Conference paper
Design of a novel zig-zag 192+192 Row Column Addressed Array Transducer: A simulation study
Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark1
Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark2
MEMS-AppliedSensors, Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark3
Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark4
Center for Fast Ultrasound Imaging, Centers, Technical University of Denmark5
Super resolution imaging (SRI) can benefit greatly from full 3D imaging to compensate for vessel structures moving out of the image plane. Row Column Addressed (RCA) arrays can provide such 3D imaging with low-complexity probe design. A RCA probe is being designed for a rat kidney with 192 + 192 elements to ensure low sidelobes and an imaging volume of 15x15x15 mm3.
The design space of such a transducer is investigated with this in mind. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) technology allows for new geometric shapes, including a near kerf-less zig-zag interwoven structure, which provides flexibility in the design process of new RCA. This work compares the image quality of a straight element RCA array with an RCA array with an interwoven zig-zag structure by simulations, to assess the image quality of a zigzag structured RCA.
The Point Spread Function (PSF) showed symmetry in both the azimuth and elevation direction. Both the straight and interwoven design had a lateral Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) of approximately 0.6 λ, close to the ideal FWHM without apodization. The interwoven design showed a slight contrast loss over the straight desig, which was quantified withtheCysticResolution(CR).TheCRat20dBforthestraight designwas1.3 λ,comparedto1.4 λ oftheinterwovendesign.The twodesignshadcomparablePSFmetrics.Theinterwovenzig-zag structure is therefore a viable solution to meet the requirements of the rodent experiments and provides a new level of design flexibility for manufacturing RCA transducer arrays.
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | IEEE |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Pages: | 1-4 |
| Proceedings: | 2018 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium |
| ISBN: | 1538634252 , 1538634260 , 9781538634257 and 9781538634264 |
| ISSN: | 19485727 |
| Types: | Conference paper |
| DOI: | 10.1109/ULTSYM.2018.8579941 |
| ORCIDs: | Engholm, Mathias , Stuart, Matthias Bo , Thomsen, Erik Vilain and Jensen, Jørgen Arendt |
Apertures FWHM Image resolution Imaging Measurement PSF Probes RCA probe RCA transducer arrays Transducers Ultrasonic imaging array transducer capacitive sensors design flexibility design process design space image plane image quality image resolution imaging volume interwoven design kerf-less zig-zag interwoven structure low sidelobes low-complexity probe design micromachining novel zig-zag 192+192 row Column optical transfer function point spread function simulation study straight design straight element RCA array super resolution imaging ultrasonic imaging ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic transducer arrays ultrasonic transducers vessel structures
