Ultrasonics最新文献

Clinical ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles remain intravascular and are between 1-8 µm in diameter, with a volume-weighted mean size of 2-3 µm. Despite their worldwide clinical utility as a diagnostic contrast agent, and their continued and ongoing success as a local therapeutic vector, the fundamental interplay between microbubbles - including bubble-bubble interaction and the effects of a neighboring viscoelastic vessel wall, remain poorly understood. In this work, we developed a finite element model to study the physics of the complex system of two different-sized bubbles (2 and 3 µm in diameter) confined within a viscoelastic vessel from a resonance response perspective (3-12 MHz). Here, we focus on the effect of micro-vessel wall viscosity on the resulting vibrational activity of the two-bubble system. The larger bubble (3 µm) was not influenced by its smaller companion bubble, and we observed a significant dampening effect across all transmit frequencies when confined within the vessel of increasing viscosity, an expected result. However, the smaller bubble (2 µm) was highly influenced by its larger neighboring bubble, including the induction of a strong low-frequency resonant response - resulting in transmit frequency windows in which its response in a lightly damped vessel far exceeded its vibration amplitude when unconfined. Further, micro-vessel wall dynamics closely mimic the frequency-dependence of the adjacent bubbles. Our findings imply that for a system of multi-bubbles within a viscoelastic vessel, the larger bubble physics dominates the system by inducing the smaller bubble and the vessel wall to follow its vibration - an effect that can be amplified within a lightly damped vessel. These findings have important implications for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and therapeutic applications.

Ultrasound imaging with flexible transducers requires the knowledge of shape geometry for effective beamforming, which such geometry is variable and often unknown. The conventional iteration-based shape estimation methods estimate transducer shape with high computational expense. Although deep-learning-based methods are introduced to reduce computation time, their low shape estimation accuracy limits the practical applications. In this paper, we propose a novel deep-learning-based approach, called FlexSANet, for shape estimation in ultrasound imaging with flexible transducers, which rapidly achieves precise shape estimation and then reconstructs high-quality images. First, in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) data are demodulated from raw radio frequency (RF) data to provide comprehensive guidance for the estimation task. A sparse processing mechanism is employed to extract crucial channel signals, resulting in sparse I/Q data and reducing the estimation time. Then, a spatial-aware shape estimation network establishes a one-shot mapping between the sparse I/Q data and the flexible probe shape. Finally, the ultrasound image is reconstructed using the delay-and-sum (DAS) beamformer with estimated shape. Massive comparisons on simulation datasets and in vivo datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed shape estimation method in rapidly and accurately estimating the transducer shape, leading to real-time and high-quality imaging. The mean absolute error of element position in shape estimation is below 1/8 wavelengths for simulation and in vivo experiments, indicating minimal element position error. The structural similarity between the ultrasound images reconstructed with real and estimated shapes is above 0.84 for simulation experiments and 0.80 for in vivo experiments, demonstrating superior image quality. More significantly, its estimation time on CPU of only 0.12 s promises clinical application potential of flexible ultrasound transducers.

The most common transducers used to generate ultrasound in medical applications are based on short electrical pulses applied to piezoelectric transducers and capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers. However, piezoelectric transducers have a limited frequency bandwidth, defined by their physical thickness, and capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers have poor transmission efficiency. The high frequency cutoff limits the spatial resolution of ultrasonic images. The low frequency cutoff limits volumetric contrast of objects on ultrasound images so that typically only tissue boundaries are displayed. These limitations can be overcome with laser generated ultrasound. Laser ultrasound generation is based on the optoacoustic effect, which greatly increases the bandwidth of ultrasound signals. We show the generation of ultra-wideband ultrasound pulses using high power diode lasers operating in the overdrive regime, and thin composite films of candle soot in polydimethylsiloxane matrix as transmitters. We achieved a peak pressure of 228.59 kPa and a ultrawive bandwidth of 0.1 MHz-to-30 MHz (BW_6dB≈200%) at -6 dB level with an optoacoustic conversion efficiency of 6.27 × 10^-3 [Pa/(W/m²)] or 3.35 × 10⁶ [Pa/(mJ/cm²)]. We present a compact and low-cost ultra-wideband laser ultrasound emitter with the possibility to adjust the bandwidth of the transmitted frequency and the ability to generate ultrasonic images in ex-vivo tissues.

