Intravascular forward-looking ultrasound transducers for microbubble-mediated sonothrombolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jinwook; Lindsey, Brooks D; Chang, Wei-Yi; Dai, Xuming; Stavas, Joseph M; Dayton, Paul A; Jiang, Xiaoning

2017-06-14

Effective removal or dissolution of large blood clots remains a challenge in clinical treatment of acute thrombo-occlusive diseases. Here we report the development of an intravascular microbubble-mediated sonothrombolysis device for improving thrombolytic rate and thus minimizing the required dose of thrombolytic drugs. We hypothesize that a sub-megahertz, forward-looking ultrasound transducer with an integrated microbubble injection tube is more advantageous for efficient thrombolysis by enhancing cavitation-induced microstreaming than the conventional high-frequency, side-looking, catheter-mounted transducers. We developed custom miniaturized transducers and demonstrated that these transducers are able to generate sufficient pressure to induce cavitation of lipid-shelled microbubble contrast agents. Our technology demonstrates a thrombolysis rate of 0.7 ± 0.15 percent mass loss/min in vitro without any use of thrombolytic drugs.

Ergonomic design and evaluation of a diagnostic ultrasound transducer holder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Mohamad Sadegh; Hosseinzadeh, Payam; Zamani, Farhad; Ahmadpoor, Hossein; Dehghan, Naser

2017-12-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are injuries and disorders that affect the body's movement and musculoskeletal system. Awkward postures represent one of the major ergonomic risk factors that cause WMSDs among sonographers while working with an ultrasound transducer. This study aimed to design and evaluate a new holder for the ultrasound transducer. In the first phase a new holder was designed for the transducer, considering design principles. Evaluation of the new holder was then carried out by electrogoniometry and a locally perceived discomfort (LPD) scale. The application of design principles to the new holder resulted in an improvement of wrist posture and comfort. Wrist angles in extension, flexion, radial deviation and ulnar deviation were lower with utilization of the new holder. The severity of discomfort based on the LPD method in the two modes of work with and without the new holder was reported with values of 1.3 and 1.8, respectively (p ergonomics design principles was effective in minimizing wrist deviation and increasing comfort while working with the new holder.

Focused ultrasound transducer spatial peak intensity estimation: a comparison of methods

Science.gov (United States)

Civale, John; Rivens, Ian; Shaw, Adam; ter Haar, Gail

2018-03-01

Characterisation of the spatial peak intensity at the focus of high intensity focused ultrasound transducers is difficult because of the risk of damage to hydrophone sensors at the high focal pressures generated. Hill et al (1994 Ultrasound Med. Biol. 20 259-69) provided a simple equation for estimating spatial-peak intensity for solid spherical bowl transducers using measured acoustic power and focal beamwidth. This paper demonstrates theoretically and experimentally that this expression is only strictly valid for spherical bowl transducers without a central (imaging) aperture. A hole in the centre of the transducer results in over-estimation of the peak intensity. Improved strategies for determining focal peak intensity from a measurement of total acoustic power are proposed. Four methods are compared: (i) a solid spherical bowl approximation (after Hill et al 1994 Ultrasound Med. Biol. 20 259-69), (ii) a numerical method derived from theory, (iii) a method using measured sidelobe to focal peak pressure ratio, and (iv) a method for measuring the focal power fraction (FPF) experimentally. Spatial-peak intensities were estimated for 8 transducers at three drive powers levels: low (approximately 1 W), moderate (~10 W) and high (20-70 W). The calculated intensities were compared with those derived from focal peak pressure measurements made using a calibrated hydrophone. The FPF measurement method was found to provide focal peak intensity estimates that agreed most closely (within 15%) with the hydrophone measurements, followed by the pressure ratio method (within 20%). The numerical method was found to consistently over-estimate focal peak intensity (+40% on average), however, for transducers with a central hole it was more accurate than using the solid bowl assumption (+70% over-estimation). In conclusion, the ability to make use of an automated beam plotting system, and a hydrophone with good spatial resolution, greatly facilitates characterisation of the FPF, and

Nonlinear effects in ultrasound fields of diagnostic-type transducers used for kidney stone propulsion: Characterization in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karzova, M.; th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" data-affiliation=" (Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" >Cunitz, B.; th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" data-affiliation=" (Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" >Kreider, W.; th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" data-affiliation=" (Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" >Bailey, M.; Yuldashev, P.; Andriyakhina, Y.; th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" data-affiliation=" (Physics Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" >Sapozhnikov, O.; th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" data-affiliation=" (Physics Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States))" >Khokhlova, V.

2015-01-01

Newer imaging and therapeutic ultrasound technologies require higher in situ pressure levels compared to conventional diagnostic values. One example is the recently developed use of focused ultrasonic radiation force to move kidney stones and residual fragments out of the urinary collecting system. A commercial diagnostic 2.3 MHz C5-2 array probe is used to deliver the acoustic pushing pulses. The probe comprises 128 elements equally spaced at the 55 mm long convex cylindrical surface with 38 mm radius of curvature. The efficacy of the treatment can be increased by using higher intensity at the focus to provide stronger pushing force; however, nonlinear acoustic saturation can be a limiting factor. In this work nonlinear propagation effects were analyzed for the C5-2 transducer using a combined measurement and modeling approach. Simulations were based on the 3D Westervelt equation; the boundary condition was set to match the focal geometry of the beam as measured at a low power output. Focal waveforms simulated for increased output power levels were compared with the fiber-optic hydrophone measurements and were found in good agreement. It was shown that saturation effects do limit the acoustic pressure in the focal region of the transducer. This work has application to standard diagnostic probes and imaging

Nonlinear effects in ultrasound fields of diagnostic-type transducers used for kidney stone propulsion: Characterization in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karzova, M., E-mail: masha@acs366.phys.msu.ru [Laboratoire de Mécanique des Fluides et d’Acoustique, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully (France); Physics Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Cunitz, B.; Kreider, W.; Bailey, M. [Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40" t" h Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States); Yuldashev, P.; Andriyakhina, Y. [Physics Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Sapozhnikov, O.; Khokhlova, V. [Physics Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40" t" h Street, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States)

2015-10-28

Newer imaging and therapeutic ultrasound technologies require higher in situ pressure levels compared to conventional diagnostic values. One example is the recently developed use of focused ultrasonic radiation force to move kidney stones and residual fragments out of the urinary collecting system. A commercial diagnostic 2.3 MHz C5-2 array probe is used to deliver the acoustic pushing pulses. The probe comprises 128 elements equally spaced at the 55 mm long convex cylindrical surface with 38 mm radius of curvature. The efficacy of the treatment can be increased by using higher intensity at the focus to provide stronger pushing force; however, nonlinear acoustic saturation can be a limiting factor. In this work nonlinear propagation effects were analyzed for the C5-2 transducer using a combined measurement and modeling approach. Simulations were based on the 3D Westervelt equation; the boundary condition was set to match the focal geometry of the beam as measured at a low power output. Focal waveforms simulated for increased output power levels were compared with the fiber-optic hydrophone measurements and were found in good agreement. It was shown that saturation effects do limit the acoustic pressure in the focal region of the transducer. This work has application to standard diagnostic probes and imaging.

2D array transducers for real-time 3D ultrasound guidance of interventional devices

Science.gov (United States)

Light, Edward D.; Smith, Stephen W.

2009-02-01

We describe catheter ring arrays for real-time 3D ultrasound guidance of devices such as vascular grafts, heart valves and vena cava filters. We have constructed several prototypes operating at 5 MHz and consisting of 54 elements using the W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. micro-miniature ribbon cables. We have recently constructed a new transducer using a braided wiring technology from Precision Interconnect. This transducer consists of 54 elements at 4.8 MHz with pitch of 0.20 mm and typical -6 dB bandwidth of 22%. In all cases, the transducer and wiring assembly were integrated with an 11 French catheter of a Cook Medical deployment device for vena cava filters. Preliminary in vivo and in vitro testing is ongoing including simultaneous 3D ultrasound and x-ray fluoroscopy.

Variability in effective radiating area and output power of new ultrasound transducers at 3 MHz.

Science.gov (United States)

Johns, Lennart D; Straub, Stephen J; Howard, Samuel M

2007-01-01

Spatial average intensity (SAI) is often used by clinicians to gauge therapeutic ultrasound dosage, yet SAI measures are not directly regulated by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Current FDA guidelines permit a possible 50% to 150% minimum to maximum range of SAI values, potentially contributing to variability in clinical outcomes. To measure clinical values that describe ultrasound transducers and to determine the degree of intramanufacturer and intermanufacturer variability in effective radiating area, power, and SAI when the transducer is functioning at 3 MHz. A descriptive and interferential approach was taken to this quasi-experimental design. Measurement laboratory. Sixty-six 5-cm(2) ultrasound transducers were purchased from 6 different manufacturers. All transducers were calibrated and then assessed using standardized measurement techniques; SAI was normalized to account for variability in effective radiating area, resulting in an nSAI. Effective radiating area, power, and nSAI. All manufacturers with the exception of Omnisound (P = .534) showed a difference between the reported and measured effective radiating area values (P nSAI (P < .05) than all other manufacturers functioning at 3 MHz. Intramanufacturer variability in SAI ranged from 16% to 35%, and intermanufacturer variability ranged from 22% to 61%. Clinicians should consider treatment values of each individual transducer, regardless of the manufacturer. In addition, clinicians should scrutinize the power calibration and recalibration record of the transducer and adjust clinical settings as needed for the desired level of heating. Our data may aid in explaining the reported heating differences among transducers from different manufacturers. Stricter FDA standards regarding effective radiating area and total power are needed, and standards regulating SAI should be established.

Design of HIFU Transducers for Generating Specified Nonlinear Ultrasound Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosnitskiy, Pavel B; Yuldashev, Petr V; Sapozhnikov, Oleg A; Maxwell, Adam D; Kreider, Wayne; Bailey, Michael R; Khokhlova, Vera A

2017-02-01

Various clinical applications of high-intensity focused ultrasound have different requirements for the pressure levels and degree of nonlinear waveform distortion at the focus. The goal of this paper is to determine transducer design parameters that produce either a specified shock amplitude in the focal waveform or specified peak pressures while still maintaining quasi-linear conditions at the focus. Multiparametric nonlinear modeling based on the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation with an equivalent source boundary condition was employed. Peak pressures, shock amplitudes at the focus, and corresponding source outputs were determined for different transducer geometries and levels of nonlinear distortion. The results are presented in terms of the parameters of an equivalent single-element spherically shaped transducer. The accuracy of the method and its applicability to cases of strongly focused transducers were validated by comparing the KZK modeling data with measurements and nonlinear full diffraction simulations for a single-element source and arrays with 7 and 256 elements. The results provide look-up data for evaluating nonlinear distortions at the focus of existing therapeutic systems as well as for guiding the design of new transducers that generate specified nonlinear fields.

Routine Ultrasound Quality Assurance in a Multi-Unit Radiology Department: A Retrospective Evaluation of Transducer Failures.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitikainen, Anne-Mari; Peltonen, Juha I; Vartiainen, Eija

2017-09-01

The importance of quality assurance (QA) in medical ultrasound (US) has been widely recognized and recommendations concerning technical QA have been published over the years. However, the demonstrated impact of a properly working QA protocol on clinical routine has been scarce. We investigated the transducer write-off causes for a 5-y period in a multi-unit radiology department with an annual average of 230 transducers in demanding diagnostic use. The transducer faults and the initial observers of the faults leading to transducer write-offs were traced and categorized. The most common cause of transducer write-off was an image uniformity problem or element failure. Mechanical faults or excessive leakage current and defects in the lens constituted smaller yet substantial shares. Our results suggest that a properly working routine QA program can detect majority of the faults before they are reported by users. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling of higher harmonics formation in medical ultrasound systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taylor, Louise Kold; Schlaikjer, Malene; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2002-01-01

a valuable tool for simulating ultrasound harmonic imaging. An extended version of Field II is obtained by means of operator splitting. The pressure eld is calculated by propagation of the eld from the transducer through a number of planes. Every plane serves as a virtual aperture for the next plane...... of the approach is demonstrated by comparing results from simulations and measurements from a convex array transducer. The new simulation tool is capable of simulating the formation of higher harmonics in water on the acoustical axis. The generation of nonlinear higher harmonic components can be predicted...

Quality control culture of diagnostic ultrasound parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andam, A.A.B; Addison, E.C.K.; Aggry-Smith, S.; Nani, E.K.

2003-01-01

A phantom, consisting of two phases, has been designed and constructed to mimic the human body. The phase one phantom was designed to mimic a a surface lesion in the human body and the phase two phantom designed to mimic a section of the whole body. Ultrasound scans of the phantom were acquired for various material in the phantom at six hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana. A linear array transducer with parallel beams having a convex probe and a 3.5 MHz ultrasound frequency were used to carry out the experiment. It was observed that the depth of penetration of ultrasound, which constitutes the maximum depth of visualization or sensitivity, is determined by the frequency of the transducer, the attenuation of the medium being imaged and the system settings. Uniformity and linearity of the machines investigated were found to be within clinically acceptable standards. Spatial resolution, comprising axial and lateral resolutions, was observed to be satisfactory for the machines tested. It was observed that lateral resolution improved with the narrowing of the beam width. The ultrasound scanners at the selected hospitals were found to be operating at the expected level of performance. This work highlights the importance of putting in place a locally based mechanism for quality control of diagnostic ultrasound machines (author)

Effect of Heat Generation of Ultrasound Transducer on Ultrasonic Power Measured by Calorimetric Method

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, Takeyoshi; Kikuchi, Tsuneo

2013-07-01

Ultrasonic power is one of the key quantities closely related to the safety of medical ultrasonic equipment. An ultrasonic power standard is required for establishment of safety. Generally, an ultrasonic power standard below approximately 20 W is established by the radiation force balance (RFB) method as the most accurate measurement method. However, RFB is not suitable for high ultrasonic power because of thermal damage to the absorbing target. Consequently, an alternative method to RFB is required. We have been developing a measurement technique for high ultrasonic power by the calorimetric method. In this study, we examined the effect of heat generation of an ultrasound transducer on ultrasonic power measured by the calorimetric method. As a result, an excessively high ultrasonic power was measured owing to the effect of heat generation from internal loss in the transducer. A reference ultrasound transducer with low heat generation is required for a high ultrasonic power standard established by the calorimetric method.

Three-dimensional micro electromechanical system piezoelectric ultrasound transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Hajati, Arman; Latev, Dimitre; Gardner, Deane; Hajati, Azadeh; Imai, Darren; Torrey, Marc; Schoeppler, Martin

2012-12-01

Here we present the design and experimental acoustic test data for an ultrasound transducer technology based on a combination of micromachined dome-shaped piezoelectric resonators arranged in a flexible architecture. Our high performance niobium-doped lead zirconate titanate film is implemented in three-dimensional dome-shaped structures, which form the basic resonating cells. Adjustable frequency response is realized by mixing these basic cells and modifying their dimensions by lithography. Improved characteristics such as high sensitivity, adjustable wide-bandwidth frequency response, low transmit voltage compatible with ordinary integrated circuitry, low electrical impedance well matched to coaxial cabling, and intrinsic acoustic impedance match to water are demonstrated.

Detecting failed elements on phased array ultrasound transducers using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom

Science.gov (United States)

Inglis, Scott; Pye, Stephen D

2016-01-01

Aims Imaging faults with ultrasound transducers are common. Failed elements on linear and curvilinear array transducers can usually be detected with a simple image uniformity or ‘paperclip’ test. However, this method is less effective for phased array transducers, commonly used in cardiac imaging. The aim of this study was to assess whether the presence of failed elements could be detected through measurement of the resolution integral (R) using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom. Methods A 128-element paediatric phased array transducer was studied. Failed elements were simulated using layered polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tape as an attenuator and measurements of resolution integral were carried out for several widths of attenuator. Results All widths of attenuator greater than 0.5 mm resulted in a significant reduction in resolution integral and low contrast penetration measurements compared to baseline (p tests to detect failed elements on phased array transducers. Particularly encouraging is the result for low contrast penetration as this is a quick and simple measurement to make and can be performed with many different test objects, thus enabling ‘in-the-field’ checks. PMID:27482276

Ultrasound power measurements of HITU transducer with a more stable radiation force balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karaboece, B; Sadiko'lu, E; Bilgic, E

2011-01-01

A new radiation force balance (RFB) system was established at Turkish National Metrology Institute (UME) Ultrasonics Laboratory for High intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) power measurements. The new system is highly stable at high power levels up to 500 Watts. The measurement system consists of a Plexiglas cylindrical balance arm, target mounting scale disks, conical reflecting and absorbing targets, adjustment nuts, and a hanging wire. Both of the two sides of balance were mounted similar size and weight targets. The equilibrium of the balance arm can be adjusted with nuts on screws located at both sides of the balance arm. Transducer was mounted to bottom of water tank. Absorbers in the bottom and the near walls of the tank were used for reflecting target case. Ultrasound power was applied to one scale of the balance where the reflecting/absorbing target was mounted and corresponding force was measured on the other scale of balance where was connected to a balance with a thin wire while the thin rest standing on a support. Ultrasound power of two HITU transducers at frequencies 0.93 MHz, 1.1 MHz and 3.3 MHz were measured with conventional and new system, the values were compared and uncertainty components were assessed in this paper.

Ultrasound power measurements of HITU transducer with a more stable radiation force balance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karaboece, B; Sadiko' lu, E; Bilgic, E, E-mail: baki.karaboce@ume.tubitak.gov.t [Tuebitak Ulusal Metroloji Enstituesue (UME), P.K. 54 41470 Gebze-Kocaeli (Turkey)

2011-02-01

A new radiation force balance (RFB) system was established at Turkish National Metrology Institute (UME) Ultrasonics Laboratory for High intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) power measurements. The new system is highly stable at high power levels up to 500 Watts. The measurement system consists of a Plexiglas cylindrical balance arm, target mounting scale disks, conical reflecting and absorbing targets, adjustment nuts, and a hanging wire. Both of the two sides of balance were mounted similar size and weight targets. The equilibrium of the balance arm can be adjusted with nuts on screws located at both sides of the balance arm. Transducer was mounted to bottom of water tank. Absorbers in the bottom and the near walls of the tank were used for reflecting target case. Ultrasound power was applied to one scale of the balance where the reflecting/absorbing target was mounted and corresponding force was measured on the other scale of balance where was connected to a balance with a thin wire while the thin rest standing on a support. Ultrasound power of two HITU transducers at frequencies 0.93 MHz, 1.1 MHz and 3.3 MHz were measured with conventional and new system, the values were compared and uncertainty components were assessed in this paper.

Development of ultrasound transducer diffractive field theory for nonlinear propagation-based imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Kharin, Nikolay A.

2000-04-01

In nonlinear ultrasound imaging the images are formed using the second harmonic energy generated due to the nonlinear nature of finite amplitude propagation. This propagation can be modeled using the KZK wave equation. This paper presents further development of nonlinear diffractive field theory based on the KZK equation and its solution by means of the slowly changing profile method for moderate nonlinearity. The analytical expression for amplitudes and phases of sum frequency wave are obtained in addition to the second harmonic wave. Also, the analytical expression for the relative curvature of the wave fronts of fundamental and second harmonic signals are derived. The media with different nonlinear properties and absorption coefficients were investigated to characterize the diffractive field of the transducer at medical frequencies. All expressions demonstrate good agreement with experimental results. The expressions are novel and provide an easy way for prediction of amplitude and phase structure of nonlinearly distorted field of a transducer. The sum frequency signal technique could be implemented as well as second harmonic technique to improve the quality of biomedical images. The results obtained are of importance for medical diagnostic ultrasound equipment design.

Tissue Harmonic Synthetic Aperture Ultrasound Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hemmsen, Martin Christian; Rasmussen, Joachim; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2014-01-01

Synthetic aperture sequential beamforming (SASB) and tissue har- monic imaging (THI) are combined to improve the image quality of medical ultrasound imaging. The technique is evaluated in a compar- ative study against dynamic receive focusing (DRF). The objective is to investigate if SASB combined...... with THI improves the image qual- ity compared to DRF-THI. The major benet of SASB is a reduced bandwidth between the probe and processing unit. A BK Medical 2202 Ultraview ultrasound scanner was used to acquire beamformed RF data for oine evaluation. The acquisition was made interleaved between methods......, and data were recorded with and without pulse inversion for tissue harmonic imaging. Data were acquired using a Sound Technol- ogy 192 element convex array transducer from both a wire phantom and a tissue mimicking phantom to investigate spatial resolution and pen- etration. In-vivo scans were also...

A 1372-element Large Scale Hemispherical Ultrasound Phased Array Transducer for Noninvasive Transcranial Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Junho; Hynynen, Kullervo

2009-01-01

Noninvasive transcranial therapy using high intensity focused ultrasound transducers has attracted high interest as a promising new modality for the treatments of brain related diseases. We describe the development of a 1372 element large scale hemispherical ultrasound phased array transducer operating at a resonant frequency of 306 kHz. The hemispherical array has a diameter of 31 cm and a 15.5 cm radius of curvature. It is constructed with piezoelectric (PZT-4) tube elements of a 10 mm in diameter, 6 mm in length and 1.4 mm wall thickness. Each element is quasi-air backed by attaching a cork-rubber membrane on the back of the element. The acoustic efficiency of the element is determined to be approximately 50%. The large number of the elements delivers high power ultrasound and offers better beam steering and focusing capability. Comparisons of sound pressure-squared field measurements with theoretical calculations in water show that the array provides good beam steering and tight focusing capability over an efficient volume of approximately 100x100x80 mm 3 with nominal focal spot size of approximately 2.3 mm in diameter at -6 dB. We also present its beam steering and focusing capability through an ex vivo human skull by measuring pressure-squared amplitude after phase corrections. These measurements show the same efficient volume range and focal spot sizes at -6 dB as the ones in water without the skull present. These results indicate that the array is sufficient for use in noninvasive transcranial ultrasound therapy.

Ultrasound-based guidance of intensity-modulated radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fung, Albert Y.C.; Ayyangar, Komanduri M.; Djajaputra, David; Nehru, Ramasamy M.; Enke, Charles A.

