators were constructed using tubular US sources (360 angular acoustic emittance, approximately 7 MHz) of 10 mm length and 1.5, 1.8, 2.2, and 2.5 mm outer diameter (OD). Directional applicators were also constructed using 2.2 mm OD tubes sectored to provide active acoustic sectors of 90 degrees and 200 degrees. A water-cooling mechanism was integrated within the inner lumen of the applicator to remove heat from the inner transducer surface. High levels of convective heat transfer (2100-3800 W/m2K) were measured for practical water flow rates of 20-80 mL/min. Comparative acoustic measurements demonstrated that internal water-cooling did not significantly degrade the acoustic intensity or beam distribution of the US transducers. Water-cooling allowed substantially higher levels of applied electrical power (> 45 W) than previous designs (with air-cooling or no cooling), without detriment to the applicators. High-temperature heating trials performed with these applicators in vivo (porcine liver and thigh muscle) and in vitro (bovine liver) showed improved thermal penetration and coagulation. Radial depth of coagulation from the applicator surface ranged from 12 to 20 mm for 1-5 min of sonication with 28-W applied power. Higher powers (41 W) demonstrated increased coagulation depths (approximately 9 mm) at shorter times (15 s). Thermal lesion dimensions (angular and axial expanse) produced with directional applicators were controlled and directed, and corresponded to the active zone of the transducer. These characteristic lesion shapes were also generally unchanged with different sonication times and power, and were found to be consistent with previous coagulation studies using air-cooled applicators. The implementation of water-cooling is a significant advance for the application of ultrasound interstitial thermal therapy (USITT), providing greater treatment volumes, shorter treatment times, and the potential for treatment of highly perfused tissue with shaped lesions.     

Pulsed focused ultrasound-induced displacements in confined in vitro blood clots

Ultrasound has been shown to potentiate the effects of tissue plasminogen activator to improve clot lysis in a range of in vitro and in vivo studies as well as in clinical trials. One possible mechanism of action is acoustic radiation force-induced clot displacements. In this study, we investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics of clot displacements and strain initiated by focused ultrasound pulses. Displacements were produced by a 1.51 MHz f-number 1 transducer over a range of acoustic powers (1-85 W) in clots constrained within an agar vessel phantom channel. Displacements were tracked during and after a 5.45 ms therapy pulse using a 20 MHz high-frequency ultrasound imaging probe. Peak thrombus displacements were found to be linear as a function of acoustic power up to 60 W before leveling off near 128 μm for the highest transmit powers. The time to peak displacement and recovery time of blood clots was largely independent of acoustic powers with measured values near 2 ms. A linear relationship between peak axial strain and transmit power was observed, reaching a peak value of 11% at 35 W. The peak strain occurred ~0.75 mm from the focal zone for all powers investigated in both lateral and axial directions. These results indicate that substantial displacements can be induced by focused ultrasound in confined blood clots, and that the spatial and temporal displacement patterns are complex and highly dependent on exposure conditions, which has implications for future work investigating their link to clot lysis and for developing approaches to exploit these effects.