This paper represents numerical and experimental investigations of an ultrasonic multifrequency piezoelectric acoustic pressure source whose target application is acoustic agglomeration of fine and ultrafine particles. The operation of source is based on three vibration modes at 25.83 kHz, 34.73 kHz and 52.41 kHz. Multi-frequency operation allows to obtain three different patterns of acoustic pressure levels which allows to increase performance of the agglomeration process while particles sizes change over time or process. Moreover, acoustic pressure levels, as well as their patterns, were investigated while the source was driven by rectangular and sawtooth signals. Excitation by nonharmonic signals ensured possibility of obtaining modified patterns which results changes in the acoustic pressure levels gradients and allows to obtain different amplitudes of particles vibrations in the agglomeration chamber. Results of numerical and experimental investigations have shown that the ultrasonic acoustic pressure source under excitation by square and sawtooth signals is able to provide maximum sound pressure in the range from 121.6 dB to 132.2 dB while maximum SPL values generated by harmonic signal were indicated in range from 116.4 dB to 129.3 dB. Finally, experimental investigations of acoustic fields impacting particle decrement in air flow have shown that generation of acoustic field by square and sawtooth-shaped signals is able to provide up to 21.38 % and 27.88 % decrement level of 0.3 µm and 1 µm sized particles.

Rare earth giant magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducers (GMUTs) hold significant potential for advancement in ultrasonic machining due to their superior properties. Building on the study of a modular multi-field coupled circuit simulation model of the transducer using LTspice, this work further proposes an improved circuit simulation model. By segmenting the transducer components, a segmented equivalent circuit model (SECM) is constructed to reflect the vibration characteristics at different positions within the components. Using this model, a GMUT with a resonant frequency of near 20 kHz for ultrasonic applications (such as ultrasonic machining) is designed. Based on this model, the impedance, bandwidth, axial displacement and stress distribution, displacement nodes, the front-to-rear amplitude ratio, and the amplitude under different excitation currents of the transducer were calculated. The performance of the transducer was also simulated using the finite element method (FEM). Experimental tests showed that the transducer's bandwidth is 225 Hz, the front-to-rear amplitude ratio is 16.40, and the output amplitude is approximately linearly related to the excitation current. When the excitation current is 1.00 A, the output amplitude reaches 6.10 μm, consistent with the results calculated by the proposed model. This demonstrates the accuracy and applicability of the proposed modeling method.

Submicron ultrasound contrast agents hold great potential to extend the bubble-mediated theranostics beyond the vasculature, but their acoustic response and the interaction effects between them remain poorly understood. This study set out to numerically examine the interaction effects on the subharmonic oscillations of nanobubbles and the resultant acoustic emissions under subharmonic resonance conditions. Results showed that a negative correlation between bubble size and subharmonic resonance frequency is readily obtained from the radius response curves. Moreover, it was also found that the larger nanobubble in a two-nanobubble system generally acts as the primary determinant for the subharmonic oscillations of the smaller one. Specifically, a larger nanobubble excited at its subharmonic resonance conditions can force a smaller nanobubble to undergo subharmonic oscillations, resulting in the generation of subharmonic acoustic emissions. Conversely, under specific resonance conditions, a smaller nanobubble undergoing subharmonic oscillations can also be restrained by a larger nanobubble that is off-resonance and consequently its subharmonic component disappears. Furthermore, it also clearly demonstrated that the generation of subharmonic resonance is pressure threshold dependent and the subharmonic resonant radius is distinctly reduced as the acoustic pressure increases. By contrast, a larger nanobubble has a lower pressure threshold than that of a smaller one, when subjected to their subharmonic resonance conditions respectively. More importantly, the higher pressure threshold of a smaller nanobubble can be prominently decreased by the interaction effects from a nearby larger nanobubble. For two interacting nanobubbles, the interaction effects strongly depend on the inter-bubble distance, and the farther the two nanobubbles is, the weaker the interaction effects become and even can be ignored. Additionally, the impacts of the lipid shell properties indicated that increasing shell viscoelasticity can increase the subharmonic resonant radius but dampen the subharmonic oscillations and the resultant acoustic emissions, which is more sensitive to the shell viscosity. This study can contribute to a better understanding of the complex interaction effects between submicron ultrasound contrast agents on the resultant acoustic emissions, potentially advancing nanobubble-specific ultrasound applications.

Background: Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a technique that quantifies tissue stiffness by assessing the speed of shear waves propagating after being excited by acoustic radiation force. SWE allows the quantification of elastic tissue properties and serves as an adjunct to conventional ultrasound techniques, aiding in tissue characterization. To capture this transient propagation of the shear wave, the ultrasound device must be able to reach very high frame rates.

Methodology: In this paper, our aim is to relax the high frame rate requirement for SWE imaging. To this end, we propose lower frame rate SWE imaging followed by employing a 2-dimensional (2D) radial basis functions (RBF)-based interpolation. More specifically, the process involves obtaining low frame rate data and then temporal upsampling to reach a synthetic high frame rate data by inserting the 'UpS-1' image frames with missing values between two successive image frames (UpS: Upsampling rate). Finally, we apply the proposed interpolation technique to reconstruct the missing values within the incomplete high frame rate data.