2006-01-01

In ultrasound-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of prostate cancer, ultrasound imaging ascertains the anatomical position of patients during x-ray therapy delivery. The ultrasound transducers are made of piezoelectric ceramics. The same crystal is used for both ultrasound production and reception. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound devices capture and correlate series of 2-dimensional (2D) B-mode images. The transducers are often arranged in a convex array for focusing. Lower frequency reaches greater depth, but results in low resolution. For clear image, some gel is usually applied between the probe and the skin contact surface. For prostate positioning, axial and sagittal scans are performed, and the volume contours from computed tomography (CT) planning are superimposed on the ultrasound images obtained before radiation delivery at the linear accelerator. The planning volumes are then overlaid on the ultrasound images and adjusted until they match. The computer automatically deduces the offset necessary to move the patient so that the treatment area is in the correct location. The couch is translated as needed. The currently available commercial equipment can attain a positional accuracy of 1-2 mm. Commercial manufacturer designs differ in the detection of probe coordinates relative to the isocenter. Some use a position-sensing robotic arm, while others have infrared light-emitting diodes or pattern-recognition software with charge-couple-device cameras. Commissioning includes testing of image quality and positional accuracy. Ultrasound is mainly used in prostate positioning. Data for 7825 daily fractions of 234 prostate patients indicated average 3D inter-fractional displacement of about 7.8 mm. There was no perceivable trend of shift over time. Scatter plots showed slight prevalence toward superior-posterior directions. Uncertainties of ultrasound guidance included tissue inhomogeneities, speckle noise, probe pressure, and inter

Research of Ultrasound-Mediated Transdermal Drug Delivery System Using Cymbal-Type Piezoelectric Composite Transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Huan, Huiting; Gao, Chunming; Liu, Lixian; Sun, Qiming; Zhao, Binxing; Yan, Laijun

2015-06-01

Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) implemented by especially low-frequency ultrasound is generally known as sonophoresis or phonophoresis which has drawn considerable wide attention. However, TDD has not yet achieved its full potential as an alternative to conventional drug delivery methods due to its bulky instruments. In this paper, a cymbal-type piezoelectric composite transducer (CPCT) which has advantages over a traditional ultrasound generator in weight, flexibility, and power consumption, is used as a substitute ultrasonicator to realize TDD. First, theoretical research on a CPCT based on the finite element analysis was carried out according to which a series of applicable CPCTs with bandwidths of 20 kHz to 100 kHz were elaborated. Second, a TDD experimental setup was built with previously fabricated CPCTs aimed at the administration of glucose. Finally, the TDD performance of glucose molecule transport in porcine skin was measured in vitro by quantifying the concentration of glucose, and the time variation curves were subsequently obtained. During the experiment, the driving wave form, frequency, and power consumption of the transducers were selected as the main elements which determined the efficacy of glucose delivery. The results indicate that the effectiveness of the CPCT-based delivery is constrained more by the frequency and intensity of ultrasound rather than the driving waveform. The light-weight, flexibility, and low-power consumption of a CPCT can potentially achieve effective TDD.

2D sparse array transducer optimization for 3D ultrasound imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jae Hoon; Park, Kwan Kyu

2014-01-01

A 3D ultrasound image is desired in many medical examinations. However, the implementation of a 2D array, which is needed for a 3D image, is challenging with respect to fabrication, interconnection and cabling. A 2D sparse array, which needs fewer elements than a dense array, is a realistic way to achieve 3D images. Because the number of ways the elements can be placed in an array is extremely large, a method for optimizing the array configuration is needed. Previous research placed the target point far from the transducer array, making it impossible to optimize the array in the operating range. In our study, we focused on optimizing a 2D sparse array transducer for 3D imaging by using a simulated annealing method. We compared the far-field optimization method with the near-field optimization method by analyzing a point-spread function (PSF). The resolution of the optimized sparse array is comparable to that of the dense array.

Calculation of pressure fields from arbitrarily shaped, apodized, and excited ultrasound transducers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Svendsen, Niels Bruun

1992-01-01

A method for simulation of pulsed pressure fields from arbitrarily shaped, apodized and excited ultrasound transducers is suggested. It relies on the Tupholme-Stepanishen method for calculating pulsed pressure fields, and can also handle the continuous wave and pulse-echo case. The field...... is calculated by dividing the surface into small rectangles and then Summing their response. A fast calculation is obtained by using the far-field approximation. Examples of the accuracy of the approach and actual calculation times are given...

Single-transducer dual-frequency ultrasound generation to enhance acoustic cavitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hao-Li; Hsieh, Chao-Ming

2009-03-01

Dual- or multiple-frequency ultrasound stimulation is capable of effectively enhancing the acoustic cavitation effect over single-frequency ultrasound. Potential application of this sonoreactor design has been widely proposed such as on sonoluminescence, sonochemistry enhancement, and transdermal drug release enhancement. All currently available sonoreactor designs employed multiple piezoelectric transducers for generating single-frequency ultrasonic waves separately and then these waves were mixed and interfered in solutions. The purpose of this research is to propose a novel design of generating dual-frequency ultrasonic waves with single piezoelectric elements, thereby enhancing acoustic cavitation. Macroscopic bubbles were detected optically, and they were quantified at either a single-frequency or for different frequency combinations for determining their efficiency for enhancing acoustic cavitation. Visible bubbles were optically detected and hydrogen peroxide was measured to quantify acoustic cavitation. Test water samples with different gas concentrations and different power levels were used to determine the efficacy of enhancing acoustic cavitation of this design. The spectrum obtained from the backscattered signals was also recorded and examined to confirm the occurrence of stable cavitation. The results confirmed that single-element dual-frequency ultrasound stimulation can enhance acoustic cavitation. Under certain testing conditions, the generation of bubbles can be enhanced up to a level of five times higher than the generation of bubbles in single-frequency stimulation, and can increase the hydrogen peroxide production up to an increase of one fold. This design may serve as a useful alternative for future sonoreactor design owing to its simplicity to produce dual- or multiple-frequency ultrasound.

3D-printed adaptive acoustic lens as a disruptive technology for transcranial ultrasound therapy using single-element transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Maimbourg, Guillaume; Houdouin, Alexandre; Deffieux, Thomas; Tanter, Mickael; Aubry, Jean-François

2018-01-01

The development of multi-element arrays for better control of the shape of ultrasonic beams has opened the way for focusing through highly aberrating media, such as the human skull. As a result, the use of brain therapy with transcranial-focused ultrasound has rapidly grown. Although effective, such technology is expensive. We propose a disruptive, low-cost approach that consists of focusing a 1 MHz ultrasound beam through a human skull with a single-element transducer coupled with a tailored silicone acoustic lens cast in a 3D-printed mold and designed using computed tomography-based numerical acoustic simulation. We demonstrate on N  =  3 human skulls that adding lens-based aberration correction to a single-element transducer increases the deposited energy on the target 10 fold.

Chest wall – underappreciated structure in sonography. Part I: Examination methodology and ultrasound anatomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Smereczyński

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Chest wall ultrasound has been awarded little interest in the literature, with chest wall anatomy described only in limited extent. The objective of this study has been to discuss the methodology of chest wall ultrasound and the sonographic anatomy of the region to facilitate professional evaluation of this complex structure. The primarily used transducer is a 7–12 MHz linear one. A 3–5 MHz convex (curvilinear transducer may also be helpful, especially in obese and very muscular patients. Doppler and panoramic imaging options are essential. The indications for chest wall ultrasound include localized pain or lesions found or suspected on imaging with other modalities (conventional radiography, CT, MR or scintigraphy. The investigated pathological condition should be scanned in at least two planes. Sometimes, evaluation during deep breathing permits identification of pathological mobility (e.g. in rib or sternum fractures, slipping rib syndrome. Several structures, closely associated with each other, need to be considered in the evaluation of the chest wall. The skin, which forms a hyperechoic covering, requires a high frequency transducer (20–45 MHz. The subcutaneous fat is characterized by clusters of hypoechoic lobules. Chest muscles have a very complex structure, but their appearance on ultrasound does not differ from the images of muscles located in other anatomical regions. As far as cartilaginous and bony structures of the chest are concerned, the differences in the anatomy of the ribs, sternum, scapula and sternoclavicular joints have been discussed. The rich vascular network which is only fragmentarily accessible for ultrasound assessment has been briefly discussed. A comprehensive evaluation of the chest wall should include the axillary, supraclavicular, apical and parasternal lymph nodes. Their examination requires the use of elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

The design of a focused ultrasound transducer array for the treatment of stroke: a simulation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pajek, Daniel; Hynynen, Kullervo

2012-01-01

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is capable of mechanically disintegrating blood clots at high pressures. Safe thrombolysis may require frequencies higher than those currently utilized by transcranial HIFU. Since the attenuation and focal distortion of ultrasound in bone increases at higher frequencies, resulting focal pressures are diminished. This study investigated the feasibility of using transcranial HIFU for the non-invasive treatment of ischemic stroke. The use of large aperture, 1.1–1.5 MHz phased arrays in targeting four clinically relevant vessel locations was simulated. Resulting focal sizes decreased with frequency, producing a maximum –3 dB depth of field and lateral width of 2.0 and 1.2 mm, respectively. Mean focal gains above an order of magnitude were observed in three of four targets and transducer intensities required to achieve thrombolysis were determined. Required transducer element counts are about an order of magnitude higher than what currently exists and so, although technically feasible, new arrays would need to be developed to realize this as a treatment modality for stroke. (paper)

Development of a high frequency single-element ultrasound needle transducer for anesthesia delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Ameri, Golafsoun; Son, Jungik; Liang, Jingwei; Foster, F. Stuart; Ganapathy, Sugantha; Peters, Terry M.

2017-03-01

Epidural anesthesia is one of the most commonly used and yet challenging techniques employed for pain management and anesthesia delivery. The major complications of this procedure are due to accidental dural puncture, with an incidence of 1-3%, which could lead to both temporary and irreversible permanent neurological complications. Needle placement under ultrasound (US) guidance has received increasing interest for improving needle placement accuracy. However, poor needle visibility in US, difficulties in displaying relevant anatomical structure such as dura mater due to attenuation and bone shadowing, and image interpretation variability among users pose significant hurdles for any US guidance system. As a result, US guidance for epidural injections has not been widely adopted for everyday use for the performance of neuraxial blocks. The difficulties in localizing the ligamentum flavum and dura with respect to the needle tip can be addressed by integrating A-mode US, provided by a single-element transducer at the needle tip, into the B-mode US guidance system. We have taken the first steps towards providing such a guidance system. Our goal is to improve the safety of this procedure with minimal changes to the clinical workflow. This work presents the design and development of a 20 MHz single-element US transducer housed at the tip of a 19 G needle hypodermic tube, which can fit inside an epidural introducer needle. In addition, the results from initial transducer characterization tests and performance evaluation of the transducer in a euthanized porcine model are provided.

Instantaneous input electrical power measurements of HITU transducer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karaboece, B; Guelmez, Y; Rajagapol, S; Shaw, A

2011-01-01

HITU (High Intensity Theraupetic Ultrasound) transducers are widely used in therapeutic ultrasound in medicine. The output ultrasonic power of HITU transducer can be measured in number of methods described in IEC 61161 standard [1]. New IEC standards specifically for measurement of HITU equipment are under development. The ultrasound power radiated from a transducer is dependent on applied input electrical voltage and current and consequently power. But, up to now, no standardised method has been developed and adopted for the input electrical power measurements. Hence, a workpackage was carried out for the establishment of such method in the frequency range of 1 to 3 MHz as a part of EURAMET EMRP Era-net plus 'External Beam Cancer Therapy' project. Several current shunts were developed and evaluated. Current measurements were also realized with Philips current probe and preamplifier at NPL and Agilent current probe at UME. In this paper, a method for the measurement of instantaneous electrical power delivered to a reactive ultrasound transducer in the required frequency range is explored.

Instantaneous input electrical power measurements of HITU transducer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karaboece, B; Guelmez, Y [Tuebitak Ulusal Metroloji Enstituesue (UME), P.K. 54 41470 Gebze-Kocaeli (Turkey); Rajagapol, S; Shaw, A, E-mail: baki.karaboce@ume.tubitak.gov.t [National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW (United Kingdom)

2011-02-01

HITU (High Intensity Theraupetic Ultrasound) transducers are widely used in therapeutic ultrasound in medicine. The output ultrasonic power of HITU transducer can be measured in number of methods described in IEC 61161 standard [1]. New IEC standards specifically for measurement of HITU equipment are under development. The ultrasound power radiated from a transducer is dependent on applied input electrical voltage and current and consequently power. But, up to now, no standardised method has been developed and adopted for the input electrical power measurements. Hence, a workpackage was carried out for the establishment of such method in the frequency range of 1 to 3 MHz as a part of EURAMET EMRP Era-net plus 'External Beam Cancer Therapy' project. Several current shunts were developed and evaluated. Current measurements were also realized with Philips current probe and preamplifier at NPL and Agilent current probe at UME. In this paper, a method for the measurement of instantaneous electrical power delivered to a reactive ultrasound transducer in the required frequency range is explored.

Ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films and their applications for integrated capacitors, piezoelectric ultrasound transducers and piezoelectric switches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klee, M; Boots, H; Kumar, B; Heesch, C van; Mauczok, R; Keur, W; Wild, M de; Esch, H van; Roest, A L; Reimann, K; Leuken, L van; Wunnicke, O; Zhao, J; Schmitz, G; Mienkina, M; Mleczko, M; Tiggelman, M

2010-01-01

Ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films are gaining more and more importance for the integration of high performance devices in small modules. High-K 'Integrated Discretes' devices have been developed, which are based on thin film ferroelectric capacitors integrated together with resistors and ESD protection diodes in a small Si-based chip-scale package. Making use of ferroelectric thin films with relative permittivity of 950-1600 and stacking processes of capacitors, extremely high capacitance densities of 20-520 nF/mm 2 , high breakdown voltages up to 140 V and lifetimes of more than 10 years at operating voltages of 5 V and 85 deg. C are achieved. Thin film high-density capacitors play also an important role as tunable capacitors for applications such as tuneable matching circuits for RF sections of mobile phones. The performance of thin film tuneable capacitors at frequencies between 1 MHz and 1 GHz is investigated. Finally thin film piezoelectric ultrasound transducers, processed in Si- related processes, are attractive for medical imaging, since they enable large bandwidth (>100%), high frequency operation and have the potential to integrate electronics. With these piezoelectric thin film ultrasound transducers real time ultrasound images have been realized. Finally, piezoelectric thin films are used to manufacture galvanic MEMS switches. A model for the quasi-static mechanical behaviour is presented and compared with measurements.

The Dynamic Performance of Flexural Ultrasonic Transducers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Feeney

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Flexural ultrasonic transducers are principally used as proximity sensors and for industrial metrology. Their operation relies on a piezoelectric ceramic to generate a flexing of a metallic membrane, which delivers the ultrasound signal. The performance of flexural ultrasonic transducers has been largely limited to excitation through a short voltage burst signal at a designated mechanical resonance frequency. However, a steady-state amplitude response is not generated instantaneously in a flexural ultrasonic transducer from a drive excitation signal, and differences in the drive characteristics between transmitting and receiving transducers can affect the measured response. This research investigates the dynamic performance of flexural ultrasonic transducers using acoustic microphone measurements and laser Doppler vibrometry, supported by a detailed mechanical analog model, in a process which has not before been applied to the flexural ultrasonic transducer. These techniques are employed to gain insights into the physics of their vibration behaviour, vital for the optimisation of industrial ultrasound systems.

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... inserted into a man's rectum to view the prostate. Transvaginal ultrasound. The transducer is inserted into a ... Stenting Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy Obstetric Ultrasound Ultrasound - Prostate Biopsies - Overview Images related to General Ultrasound Videos ...

A New Ultrasound-Guided Puncture Device with Augmented Degrees of Performance Freedom and Ability to Attach to Most Convex Probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Sung Il; Son, Kyu Ri; Kim, Young Jun; Jeon, Hae Jeong; Park, Sang Woo; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Kim, Seung Hyup

2008-01-01

To evaluate the performance of a newly-designed ultrasound (US)-guided puncture device. A newly-designed US-guided puncture device was composed of a guide segment and an attachable segment. The guide segment allowed the needle to be placed in the plane of US view with a maximal degree of freedom, and the attachable segment was designed to attach to most convex US probes. Six operators punctured 144 targets in phantoms using either the new device (n = 72) or free-hand technique (n = 72). The number of required needle passages and the necessary procedure times were compared between the two groups. The number of required needle passages and the necessary procedure time were significantly reduced in five operators when the newly-designed US-guided puncture device was used (p < 0.05). A newly-designed US-guided puncture device, which allows for a maximal degree of freedom in needle placement and can attach to most convex US probes, showed good performance in our study

CT and Ultrasound Guided Stereotactic High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Bradford J.; Yanof, J.; Frenkel, V.; Viswanathan, A.; Dromi, S.; Oh, K.; Kruecker, J.; Bauer, C.; Seip, R.; Kam, A.; Li, K. C. P.

2006-05-01

To demonstrate the feasibility of CT and B-mode Ultrasound (US) targeted HIFU, a prototype coaxial focused ultrasound transducer was registered and integrated to a CT scanner. CT and diagnostic ultrasound were used for HIFU targeting and monitoring, with the goals of both thermal ablation and non-thermal enhanced drug delivery. A 1 megahertz coaxial ultrasound transducer was custom fabricated and attached to a passive position-sensing arm and an active six degree-of-freedom robotic arm via a CT stereotactic frame. The outer therapeutic transducer with a 10 cm fixed focal zone was coaxially mounted to an inner diagnostic US transducer (2-4 megahertz, Philips Medical Systems). This coaxial US transducer was connected to a modified commercial focused ultrasound generator (Focus Surgery, Indianapolis, IN) with a maximum total acoustic power of 100 watts. This pre-clinical paradigm was tested for ability to heat tissue in phantoms with monitoring and navigation from CT and live US. The feasibility of navigation via image fusion of CT with other modalities such as PET and MRI was demonstrated. Heated water phantoms were tested for correlation between CT numbers and temperature (for ablation monitoring). The prototype transducer and integrated CT/US imaging system enabled simultaneous multimodality imaging and therapy. Pre-clinical phantom models validated the treatment paradigm and demonstrated integrated multimodality guidance and treatment monitoring. Temperature changes during phantom cooling corresponded to CT number changes. Contrast enhanced or non-enhanced CT numbers may potentially be used to monitor thermal ablation with HIFU. Integrated CT, diagnostic US, and therapeutic focused ultrasound bridges a gap between diagnosis and therapy. Preliminary results show that the multimodality system may represent a relatively inexpensive, accessible, and simple method of both targeting and monitoring HIFU effects. Small animal pre-clinical models may be translated to large

Design of HIFU Transducers to Generate Specific Nonlinear Ultrasound Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Khokhlova, Vera A.; Yuldashev, Petr V.; Rosnitskiy, Pavel B.; Maxwell, Adam D.; Kreider, Wayne; Bailey, Michael R.; Sapozhnikov, Oleg A.

Various clinical applications of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) have different requirements on the pressure level and degree of nonlinear waveform distortion at the focus. Applications that utilize nonlinear waves with developed shocks are of growing interest, for example, for mechanical disintegration as well as for accelerated thermal ablation oftissue. In this work, an inverse problem of determining transducer parameters to enable formation of shockswith desired amplitude at the focus is solved. The solution was obtained by performing multipledirect simulations of the parabolic Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation for various parameters of the source. It is shown that results obtained within the parabolic approximation can be used to describe the focal region of single element spherical sourcesas well as complex transducer arrays. It is also demonstrated that the focal pressure level at which fully developed shocksare formed mainly depends on the focusing angle of the source and only slightly depends on its aperture and operating frequency. Using the simulation results, a 256-element HIFU array operating at 1.5 MHz frequency was designed for a specific application of boiling-histotripsy that relies on the presence of 90-100 MPa shocks at the focus. The size of the array elements and focusing angle of the array were chosen to satisfy technical limitations on the intensity at the array elements and desired shock amplitudes in the focal waveform. Focus steering capabilities of the array were analysed using an open-source T-Array software developed at Moscow State University.

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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Full Text Available ... transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves (that the human ear cannot hear) into the body and then ... ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on humans. top of page What are the limitations of Pelvic Ultrasound Imaging? Ultrasound waves are ...

High Temperature, High Power Piezoelectric Composite Transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyeong Jae; Zhang, Shujun; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, StewarT.

2014-01-01

Piezoelectric composites are a class of functional materials consisting of piezoelectric active materials and non-piezoelectric passive polymers, mechanically attached together to form different connectivities. These composites have several advantages compared to conventional piezoelectric ceramics and polymers, including improved electromechanical properties, mechanical flexibility and the ability to tailor properties by using several different connectivity patterns. These advantages have led to the improvement of overall transducer performance, such as transducer sensitivity and bandwidth, resulting in rapid implementation of piezoelectric composites in medical imaging ultrasounds and other acoustic transducers. Recently, new piezoelectric composite transducers have been developed with optimized composite components that have improved thermal stability and mechanical quality factors, making them promising candidates for high temperature, high power transducer applications, such as therapeutic ultrasound, high power ultrasonic wirebonding, high temperature non-destructive testing, and downhole energy harvesting. This paper will present recent developments of piezoelectric composite technology for high temperature and high power applications. The concerns and limitations of using piezoelectric composites will also be discussed, and the expected future research directions will be outlined. PMID:25111242

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... of page How is the procedure performed? For most ultrasound exams, you will be positioned lying face- ... Ultrasound examinations are painless and easily tolerated by most patients. Ultrasound exams in which the transducer is ...

Prostate Ultrasound

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Full Text Available ... scanning or sonography , involves the use of a small transducer (probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on ... to do the scanning. The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone, attached ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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Full Text Available ... use different transducers (with different capabilities) during a single exam. The transducer sends out high-frequency sound ... modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound provides real-time ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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Full Text Available ... is used to evaluate the: bladder seminal vesicles prostate Transrectal ultrasound, a special study usually done to provide detailed evaluation of the prostate gland, involves inserting a specialized ultrasound transducer into ...

Evaluation of a novel therapeutic focused ultrasound transducer based on Fermat’s spiral

Science.gov (United States)

Ramaekers, P.; de Greef, M.; Berriet, R.; Moonen, C. T. W.; Ries, M.

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel phased array transducer design rule for therapeutic focused ultrasound applications. This design rule uses the discretized Fermat’s spiral to determine the positioning of the transducer elements for a given number of elements and f-number. Using this principle, three variations of Fermat’s spiral were generated, aimed at (1) grating lobe minimization, (2) side lobe minimization, and (3) an optimized element packing efficiency. For each spiral, sparse layouts using identical circular elements and fully populated layouts based on additional Voronoi tessellation were evaluated numerically. Evaluation criteria included the element size distribution, beam steering capabilities, focal plane pressure distribution, prefocal pressure distribution, and practical considerations. Finally, one Voronoi-tessellated design with a focal length and aperture diameter of 16 cm and a natural frequency of 1.3 MHz was evaluated experimentally through hydrophone measurements. The numerical evaluation showed that while sparse arrays possess superior beam steering capabilities for a given number of elements, the focal point quality and prefocal pressure distribution is substantially more favorable when using the Voronoi-tessellated designs. Beam steering was shown to be feasible with the tessellated designs for lateral deflections up to 10 mm and axial deflections up to 20 mm. The experimental evaluation showed that such a transducer is capable of inducing 40.00 MPa rarefactional and 237.50 MPa compressional peak pressure levels at 800 W instantaneous acoustic output power under free-field conditions, making the system potentially relevant for thermal ablation therapy, histotripsy applications, and shockwave-enhanced heating.

