2022 article
Performance Assessment of Ultra-Wideband and Dual-Mode 1D CMUT Arrays for Acoustic Angiography
2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL ULTRASONICS SYMPOSIUM (IEEE IUS).
In this work, we have demonstrated the imaging potential of 256-element ultra-wideband (UWB) and dual-mode CMUT 1D arrays for acoustic angiography through mechanical index measurements and in-vitro imaging experiments. We have designed a custom 256-channel imaging probe with integrated low-noise amplifiers and supporting power circuitry. To improve the elevational focusing, we mounted an acoustic lens on to the array. The acoustic characterization of the CMUT array was performed by a calibrated hydrophone, with which we measured sufficiently high mechanical indices (i.e., 0.79 MI for the UWB and 0.85 MI for the dual-mode array) at the focal spot at 15-mm depth. We conducted an imaging experiment with a tissue-mimicking phantom including a 0.2-mm-diameter cellulose tube, in which microbubbles and water flowed. We demonstrated a CTR of 62.12 ± 1.06 dB for the UWB array and a CTR of 59.69 ± 0.39 dB for the dual-mode array when microbubbles were flowing through the tube. These experiments presented a strong use case for the UWB and dual-mode CMUT arrays in acoustic angiography applications.