Results and conclusion: The results obtained from employing the proposed model on two experimental datasets indicate that we can relax the frame rate requirement of SWE imaging by a factor of 4 while maintaining shear wave speed (SWS), group velocity, and phase velocity estimates closely align with the high frame rate SWE model so that the error is less than 3%. Furthermore, analysis of the structural similarity index (SSIM) and root mean squared error (RMSE) on the 2D-SWS maps highlights the efficacy of the suggested technique in enhancing local SWS estimates, even at a downsampling (DS) factor of 4. For DS≤4, the SSIM values between the 2D-SWS maps produced by the proposed technique and those generated by the original high frame rate data consistently remain above 0.94. Additionally, the RMSE values is below 0.37 m/s, indicating promising performance of the proposed technique in reconstruction of SWS values.

Piezoelectric micro-robots have gained considerable attention in rescue and medical applications due to their rapid response times and high positioning accuracy. In this paper, inspired by the human butterfly locomotion pattern, we propose a novel resonant four-legged piezoelectric micro-robot designed to achieve fast and efficient movement in complex and confined spaces. The robot utilizes the parallel piezoelectric bimorph as the driving unit, and its leg structure mimics the butterfly motion. By employing asymmetric driving forces, the robot can achieve multi-directional movement. A dynamic model of the robot is developed, and the stress and motion characteristics are analyzed. The finite element method (FEM) is applied to optimize the structural parameters and determine the robot's optimal operating frequency. Finally, the prototype of the piezoelectric robot is constructed, and its performance is evaluated. The results show that, under an excitation voltage of 80 V, the robot achieves a maximum speed of 66.1 mm/s, can carry a load of up to 100 g, and withstand a maximum drag force of 15.3 mN. The robot demonstrates sub-micron resolution, excellent environmental adaptability, and precise rotational capabilities, making it suitable for tasks such as exploration, mapping, and sampling in constrained environments.

Quasi-static elastography (QSE) is a well-established technique used in medical imaging, where ultrasound data is collected both, before and after applying a slight compression on a tissue. This data is then analyzed to create image frames that reveal the stiffness parameter of the underlying tissue medium. Previous studies have focused on assessing how the Conventional Focused Beam (CFB) transmit method impacts the ultrasound elastography image quality. Recent studies have also shown an interest in synthetic aperture techniques like the Diverging Beam Synthetic Aperture Technique (DBSAT), due to its potential to enhance ultrasound image quality. However, its application in elastography has received limited attention. This paper introduces a new strategy of averaging low-resolution elastogram frames (LREA), obtained from DBSAT transmit method to improve the quality of elastography images. The CFB technique involves scanning the tissue line by line. In contrast, DBSAT is a synthetic aperture method that generates multiple low-resolution elastogram frames before combining them together to create a single high-quality image. In this research paper all the experimental studies were conducted on an agar-gelatin phantom, demonstrating the effectiveness of estimating elastograms from the low-resolution frame data of DBSAT transmit scheme and then summing them together to produce an elastogram with enhanced image quality. The results show a maximum improvement of 8 dB in the image quality metric of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well as a 7 dB improvement in contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) when comparing elastography images obtained by the proposed LREA method and the elastography images obtained by regular processing of the RF data acquired using the different methods of CFB and DBSAT.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is extensively utilized across various industries, including nuclear power, primarily for its exceptional properties. However, there are challenges with traditional linear ultrasound imaging systems due to the significant thicknesses and the highly attenuative of HDPE. High-frequency carrier waves can offer better imaging resolution but also suffer higher acoustic attenuation, which limits the propagation distance of primary longitudinal waves (PLW) and makes it difficult to detect defects within thick HDPEs. On the other hand, using low-frequency PLW for defect detection presents challenges in resolution despite lower attenuation and longer propagation distances. This study proposes a defect imaging method for HDPEs by using quasi-static components (QSC) generated along with high-frequency fundamental wave propagation because of the nonlinear effect. The QSC has the advantage of low attenuation because its carrier frequency is zero, which can propagate a long distance in a high acoustic attention medium like HDPE. A nonlinear ultrasonic imaging approach combining the QSC and synthetic aperture focusing technique is proposed for defect imaging in HDPEs. Experiments on HDPEs with single and multiple defects are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed method. For comparison, the imaging results using traditional linear ultrasounds with high (2.5 MHz) and low (0.5 MHz) carrier frequencies are also provided. The results show the proposed method has better imaging performance over traditional linear ultrasound imaging methods for defect defections in high acoustic attention medium.