Brachial artery vasomotion and transducer pressure effect on measurements by active contour segmentation on ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cary, Theodore W.; Sultan, Laith R.; Sehgal, Chandra M., E-mail: sehgalc@uphs.upenn.edu [Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Reamer, Courtney B.; Mohler, Emile R. [Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Section of Vascular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

2014-02-15

Purpose: To use feed-forward active contours (snakes) to track and measure brachial artery vasomotion on ultrasound images recorded in both transverse and longitudinal views; and to compare the algorithm's performance in each view. Methods: Longitudinal and transverse view ultrasound image sequences of 45 brachial arteries were segmented by feed-forward active contour (FFAC). The segmented regions were used to measure vasomotion artery diameter, cross-sectional area, and distention both as peak-to-peak diameter and as area. ECG waveforms were also simultaneously extracted frame-by-frame by thresholding a running finite-difference image between consecutive images. The arterial and ECG waveforms were compared as they traced each phase of the cardiac cycle. Results: FFAC successfully segmented arteries in longitudinal and transverse views in all 45 cases. The automated analysis took significantly less time than manual tracing, but produced superior, well-behaved arterial waveforms. Automated arterial measurements also had lower interobserver variability as measured by correlation, difference in mean values, and coefficient of variation. Although FFAC successfully segmented both the longitudinal and transverse images, transverse measurements were less variable. The cross-sectional area computed from the longitudinal images was 27% lower than the area measured from transverse images, possibly due to the compression of the artery along the image depth by transducer pressure. Conclusions: FFAC is a robust and sensitive vasomotion segmentation algorithm in both transverse and longitudinal views. Transverse imaging may offer advantages over longitudinal imaging: transverse measurements are more consistent, possibly because the method is less sensitive to variations in transducer pressure during imaging.

Prostate Ultrasound

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Full Text Available ... those sound waves to create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in ... abnormal masses, such as tumors. In an ultrasound examination, a transducer both sends the sound waves into ...

Prostate Ultrasound

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Full Text Available ... and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound ... from the probe through the gel into the body. The transducer collects the sounds that bounce back ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

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Full Text Available ... and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound ... from the probe through the gel into the body. The transducer collects the sounds that bounce back ...

Prostate Ultrasound

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Full Text Available ... of page What will I experience during and after the procedure? Ultrasound exams in which the transducer ... in the sperm or urine following the procedure. After an ultrasound examination, you should be able to ...

Endobronchial ultrasound elastography: a new method in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jun-Hong; Turner, J Francis; Huang, Jian-An

2015-12-01

TBNA through the flexible bronchoscope is a 37-year-old technology that utilizes a TBNA needle to puncture the bronchial wall and obtain specimens of peribronchial and mediastinal lesions through the flexible bronchoscope for the diagnosis of benign and malignant diseases in the mediastinum and lung. Since 2002, the Olympus Company developed the first generation ultrasound equipment for use in the airway, initially utilizing an ultrasound probe introduced through the working channel followed by incoroporation of a fixed linear ultrasound array at the distal tip of the bronchoscope. This new bronchoscope equipped with a convex type ultrasound probe on the tip was subsequently introduced into clinical practice. The convex probe (CP)-EBUS allows real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. EBUS-TBNA is a minimally invasive procedure performed under local anesthesia that has been shown to have a high sensitivity and diagnostic yield for lymph node staging of lung cancer. In 10 years of EBUS development, the Olympus Company developed the second generation EBUS bronchoscope (BF-UC260FW) with the ultrasound image processor (EU-M1), and in 2013 introduced a new ultrasound image processor (EU-M2) into clinical practice. FUJI company has also developed a curvilinear array endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscope (EB-530 US) that makes it easier for the operator to master the operation of the ultrasonic bronchoscope. Also, the new thin convex probe endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscope (TCP-EBUS) is able to visualize one to three bifurcations distal to the current CP-EBUS. The emergence of EBUS-TBNA has also been accompanied by innovation in EBUS instruments. EBUS elastography is, then, a new technique for describing the compliance of structures during EBUS, which may be of use in the determination of metastasis to the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. This article describes these new EBUS

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves (that the human ear cannot hear) into the body and then ... ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects on humans. top of page What are the limitations of General Ultrasound Imaging? Ultrasound waves are ...

Focused ultrasound in ophthalmology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silverman RH

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Ronald H Silverman1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center, 2F.L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering, Riverside Research, New York, NY, USA Abstract: The use of focused ultrasound to obtain diagnostically significant information about the eye goes back to the 1950s. This review describes the historical and technological development of ophthalmic ultrasound and its clinical application and impact. Ultrasound, like light, can be focused, which is crucial for formation of high-resolution, diagnostically useful images. Focused, single-element, mechanically scanned transducers are most common in ophthalmology. Specially designed transducers have been used to generate focused, high-intensity ultrasound that through thermal effects has been used to treat glaucoma (via cilio-destruction, tumors, and other pathologies. Linear and annular transducer arrays offer synthetic focusing in which precise timing of the excitation of independently addressable array elements allows formation of a converging wavefront to create a focus at one or more programmable depths. Most recently, linear array-based plane-wave ultrasound, in which the array emits an unfocused wavefront and focusing is performed solely on received data, has been demonstrated for imaging ocular anatomy and blood flow. While the history of ophthalmic ultrasound extends back over half-a-century, new and powerful technologic advances continue to be made, offering the prospect of novel diagnostic capabilities. Keywords: ophthalmic ultrasound, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU, ultrafast imaging, Doppler imaging 

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... scanning or sonography , involves the use of a small transducer (probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on ... to do the scanning. The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone, attached ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... use different transducers (with different capabilities) during a single exam. The transducer sends out high-frequency sound ... modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound provides real-time ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... in infections With knowledge about the speed and volume of blood flow gained from a Doppler ultrasound ... Some exams may use different transducers (with different capabilities) during a single exam. The transducer sends out ...

Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers for 3-D Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas Lehrmann

of state-of-the-art 3-D ultrasound systems. The focus is on row-column addressed transducer arrays. This previously sparsely investigated addressing scheme offers a highly reduced number of transducer elements, resulting in reduced transducer manufacturing costs and data processing. To produce...... such transducer arrays, capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) technology is chosen for this project. Properties such as high bandwidth and high design flexibility makes this an attractive transducer technology, which is under continuous development in the research community. A theoretical...... treatment of CMUTs is presented, including investigations of the anisotropic plate behaviour and modal radiation patterns of such devices. Several new CMUT fabrication approaches are developed and investigated in terms of oxide quality and surface protrusions, culminating in a simple four-mask process...

Analog Gradient Beamformer for a Wireless Ultrasound Scanner

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

di Ianni, Tommaso; Hemmsen, Martin Christian; Bagge, Jan Peter

2016-01-01

This paper presents a novel beamformer architecture for a low-cost receiver front-end, and investigates if the image quality can be maintained. The system is oriented to the development of a hand-held wireless ultrasound probe based on Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming, and has the advant......This paper presents a novel beamformer architecture for a low-cost receiver front-end, and investigates if the image quality can be maintained. The system is oriented to the development of a hand-held wireless ultrasound probe based on Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming, and has...... the advantage of effectively reducing circuit complexity and power dissipation. The array of transducers is divided into sub-apertures, in which the signals from the single channels are aligned through a network of cascaded gradient delays, and summed in the analog domain before A/D conversion. The delay values...... are quantized to simplify the shifting unit, and a single A/D converter is needed for each sub-aperture yielding a compact, low-power architecture that can be integrated in a single chip. A simulation study was performed using a 3.75 MHz convex array, and the point spread function (PSF) for different...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... need to be returned to the transducer for analysis. Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and, therefore, can ... ultrasound procedure View full size with caption Pediatric Content Some imaging tests and treatments have special pediatric ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... 3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images. A Doppler ultrasound study ... to do the scanning. The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone, attached ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats ... sonography is performed using the same transducer. Rarely, young children may need to be sedated in order ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves ...

Power doppler 'blanching' after the application of transducer pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshua, F.; Edmonds, J.; Lassere, M.; De Carle, R.; Rayment, M.; Bryant, C.; Shnier, R.

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine if transducer pressure modifies power Doppler assessments of rheumatoid arthritis synovium at the metacarpophalangeal joints and metatarsophalangeal joints. Five rheumatoid arthritis patients of varying degrees of 'disease activity' and damage were assessed with power Doppler ultrasound scanning of the dominant hand second to fifth metacarpophalangeal joints. Two rheumatoid arthritis patients had their dominant foot first to fifth metatarsophalangeal joints assessed with power Doppler ultrasound. Ultrasonography was performed with a high frequency transducer (14 MHz) with a colour mode frequency of 10 Mhz, and a standard colour box and gain. In the joint that showed the highest power Doppler signal, an image was made. A further image was taken after transducer pressure was applied. In all patients, there was increased flow to at least one joint. After pressure was applied, power Doppler signal intensity markedly reduced in all images and in some there was no recordable power Doppler signal. Increased transducer pressure can result in a marked reduction or obliteration in power Doppler signal. This power Doppler 'blanching' shows the need for further studies to evaluate sources of error and standardization before power Doppler ultrasound becomes a routine measure of 'disease activity' in rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright (2005) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

Undergraduate Convexity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, Niels

Based on undergraduate teaching to students in computer science, economics and mathematics at Aarhus University, this is an elementary introduction to convex sets and convex functions with emphasis on concrete computations and examples. Starting from linear inequalities and Fourier-Motzkin elimin......Based on undergraduate teaching to students in computer science, economics and mathematics at Aarhus University, this is an elementary introduction to convex sets and convex functions with emphasis on concrete computations and examples. Starting from linear inequalities and Fourier......-Motzkin elimination, the theory is developed by introducing polyhedra, the double description method and the simplex algorithm, closed convex subsets, convex functions of one and several variables ending with a chapter on convex optimization with the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions, duality and an interior point...... algorithm....

Advanced 3-D Ultrasound Imaging: 3-D Synthetic Aperture Imaging using Fully Addressed and Row-Column Addressed 2-D Transducer Arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouzari, Hamed

the important diagnostic information in a noninvasive manner. Diagnostic and therapeutic decisions often require accurate estimates of e.g., organ, cyst, or tumor volumes. 3-D ultrasound imaging can provide these measurements without relying on the geometrical assumptions and operator-dependent skills involved...... is one of the factors for the widespread use of ultrasound imaging. The high price tag on the high quality 3-D scanners is limiting their market share. Row-column addressing of 2-D transducer arrays is a low cost alternative to fully addressed 2-D arrays, for 3-D ultrasound imaging. Using row....... Based on a set of acoustical measurements the center frequency, bandwidth, surface pressure, sensitivity, and acoustical cross-talks were evaluated and discussed. The imaging quality assessments were carried out based on Field II simulations as well as phantom measurements. Moreover, an analysis...

Comparison of low and high frequency transducers in the detection of liver metastases.

Science.gov (United States)

Schacherer, D; Wrede, C; Obermeier, F; Schölmerich, J; Schlottmann, K; Klebl, F

2006-09-01

To evaluate the benefit of the additional use of a high frequency ultrasound probe (7.5 MHz) in finding suspicious liver lesions compared to the examination using a 3.5-MHz transducer only. One hundred and fifty-seven patients with underlying malignant disease were examined with both transducers using one of three ultrasound machines (Siemens Sonoline Elegra, GE Healthcare Logic 9, or Hitachi EUB-8500). Findings on hepatic lesions were collected on a standardised documentation sheet and evaluated by descriptive statistics. Ninety-three patients (59.2% of all patients) showed no evident liver lesion on conventional ultrasound with the 3.5 MHz probe. In 29 patients (18.5%) new suspicious liver lesions were found by using the high frequency transducer. Thirteen of these 29 patients (44.8%) were suspected to suffer from diffuse infiltration of the liver with malignant lesions or at least 10 additional visible lesions. In 14 patients, no liver lesion had been known before high frequency ultrasound examination. The size of newly described liver lesions ranged from 2 mm to 1.5 cm. Time needed for the additional examination with the high frequency transducer ranged between 1 and 15 min with an average of 4.0 min. The additional use of a high frequency transducer in patients with underlying malignant disease slightly extends the examination time, but reveals new, potentially malignant hepatic lesions in almost every fifth patient.

Undergraduate Convexity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, Niels

-Motzkin elimination, the theory is developed by introducing polyhedra, the double description method and the simplex algorithm, closed convex subsets, convex functions of one and several variables ending with a chapter on convex optimization with the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions, duality and an interior point......Based on undergraduate teaching to students in computer science, economics and mathematics at Aarhus University, this is an elementary introduction to convex sets and convex functions with emphasis on concrete computations and examples. Starting from linear inequalities and Fourier...

Varying ultrasound power level to distinguish surgical instruments and tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Hongliang; Anuraj, Banani; Dupont, Pierre E

2018-03-01

We investigate a new framework of surgical instrument detection based on power-varying ultrasound images with simple and efficient pixel-wise intensity processing. Without using complicated feature extraction methods, we identified the instrument with an estimated optimal power level and by comparing pixel values of varying transducer power level images. The proposed framework exploits the physics of ultrasound imaging system by varying the transducer power level to effectively distinguish metallic surgical instruments from tissue. This power-varying image-guidance is motivated from our observations that ultrasound imaging at different power levels exhibit different contrast enhancement capabilities between tissue and instruments in ultrasound-guided robotic beating-heart surgery. Using lower transducer power levels (ranging from 40 to 75% of the rated lowest ultrasound power levels of the two tested ultrasound scanners) can effectively suppress the strong imaging artifacts from metallic instruments and thus, can be utilized together with the images from normal transducer power levels to enhance the separability between instrument and tissue, improving intraoperative instrument tracking accuracy from the acquired noisy ultrasound volumetric images. We performed experiments in phantoms and ex vivo hearts in water tank environments. The proposed multi-level power-varying ultrasound imaging approach can identify robotic instruments of high acoustic impedance from low-signal-to-noise-ratio ultrasound images by power adjustments.

High frequency P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer broadband annular array ultrasound transducers using high density flexible circuit interconnect

Science.gov (United States)

Gottlieb, Emanuel J.; Cannata, Jonathan M.; Hu, Chang Hong; Shung, K. K.

2005-04-01

A kerfless eight element high frequency ultrasound annular array transducer using 9 μm P(VDF-TrFE) bonded to a high density flexible interconnect was fabricated. The flexible circuit composed of Kapton polyimide film with gold electrode pattern of equal area annuli apertures on the top side of a 50 μm thick Kapton polyimide film. Each element had several 30 μm diameter electroplated vias that connected to electrode traces on the bottom side of the Kapton polyimide film. There was a 30 μm spacing between elements. The total aperture of the array was 3.12 mm. The transducer's performance has been modeled by implementing the Redwood version of the Mason model into PSpice and using the Krimholtz, Leedom and Matthaei (KLM) model utilized in the commercial software PiezoCAD. The transducer"s performance was evaluated by measuring the electrical impedance with a HP 4194 impedance analyzer, pulse echo response using a Panametrics 5900 pulser/receiver and crosstalk measurement for each element in the array. The measured electrical impedance for each element was 540 Ω and -84° phase. In order to improve device sensitivity an inductor was attached in series with each element to reduce the insertion loss to 33 dB. The measured average center frequency and bandwidth of each element was 55 MHz and 50% respectively. The measured crosstalk at the center frequency was -45 dB in water.

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... waves from passing into your body. The sonographer (ultrasound technologist) or radiologist then places the transducer on the skin in various locations, sweeping over the area of interest or angling the ... ultrasound images are reviewed. An ultrasound examination is usually ...

Tracked "Pick-Up" Ultrasound for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Caitlin; Nguan, Christopher; Rohling, Robert; Salcudean, Septimiu

2016-02-01

We present a novel "pick-up" ultrasound transducer for intraabdominal robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Such a "pick-up" ultrasound transducer is inserted through an abdominal incision at the beginning of the procedure and remains in the abdominal cavity throughout, eliminating the need for a dedicated port or a patient bedside surgical assistant. The transducer has a handle that can be grasped in a repeatable manner using a da Vinci Prograsp tool, allowing the transducer to be accurately manipulated by the surgeon using the da Vinci Robot. This is one way to enable 3-D tracking of the transducer, and, thus, mapping of the vasculature. The 3-D vascular images can be used to register preoperative CT to intraoperative camera images. To demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, we use an ultrasound vessel phantom to register a CT surface model to extracted ultrasound vessel models. The 3-D vascular phantom images are generated by segmenting B-mode images and tracking the pick-up ultrasound transducer with the da Vinci kinematics, internal electromagnetic sensor, or visible fiducials suitable for camera tracking. Reconstruction results using da Vinci kinematics for tracking give a target registration error of 5.4 ± 1.7 mm.

Resonant gravimetric immunosensing based on capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers

KAUST Repository

Viržonis, Darius

2014-04-08

High-frequency (40 MHz) and low-frequency (7 MHz) capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUT) were fabricated and tested for use in gravimetric detection of biomolecules. The low-frequency CMUT sensors have a gold-coated surface, while the high-frequency sensors have a silicon nitride surface. Both surfaces were functionalized with bovine leukemia virus antigen gp51 acting as the antigen. On addition of an a specific antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), the antigen/antibody complex is formed on the surface and quantified by HRP-catalyzed oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine. It has been found that a considerably smaller quantity of immuno complex is formed on the high frequency sensor surface. In parallel, the loading of the surface of the CMUT was determined via resonance frequency and electromechanical resistance readings. Following the formation of the immuno complexes, the resonance frequencies of the low-frequency and high-frequency sensors decrease by up to 420 and 440 kHz, respectively. Finite element analysis reveals that the loading of the (gold-coated) low frequency sensors is several times larger than that on high frequency sensors. The formation of the protein film with pronounced elasticity and stress on the gold surface case is discussed. We also discuss the adoption of this method for the detection of DNA using a hybridization assay following polymerase chain reaction.

Optimization of Transverse Oscillating Fields for Vector Velocity Estimation with Convex Arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2013-01-01

A method for making Vector Flow Images using the transverse oscillation (TO) approach on a convex array is presented. The paper presents optimization schemes for TO fields for convex probes and evaluates their performance using Field II simulations and measurements using the SARUS experimental...... from 90 to 45 degrees in steps of 15 degrees. The optimization routine changes the lateral oscillation period lx to yield the best possible estimates based on the energy ratio between positive and negative spatial frequencies in the ultrasound field. The basic equation for lx gives 1.14 mm at 40 mm...

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... to image by ultrasound because greater amounts of tissue attenuate (weaken) the sound waves as they pass deeper into the body and need to be returned to the transducer for analysis. Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and, therefore, can only see the outer surface ...

Ultrasound cleaning of microfilters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hald, Jens; Bjørnø, Irina; Jensen, Leif Bjørnø

1999-01-01

The aim of the present work is to develop, design, and manufacture a high-power ultrasound transducer module to be used for preventing the blocking of plastic-based microfilters by organic materials, and possibly to prolong the lifetime of the filters in industry using the cavitation on the surface...... suitable for cleaning of microfilters without damaging the filter structure. The filter surface was studied using an optical microscope before and after the experiment. When high-power ultrasound (max. 75 W/cm2) was applied to the surface of some microfilters, no visible damage was found, while others...... of the filter. A numerical, FE- and BE-based model for calculation of the response of ultrasonic transducers of various geometries formed the basis for the design of such transducers. During laboratory experiments frequency and output power have been varied in order to find the optimal transducer design...

NP-completeness of weakly convex and convex dominating set decision problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Raczek

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The convex domination number and the weakly convex domination number are new domination parameters. In this paper we show that the decision problems of convex and weakly convex dominating sets are \\(NP\\-complete for bipartite and split graphs. Using a modified version of Warshall algorithm we can verify in polynomial time whether a given subset of vertices of a graph is convex or weakly convex.

An all-optical fiber optic photoacoustic transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Thathachary, Supriya V.; Motameni, Cameron; Ashkenazi, Shai

2018-02-01

A highly sensitive fiber-optic Fabry-Perot photoacoustic transducer is proposed in this work. The transducer will consist of separate transmit and receive fibers. The receiver will be composed of a Fabry-Perot Ultrasound sensor with a selfwritten waveguide with all-optical ultrasound detection with high sensitivity. In previous work, we have shown an increase in resonator Q-factor from 1900 to 3200 for a simulated Fabry-Perot ultrasound detector of 45 μm thickness upon including a waveguide to limit lateral power losses. Subsequently, we demonstrated a prototype device with 30nm gold mirrors and a cavity composed of the photosensitive polymer Benzocyclobutene. This 80 µm thick device showed an improvement in its Q-factor from 2500 to 5200 after a selfaligned waveguide was written into the cavity using UV exposure. Current work uses a significantly faster fabrication technique using a combination of UV-cured epoxies for the cavity medium, and the waveguide within it. This reduces the fabrication time from several hours to a few minutes, and significantly lowers the cost of fabrication. We use a dip-coating technique to deposit the polymer layer. Future work will include the use of Dielectric Bragg mirrors in place of gold to achieve better reflectivity, thereby further improving the Q-factor of the device. The complete transducer presents an ideal solution for intravascular imaging in cases where tissue differentiation is desirable, an important feature in interventional procedures where arterial perforation is a risk. The final design proposed comprises the transducer within a guidewire to guide interventions for Chronic Total Occlusions, a disease state for which there are currently no invasive imaging options.

Design and characterization of a high-power ultrasound driver with ultralow-output impedance

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, George K.; Olbricht, William L.

2009-11-01

We describe a pocket-sized ultrasound driver with an ultralow-output impedance amplifier circuit (less than 0.05 Ω) that can transfer more than 99% of the voltage from a power supply to the ultrasound transducer with minimal reflections. The device produces high-power acoustical energy waves while operating at lower voltages than conventional ultrasound driving systems because energy losses owing to mismatched impedance are minimized. The peak performance of the driver is measured experimentally with a PZT-4, 1.54 MHz, piezoelectric ceramic, and modeled using an adjusted Mason model over a range of transducer resonant frequencies. The ultrasound driver can deliver a 100 Vpp (peak to peak) square-wave signal across 0-8 MHz ultrasound transducers in 5 ms bursts through continuous wave operation, producing acoustic powers exceeding 130 W. Effects of frequency, output impedance of the driver, and input impedance of the transducer on the maximum acoustic output power of piezoelectric transducers are examined. The small size, high power, and efficiency of the ultrasound driver make this technology useful for research, medical, and industrial ultrasonic applications.

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... scanning or sonography , involves the use of a small transducer (probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on ... to do the scanning. The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone, attached ...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... video display screen and a transducer that is used to do the scanning. The transducer is a ... the body. The principles are similar to sonar used by boats and submarines. The ultrasound image is ...

Convexity Adjustments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

M. Gaspar, Raquel; Murgoci, Agatha

2010-01-01

A convexity adjustment (or convexity correction) in fixed income markets arises when one uses prices of standard (plain vanilla) products plus an adjustment to price nonstandard products. We explain the basic and appealing idea behind the use of convexity adjustments and focus on the situations...

Energetic balance in an ultrasonic reactor using focused or flat high frequency transducers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallez, L; Touyeras, F; Hihn, J Y; Klima, J

2007-09-01

In order to undertake irradiation of polymer blocks or films by ultrasound, this paper deals with the measurements of ultrasonic power and its distribution within the cell by several methods. The electric power measured at the transducer input is compared to the ultrasonic power input to the cell evaluated by calorimetry and radiation force measurement for different generator settings. Results obtained in the specific case of new transducer types (composites and focused composites i.e., HIFU: high intensity focused ultrasound) provide an opportunity to conduct a discussion about measurement methods. It has thus been confirmed that these measurement techniques can be applied to HIFU transducers. For all cases, results underlined the fact that measurement of radiation pressure for power evaluation is more adapted to low powers (generator-transducer-liquid and sample.

Transducer Workshop (17th) Held in San Diego, California on June 22-24, 1993

Science.gov (United States)

1993-06-01

OF • Computer Controlled * Automatic, Self Compensating - Complete with all the Bells and Whistles * Economically Priced at $99.95 • Delivery from...control box, the ultrasonic transducer, and the reflector block (Figure 2). The system transmits pulses of ultrasound from the transducer which bounce off...measure the air temperature since the speed of sound is dependent on temperature. The distance traveled by the pulse of ultrasound is linearly

Convex analysis

CERN Document Server

Rockafellar, Ralph Tyrell

2015-01-01

Available for the first time in paperback, R. Tyrrell Rockafellar's classic study presents readers with a coherent branch of nonlinear mathematical analysis that is especially suited to the study of optimization problems. Rockafellar's theory differs from classical analysis in that differentiability assumptions are replaced by convexity assumptions. The topics treated in this volume include: systems of inequalities, the minimum or maximum of a convex function over a convex set, Lagrange multipliers, minimax theorems and duality, as well as basic results about the structure of convex sets and

Recent characterizations of generalized convexity in convexity in cooperative game thoery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Driessen, T.

1994-12-31

The notion of convexity for a real-valued function on the power set of the finite set N (the so-called cooperative game with player set N) is defined as in other mathematical fields. The study of convexity plays an important role within the field of cooperative game theory because the application of the solution part of game theory to convex games provides elegant results for the solution concepts involved. Especially, the well known solution concept called core is, for convex games, very well characterized. The current paper focuses on a notion of generalized convexity, called k- convexity, for cooperative n-person games. Due to very recent characterizations of convexity for cooperative games, the goal is to provide similar new characterizations of k-convexity. The main characterization states that for the k-convexity of an n-person game it is both necessary and sufficient that half of all the so-called marginal worth vectors belong to the core of the game. Here it is taken into account whether a marginal worth vector corresponds to an even or odd ordering of k elements of the n-person player set N. Another characterization of k-convexity is presented in terms of a so-called finite min-modular decomposition. That is, some specific cover game of a k-convex game can be decomposed as the minimum of a finite number of modular (or additive) games. Finally it is established that the k-convexity of a game can be characterized in terms of the second order partial derivates of the so-called multilinear extension of the game.

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound ... from the probe through the gel into the body. The transducer collects the sounds that bounce back ...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... ultrasound. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves ...

HIFU Ultrasound Power Measurements at INRiM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durando, G; Guglielmone, C; Musacchio, C

2011-01-01

In this work the new system for the ultrasound power measurement of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound transducers realized at INRIM ultrasounds laboratory is presented. The system is based on a submersible load cell that takes the place of the balance. This solution presents essentially two advantages. The first one, of mechanical nature, is relevant to the fact that the target is directly connected to the force transducer, eliminating unwanted target motion at high power. The second, of electric nature, concerns the possibility to reduce the insonation time (the ON period of the electric driving signal to the HIFU transducer) under of 2 s, and is allowed for by the faster response of the force transducer (700 Hz bandwidth). The main components of uncertainty and the overall budget of the measurement system are presented together with the results of measures of conductance, G, carried on a HIFU transducer, at the work frequencies 2.0 MHz and 6.38 MHz, for values of power ranging from 10 W to 100 W. The results of the ultrasonic conductance, G, obtained with the new system are compared with values obtained using the traditional measuring system for low powers (P ≤ 20W).

Nonlinear Dynamic Modeling of Langevin-Type Piezoelectric Transducers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolás Peréz Alvarez

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Langevin transducers are employed in several applications, such as power ultrasound systems, naval hydrophones, and high-displacement actuators. Nonlinear effects can influence their performance, especially at high vibration amplitude levels. These nonlinear effects produce variations in the resonant frequency, harmonics of the excitation frequency, in addition to loss of symmetry in the frequency response and “frequency domain hysteresis”. In this context, this paper presents a simplified nonlinear dynamic model of power ultrasound transducers requiring only two parameters for simulating the most relevant nonlinear effects. One parameter reproduces the changes in the resonance frequency and the other introduces the dependence of the frequency response on the history of the system. The piezoelectric constitutive equations are extended by a linear dependence of the elastic constant on the mechanical displacement amplitude. For introducing the frequency hysteresis, the elastic constant is computed by combining the current value of the mechanical amplitude with the previous state amplitude. The model developed in this work is applied for predicting the dynamic responses of a 26 kHz ultrasonic transducer. The comparison of theoretical and experimental responses, obtained at several input voltages around the tuned frequency, shows a good agreement, indicating that the model can accurately describe the transducer nonlinear behavior.

Convex Lattice Polygons

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Paul

2006-01-01

A "convex" polygon is one with no re-entrant angles. Alternatively one can use the standard convexity definition, asserting that for any two points of the convex polygon, the line segment joining them is contained completely within the polygon. In this article, the author provides a solution to a problem involving convex lattice polygons.

The Use of Flexible Ultrasound Transducers for the Detection of Laser-Induced Guided Waves on Curved Surfaces at Elevated Temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai Chieh Wu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, a flexible ultrasonic transducer (FUT was applied in a laser ultrasonic technique (LUT for non-destructive characterization of metallic pipes at high temperatures of up to 176 °C. Compared with normal ultrasound transducers, a FUT is a piezoelectric film made of a PZT/PZT sol-gel composite which has advantages due to its high sensitivity, curved surface adaptability and high temperature durability. By operating a pulsed laser in B-scan mode along with the integration of FUT and LUT, a multi-mode dispersion spectrum of a stainless steel pipe at high temperature can be measured. In addition, dynamic wave propagation behaviors are experimentally visualized with two dimensional scanning. The images directly interpret the reflections from the interior defects and also can locate their positions. This hybrid technique shows great potential for non-destructive evaluation of structures with complex geometry, especially in high temperature environments.

Design and fabrication of liner-arroy ultrasonic transducer using KLM and FEM simulation for non-destructive testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chan Yuk; Sung, Jin Ho; Jeong, Jong Seob

2015-01-01

In this paper, a linear-array transducer capable of overcoming the faults of a single element and phased array transducers with convex shape for non-destructive ultrasonic testing was designed and fabricated. A 5.5 MHz linear-array transducer was designed using the PiezoCAD program based on the KLM analysis and the PZFlex program based on the FEM analysis. A 2-2 composite structure was employed to achieve broad-band characteristics. A 128 element linear-array transducer was fabricated and its performance was compared with the simulation results. The center frequency of the fabricated transducer was 5.5 Mhzand the -6 dB frequency bandwidth was 70 %. Thus, we expect that the designed transducer can provide an effective inner image of the test material during non-destructive ultrasonic testing.

Design and fabrication of liner-arroy ultrasonic transducer using KLM and FEM simulation for non-destructive testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Chan Yuk; Sung, Jin Ho; Jeong, Jong Seob [Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, Dongguk University Biomedi Campus, Goyang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-15

In this paper, a linear-array transducer capable of overcoming the faults of a single element and phased array transducers with convex shape for non-destructive ultrasonic testing was designed and fabricated. A 5.5 MHz linear-array transducer was designed using the PiezoCAD program based on the KLM analysis and the PZFlex program based on the FEM analysis. A 2-2 composite structure was employed to achieve broad-band characteristics. A 128 element linear-array transducer was fabricated and its performance was compared with the simulation results. The center frequency of the fabricated transducer was 5.5 Mhzand the -6 dB frequency bandwidth was 70 %. Thus, we expect that the designed transducer can provide an effective inner image of the test material during non-destructive ultrasonic testing.

An adjustable multi-scale single beam acoustic tweezers based on ultrahigh frequency ultrasonic transducer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaoyang; Lam, Kwok Ho; Chen, Ruimin; Chen, Zeyu; Yu, Ping; Chen, Zhongping; Shung, K Kirk; Zhou, Qifa

2017-11-01

This paper reports the fabrication, characterization, and microparticle manipulation capability of an adjustable multi-scale single beam acoustic tweezers (SBAT) that is capable of flexibly changing the size of "tweezers" like ordinary metal tweezers with a single-element ultrahigh frequency (UHF) ultrasonic transducer. The measured resonant frequency of the developed transducer at 526 MHz is the highest frequency of piezoelectric single crystal based ultrasonic transducers ever reported. This focused UHF ultrasonic transducer exhibits a wide bandwidth (95.5% at -10 dB) due to high attenuation of high-frequency ultrasound wave, which allows the SBAT effectively excite with a wide range of excitation frequency from 150 to 400 MHz by using the "piezoelectric actuator" model. Through controlling the excitation frequency, the wavelength of ultrasound emitted from the SBAT can be changed to selectively manipulate a single microparticle of different sizes (3-100 μm) by using only one transducer. This concept of flexibly changing "tweezers" size is firstly introduced into the study of SBAT. At the same time, it was found that this incident ultrasound wavelength play an important role in lateral trapping and manipulation for microparticle of different sizes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2637-2647. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ultrasound-guided sacroiliac joint injection technique.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Harmon, Dominic

2008-07-01

We describe a case report and technique for using a portable ultrasound scanner and a curvilinear transducer (4-5MHz) (SonoSite Micromaxx SonoSite, Inc. 21919 30th Drive SE Bothwell W. A.) to guide sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injection. A 42-year-old male presented with chronic lower back pain centered on his left SIJ. His pain averaged 7 out of 10 (numerical rating scale). For the ultrasound-guided SIJ injection the patient was placed in the prone position. The ultrasound transducer was oriented in a transverse orientation at the level of the sacral hiatus. Here the sacral cornuae were identified. Moving the transducer laterally from here, the lateral edge of the sacrum was identified. This bony edge was followed in a cephalad direction with the transducer maintained in a transverse orientation. A second bony contour, the ileum, was identified. The cleft between both bony contours represented the sacroiliac joint. This was found at 4.5 cm depth. Real-time imaging was used to direct a 22G spinal needle into the SIJ, where solution was injected under direct vision. The patient\\'s pain intensity decreased to a 2 out of 10 (numerical rating scale). Function improved and the patient was able to return to work. These improvements were maintained at 16 weeks. Ultrasound guidance does not expose patients and personnel to radiation and is readily accessible. Ultrasound-guided SIJ injections may have particular applications in the management of chronic lower back pain in certain clinical scenarios (e.g. pregnancy). Future studies to demonstrate efficacy and reproducibility are needed.

Non-contact optoacoustic imaging with focused air-coupled transducers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deán-Ben, X. Luís [Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg (Germany); Pang, Genny A.; Razansky, Daniel, E-mail: dr@tum.de [Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg (Germany); School of Medicine, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich (Germany); Montero de Espinosa, Francisco [CSIC, Institute of Physics and Communication Technologies, Madrid (Spain)

2015-08-03

Non-contact optoacoustic imaging employing raster-scanning of a spherically focused air-coupled ultrasound transducer is showcased herein. Optoacoustic excitation with laser fluence within the maximal permissible human exposure limits in the visible and near-infrared spectra is applied to objects with characteristic dimensions smaller than 1 mm and absorption properties representative of the whole blood at near-infrared wavelengths, and these signals are shown to be detectable without contact to the sample using an air-coupled transducer with reasonable signal averaging. Optoacoustic images of vessel-mimicking tubes embedded in an agar phantom captured with this non-contact sensing technique are also showcased. These initial results indicate that an air-coupled ultrasound detection approach can be suitable for non-contact biomedical imaging with optoacoustics.

Wideband Single Crystal Transducer for Bone Characterization, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — TRS proposes to develop a simple-to-use, launch capable, ultrasound transducer that is capable of producing the necessary bandwidth to accurately determine in vivo...

Time reversal and phase coherent music techniques for super-resolution ultrasound imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lianjie; Labyed, Yassin

2018-05-01

Systems and methods for super-resolution ultrasound imaging using a windowed and generalized TR-MUSIC algorithm that divides the imaging region into overlapping sub-regions and applies the TR-MUSIC algorithm to the windowed backscattered ultrasound signals corresponding to each sub-region. The algorithm is also structured to account for the ultrasound attenuation in the medium and the finite-size effects of ultrasound transducer elements. A modified TR-MUSIC imaging algorithm is used to account for ultrasound scattering from both density and compressibility contrasts. The phase response of ultrasound transducer elements is accounted for in a PC-MUSIC system.

Two-convex polygons

OpenAIRE

Aichholzer, Oswin; Aurenhammer, Franz; Hurtado Díaz, Fernando Alfredo; Ramos, Pedro A.; Urrutia, J.

2009-01-01

We introduce a notion of k-convexity and explore some properties of polygons that have this property. In particular, 2-convex polygons can be recognized in O(n log n) time, and k-convex polygons can be triangulated in O(kn) time.

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... areas of the body while other areas, especially air-filled lungs, are poorly suited for ultrasound. For ... make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin that ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... scanning or sonography , involves the use of a small transducer (probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on ... the child prior to the exam. Bringing books, small toys, music or games can help to distract ...

Prostate Ultrasound

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the ... the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and receive the returning sound waves), ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the ... the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and receive the returning sound waves), ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... The ultrasound exam room may have a television. Feel free to ask for your child's favorite channel. ... performed over an area of tenderness, you may feel pressure or minor pain from the transducer. Once ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... tip of the transducer is smaller than the standard speculum used when performing a Pap test . A ... both sexes without x-ray exposure. Risks For standard diagnostic ultrasound , there are no known harmful effects ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... consist of a console containing a computer and electronics, a video display screen and a transducer that ... the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... insertion. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves ...

Prostate Ultrasound

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... gel. top of page How does the procedure work? Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles ... the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves ...

Finite element analysis of hysteresis effects in piezoelectric transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Simkovics, Reinhard; Landes, Hermann; Kaltenbacher, Manfred; Hoffelner, Johann; Lerch, Reinhard

2000-06-01

The design of ultrasonic transducers for high power applications, e.g. in medical therapy or production engineering, asks for effective computer aided design tools to analyze the occurring nonlinear effects. In this paper the finite-element-boundary-element package CAPA is presented that allows to model different types of electromechanical sensors and actuators. These transducers are based on various physical coupling effects, such as piezoelectricity or magneto- mechanical interactions. Their computer modeling requires the numerical solution of a multifield problem, such as coupled electric-mechanical fields or magnetic-mechanical fields as well as coupled mechanical-acoustic fields. With the reported software environment we are able to compute the dynamic behavior of electromechanical sensors and actuators by taking into account geometric nonlinearities, nonlinear wave propagation and ferroelectric as well as magnetic material nonlinearities. After a short introduction to the basic theory of the numerical calculation schemes, two practical examples will demonstrate the applicability of the numerical simulation tool. As a first example an ultrasonic thickness mode transducer consisting of a piezoceramic material used for high power ultrasound production is examined. Due to ferroelectric hysteresis, higher order harmonics can be detected in the actuators input current. Also in case of electrical and mechanical prestressing a resonance frequency shift occurs, caused by ferroelectric hysteresis and nonlinear dependencies of the material coefficients on electric field and mechanical stresses. As a second example, a power ultrasound transducer used in HIFU-therapy (high intensity focused ultrasound) is presented. Due to the compressibility and losses in the propagating fluid a nonlinear shock wave generation can be observed. For both examples a good agreement between numerical simulation and experimental data has been achieved.

Angular Spectrum Simulation of Pulsed Ultrasound Fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Du, Yigang; Jensen, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2009-01-01

frequencies must be performed. Combining it with Field II, the generation of non-linear simulation for any geometry with any excitation array transducer becomes feasible. The purpose of this paper is to make a general pulsed simulation software using the modified ASA. Linear and phased array transducers......The optimization of non-linear ultrasound imaging should in a first step be based on simulation, as this makes parameter studies considerably easier than making transducer prototypes. Such a simulation program should be capable of simulating non-linear pulsed fields for arbitrary transducer...... geometries for any kind of focusing and apodization. The Angular Spectrum Approach (ASA) is capable of simulating monochromatic non-linear acoustic wave propagation. However, for ultrasound imaging the time response of each specific point in space is required, and a pulsed ASA simulation with multi temporal...

On Convex Quadratic Approximation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Hertog, D.; de Klerk, E.; Roos, J.

2000-01-01

In this paper we prove the counterintuitive result that the quadratic least squares approximation of a multivariate convex function in a finite set of points is not necessarily convex, even though it is convex for a univariate convex function. This result has many consequences both for the field of

Preliminary In-Vivo Evaluation of Convex Array Synthetic Aperture Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Morten Høgholm; Gammelmark, Kim; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2004-01-01

of STA imaging in comparison to conventional imaging. The purpose is to evaluate whether STA imaging is feasible in-vivo. and whether the image quality obtained is comparable to traditional scanned imaging in terms of penetration depth, spatial resolution, contrast resolution, and artifacts. Acquisition...... was done using our RASMUS research scanner and a 5.5 MHz convex array transducer. STA imaging applies spherical wave emulation using multi-element subapertures and a 20 mus linear FM signal as excitation pulse. For conventional imaging a 64 element aperture was used in transmit and receive with a 1.5 cycle...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch) and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to return from the area within the patient that is being examined to the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and ...

Prostate Ultrasound

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch) and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to return from the area within the patient that is being examined to the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and ...

ultrasound-guided shoulder arthrogram injection

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2008-10-15

Oct 15, 2008 ... Using an aseptic technique and without moving the ultrasound transducer from the desired transverse plane, the needle is advanced into the joint space through the rotator cuff interval, using real-time ultrasound guidance (Fig.2). The needle is inserted into the shoulder approximately midway between the ...

Noncontact ultrasound imaging applied to cortical bone phantoms

OpenAIRE

Bulman, J. B.; Ganezer, K. S.; Halcrow, P. W.; Neeson, Ian

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to take the first steps toward applying noncontact ultrasound (NCU) to the tasks of monitoring osteoporosis and quantitative ultrasound imaging (QUS) of cortical bone. The authors also focused on the advantages of NCU, such as its lack of reliance on a technologist to apply transducers and a layer of acoustical coupling gel, the ability of the transducers to operate autonomously as specified by preprogrammed software, and the likely reduction in statisti...

Evaluation of mesenteric lymph nodes in children with abdominal pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jedrzejewski, G.

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes seen on pediatric abdominal ultrasound examinations performed in children with abdominal pain. Ultrasound was performed with Sonoline Elegra and Philips iU-22 units with convex-array 2-5 MHz transducer for the general abdominal examination, and in addition with convex 5-8 MHz or linear 7.5 MHz transducers specially to detect lymph nodes. Enlarged lymph nodes were found in 248 (21,2%) out of 1171 symptomatic patients. In 53 patients some other abnormalities were found. The nodes were mostly disc-like and oval in shape. They had usually a homogeneous appearance and were iso- or hypoechoic relative to the surrounding tissues and intestinal loops. Mesenteric lymphadenitis is commonly reported in children with acute, chronic or recurrent abdominal pain and no evidence of other pathologies, and has been reported as one of the most common explanation for acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain. (authors)

Undergraduate Convexity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen, Niels

Based on undergraduate teaching to students in computer science, economics and mathematics at Aarhus University, this is an elementary introduction to convex sets and convex functions with emphasis on concrete computations and examples. Starting from linear inequalities and Fourier-Motzkin elimin...

Real-time image-based B-mode ultrasound image simulation of needles using tensor-product interpolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Mengchen; Salcudean, Septimiu E

2011-07-01

In this paper, we propose an interpolation-based method for simulating rigid needles in B-mode ultrasound images in real time. We parameterize the needle B-mode image as a function of needle position and orientation. We collect needle images under various spatial configurations in a water-tank using a needle guidance robot. Then we use multidimensional tensor-product interpolation to simulate images of needles with arbitrary poses and positions using collected images. After further processing, the interpolated needle and seed images are superimposed on top of phantom or tissue image backgrounds. The similarity between the simulated and the real images is measured using a correlation metric. A comparison is also performed with in vivo images obtained during prostate brachytherapy. Our results, carried out for both the convex (transverse plane) and linear (sagittal/para-sagittal plane) arrays of a trans-rectal transducer indicate that our interpolation method produces good results while requiring modest computing resources. The needle simulation method we present can be extended to the simulation of ultrasound images of other wire-like objects. In particular, we have shown that the proposed approach can be used to simulate brachytherapy seeds.

Prostate Ultrasound

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... body tissue through which the sound travels. A small amount of gel is put on the skin to allow the sound waves to travel from the transducer to the examined area within the body and then back again. Ultrasound ...

Ultrasound -- Pelvis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... body tissue through which the sound travels. A small amount of gel is put on the skin to allow the sound waves to travel from the transducer to the examined area within the body and then back again. Ultrasound ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... areas of the body while other areas, especially air-filled lungs, are poorly suited for ultrasound. top ... make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin that ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the probe through ... a single exam. The transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves (that the human ear cannot hear) ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

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Full Text Available ... probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the ... the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and receive the returning sound waves), ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the transducer for analysis. Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and, therefore, can only see the outer surface ... children or adults). For visualizing internal structure of bones or certain joints, other imaging modalities such as ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... fitting clothing for your ultrasound exam. You may need to remove all clothing and jewelry in the ... using the same transducer. Rarely, young children may need to be sedated in order to hold still ...

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... consist of a console containing a computer and electronics, a video display screen and a transducer that ... the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Ultrasound ...

A new convexity measure for polygons.

Science.gov (United States)

Zunic, Jovisa; Rosin, Paul L

2004-07-01

Abstract-Convexity estimators are commonly used in the analysis of shape. In this paper, we define and evaluate a new convexity measure for planar regions bounded by polygons. The new convexity measure can be understood as a "boundary-based" measure and in accordance with this it is more sensitive to measured boundary defects than the so called "area-based" convexity measures. When compared with the convexity measure defined as the ratio between the Euclidean perimeter of the convex hull of the measured shape and the Euclidean perimeter of the measured shape then the new convexity measure also shows some advantages-particularly for shapes with holes. The new convexity measure has the following desirable properties: 1) the estimated convexity is always a number from (0, 1], 2) the estimated convexity is 1 if and only if the measured shape is convex, 3) there are shapes whose estimated convexity is arbitrarily close to 0, 4) the new convexity measure is invariant under similarity transformations, and 5) there is a simple and fast procedure for computing the new convexity measure.

An integrated circuit with transmit beamforming flip-chip bonded to a 2-D CMUT array for 3-D ultrasound imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wygant, Ira O; Jamal, Nafis S; Lee, Hyunjoo J; Nikoozadeh, Amin; Oralkan, Omer; Karaman, Mustafa; Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T

2009-10-01

State-of-the-art 3-D medical ultrasound imaging requires transmitting and receiving ultrasound using a 2-D array of ultrasound transducers with hundreds or thousands of elements. A tight combination of the transducer array with integrated circuitry eliminates bulky cables connecting the elements of the transducer array to a separate system of electronics. Furthermore, preamplifiers located close to the array can lead to improved receive sensitivity. A combined IC and transducer array can lead to a portable, high-performance, and inexpensive 3-D ultrasound imaging system. This paper presents an IC flip-chip bonded to a 16 x 16-element capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array for 3-D ultrasound imaging. The IC includes a transmit beamformer that generates 25-V unipolar pulses with programmable focusing delays to 224 of the 256 transducer elements. One-shot circuits allow adjustment of the pulse widths for different ultrasound transducer center frequencies. For receiving reflected ultrasound signals, the IC uses the 32-elements along the array diagonals. The IC provides each receiving element with a low-noise 25-MHz-bandwidth transimpedance amplifier. Using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) clocked at 100 MHz to operate the IC, the IC generated properly timed transmit pulses with 5-ns accuracy. With the IC flip-chip bonded to a CMUT array, we show that the IC can produce steered and focused ultrasound beams. We present 2-D and 3-D images of a wire phantom and 2-D orthogonal cross-sectional images (Bscans) of a latex heart phantom.

Transducer hygiene: comparison of procedures for decontamination of ultrasound transducers and their use in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Häggström, Mikael; Spira, Jack; Edelstam, Greta

2015-02-01

To determine whether current hygiene practices are appropriate during sonographic examinations. Five major hospitals in Sweden were investigated with a survey. At each hospital, the departments corresponding to the main types of sonographic examination were chosen. Personnel who were responsible for or acquainted with the local hygiene procedures completed a standardardized questionnaire. The surveys were completed by 25 departments, where the total number of sonographic examinations was approximately 20,000 per month. For transvaginal and transrectal sonographic examinations, the most common method for decontamination of the transducer was barrier protection during the procedure followed by cleansing with alcohol. Latex was the predominant cover material, but one department used polyethylene gloves, and another department used nitrile gloves. Both of these involved transvaginal ultrasonography. In transcutaneous examinations, all hospitals were using alcohol and paper or cloth for decontamination at a minimum. Transesophageal examinations were carried out without barrier protection, and decontamination was performed with an alkylating substance. The hygiene practices appear to be appropriate at most hospitals, but there is a prevalence of transducer cover materials of unacceptable permeability, as well as use of gloves on transducers despite insufficient evidence of safety. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... organs and to examine a baby in pregnant women and the brain and hips in infants. It’s ... Transvaginal ultrasound. The transducer is inserted into a woman's vagina to view the uterus and ovaries. top ...

Synthetic tracked aperture ultrasound imaging: design, simulation, and experimental evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haichong K; Cheng, Alexis; Bottenus, Nick; Guo, Xiaoyu; Trahey, Gregg E; Boctor, Emad M

2016-04-01

Ultrasonography is a widely used imaging modality to visualize anatomical structures due to its low cost and ease of use; however, it is challenging to acquire acceptable image quality in deep tissue. Synthetic aperture (SA) is a technique used to increase image resolution by synthesizing information from multiple subapertures, but the resolution improvement is limited by the physical size of the array transducer. With a large F-number, it is difficult to achieve high resolution in deep regions without extending the effective aperture size. We propose a method to extend the available aperture size for SA-called synthetic tracked aperture ultrasound (STRATUS) imaging-by sweeping an ultrasound transducer while tracking its orientation and location. Tracking information of the ultrasound probe is used to synthesize the signals received at different positions. Considering the practical implementation, we estimated the effect of tracking and ultrasound calibration error to the quality of the final beamformed image through simulation. In addition, to experimentally validate this approach, a 6 degree-of-freedom robot arm was used as a mechanical tracker to hold an ultrasound transducer and to apply in-plane lateral translational motion. Results indicate that STRATUS imaging with robotic tracking has the potential to improve ultrasound image quality.

Basics of biomedical ultrasound for engineers

CERN Document Server

Azhari, Haim

2010-01-01

"Basics of Biomedical Ultrasound for Engineers is a structured textbook for university engineering courses in biomedical ultrasound and for researchers in the field. This book offers a tool for building a solid understanding of biomedical ultrasound, and leads the novice through the field in a step-by-step manner. The book begins with the most basic definitions of waves, proceeds to ultrasounds in fluids, and then delves into solid ultrasounds, the most complicated kind of ultrasound. It encompasses a wide range of topics within biomedical ultrasound, from conceptual definitions of waves to the intricacies of focusing devices, transducers, and acoustic fields"--Provided by publisher.

Ultrasound cylindrical phased array for transoesophageal thermal therapy: initial studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melodelima, David; Lafon, Cyril; Prat, Frederic; Birer, Alain; Cathignol, Dominique

2002-01-01

This work was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of constructing a cylindrical phased array composed of 64 elements spread around the periphery (OD 10.6 mm) for transoesophageal ultrasound thermotherapy. The underlying operating principle of this applicator is to rotate a plane ultrasound beam electronically. For this purpose, eight adjacent transducers were successively excited with appropriate delay times so as to generate a plane wave. The exposure direction was changed by exciting a different set of eight elements. For these feasibility studies, we used a cylindrical prototype (OD 10.6 mm) composed of 16 elementary transducers distributed over a quarter of the cylinder, all operating at 4.55 MHz. The active part was mechanically reinforced by a rigid damper structure behind the transducers. It was shown that an ultrasound field similar to that emitted by a plane transducer could be generated. Ex vivo experiments on pig's liver demonstrated that the ultrasound beam could be accurately rotated to generate sector-based lesions to a suitable depth (up to 19 mm). Throughout these experiments, exposures lasting 20 s were delivered at an acoustic intensity of 17 W cm -2 . By varying the power from exposure to exposure, the depth of the lesion at different angles could be controlled

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch) and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to return from the area within the patient that is being examined to the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and ...

Study on the sandwich piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic transducer in thickness vibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Shuyu; Tian Hua

2008-01-01

A sandwich piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic transducer in thickness vibration is studied. The transducer consists of front and back metal masses, and coaxially segmented, thickness polarized piezoelectric ceramic thin rings. For this kind of sandwich piezoelectric transducers in thickness vibration, it is required that the lateral dimension of the transducer is sufficiently large compared with its longitudinal dimension so that no lateral displacements in the transducer can occur (laterally clamped). In this paper, the thickness vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic stack consisting of a number of identical piezoelectric ceramic thin rings is analysed and its electro-mechanical equivalent circuit is obtained. The resonance frequency equation for the sandwich piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic transducer in thickness vibration is derived. Based on the frequency equation, two sandwich piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic transducers are designed and manufactured, and their resonance frequencies are measured. It is shown that the measured resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical results. This kind of sandwich piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer is expected to be used in megasonic ultrasonic cleaning and sonochemistry where high power and high frequency ultrasound is needed

Bypassing the Limits of Ll Regularization: Convex Sparse Signal Processing Using Non-Convex Regularization

Science.gov (United States)

Parekh, Ankit

Sparsity has become the basis of some important signal processing methods over the last ten years. Many signal processing problems (e.g., denoising, deconvolution, non-linear component analysis) can be expressed as inverse problems. Sparsity is invoked through the formulation of an inverse problem with suitably designed regularization terms. The regularization terms alone encode sparsity into the problem formulation. Often, the ℓ1 norm is used to induce sparsity, so much so that ℓ1 regularization is considered to be `modern least-squares'. The use of ℓ1 norm, as a sparsity-inducing regularizer, leads to a convex optimization problem, which has several benefits: the absence of extraneous local minima, well developed theory of globally convergent algorithms, even for large-scale problems. Convex regularization via the ℓ1 norm, however, tends to under-estimate the non-zero values of sparse signals. In order to estimate the non-zero values more accurately, non-convex regularization is often favored over convex regularization. However, non-convex regularization generally leads to non-convex optimization, which suffers from numerous issues: convergence may be guaranteed to only a stationary point, problem specific parameters may be difficult to set, and the solution is sensitive to the initialization of the algorithm. The first part of this thesis is aimed toward combining the benefits of non-convex regularization and convex optimization to estimate sparse signals more effectively. To this end, we propose to use parameterized non-convex regularizers with designated non-convexity and provide a range for the non-convex parameter so as to ensure that the objective function is strictly convex. By ensuring convexity of the objective function (sum of data-fidelity and non-convex regularizer), we can make use of a wide variety of convex optimization algorithms to obtain the unique global minimum reliably. The second part of this thesis proposes a non-linear signal

Resonant ultrasound spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Migliori, Albert; Visscher, William M.; Fisk, Zachary

1990-01-01

An ultrasound resonant spectrometer determines the resonant frequency spectrum of a rectangular parallelepiped sample of a high dissipation material over an expected resonant response frequency range. A sample holder structure grips corners of the sample between piezoelectric drive and receive transducers. Each transducer is mounted on a membrane for only weakly coupling the transducer to the holder structure and operatively contacts a material effective to remove system resonant responses at the transducer from the expected response range. i.e., either a material such as diamond to move the response frequencies above the range or a damping powder to preclude response within the range. A square-law detector amplifier receives the response signal and retransmits the signal on an isolated shield of connecting cabling to remove cabling capacitive effects. The amplifier also provides a substantially frequency independently voltage divider with the receive transducer. The spectrometer is extremely sensitive to enable low amplitude resonance to be detected for use in calculating the elastic constants of the high dissipation sample.

θ-convex nonlinear programming problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emam, T.

2008-01-01

A class of sets and a class of functions called θ-convex sets and θ-convex functions are introduced by relaxing the definitions of convex sets and operator θ on the sets and domain of definition of the functions. The optimally results for θ-convex programming problems are established.

General Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... body tissue through which the sound travels. A small amount of gel is put on the skin to allow the sound waves to travel from the transducer to the examined area within the body and then back again. Ultrasound ...

Tunable-angle wedge transducer for improved acoustophoretic control in a microfluidic chip

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iranmanesh, I.; Barnkob, Rune; Bruus, Henrik

2013-01-01

We present a tunable-angle wedge ultrasound transducer for improved control of microparticle acoustophoresis in a microfluidic chip. The transducer is investigated by analyzing the pattern of aligned particles and induced acoustic energy density while varying the transducer geometry, transducer...... change in geometry and that the coupling angle may be used as an additional tuning parameter for improved acoustophoretic control with single-frequency actuation. Further, we find that frequency-modulation actuation is suitable for diminishing such tuning effects and that it is a robust method to produce...... coupling angle, and transducer actuation method (single-frequency actuation or frequency-modulation actuation). The energy-density analysis is based on measuring the transmitted light intensity through a microfluidic channel filled with a suspension of 5 µm diameter beads and the results with the tunable-angle...

Development of an intravascular ultrasound elastography based on a dual-element transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Cho-Chiang; Chen, Pei-Yu; Ma, Teng; Zhou, Qifa; Shung, K. Kirk; Huang, Chih-Chung

2018-04-01

The ability to measure the elastic properties of plaques and vessels would be useful in clinical diagnoses, particularly for detecting a vulnerable plaque. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the combination of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and acoustic radiation force elasticity imaging for detecting the distribution of stiffness within atherosclerotic arteries ex vivo. A dual-frequency IVUS transducer with two elements was used to induce the propagation of the shear wave (by the 8.5 MHz pushing element) which could be simultaneously monitored by the 31 MHz imaging element. The wave-amplitude image and the wave-velocity image were reconstructed by measuring the peak displacement and wave velocity of shear wave propagation, respectively. System performance was verified using gelatin phantoms. The phantom results demonstrate that the stiffness differences of shear modulus of 1.6 kPa can be distinguished through the wave-amplitude and wave-velocity images. The stiffness distributions of the atherosclerotic aorta from a rabbit were obtained, for which the values of peak displacement and the shear wave velocity were 3.7 ± 1.2 µm and 0.38 ± 0.19 m s-1 for the lipid-rich plaques, and 1.0 ± 0.2 µm and 3.45 ± 0.45 m s-1 for the arterial walls, respectively. These results indicate that IVUS elasticity imaging can be used to distinguish the elastic properties of plaques and vessels.

A thermal technique for local ultrasound intensity measurement: part 2. Application to exposimetry on a medical diagnostic device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkens, V

2010-01-01

Acoustic output measurements on medical ultrasound equipment are usually performed using radiation force balances to determine the output power and using hydrophones to determine pressure and intensity parameters. The local temporal-average ultrasound intensity can be measured alternatively by thermal sensors. The technique was described and prototype sensors were characterized in a preceding paper. Here, the application of such a thermal intensity sensor to the output beam characterization of a typical medical diagnostic device is described. Two transducers, a 7.5 MHz linear array and a 3.5 MHz convex array were investigated in different operating modes. For comparison, hydrophone measurements were also performed. If the spatial averaging effect is taken into account, good agreement is found between both measurement methods. The maximum deviations of the spatial-peak temporal-average intensities I SPTA obtained with the thermal sensor from the corresponding hydrophone-based results were below 12%. The simple thermal technique offers advantages for intensity measurements especially in the case of scanning and combined modes of the diagnostic device, where the synchronization between hydrophone measurements and the complex pulse emission pattern can be difficult

Simultaneous ultrasound and photoacoustics based flow cytometry

Science.gov (United States)

Gnyawali, Vaskar; Strohm, Eric M.; Tsai, Scott S. H.; Kolios, Michael C.

2018-04-01

We have developed a flow cytometer based on simultaneous detection of ultrasound and photoacoustic waves from individual particles/cells flowing in a microfluidic channel. Our polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based hydrodynamic 3-dimensional (3D) flow-focusing microfluidic device contains a cross-junction channel, a micro-needle (ID 100 μm and OD 200 μm) insert, and a 3D printed frame to hold and align a high frequency (center frequency 375 MHz) ultrasound transducer. The focused flow passes through a narrow focal zone with lateral and axial focal lengths of 6-8 μm and 15-20 μm, respectively. Both the lateral and axial alignments are achieved by screwing the transducer to the frame onto the PDMS device. Individual particles pass through an interrogation zone in the microfluidic channel with a collinearly aligned ultrasound transducer and a focused 532 nm wavelength laser beam. The particles are simultaneously insonified by high-frequency ultrasound and irradiated by a laser beam. The ultrasound backscatter and laser generated photoacoustic waves are detected for each passing particle. The backscattered ultrasound and photoacoustic signal are strongly dependent on the size, morphology, mechanical properties, and material properties of the flowing particles; these parameters can be extracted by analyzing unique features in the power spectrum of the signals. Frequencies less than 100 MHz do not have these unique spectral signatures. We show that we can reliably distinguish between different particles in a sample using the acoustic-based flow cytometer. This technique, when extended to biomedical applications, allows us to rapidly analyze the spectral signatures from individual single cells of a large cell population, with applications towards label-free detection and characterization of healthy and diseased cells.

Investigation of power and frequency for 3D conformal MRI-controlled transurethral ultrasound therapy with a dual frequency multi-element transducer.

Science.gov (United States)

N'djin, William Apoutou; Burtnyk, Mathieu; Bronskill, Michael; Chopra, Rajiv

2012-01-01

Transurethral ultrasound therapy uses real-time magnetic resonance (MR) temperature feedback to enable the 3D control of thermal therapy accurately in a region within the prostate. Previous canine studies showed the feasibility of this method in vivo. The aim of this study was to reduce the procedure time, while maintaining targeting accuracy, by investigating new combinations of treatment parameters. Simulations and validation experiments in gel phantoms were used, with a collection of nine 3D realistic target prostate boundaries obtained from previous preclinical studies, where multi-slice MR images were acquired with the transurethral device in place. Acoustic power and rotation rate were varied based on temperature feedback at the prostate boundary. Maximum acoustic power and rotation rate were optimised interdependently, as a function of prostate radius and transducer operating frequency. The concept of dual frequency transducers was studied, using the fundamental frequency or the third harmonic component depending on the prostate radius. Numerical modelling enabled assessment of the effects of several acoustic parameters on treatment outcomes. The range of treatable prostate radii extended with increasing power, and tended to narrow with decreasing frequency. Reducing the frequency from 8 MHz to 4 MHz or increasing the surface acoustic power from 10 to 20 W/cm(2) led to treatment times shorter by up to 50% under appropriate conditions. A dual frequency configuration of 4/12 MHz with 20 W/cm(2) ultrasound intensity exposure can treat entire prostates up to 40 cm(3) in volume within 30 min. The interdependence between power and frequency may, however, require integrating multi-parametric functions in the controller for future optimisations.

Front-end receiver electronics for a matrix transducer for 3-D transesophageal echocardiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zili; Blaak, Sandra; Chang, Zu-yao; Yao, Jiajian; Bosch, Johan G; Prins, Christian; Lancée, Charles T; de Jong, Nico; Pertijs, Michiel A P; Meijer, Gerard C M

2012-07-01

There is a clear clinical need for creating 3-D images of the heart. One promising technique is the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). To enable 3-D TEE, we are developing a miniature ultrasound probe containing a matrix piezoelectric transducer with more than 2000 elements. Because a gastroscopic tube cannot accommodate the cables needed to connect all transducer elements directly to an imaging system, a major challenge is to locally reduce the number of channels, while maintaining a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. This can be achieved by using front-end receiver electronics bonded to the transducers to provide appropriate signal conditioning in the tip of the probe. This paper presents the design of such electronics, realizing time-gain compensation (TGC) and micro-beamforming using simple, low-power circuits. Prototypes of TGC amplifiers and micro-beamforming cells have been fabricated in 0.35-μm CMOS technology. These prototype chips have been combined on a printed circuit board (PCB) to form an ultrasound-receiver system capable of reading and combining the signals of three transducer elements. Experimental results show that this design is a suitable candidate for 3-D TEE.

Theory of convex structures

CERN Document Server

van de Vel, MLJ

1993-01-01

Presented in this monograph is the current state-of-the-art in the theory of convex structures. The notion of convexity covered here is considerably broader than the classic one; specifically, it is not restricted to the context of vector spaces. Classical concepts of order-convex sets (Birkhoff) and of geodesically convex sets (Menger) are directly inspired by intuition; they go back to the first half of this century. An axiomatic approach started to develop in the early Fifties. The author became attracted to it in the mid-Seventies, resulting in the present volume, in which graphs appear si

Intensity dependence of focused ultrasound lesion position

Science.gov (United States)

Meaney, Paul M.; Cahill, Mark D.; ter Haar, Gail R.

1998-04-01

Knowledge of the spatial distribution of intensity loss from an ultrasonic beam is critical to predicting lesion formation in focused ultrasound surgery. To date most models have used linear propagation models to predict the intensity profiles needed to compute the temporally varying temperature distributions. These can be used to compute thermal dose contours that can in turn be used to predict the extent of thermal damage. However, these simulations fail to adequately describe the abnormal lesion formation behavior observed for in vitro experiments in cases where the transducer drive levels are varied over a wide range. For these experiments, the extent of thermal damage has been observed to move significantly closer to the transducer with increasing transducer drive levels than would be predicted using linear propagation models. The simulations described herein, utilize the KZK (Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov) nonlinear propagation model with the parabolic approximation for highly focused ultrasound waves, to demonstrate that the positions of the peak intensity and the lesion do indeed move closer to the transducer. This illustrates that for accurate modeling of heating during FUS, nonlinear effects must be considered.

Acoustic bubble sorting for ultrasound contrast agent enrichment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Segers, T.J.; Versluis, Michel

2014-01-01

An ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) suspension contains encapsulated microbubbles with a wide size distribution, with radii ranging from 1 to 10 μm. Medical transducers typically operate at a single frequency, therefore only a small selection of bubbles will resonate to the driving ultrasound pulse.

Intracardiac ultrasound scanner using a micromachine (MEMS) actuator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zara, J M; Bobbio, S M; Goodwin-Johansson, S; Smith, S W

2000-01-01

Catheter-based intracardiac ultrasound offers the potential for improved guidance of interventional cardiac procedures. The objective of this research is the development of catheter-based mechanical sector scanners incorporating high frequency ultrasound transducers operating at frequencies up to 20 MHz. The authors' current transducer assembly consists of a single 1.75 mm by 1.75 mm, 20 MHz, PZT element mounted on a 2 mm by 2 mm square, 75 mum thick polyimide table that pivots on 3-mum thick gold plated polyimide hinges. The hinges also serve as the electrical connections to the transducer. This table-mounted transducer is tilted using a miniature linear actuator to produce a sector scan. This linear actuator is an integrated force array (IFA), which is an example of a micromachine, i.e., a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). The IFA is a thin (2.2 mum) polyimide membrane, which consists of a network of hundreds of thousands of micron scale deformable capacitors made from pairs of metallized polyimide plates. IFAs contract with an applied voltage of 30-120 V and have been shown to produce strains as large as 20% and forces of up to 8 dynes. The prototype transducer and actuator assembly was fabricated and interfaced with a GagePCI analog to digital conversion board digitizing 12 bit samples at a rate of 100 MSamples/second housed in a personal computer to create a single channel ultrasound scanner. The deflection of the table transducer in a low viscosity insulating fluid (HFE 7100, 3M) is up to +/-10 degrees at scan rates of 10-60 Hz. Software has been developed to produce real-time sector scans on the PC monitor.

Study of distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Jiajun; Zhang, Qi; Han, Ming

2013-05-01

Fiber-optic ultrasonic transducers are an important component of an active ultrasonic testing system for structural health monitoring. Fiber-optic transducers have several advantages such as small size, light weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference that make them much more attractive than the current available piezoelectric transducers, especially as embedded and permanent transducers in active ultrasonic testing for structural health monitoring. In this paper, a distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on the ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings is studied. The influences of the laser power and laser pulse duration on the laser-ultrasound generation are investigated. The results of this paper are helpful to understand the working principle of this laser-ultrasound method and improve the ultrasonic generation efficiency.

A model for the propagation and scattering of ultrasound in tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

1991-01-01

of the field from typical transducers used in clinical ultrasound to yield a model for the received pulse-echo pressure field. Analytic expressions are found in the literature for a number of transducers, and any transducer excitation can be incorporated into the model. An example is given for a concave......, nonapodized transducer in which the predicted pressure field is compared to a measured field....

Analytic aspects of convexity

CERN Document Server

Colesanti, Andrea; Gronchi, Paolo

2018-01-01

This book presents the proceedings of the international conference Analytic Aspects in Convexity, which was held in Rome in October 2016. It offers a collection of selected articles, written by some of the world’s leading experts in the field of Convex Geometry, on recent developments in this area: theory of valuations; geometric inequalities; affine geometry; and curvature measures. The book will be of interest to a broad readership, from those involved in Convex Geometry, to those focusing on Functional Analysis, Harmonic Analysis, Differential Geometry, or PDEs. The book is a addressed to PhD students and researchers, interested in Convex Geometry and its links to analysis.

Convex Interval Games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alparslan-Gok, S.Z.; Brânzei, R.; Tijs, S.H.

2008-01-01

In this paper, convex interval games are introduced and some characterizations are given. Some economic situations leading to convex interval games are discussed. The Weber set and the Shapley value are defined for a suitable class of interval games and their relations with the interval core for

Localizing and Assessing Amputee Pain with Intense Focused Ultrasound

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

active ultrasound images the target of iFU stimulation. Ultrasound device – integrated ig-iFU system. The imaging transducer was mounted within a...meditation, spinal cord stimulation, psychotherapy , continued watchful waiting, among other choices (28). Future research Future studies might consider

Acoustically accessible window determination for ultrasound mediated treatment of glycogen storage disease type Ia patients

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shutao; Raju, Balasundar I.; Leyvi, Evgeniy; Weinstein, David A.; Seip, Ralf

2012-10-01

Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa) is caused by an inherited single-gene defect resulting in an impaired glycogen to glucose conversion pathway. Targeted ultrasound mediated delivery (USMD) of plasmid DNA (pDNA) to liver in conjunction with microbubbles may provide a potential treatment for GSDIa patients. As the success of USMD treatments is largely dependent on the accessibility of the targeted tissue by the focused ultrasound beam, this study presents a quantitative approach to determine the acoustically accessible liver volume in GSDIa patients. Models of focused ultrasound beam profiles for transducers of varying aperture and focal lengths were applied to abdomen models reconstructed from suitable CT and MRI images. Transducer manipulations (simulating USMD treatment procedures) were implemented via transducer translations and rotations with the intent of targeting and exposing the entire liver to ultrasound. Results indicate that acoustically accessible liver volumes can be as large as 50% of the entire liver volume for GSDIa patients and on average 3 times larger compared to a healthy adult group due to GSDIa patients' increased liver size. Detailed descriptions of the evaluation algorithm, transducer-and abdomen models are presented, together with implications for USMD treatments of GSDIa patients and transducer designs for USMD applications.

Windowed time-reversal music technique for super-resolution ultrasound imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lianjie; Labyed, Yassin

2018-05-01

Systems and methods for super-resolution ultrasound imaging using a windowed and generalized TR-MUSIC algorithm that divides the imaging region into overlapping sub-regions and applies the TR-MUSIC algorithm to the windowed backscattered ultrasound signals corresponding to each sub-region. The algorithm is also structured to account for the ultrasound attenuation in the medium and the finite-size effects of ultrasound transducer elements.

Generalized Convexity and Inequalities

OpenAIRE

Anderson, G. D.; Vamanamurthy, M. K.; Vuorinen, M.

2007-01-01

Let R+ = (0,infinity) and let M be the family of all mean values of two numbers in R+ (some examples are the arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic means). Given m1, m2 in M, we say that a function f : R+ to R+ is (m1,m2)-convex if f(m1(x,y)) < or = m2(f(x),f(y)) for all x, y in R+ . The usual convexity is the special case when both mean values are arithmetic means. We study the dependence of (m1,m2)-convexity on m1 and m2 and give sufficient conditions for (m1,m2)-convexity of functions defined...

A ring transducer system for medical ultrasound research.

Science.gov (United States)

Waag, Robert C; Fedewa, Russell J

2006-10-01

An ultrasonic ring transducer system has been developed for experimental studies of scattering and imaging. The transducer consists of 2048 rectangular elements with a 2.5-MHz center frequency, a 67% -6 dB bandwidth, and a 0.23-mm pitch arranged in a 150-mm-diameter ring with a 25-mm elevation. At the center frequency, the element size is 0.30lambda x 42lambda and the pitch is 0.38lambda. The system has 128 parallel transmit channels, 16 parallel receive channels, a 2048:128 transmit multiplexer, a 2048:16 receive multiplexer, independently programmable transmit waveforms with 8-bit resolution, and receive amplifiers with time variable gain independently programmable over a 40-dB range. Receive signals are sampled at 20 MHz with 12-bit resolution. Arbitrary transmit and receive apertures can be synthesized. Calibration software minimizes system nonidealities caused by noncircularity of the ring and element-to-element response differences. Application software enables the system to be used by specification of high-level parameters in control files from which low-level hardware-dependent parameters are derived by specialized code. Use of the system is illustrated by producing focused and steered beams, synthesizing a spatially limited plane wave, measuring angular scattering, and forming b-scan images.

Technical quality assessment of breast ultrasound according to American College of Radiology (ACR) Standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Kyung Hee; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Young Ah; Son, Eun Ju; Oh, Ki Keun; Chung, Sun Yang

2003-01-01

To evaluate the technical quality of breast ultrasound based on American College of Radiology(ACR) standards. Between March 2002 and July 2002, ninety three breast sonograms obtained from 73 institutions were evaluated based on ACR standards for the hardware, technical settings, labeling of the images and identification. Of 93 breast sonograms, a satisfactory compliance with all ACR standards in the performance of breast US examinations was documented in 31% while the remaining 69% did not fully meet all ACR standards. 4.3% of breast US examinations were performed with a convex transducers, and the focal zone was inappropriately positioned in 14.2%. Gray-scale gain was subjectively characterized as inappropriate in 26.9%, and the size of lesion was not measured in 7.5%. Anatomic location of lesions was inappropriately described in 9.3%. The orientation of an US transducer was not properly labeled on any images in 33.3%. Inadequate recording of patient's information was noted in 43.3%. 50% of sonograms at University medical centers and larger general hospitals fully met all ACR standards while 36.8% at radiologic clinics and 12.1% at other private clinics met all ACR standards. Overall, 69% of breast sonograms failed to meet the quality criteria of the ACR standards. Therefore, it is essential to educate the basic technical details in performing breast US for the quality control.

Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamformation applied to medical imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hemmsen, Martin Christian; Hansen, Jens Munk; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2012-01-01

Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming (SASB) is applied to medical ultrasound imaging using a multi element convex array transducer. The main motivation for SASB is to apply synthetic aperture techniques without the need for storing RF-data for a number of elements and hereby devise a system...... with a reduced system complexity. Using a 192 element, 3.5 MHz, λ-pitch transducer, it is demonstrated using tissue-phantom and wire-phantom measurements, how the speckle size and the detail resolution is improved compared to conventional imaging....

Experimental Evaluation of Three Designs of Electrodynamic Flexural Transducers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tobias J. R. Eriksson

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Three designs for electrodynamic flexural transducers (EDFT for air-coupled ultrasonics are presented and compared. An all-metal housing was used for robustness, which makes the designs more suitable for industrial applications. The housing is designed such that there is a thin metal plate at the front, with a fundamental flexural vibration mode at ∼50 kHz. By using a flexural resonance mode, good coupling to the load medium was achieved without the use of matching layers. The front radiating plate is actuated electrodynamically by a spiral coil inside the transducer, which produces an induced magnetic field when an AC current is applied to it. The transducers operate without the use of piezoelectric materials, which can simplify manufacturing and prolong the lifetime of the transducers, as well as open up possibilities for high-temperature applications. The results show that different designs perform best for the generation and reception of ultrasound. All three designs produced large acoustic pressure outputs, with a recorded sound pressure level (SPL above 120 dB at a 40 cm distance from the highest output transducer. The sensitivity of the transducers was low, however, with single shot signal-to-noise ratio ( SNR ≃ 15 dB in transmit–receive mode, with transmitter and receiver 40 cm apart.

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... areas of the body while other areas, especially air-filled lungs, are poorly suited for ultrasound. top ... make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin that ...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the probe through ... a single exam. The transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves (that the human ear cannot hear) ...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... need to be returned to the transducer for analysis. top of page This page was reviewed on ... using ultrasound. View full size with caption Pediatric Content Some imaging tests and treatments have special pediatric ...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... probe) and ultrasound gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the ... the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and receive the returning sound waves), ...

Tunable-angle wedge transducer for improved acoustophoretic control in a microfluidic chip

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iranmanesh, I.; Barnkob, Rune; Bruus, Henrik

2012-01-01

We present a tunable-angle wedge ultrasound transducer for improved control of microparticle acoustophoresis in a microfluidic chip. The transducer is investigated by analyzing the pattern of aligned particles and induced acoustic energy density while varying the system geometry, transducer...... in geometry and that the coupling angle may be used as an additional tuning parameter for improved acoustophoretic control with single-frequency actuation. Further, we find that frequency-modulation actuation is suitable for diminishing such tuning effects and that it is a robust method to produce uniform...... coupling angle, and transducer actuation method (single-frequency actuation or frequency-modulation actuation). The energy-density analysis is based on measuring the transmitted light intensity through a microfluidic channel filled with a suspension of 5-μm-diameter beads and the results with the tunable-angle...

Lead-free piezoelectric materials and ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaheh Taghaddos

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectric materials have been vastly used in ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging. In this paper, firstly, the most promising lead-free compositions with perovskite structure for medical imaging applications have been reviewed. The electromechanical properties of various lead-free ceramics, composites, and single crystals based on barium titanate, bismuth sodium titanate, potassium sodium niobate, and lithium niobate are presented. Then, fundamental principles and design considerations of ultrasonic transducers are briefly described. Finally, recent developments in lead-free ultrasonic probes are discussed and their acoustic performance is compared to lead-based transducers. Focused transducers with different beam focusing methods such as lens focusing and mechanical shaping are explained. Additionally, acoustic characteristics of lead-free probes including the pulse-echo results as well as their imaging capabilities for various applications such as phantom imaging, in vitro intravascular ultrasound imaging of swine aorta, and in vivo or ex vivo imaging of human eyes and skin are reviewed.

[Ultrasound findings in rhabdomyolysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Carrillo-Esper, Raúl; Galván-Talamantes, Yazmin; Meza-Ayala, Cynthia Margarita; Cruz-Santana, Julio Alberto; Bonilla-Reséndiz, Luis Ignacio

Rhabdomyolysis is defined as skeletal muscle necrosis. Ultrasound assessment has recently become a useful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of muscle diseases, including rhabdomyolysis. A case is presented on the ultrasound findings in a patient with rhabdomyolysis. To highlight the importance of ultrasound as an essential part in the diagnosis in rhabdomyolysis, to describe the ultrasound findings, and review the literature. A 30 year-old with post-traumatic rhabdomyolysis of both thighs. Ultrasound was performed using a Philips Sparq model with a high-frequency linear transducer (5-10MHz), in low-dimensional scanning mode (2D), in longitudinal and transverse sections at the level of both thighs. The images obtained showed disorganisation of the orientation of the muscle fibres, ground glass image, thickening of the muscular fascia, and the presence of anechoic areas. Ultrasound is a useful tool in the evaluation of rhabdomyolysis. Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound arthroscopy of human knee cartilage and subchondral bone in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Liukkonen, Jukka; Lehenkari, Petri; Hirvasniemi, Jukka; Joukainen, Antti; Virén, Tuomas; Saarakkala, Simo; Nieminen, Miika T; Jurvelin, Jukka S; Töyräs, Juha

2014-09-01

Arthroscopic ultrasound imaging enables quantitative evaluation of articular cartilage. However, the potential of this technique for evaluation of subchondral bone has not been investigated in vivo. In this study, we address this issue in clinical arthroscopy of the human knee (n = 11) by determining quantitative ultrasound (9 MHz) reflection and backscattering parameters for cartilage and subchondral bone. Furthermore, in each knee, seven anatomical sites were graded using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) system based on (i) conventional arthroscopy and (ii) ultrasound images acquired in arthroscopy with a miniature transducer. Ultrasound enabled visualization of articular cartilage and subchondral bone. ICRS grades based on ultrasound images were higher (p ultrasound-based ICRS grades were expected as ultrasound reveals additional information on, for example, the relative depth of the lesion. In line with previous literature, ultrasound reflection and scattering in cartilage varied significantly (p ultrasound parameters and structure or density of subchondral bone could be demonstrated. To conclude, arthroscopic ultrasound imaging had a significant effect on clinical grading of cartilage, and it was found to provide quantitative information on cartilage. The lack of correlation between the ultrasound parameters and bone properties may be related to lesser bone change or excessive attenuation in overlying cartilage and insufficient power of the applied miniature transducer. Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A noncommutative convexity in C*-bimodules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen Kian

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Let A and B be C*-algebras. We consider a noncommutative convexity in Hilbert A-B-bimodules, called A-B-convexity, as a generalization of C*-convexity in C*-algebras. We show that if X is a Hilbert A-B-bimodule, then Mn(X is a Hilbert Mn(A-Mn(B-bimodule and apply it to show that the closed unit ball of every Hilbert A-B-bimodule is A-B-convex. Some properties of this kind of convexity and various examples have been given.

Ultrasound-controlled neuronavigator-guided brain surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Koivukangas, J; Louhisalmi, Y; Alakuijala, J; Oikarinen, J

1993-07-01

The development of a unique neurosurgical navigator is described and a preliminary series of seven cases of intracerebral lesions approached with the assistance of this neuronavigation system under ultrasound control is presented. The clinical series included five low-grade astrocytomas, one chronic intracerebral hematoma, and one porencephalic cyst. Management procedures included biopsy in all cases, drainage of the hematoma, and endoscopy and fenestration for the cyst. The features of the neuronavigation system are interactive reconstructions of preoperative computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging data, corresponding intraoperative ultrasound images, versatility of the interchangeable end-effector instruments, graphic presentation of instruments on the reconstructed images, and voice control of the system. The principle of a common axis in the reconstructed images served to align the navigational pointer, biopsy guide, endoscope guide, ultrasound transducer, and surgical microscope to the brain anatomy. Intraoperative ultrasound imaging helped to verify the accuracy of the neuronavigator and check the results of the procedures. The arm of the neuronavigation system served as a holder for instruments, such as the biopsy guide, endoscope guide, and ultrasound transducer, in addition to functioning as a navigational pointer. Also, the surgical microscope was aligned with the neuronavigator for inspection and biopsy of the hematoma capsule to rule out tumor etiology. Voice control freed the neurosurgeon from manual exercises during start-up and calibration of the system.

Simulation of ultrasound backscatter images from fish

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pham, An Hoai

2011-01-01

The objective of this work is to investigate ultrasound (US) backscatter in the MHz range from fis to develop a realistic and reliable simulation model. The long term objective of the work is to develop the needed signal processing for fis species differentiation using US. In in-vitro experiments...... is 10 MHz and the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) at the focus point is 0.54 mm in the lateral direction. The transducer model in Field II was calibrated using a wire phantom to validate the simulated point spread function. The inputs to the simulation were the CT image data of the fis converted......, a cod (Gadus morhua) was scanned with both a BK Medical ProFocus 2202 ultrasound scanner and a Toshiba Aquilion ONE computed tomography (CT) scanner. The US images of the fis were compared with US images created using the ultrasound simulation program Field II. The center frequency of the transducer...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch) and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to return from the area within the patient that is being examined to the transducer (the device placed on the patient's skin to send and ...

Intra-operative ultrasound hand-held strain imaging for the visualization of ablations produced in the liver with a toroidal HIFU transducer: first in vivo results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chenot, J; Melodelima, D; N' Djin, W A; Souchon, Remi; Rivoire, M; Chapelon, J Y, E-mail: jeremy.chenot@inserm.f [Inserm, U556, Lyon, F-69003 (France)

2010-06-07

The use of hand-held ultrasound strain imaging for the intra-operative real-time visualization of HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) ablations produced in the liver by a toroidal transducer was investigated. A linear 12 MHz ultrasound imaging probe was used to obtain radiofrequency signals. Using a fast cross-correlation algorithm, strain images were calculated and displayed at 60 frames s{sup -1}, allowing the use of hand-held strain imaging intra-operatively. Fourteen HIFU lesions were produced in four pigs. Intra-operative strain imaging of HIFU ablations in the liver was feasible owing to the high frame rate. The correlation between dimensions measured on gross pathology and dimensions measured on B-mode images and on strain images were R = 0.72 and R = 0.94 respectively. The contrast between ablated and non-ablated tissue was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the strain images (22 dB) than in the B-mode images (9 dB). Strain images allowed equivalent or improved definition of ablated regions when compared with B-mode images. Real-time intra-operative hand-held strain imaging seems to be a promising complement to conventional B-mode imaging for the guidance of HIFU ablations produced in the liver during an open procedure. These results support that hand-held strain imaging outperforms conventional B-mode ultrasound and could potentially be used for the assessment of thermal therapies.

Dynamic Planar Convex Hull

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brodal, Gerth Stølfting; Jacob, Rico

2002-01-01

In this paper we determine the computational complexity of the dynamic convex hull problem in the planar case. We present a data structure that maintains a finite set of n points in the plane under insertion and deletion of points in amortized O(log n) time per operation. The space usage of the d......In this paper we determine the computational complexity of the dynamic convex hull problem in the planar case. We present a data structure that maintains a finite set of n points in the plane under insertion and deletion of points in amortized O(log n) time per operation. The space usage...... of the data structure is O(n). The data structure supports extreme point queries in a given direction, tangent queries through a given point, and queries for the neighboring points on the convex hull in O(log n) time. The extreme point queries can be used to decide whether or not a given line intersects...... the convex hull, and the tangent queries to determine whether a given point is inside the convex hull. We give a lower bound on the amortized asymptotic time complexity that matches the performance of this data structure....

Progress towards developing neutron tolerant magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhardt, Brian; Tittmann, Bernhard; Rempe, Joy; Daw, Joshua; Kohse, Gordon; Carpenter, David; Ames, Michael; Ostrovsky, Yakov; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Montgomery, Robert; Chien, Hualte; Wernsman, Bernard

2015-03-01

Current generation light water reactors (LWRs), sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs), small modular reactors (SMRs), and next generation nuclear plants (NGNPs) produce harsh environments in and near the reactor core that can severely tax material performance and limit component operational life. To address this issue, several Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) research programs are evaluating the long duration irradiation performance of fuel and structural materials used in existing and new reactors. In order to maximize the amount of information obtained from Material Testing Reactor (MTR) irradiations, DOE is also funding development of enhanced instrumentation that will be able to obtain in-situ, real-time data on key material characteristics and properties, with unprecedented accuracy and resolution. Such data are required to validate new multi-scale, multi-physics modeling tools under development as part of a science-based, engineering driven approach to reactor development. It is not feasible to obtain high resolution/microscale data with the current state of instrumentation technology. However, ultrasound-based sensors offer the ability to obtain such data if it is demonstrated that these sensors and their associated transducers are resistant to high neutron flux, high gamma radiation, and high temperature. To address this need, the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR-NSUF) is funding an irradiation, led by PSU, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor to test the survivability of ultrasound transducers. As part of this effort, PSU and collaborators have designed, fabricated, and provided piezoelectric and magnetostrictive transducers that are optimized to perform in harsh, high flux, environments. Four piezoelectric transducers were fabricated with either aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, or bismuth titanate as the active element that were coupled to either Kovar or aluminum waveguides and two

Progress towards developing neutron tolerant magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reinhardt, Brian; Tittmann, Bernhard [The Pennsylvania State University (United States); Rempe, Joy; Daw, Joshua [Idaho National Laboratory (United States); Kohse, Gordon; Carpenter, David; Ames, Michael; Ostrovsky, Yakov [Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States); Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Montgomery, Robert [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (United States); Chien, Hualte [Argonne National Laboratory (United States); Wernsman, Bernard [Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp (United States)

2015-03-31

Current generation light water reactors (LWRs), sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs), small modular reactors (SMRs), and next generation nuclear plants (NGNPs) produce harsh environments in and near the reactor core that can severely tax material performance and limit component operational life. To address this issue, several Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) research programs are evaluating the long duration irradiation performance of fuel and structural materials used in existing and new reactors. In order to maximize the amount of information obtained from Material Testing Reactor (MTR) irradiations, DOE is also funding development of enhanced instrumentation that will be able to obtain in-situ, real-time data on key material characteristics and properties, with unprecedented accuracy and resolution. Such data are required to validate new multi-scale, multi-physics modeling tools under development as part of a science-based, engineering driven approach to reactor development. It is not feasible to obtain high resolution/microscale data with the current state of instrumentation technology. However, ultrasound-based sensors offer the ability to obtain such data if it is demonstrated that these sensors and their associated transducers are resistant to high neutron flux, high gamma radiation, and high temperature. To address this need, the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR-NSUF) is funding an irradiation, led by PSU, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor to test the survivability of ultrasound transducers. As part of this effort, PSU and collaborators have designed, fabricated, and provided piezoelectric and magnetostrictive transducers that are optimized to perform in harsh, high flux, environments. Four piezoelectric transducers were fabricated with either aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, or bismuth titanate as the active element that were coupled to either Kovar or aluminum waveguides and two

Use of Convexity in Ostomy Care

Science.gov (United States)

Salvadalena, Ginger; Pridham, Sue; Droste, Werner; McNichol, Laurie; Gray, Mikel

2017-01-01

Ostomy skin barriers that incorporate a convexity feature have been available in the marketplace for decades, but limited resources are available to guide clinicians in selection and use of convex products. Given the widespread use of convexity, and the need to provide practical guidelines for appropriate use of pouching systems with convex features, an international consensus panel was convened to provide consensus-based guidance for this aspect of ostomy practice. Panelists were provided with a summary of relevant literature in advance of the meeting; these articles were used to generate and reach consensus on 26 statements during a 1-day meeting. Consensus was achieved when 80% of panelists agreed on a statement using an anonymous electronic response system. The 26 statements provide guidance for convex product characteristics, patient assessment, convexity use, and outcomes. PMID:28002174

Efficient Driving of Piezoelectric Transducers Using a Biaxial Driving Technique.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Pichardo

Full Text Available Efficient driving of piezoelectric materials is desirable when operating transducers for biomedical applications such as high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU or ultrasound imaging. More efficient operation reduces the electric power required to produce the desired bioeffect or contrast. Our preliminary work [Cole et al. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 2014;26(13:135901.] suggested that driving transducers by applying orthogonal electric fields can significantly reduce the coercivity that opposes ferroelectric switching. We present here the experimental validation of this biaxial driving technique using piezoelectric ceramics typically used in HIFU. A set of narrow-band transducers was fabricated with two sets of electrodes placed in an orthogonal configuration (following the propagation and the lateral mode. The geometry of the ceramic was chosen to have a resonance frequency similar for the propagation and the lateral mode. The average (± s.d. resonance frequency of the samples was 465.1 (± 1.5 kHz. Experiments were conducted in which each pair of electrodes was driven independently and measurements of effective acoustic power were obtained using the radiation force method. The efficiency (acoustic/electric power of the biaxial driving method was compared to the results obtained when driving the ceramic using electrodes placed only in the pole direction. Our results indicate that the biaxial method increases efficiency from 50% to 125% relative to the using a single electric field.

Ultrasound Research Scanner for Real-time Synthetic Aperture Data Acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Holm, Ole; Jensen, Lars Joost

2005-01-01

Conventional ultrasound systems acquire ultrasound data sequentially one image line at a time. The architecture of these systems is therefore also sequential in nature and processes most of the data in a sequential pipeline. This often makes it difficult to implement radically different imaging...... and 3D B-mode and velocity imaging using advanced coded emissions. The system can be used with 128 element transducers and can excite 128 transducer elements and receive and sample data from 64 channels simultaneously at 40 MHz with 12 bits precision. Two-to-one multiplexing in receive can be used...

Children's (Pediatric) Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... body tissue through which the sound travels. A small amount of gel is put on the skin to allow the sound waves to travel from the transducer to the examined area within the body and then back again. Ultrasound ...

Dynamic Planar Convex Hull

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacob, Riko

We determine the computational complexity of the dynamic convex hull problem in the planar case. We present a data structure that maintains a finite set of n points in the plane under insertion and deletion of points in amortized O(log n) time per operation. The space usage of the data structure...... is O(n). The data structure supports extreme point queries in a given direction, tangent queries through a given point, and queries for the neighboring points on the convex hull in O(log n) time. The extreme point queries can be used to decide whether or not a given line intersects the convex hull......, and the tangent queries to determine whether a given point is inside the convex hull. The space usage of the data structure is O(n). We give a lower bound on the amortized asymptotic time complexity that matches the performance of this data structure....

A New Low-frequency Sonophoresis System Combined with Ultrasonic Motor and Transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Pancheng; Peng, Hanmin; Yang, Jianzhi; Mao, Ting; Sheng, Juan

2018-03-01

Low frequency sonophoresis (LFS) is currently being attempted as a transdermal drug delivery method in clinical areas. However, it lacks both an effective control method and the equipment to satisfy the varying drug dosage requirements of individual patients. Herein, a novel method aimed at controlling permeability is proposed and developed, using a pressure control strategy which is based on an accurate, adjustable and non-invasive ultrasound transdermal drug delivery system in in vitro LFS. The system mainly consists of a lead screw linear ultrasonic motor and an ultrasonic transducer, in which the former offers pressure and the latter provides ultrasound wave in the liquid. The ultrasound can enhance non-invasive permeation and the pressure from the motor can control the permeability. The calculated and experimental results demonstrate that the maximum pressure on artificial skin is under the area with the maximum vibration amplitude of the ultrasonic transducer, and the total pressure consists of acoustic pressure from the transducer and approximate static pressure from the motor. Changing the static pressure from the ultrasonic motor can effectively control the non-invasive permeability, by adjusting the duty ratio or the amplitude of the motor’s driving voltage. In addition, the permeability control of calcein by thrust control is realized in 15 min, indicating the suitability of this method for application in accurate medical technology. The obtained results reveal that the issue of difficult permeability control can be addressed, using this control method in in vitro LFS to open up a route to the design of accurate drug delivery technology for individual patients.

Comparison of Simulated and Measured Non-linear Ultrasound Fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Du, Yigang; Jensen, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2011-01-01

In this paper results from a non-linear AS (angular spectrum) based ultrasound simulation program are compared to water-tank measurements. A circular concave transducer with a diameter of 1 inch (25.4 mm) is used as the emitting source. The measured pulses are rst compared with the linear...... simulation program Field II, which will be used to generate the source for the AS simulation. The generated non-linear ultrasound eld is measured by a hydrophone in the focal plane. The second harmonic component from the measurement is compared with the AS simulation, which is used to calculate both...... fundamental and second harmonic elds. The focused piston transducer with a center frequency of 5 MHz is excited by a waveform generator emitting a 6-cycle sine wave. The hydrophone is mounted in the focal plane 118 mm from the transducer. The point spread functions at the focal depth from Field II...

Spatial filters for focusing ultrasound images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Gori, Paola

2001-01-01

, but the approach always yields point spread functions better or equal to a traditional dynamically focused image. Finally, the process was applied to in-vivo clinical images of the liver and right kidney from a 28 years old male. The data was obtained with a single element transducer focused at 100 mm....... A new method for making spatial matched filter focusing of RF ultrasound data is proposed based on the spatial impulse response description of the imaging. The response from a scatterer at any given point in space relative to the transducer can be calculated, and this gives the spatial matched filter...... for synthetic aperture imaging for single element transducers. It is evaluated using the Field II program. Data from a single 3 MHz transducer focused at a distance of 80 mm is processed. Far from the transducer focal region, the processing greatly improves the image resolution: the lateral slice...

Modeling transducer impulse responses for predicting calibrated pressure pulses with the ultrasound simulation program Field II

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bæk, David; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Willatzen, Morten

2010-01-01

FIELD II is a simulation software capable of predicting the field pressure in front of transducers having any complicated geometry. A calibrated prediction with this program is, however, dependent on an exact voltage-to-surface acceleration impulse response of the transducer. Such impulse response...... is not calculated by FIELD II. This work investigates the usability of combining a one-dimensional multilayer transducer modeling principle with the FIELD II software. Multilayer here refers to a transducer composed of several material layers. Measurements of pressure and current from Pz27 piezoceramic disks...... transducer model and the FIELD II software in combination give good agreement with measurements....

A class of free locally convex spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sipacheva, O V

2003-01-01

Stratifiable spaces are a natural generalization of metrizable spaces for which Dugundji's theorem holds. It is proved that the free locally convex space of a stratifiable space is stratifiable. This means, in particular, that the space of finitely supported probability measures on a stratifiable space is a retract of a locally convex space, and that each stratifiable convex subset of a locally convex space is a retract of a locally convex space

Geometry of isotropic convex bodies

CERN Document Server

Brazitikos, Silouanos; Valettas, Petros; Vritsiou, Beatrice-Helen

2014-01-01

The study of high-dimensional convex bodies from a geometric and analytic point of view, with an emphasis on the dependence of various parameters on the dimension stands at the intersection of classical convex geometry and the local theory of Banach spaces. It is also closely linked to many other fields, such as probability theory, partial differential equations, Riemannian geometry, harmonic analysis and combinatorics. It is now understood that the convexity assumption forces most of the volume of a high-dimensional convex body to be concentrated in some canonical way and the main question is whether, under some natural normalization, the answer to many fundamental questions should be independent of the dimension. The aim of this book is to introduce a number of well-known questions regarding the distribution of volume in high-dimensional convex bodies, which are exactly of this nature: among them are the slicing problem, the thin shell conjecture and the Kannan-Lov�sz-Simonovits conjecture. This book prov...

Advantages and Challenges of Relaxor-PbTiO3 Ferroelectric Crystals for Electroacoustic Transducers- A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shujun; Li, Fei; Jiang, Xiaoning; Kim, Jinwook; Luo, Jun; Geng, Xuecang

2014-01-01

Relaxor-PbTiO3 (PT) based ferroelectric crystals with the perovskite structure have been investigated over the last few decades due to their ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients (d33 > 1500 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling factors (k33 > 90%), far outperforming state-of-the-art ferroelectric polycrystalline Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics, and are at the forefront of advanced electroacoustic applications. In this review, the performance merits of relaxor-PT crystals in various electroacoustic devices are presented from a piezoelectric material viewpoint. Opportunities come from not only the ultrahigh properties, specifically coupling and piezoelectric coefficients, but through novel vibration modes and crystallographic/domain engineering. Figure of merits (FOMs) of crystals with various compositions and phases were established for various applications, including medical ultrasonic transducers, underwater transducers, acoustic sensors and tweezers. For each device application, recent developments in relaxor-PT ferroelectric crystals were surveyed and compared with state-of-the-art polycrystalline piezoelectrics, with an emphasis on their strong anisotropic features and crystallographic uniqueness, including engineered domain - property relationships. This review starts with an introduction on electroacoustic transducers and the history of piezoelectric materials. The development of the high performance relaxor-PT single crystals, with a focus on their uniqueness in transducer applications, is then discussed. In the third part, various FOMs of piezoelectric materials for a wide range of ultrasound applications, including diagnostic ultrasound, therapeutic ultrasound, underwater acoustic and passive sensors, tactile sensors and acoustic tweezers, are evaluated to provide a thorough understanding of the materials’ behavior under operational conditions. Structure-property-performance relationships are then established. Finally, the impacts and challenges of relaxor

Phenomenally High Transduction Air/gas Transducers for Practical Non-Contact Ultrasonic Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Mahesh C.

2009-03-01

Based on novel acoustic impedance matching layers and high coupling piezoelectric materials this paper describes exceptionally high air/gas transduction ultrasonic transducers. By providing applications oriented performance of these transducers we also usher in the era of much desired Non-Contact Ultrasound (NCU) testing and analysis of a wide range of materials including early stage formation of materials such as uncured composite prepregs, green ceramics and powder metals, plastics, elastomers, porous, hygroscopic, chemically bonded and other materials. Besides quality control, ultimately NCU offers timely opportunities for cost-effective materials production, energy savings, and environment protection.

Evaluation of ultrasound techniques for brain injury detection

Science.gov (United States)

Mobley, Joel; Kasili, Paul M.; Norton, Stephen J.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1998-05-01

In this work, we examine the physics underlying wave propagation in the head to evaluate various ultrasonic transducers for use in a brian injury detection device. The results of measurements of the attenuation coefficient and phase velocity for ultrasonic propagation in samples of brain tissue and skull bone from sheep are presented. The material properties are then used to investigate the propagation of ultrasonic pressure fields in the head. The ultrasound fields for three different transducers are calculated for propagation in a simulated brain/skull model. The model is constructed using speed-of-sound and mass density values of the two tissue types. The impact of the attenuation on the ultrasound fields is then examined. Finally, the relevant points drawn from these discussions are summarized. We hope to minimize the confounding effects of the skull by using sub-MHz ultrasound while maintaining the necessary temporal and spatial resolution to successfully detect injury in the brain.

Entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laeven, R.J.A.; Stadje, M.

2013-01-01

We introduce two subclasses of convex measures of risk, referred to as entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk. Entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk are special cases of φ-coherent and φ-convex measures of risk. Contrary to the classical use of coherent and convex

In Vivo Real Time Volumetric Synthetic Aperture Ultrasound Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouzari, Hamed; Rasmussen, Morten Fischer; Brandt, Andreas Hjelm

2015-01-01

Synthetic aperture (SA) imaging can be used to achieve real-time volumetric ultrasound imaging using 2-D array transducers. The sensitivity of SA imaging is improved by maximizing the acoustic output, but one must consider the limitations of an ultrasound system, both technical and biological....... This paper investigates the in vivo applicability and sensitivity of volumetric SA imaging. Utilizing the transmit events to generate a set of virtual point sources, a frame rate of 25 Hz for a 90° x 90° field-of-view was achieved. Data were obtained using a 3.5 MHz 32 x 32 elements 2-D phased array...... transducer connected to the experimental scanner (SARUS). Proper scaling is applied to the excitation signal such that intensity levels are in compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations for in vivo ultrasound imaging. The measured Mechanical Index and spatial-peak- temporal...

Scalable Directed Self-Assembly Using Ultrasound Waves

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-04

the practical implementation of ultrasound DSA as a manufacturing technique requires linking the transducer arrangement and settings that generate ...function generator (Tektronix, AFG 3102), amplified by a 45 dB 50 W RF power amplifier (Electronic Navigation Industries, 440LA). Cross-linking of the...SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: We aim to understand how ultrasound waves can be used to create organized patterns of nanoparticles in a host medium such

Applicator for in-vitro ultrasound-activated targeted drug delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Gerold, B.; Gourevich, D.; Volovick, A.; Xu, D.; Arditti, F.; Prentice, P.; Cochran, S.; Gnaim, J.; Medan, Y.; Wang, L.; Melzer, A.

2012-10-01

Reducing toxicity and improving uptake of cancer drugs in tumors are important goals of targeted drug delivery (TDD). Ultrasonic drug release from various encapsulants has been a focus of many research groups. However, a single standard ultrasonic device, viable for use by biologists, is not currently present in the market. The device reported here is designed to allow investigation of the impact of ultrasound on cellular uptake and cell viability in-vitro. In it, single-element transducers with different operating frequencies are mounted below a standard 96-well plate. The plate is moved above the transducers, such that each line of wells can be sonicated at a different frequency. To assess the device, 96-well plates were seeded with cells and sonicated using different ultrasonic parameters, with and without doxorubicin. Cell viability was measured by colorimetric MTT assay and the uptake of doxorubicin by cells was also determined. The device proved to be highly viable in preliminary tests; it demonstrated that change in ultrasonic parameters produces different effect on cells. For example, increase in uptake of doxorubicin was demonstrated following ultrasound application. The growing interest in ultrasound-activated TDD emphasizes the need for standardization of the ultrasound device and the one reported here may offer some indications of how that may be achieved. It is planned to further improve the prototype by increasing the number of ultrasonic frequencies and degrees of freedom for each transducer.

MRI-guided gas bubble enhanced ultrasound heating in in vivo rabbit thigh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokka, S D; King, R; Hynynen, K

2003-01-01

In this study, we propose a focused ultrasound surgery protocol that induces and then uses gas bubbles at the focus to enhance the ultrasound absorption and ultimately create larger lesions in vivo. MRI and ultrasound visualization and monitoring methods for this heating method are also investigated. Larger lesions created with a carefully monitored single ultrasound exposure could greatly improve the speed of tumour coagulation with focused ultrasound. All experiments were performed under MRI (clinical, 1.5 T) guidance with one of two eight-sector, spherically curved piezoelectric transducers. The transducer, either a 1.1 or 1.7 MHz array, was driven by a multi-channel RF driving system. The transducer was mounted in an MRI-compatible manual positioning system and the rabbit was situated on top of the system. An ultrasound detector ring was fixed with the therapy transducer to monitor gas bubble activity during treatment. Focused ultrasound surgery exposures were delivered to the thighs of seven New Zealand white rabbits. The experimental, gas-bubble-enhanced heating exposures consisted of a high amplitude 300 acoustic watt, half second pulse followed by a 7 W, 14 W or 21 W continuous wave exposure for 19.5 s. The respective control sonications were 20 s exposures of 14 W, 21 W and 28 W. During the exposures, MR thermometry was obtained from the temperature dependency of the proton resonance frequency shift. MR T2-enhanced imaging was used to evaluate the resulting lesions. Specific metrics were used to evaluate the differences between the gas-bubble-enhanced exposures and their respective control sonications: temperatures with respect to time and space, lesion size and shape, and their agreement with thermal dose predictions. The bubble-enhanced exposures showed a faster temperature rise within the first 4 s and higher overall temperatures than the sonications without bubble formation. The spatial temperature maps and the thermal dose maps derived from the MRI

Convexity and Marginal Vectors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Velzen, S.; Hamers, H.J.M.; Norde, H.W.

2002-01-01

In this paper we construct sets of marginal vectors of a TU game with the property that if the marginal vectors from these sets are core elements, then the game is convex.This approach leads to new upperbounds on the number of marginal vectors needed to characterize convexity.An other result is that

Foundations of complex analysis in non locally convex spaces function theory without convexity condition

CERN Document Server

Bayoumi, A

2003-01-01

All the existing books in Infinite Dimensional Complex Analysis focus on the problems of locally convex spaces. However, the theory without convexity condition is covered for the first time in this book. This shows that we are really working with a new, important and interesting field. Theory of functions and nonlinear analysis problems are widespread in the mathematical modeling of real world systems in a very broad range of applications. During the past three decades many new results from the author have helped to solve multiextreme problems arising from important situations, non-convex and

Ultrasound directed self-assembly of three-dimensional user-specified patterns of particles in a fluid medium

Science.gov (United States)

Prisbrey, M.; Greenhall, J.; Guevara Vasquez, F.; Raeymaekers, B.

2017-01-01

We use ultrasound directed self-assembly to organize particles dispersed in a fluid medium into a three-dimensional (3D) user-specified pattern. The technique employs ultrasound transducers that line the boundary of a fluid reservoir to create a standing ultrasound wave field. The acoustic radiation force associated with the wave field drives particles dispersed in the fluid medium into organized patterns, assuming that the particles are much smaller than the wavelength and do not interact with each other. We have theoretically derived a direct solution method to calculate the ultrasound transducer operating parameters that are required to assemble a user-specified 3D pattern of particles in a fluid reservoir of arbitrary geometry. We formulate the direct solution method as a constrained optimization problem that reduces to eigendecomposition. We experimentally validate the solution method by assembling 3D patterns of carbon nanoparticles in a water reservoir and observe good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment. Additionally, we demonstrate the versatility of the solution method by simulating ultrasound directed self-assembly of complex 3D patterns of particles. The method works for any 3D simple, closed fluid reservoir geometry in combination with any arrangement of ultrasound transducers and enables employing ultrasound directed self-assembly in a myriad of engineering applications, including biomedical and materials fabrication processes.

Fabrication of Cheap Optical Transducers (CHOTs) on film carriers for in-situ application and generation of surface acoustic waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ageeva, V; Stratoudaki, T; Clark, M; Somekh, M G

2015-01-01

Cheap optical transducers (CHOTs) are patterns on the surface of a component activated by lasers to generate and detect ultrasound. Excited optically, with minimal surface impact, and fully customizable, CHOTs provide a simple alternative to conventional piezoelectric transducers, offering wireless, remote operation. Of particular interest is application of CHOTs for in-situ ultrasonic inspection of hard-to reach and complex-geometry components such as those of aero-engines. A suitable fabrication method has been developed to allow in-situ application of CHOTs onto large size and curved components, as well as those already in service, challenging for current laboratory-based micro-patterning methods. This work describes the fabrication of a transferable g-CHOT for generation of ultrasound. The g- CHOT has been made on an SU8 carrier film using a sacrificial polystyrene layer, allowing the transducer to be transferred from the substrate and subsequently delivered and applied to the surface of the sample in-situ. The functionality of the fabricated transducer is demonstrated by detection of the Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) generated by the g-CHOT transferred onto glass and aluminium samples

Alpha-Concave Hull, a Generalization of Convex Hull

OpenAIRE

Asaeedi, Saeed; Didehvar, Farzad; Mohades, Ali

2013-01-01

Bounding hull, such as convex hull, concave hull, alpha shapes etc. has vast applications in different areas especially in computational geometry. Alpha shape and concave hull are generalizations of convex hull. Unlike the convex hull, they construct non-convex enclosure on a set of points. In this paper, we introduce another generalization of convex hull, named alpha-concave hull, and compare this concept with convex hull and alpha shape. We show that the alpha-concave hull is also a general...

Multiple single-element transducer photoacoustic computed tomography system

Science.gov (United States)

Kalva, Sandeep Kumar; Hui, Zhe Zhi; Pramanik, Manojit

2018-02-01

Light absorption by the chromophores (hemoglobin, melanin, water etc.) present in any biological tissue results in local temperature rise. This rise in temperature results in generation of pressure waves due to the thermoelastic expansion of the tissue. In a circular scanning photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system, these pressure waves can be detected using a single-element ultrasound transducer (SUST) (while rotating in full 360° around the sample) or using a circular array transducer. SUST takes several minutes to acquire the PA data around the sample whereas the circular array transducer takes only a fraction of seconds. Hence, for real time imaging circular array transducers are preferred. However, these circular array transducers are custom made, expensive and not easily available in the market whereas SUSTs are cheap and readily available in the market. Using SUST for PACT systems is still cost effective. In order to reduce the scanning time to few seconds instead of using single SUST (rotating 360° ), multiple SUSTs can be used at the same time to acquire the PA data. This will reduce the scanning time by two-fold in case of two SUSTs (rotating 180° ) or by four-fold and eight-fold in case of four SUSTs (rotating 90° ) and eight SUSTs (rotating 45° ) respectively. Here we show that with multiple SUSTs, similar PA images (numerical and experimental phantom data) can be obtained as that of PA images obtained using single SUST.

Non-contact ultrasound techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khazali Mohd Zin

2001-01-01

Non-contact ultrasound plays significant role in material characterisation and inspection. Unlike conventional ultrasonic techniques, non-contact ultrasonic is mostly applicable to areas where the former has its weaknesses and limitations. It is interesting to note that the non-contact ultrasonic technique has an important significant application in industry. The technique is signified by the fact that the object to be inspected is further away from the ultrasonic source, no couplant is needed and inconsistent pressure between the transducer and the specimen can be eliminated. The paper discusses some of the non-contact ultrasound technique and its applications. (Author)

Low-Power Receive-Electronics for a Miniature 3D Ultrasound Probe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yu, Z.

2012-01-01

This thesis describes the design of a front-end application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which will be put into the tip of a miniature ultrasound probe for 3D Trans-Esophageal Echocardiography (TEE). To enable 3D TEE, a matrix piezoelectric ultrasound transducer with more than 2000 elements

Notions of convexity

CERN Document Server

Hörmander, Lars

1994-01-01

The first two chapters of this book are devoted to convexity in the classical sense, for functions of one and several real variables respectively. This gives a background for the study in the following chapters of related notions which occur in the theory of linear partial differential equations and complex analysis such as (pluri-)subharmonic functions, pseudoconvex sets, and sets which are convex for supports or singular supports with respect to a differential operator. In addition, the convexity conditions which are relevant for local or global existence of holomorphic differential equations are discussed, leading up to Trépreau’s theorem on sufficiency of condition (capital Greek letter Psi) for microlocal solvability in the analytic category. At the beginning of the book, no prerequisites are assumed beyond calculus and linear algebra. Later on, basic facts from distribution theory and functional analysis are needed. In a few places, a more extensive background in differential geometry or pseudodiffer...

Reconstruction of convex bodies from moments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hörrmann, Julia; Kousholt, Astrid

We investigate how much information about a convex body can be retrieved from a finite number of its geometric moments. We give a sufficient condition for a convex body to be uniquely determined by a finite number of its geometric moments, and we show that among all convex bodies, those which......- rithm that approximates a convex body using a finite number of its Legendre moments. The consistency of the algorithm is established using the stabil- ity result for Legendre moments. When only noisy measurements of Legendre moments are available, the consistency of the algorithm is established under...

Biasing of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers.

Science.gov (United States)

Caliano, Giosue; Matrone, Giulia; Savoia, Alessandro Stuart

2017-02-01

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) represent an effective alternative to piezoelectric transducers for medical ultrasound imaging applications. They are microelectromechanical devices fabricated using silicon micromachining techniques, developed in the last two decades in many laboratories. The interest for this novel transducer technology relies on its full compatibility with standard integrated circuit technology that makes it possible to integrate on the same chip the transducers and the electronics, thus enabling the realization of extremely low-cost and high-performance devices, including both 1-D or 2-D arrays. Being capacitive transducers, CMUTs require a high bias voltage to be properly operated in pulse-echo imaging applications. The typical bias supply residual ripple of high-quality high-voltage (HV) generators is in the millivolt range, which is comparable with the amplitude of the received echo signals, and it is particularly difficult to minimize. The aim of this paper is to analyze the classical CMUT biasing circuits, highlighting the features of each one, and to propose two novel HV generator architectures optimized for CMUT biasing applications. The first circuit proposed is an ultralow-residual ripple (generator that uses an extremely stable sinusoidal power oscillator topology. The second circuit employs a commercially available integrated step-up converter characterized by a particularly efficient switching topology. The circuit is used to bias the CMUT by charging a buffer capacitor synchronously with the pulsing sequence, thus reducing the impact of the switching noise on the received echo signals. The small area of the circuit (about 1.5 cm 2 ) makes it possible to generate the bias voltage inside the probe, very close to the CMUT, making the proposed solution attractive for portable applications. Measurements and experiments are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new approaches presented.

Two generalizations of column-convex polygons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feretic, Svjetlan; Guttmann, Anthony J

2009-01-01

Column-convex polygons were first counted by area several decades ago, and the result was found to be a simple, rational, generating function. In this work we generalize that result. Let a p-column polyomino be a polyomino whose columns can have 1, 2, ..., p connected components. Then column-convex polygons are equivalent to 1-convex polyominoes. The area generating function of even the simplest generalization, namely 2-column polyominoes, is unlikely to be solvable. We therefore define two classes of polyominoes which interpolate between column-convex polygons and 2-column polyominoes. We derive the area generating functions of those two classes, using extensions of existing algorithms. The growth constants of both classes are greater than the growth constant of column-convex polyominoes. Rather tight lower bounds on the growth constants complement a comprehensive asymptotic analysis.

Non-Contact Laser Based Ultrasound Evaluation of Canned Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, David

2005-03-01

Laser-Based Ultrasound detection was used to measure the velocity of compression waves transmitted through canned foods. Condensed broth, canned pasta, and non-condensed soup were evaluated in these experiments. Homodyne adaptive optics resulted in measurements that were more accurate than the traditional heterodyne method, as well as yielding a 10 dB gain in signal to noise. A-Scans measured the velocity of ultrasound sent through the center of the can and were able to distinguish the quantity of food stuff in its path, as well as distinguish between meat and potato. B-Scans investigated the heterogeneity of the sample’s contents. The evaluation of canned foods was completely non-contact and would be suitable for continuous monitoring in production. These results were verified by conducting the same experiments with a contact piezo transducer. Although the contact method yields a higher signal to noise ratio than the non-contact method, Laser-Based Ultrasound was able to detect surface waves the contact transducer could not.

Entropy Coherent and Entropy Convex Measures of Risk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laeven, R.J.A.; Stadje, M.A.

2011-01-01

We introduce two subclasses of convex measures of risk, referred to as entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk. We prove that convex, entropy convex and entropy coherent measures of risk emerge as certainty equivalents under variational, homothetic and multiple priors preferences,

Model of a Piezoelectric Transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Goodenow, Debra

2004-01-01

It's difficult to control liquid and gas in propellant tanks in zero gravity. A possible a design would utilize acoustic liquid manipulation (ALM) technology which uses ultrasonic beams conducted through a liquid and solid media, to push gas bubbles in the liquid to desirable locations. We can propel and control the bubble with acoustic radiation pressure by aiming the acoustic waves on the bubble s surface. This allows us to design a so called smart tank in which the ALM devices transfer the gas to the outer wall of the tank and isolating the liquid in the center. Because the heat transfer rate of a gas is lower of that of the liquid it would substantially decrease boil off and provide of for a longer storage life. The ALM beam is composed of little wavelets which are individual waves that constructively interfere with each other to produce a single, combined acoustic wave front. This is accomplished by using a set of synchronized ultrasound transducers arranged in an array. A slight phase offset of these elements allows us to focus and steer the beam. The device that we are using to produce the acoustic beam is called the piezoelectric transducer. This device converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, which appears in the form of acoustic energy. Therefore the behavior of the device is dependent on both the mechanical characteristics, such as its density, cross-sectional area, and its electrical characteristics, such as, electric flux permittivity and coupling factor. These devices can also be set up in a number of modes which are determined by the way the piezoelectric device is arranged, and the shape of the transducer. For this application we are using the longitudinal or thickness mode for our operation. The transducer also vibrates in the lateral mode, and one of the goals of my project is to decrease the amount of energy lost to the lateral mode. To model the behavior of the transducers I will be using Pspice, electric circuit modeling tool, to

Duality and calculus of convex objects (theory and applications)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brinkhuis, Ya; Tikhomirov, V M

2007-01-01

A new approach to convex calculus is presented, which allows one to treat from a single point of view duality and calculus for various convex objects. This approach is based on the possibility of associating with each convex object (a convex set or a convex function) a certain convex cone without loss of information about the object. From the duality theorem for cones duality theorems for other convex objects are deduced as consequences. The theme 'Duality formulae and the calculus of convex objects' is exhausted (from a certain precisely formulated point of view). Bibliography: 5 titles.

Potential of coded excitation in medical ultrasound imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Misaridis, Athanasios; Gammelmark, Kim; Jørgensen, C. H.

2000-01-01

Improvement in SNR and/or penetration depth can be achieved in medical ultrasoundby using long coded waveforms, in a similar manner as in radars or sonars.However, the time-bandwidth product (TB) improvement, and thereby SNRimprovement is considerably lower in medical ultrasound, due...... codes have a larger bandwidth than the transducerin a typical medical ultrasound system can drive, a more careful code designhas been proven essential. Simulation results are also presented forcomparison.This paper presents an improved non-linear FM signal appropriatefor ultrasonic applications. The new...... coded waveform exhibits distinctfeatures, that make it very attractive in the implementation of codedultrasound systems. The range resolution that can be achieved is comparableto that of a conventional system, depending on the transducer's bandwidth andcan even be better for broad-band transducers...

Generalized convexity, generalized monotonicity recent results

CERN Document Server

Martinez-Legaz, Juan-Enrique; Volle, Michel

1998-01-01

A function is convex if its epigraph is convex. This geometrical structure has very strong implications in terms of continuity and differentiability. Separation theorems lead to optimality conditions and duality for convex problems. A function is quasiconvex if its lower level sets are convex. Here again, the geo­ metrical structure of the level sets implies some continuity and differentiability properties for quasiconvex functions. Optimality conditions and duality can be derived for optimization problems involving such functions as well. Over a period of about fifty years, quasiconvex and other generalized convex functions have been considered in a variety of fields including economies, man­ agement science, engineering, probability and applied sciences in accordance with the need of particular applications. During the last twenty-five years, an increase of research activities in this field has been witnessed. More recently generalized monotonicity of maps has been studied. It relates to generalized conve...

Improving the Image Quality of Synthetic Transmit Aperture Ultrasound Images - Achieving Real-Time In-Vivo Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gammelmark, Kim

in-vivo experiments, showed, that TMS imaging can increase the SNR by as much as 17 dB compared to the traditional imaging techniques, which improves the in-vivo image quality to a highly competitive level. An in-vivo evaluation of convex array TMS imaging for abdominal imaging applications......-vivo imaging, and that the obtained image quality is highly competitive with the techniques applied in current medical ultrasound scanners. Hereby, the goals of the PhD have been successfully achieved.......Synthetic transmit aperture (STA) imaging has the potential to increase the image quality of medical ultrasound images beyond the levels obtained by conventional imaging techniques (linear, phased, and convex array imaging). Currently, however, in-vivo applications of STA imaging is limited...

Convex surfaces

CERN Document Server

Busemann, Herbert

2008-01-01

This exploration of convex surfaces focuses on extrinsic geometry and applications of the Brunn-Minkowski theory. It also examines intrinsic geometry and the realization of intrinsic metrics. 1958 edition.

Remote ultrasound palpation for robotic interventions using absolute elastography.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Caitlin; Baghani, Ali; Rohling, Robert; Salcudean, Septimiu

2012-01-01

Although robotic surgery has addressed many of the challenges presented by minimally invasive surgery, haptic feedback and the lack of knowledge of tissue stiffness is an unsolved problem. This paper presents a system for finding the absolute elastic properties of tissue using a freehand ultrasound scanning technique, which utilizes the da Vinci Surgical robot and a custom 2D ultrasound transducer for intraoperative use. An external exciter creates shear waves in the tissue, and a local frequency estimation method computes the shear modulus. Results are reported for both phantom and in vivo models. This system can be extended to any 6 degree-of-freedom tracking method and any 2D transducer to provide real-time absolute elastic properties of tissue.

Ultrasound imaging with a micromotor; Micromotor ni yoru choonpa imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oshiro, O.; Salimuzzaman, M.; Matani, A.; Chihara, K. [Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara (Japan); Asao, M. [Osaka National Hospital, Osaka (Japan)

1998-03-01

This paper describes a new ultrasound intravascular imaging system. In this system, an ultrasound probe consists of a micromotor, an ultrasound reflecting mirror attached with the micromotor and an ultrasound transducer. Ultrasound is scanned radially by a micromotor instead of a rotation transmitting wire and the rotation of the micromotor is performed and controlled by an external magnetic field. This ultrasound imaging system with a micromotor was applied to observe the inside of blood vessels through in vitro experiments. The preliminary results suggest that this system has the sufficient ability to define the blood vessel morphology and that the simple image processing enhances signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed image. 12 refs., 5 figs.

Convexity Adjustments for ATS Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murgoci, Agatha; Gaspar, Raquel M.

. As a result we classify convexity adjustments into forward adjustments and swaps adjustments. We, then, focus on affine term structure (ATS) models and, in this context, conjecture convexity adjustments should be related of affine functionals. In the case of forward adjustments, we show how to obtain exact...

Convex games versus clan games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brânzei, R.; Dimitrov, D.A.; Tijs, S.H.

2008-01-01

In this paper we provide characterizations of convex games and total clan games by using properties of their corresponding marginal games. We show that a "dualize and restrict" procedure transforms total clan games with zero worth for the clan into monotonic convex games. Furthermore, each monotonic

Convex Games versus Clan Games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brânzei, R.; Dimitrov, D.A.; Tijs, S.H.

2006-01-01

In this paper we provide characterizations of convex games and total clan games by using properties of their corresponding marginal games.We show that a "dualize and restrict" procedure transforms total clan games with zero worth for the clan into monotonic convex games.Furthermore, each monotonic

MRI-guided Therapeutic Ultrasound : In vitro Validation of a New MR Compatible, Phased Array, Contact Endorectal Ultrasound Transducer with Active Feedback Control of Temperature Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Salomir, Rares; Rata, Mihaela; Lafon, Cyril; Melodelima, David; Chapelon, Jean-Yves; Mathias, Adrien; Cotton, François; Bonmartin, Alain; Cathignol, Dominique

2006-05-01

Contact application of high intensity ultrasound was demonstrated to be suitable for thermal ablation of sectorial tumours of the digestive duct. Experimental validation of a new MR compatible ultrasonic device is described here, dedicated to the minimal invasive therapy of localized colorectal cancer. This is a cylindrical 1D 64-element phased array transducer of 14 mm diameter and 25 mm height (Imasonic, France) allowing electronic rotation of the acoustic beam. Operating frequency ranges from 3.5 to 4.0 MHz and up to 5 effective electrical watts per element are available. A plane wave is reconstructed by simultaneous excitation of eigth adjacent elements with an appropriate phase law. Driving electronics operates outside the Faraday cage of the scanner and provides fast switching capabilities. Excellent passive and active compatibility with the MRI data acquisition has been demonstrated. In addition, feasibility of active temperature control has been demonstrated based on real-time data export out of the MR scanner and a PID feedback algorithm. Further studies will address the in-vivo validation and the integration of a miniature NMR coil for increased SNR in the near field.

Noncontact modal analysis of a pipe organ reed using airborne ultrasound stimulated vibrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Thomas M.; Fatemi, Mostafa; Kinnick, Randall R.; Greenleaf, James F.

2004-05-01

The goal of this experiment was to excite and measure, in a noncontact manner, the vibrational modes of the reed from a reed organ pipe. To perform ultrasound stimulated excitation, two ultrasound beams in air of different frequencies were directed at the reed; the audio-range beat frequency between these ultrasound beams induced vibrations. The resulting vibrational deflection shapes were measured with a scanning vibrometer. The modes of any relatively small object can be studied in air using this technique. For a 36 mm by 7 mm clamped brass reed cantilever, displacements and velocites of 5 μ and 4 mm/s could be imparted at the fundamental frequency of 145 Hz. Using the same ultrasound transducer, excitation across the entire range of audio frequencies was obtained, which was not possible using audio excitation with a speaker. Since the beam was focused on the reed, ultrasound stimulated excitation eliminated background effects observed during mechanical shaker excitation, such as vibrations of clamps and supports. We will discuss the results obtained using single, dual, and confocal ultrasound transducers in AM and unmodulated CW modes, along with results obtained using a mechanical shaker and audio excitation using a speaker.

Transvaginal ultrasound during pregnancy: Perception and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With the use of high‑resolution transducers, the transvaginal probe has proved to be particularly useful for finding the location and dating of early pregnancies when compared with transabdominal sonography ... Majority (410; 96.7%) had heard about ultrasound scanning, and 395 (93.2%) had undergone at least one type.

Palpation- and ultrasound-guided brachial plexus blockade in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis).

Science.gov (United States)

da Cunha, Anderson F; Strain, George M; Rademacher, Nathalie; Schnellbacher, Rodney; Tully, Thomas N

2013-01-01

To compare palpation-guided with ultrasound-guided brachial plexus blockade in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots. Prospective randomized experimental trial. Eighteen adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) weighing 252-295 g. After induction of anesthesia with isoflurane, parrots received an injection of lidocaine (2 mg kg(-1)) in a total volume of 0.3 mL at the axillary region. The birds were randomly assigned to equal groups using either palpation or ultrasound as a guide for the brachial plexus block. Nerve evoked muscle potentials (NEMP) were used to monitor effectiveness of brachial plexus block. The palpation-guided group received the local anesthetic at the space between the pectoral muscle, triceps, and supracoracoideus aticimus muscle, at the insertion of the tendons of the caudal coracobrachial muscle, and the caudal scapulohumeral muscle. For the ultrasound-guided group, the brachial plexus and the adjacent vessels were located with B-mode ultrasonography using a 7-15 MHz linear probe. After location, an 8-5 MHz convex transducer was used to guide injections. General anesthesia was discontinued 20 minutes after lidocaine injection and the birds recovered in a padded cage. Both techniques decreased the amplitude of NEMP. Statistically significant differences in NEMP amplitudes, were observed within the ultrasound-guided group at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes after injection and within the palpation-guided group at 10, 15, and 20 minutes after injection. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No effect on motor function, muscle relaxation or wing droop was observed after brachial plexus block. The onset of the brachial plexus block tended to be faster when ultrasonography was used. Brachial plexus injection can be performed in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots and nerve evoked muscle potentials were useful to monitor the effects on nerve conduction in this avian species. Neither technique produced an effective block at the

An easy path to convex analysis and applications

CERN Document Server

Mordukhovich, Boris S

2013-01-01

Convex optimization has an increasing impact on many areas of mathematics, applied sciences, and practical applications. It is now being taught at many universities and being used by researchers of different fields. As convex analysis is the mathematical foundation for convex optimization, having deep knowledge of convex analysis helps students and researchers apply its tools more effectively. The main goal of this book is to provide an easy access to the most fundamental parts of convex analysis and its applications to optimization. Modern techniques of variational analysis are employed to cl

Evaluation of Air Coupled Ultrasound for Composite Aerospace Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Tat, H.; Georgeson, G.; Bossi, R.

2009-03-01

Non-contact air coupled ultrasound suffers from the high acoustic impedance mismatch characteristics of air to solid interfaces. Advances in transducer technology, particularly MEMS, have improved the acoustic impedance match at the transmission stage and the signal to noise at the reception stage. Comparisons of through transmission (TTU) scanning of laminate and honeycomb test samples using conventional piezoelectric air coupled transducers, new MEMS air coupled transducers, and standard water coupled inspections have been performed to assess the capability. An additional issue for air coupled UT inspection is the need for a lean implementation for both manufacturing and in-service operations. Concepts and applications utilizing magnetic coupling of transducers have been developed that allows air coupled inspection operations in compact low cost configurations.

On Hadamard-Type Inequalities Involving Several Kinds of Convexity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragomir SeverS

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We do not only give the extensions of the results given by Gill et al. (1997 for log-convex functions but also obtain some new Hadamard-type inequalities for log-convex -convex, and -convex functions.

A simple uniformity test for ultrasound phased arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Nicholas J; Woolley, Darren J

2016-09-01

It is difficult to test phased array ultrasound transducers for non functioning elements. We aimed to modify a widely performed test to improve its ease and effectiveness for these arrays. A paperclip was slowly moved along the transducer array, with the scanner operating in M-mode, imaging at a fundamental frequency with automatic gain and grey scale adjustment disabled. Non-functioning elements are identified by a dark vertical line in the image. The test was repeated several times for each transducer, looking for consistency of results. 2 transducers, with faults already shown by electronic transducer testing, were used to validate the method. 23 transducers in clinical use were tested. The results of the modified test on the 2 faulty transducers agreed closely with electronic transducer testing results. The test indicated faults in 5 of the 23 transducers in clinical use: 3 with a single failed element and 2 with non-uniform sensitivity. 1 transducer with non-uniform sensitivity had undergone lens repair; the new lens was visibly non-uniform in thickness and further testing showed a reduction in depth of penetration and a loss of elevational focus in comparison with a new transducer. The modified test is capable of detecting non-functioning elements. Further work is required to provide a better understanding of more subtle faults. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. All rights reserved.

Thin-film transducers for the detection and imaging of Brillouin oscillations in transmission on cultured cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez-Cota, F; Smith, R J; Clark, M; Moradi, E; Webb, K

2016-01-01

Mechanical imaging and characterisation of biological cells has been a subject of interest for the last twenty years. Ultrasonic imaging based on the scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) and mechanical probing have been extensively reported. Large acoustic attenuation at high frequencies and the use of conventional piezo-electric transducers limit the operational frequency of a SAM. This limitation results in lower resolution compared to an optical microscope. Direct mechanical probing in the form of applied stress by contacting probes causes stress to cells and exhibits poor depth resolution. More recently, laser ultrasound has been reported to detect ultrasound in the GHz range via Brillouin oscillations on biological cells. This technique offers a promising new high resolution acoustic cell imaging technique. In this work, we propose, design and apply a thin-film based opto-acoustic transducer for the detection in transmission of Brillouin oscillations on cells. The transducer is used to generate acoustic waves, protect the cells from laser radiation and enhance signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Experimental traces are presented in water films as well as images of the Brillouin frequency of phantom and fixed 3T3 fibroblast cells. (paper)

Computing farthest neighbors on a convex polytope

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cheong, O.; Shin, C.S.; Vigneron, A.

2002-01-01

Let N be a set of n points in convex position in R3. The farthest-point Voronoi diagram of N partitions R³ into n convex cells. We consider the intersection G(N) of the diagram with the boundary of the convex hull of N. We give an algorithm that computes an implicit representation of G(N) in

A 32 x 32 capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array manufactured in standard CMOS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemmerhirt, David F; Cheng, Xiaoyang; White, Robert; Rich, Collin A; Zhang, Man; Fowlkes, J Brian; Kripfgans, Oliver D

2012-07-01

As ultrasound imagers become increasingly portable and lower cost, breakthroughs in transducer technology will be needed to provide high-resolution, real-time 3-D imaging while maintaining the affordability needed for portable systems. This paper presents a 32 x 32 ultrasound array prototype, manufactured using a CMUT-in-CMOS approach whereby ultrasonic transducer elements and readout circuits are integrated on a single chip using a standard integrated circuit manufacturing process in a commercial CMOS foundry. Only blanket wet-etch and sealing steps are added to complete the MEMS devices after the CMOS process. This process typically yields better than 99% working elements per array, with less than ±1.5 dB variation in receive sensitivity among the 1024 individually addressable elements. The CMUT pulseecho frequency response is typically centered at 2.1 MHz with a -6 dB fractional bandwidth of 60%, and elements are arranged on a 250 μm hexagonal grid (less than half-wavelength pitch). Multiplexers and CMOS buffers within the array are used to make on-chip routing manageable, reduce the number of physical output leads, and drive the transducer cable. The array has been interfaced to a commercial imager as well as a set of custom transmit and receive electronics, and volumetric images of nylon fishing line targets have been produced.

Systematic evaluation of a secondary method for measuring diagnostic-level medical ultrasound transducer output power based on a large-area pyroelectric sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Zeqiri, B.; Žauhar, G.; Rajagopal, S.; Pounder, A.

2012-06-01

A systematic study of the application of a novel pyroelectric technique to the measurement of diagnostic-level medical ultrasound output power is described. The method exploits the pyroelectric properties of a 0.028 mm thick membrane of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), backed by an acoustic absorber whose ultrasonic absorption coefficient approaches 1000 dB cm-1 at 3 MHz. When exposed to an ultrasonic field, absorption of ultrasound adjacent to the PVDF-absorber interface results in heating and the generation of a pyroelectric output voltage across gold electrodes deposited on the membrane. For a sensor large enough to intercept the whole of the acoustic beam, the output voltage can be calibrated for the measurement of acoustic output power. A number of key performance properties of the method have been investigated. The technique is very sensitive, with a power to voltage conversion factor of typically 0.23 V W-1. The frequency response of a particular embodiment of the sensor in which acoustic power reflected at the absorber-PVDF interface is subsequently returned to the pyroelectric membrane to be absorbed, has been evaluated over the frequency range 1.5 MHz to 10 MHz. This has shown the frequency response to be flat to within ±4%, above 2.5 MHz. Below this frequency, the sensitivity falls by 20% at 1.5 MHz. Linearity of the technique has been demonstrated to within ±1.6% for applied acoustic power levels from 1 mW up to 120 mW. A number of other studies targeted at assessing the achievable measurement uncertainties are presented. These involve: the effects of soaking, the influence of the angle of incidence of the acoustic beam, measurement repeatability and sensitivity to transducer positioning. Additionally, over the range 20 °C to 30 °C, the rate of change in sensitivity with ambient temperature has been shown to be +0.5% °C-1. Implications of the work for the development of a sensitive, traceable, portable, secondary method of ultrasound output power

ON THE GENERALIZED CONVEXITY AND CONCAVITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhayo B.

2015-11-01

Full Text Available A function ƒ : R+ → R+ is (m1, m2-convex (concave if ƒ(m1(x,y ≤ (≥ m2(ƒ(x, ƒ(y for all x,y Є R+ = (0,∞ and m1 and m2 are two mean functions. Anderson et al. [1] studies the dependence of (m1, m2-convexity (concavity on m1 and m2 and gave the sufficient conditions of (m1, m2-convexity and concavity of a function defined by Maclaurin series. In this paper, we make a contribution to the topic and study the (m1, m2-convexity and concavity of a function where m1 and m2 are identric mean, Alzer mean mean. As well, we prove a conjecture posed by Bruce Ebanks in [2].

Nested convex bodies are chaseable

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N. Bansal (Nikhil); M. Böhm (Martin); M. Eliáš (Marek); G. Koumoutsos (Grigorios); S.W. Umboh (Seeun William)

2018-01-01

textabstractIn the Convex Body Chasing problem, we are given an initial point v0 2 Rd and an online sequence of n convex bodies F1; : : : ; Fn. When we receive Fi, we are required to move inside Fi. Our goal is to minimize the total distance traveled. This fundamental online problem was first

Intramuscular Heating Characteristics of Multihour Low-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigby, Justin H; Taggart, Rebecca M; Stratton, Kelly L; Lewis, George K; Draper, David O

2015-11-01

The heating characteristics of a stationary device delivering sustained acoustic medicine with low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound (LITUS) are unknown. To measure intramuscular (IM) heating produced by a LITUS device developed for long-duration treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. Controlled laboratory study. University research laboratory. A total of 26 healthy volunteers (16 men, 10 women; age = 23.0 ± 2.1 years, height = 1.74 ± 0.09 m, mass = 73.48 ± 14.65 kg). Participants were assigned randomly to receive active (n = 20) or placebo (n = 6) LITUS at a frequency of 3 MHz and an energy intensity of 0.132 W/cm(2) continuously for 3 hours with a single transducer or dual transducers on the triceps surae muscle. We measured IM temperature using thermocouples inserted at 1.5- and 3-cm depths into muscle. Temperatures were recorded throughout treatment and 30 minutes posttreatment. We used 2-sample t tests to determine the heating curve of the LITUS treatment and differences in final temperatures between depth and number of transducers. A mild IM temperature increase of 1 °C was reached 10 ± 5 minutes into the treatment, and a more vigorous temperature increase of 4 °C was reached 80 ± 10 minutes into the treatment. The maximal steady-state IM temperatures produced during the final 60 minutes of treatment at the 1.5-cm depth were 4.42 °C ± 0.08 °C and 3.92 °C ± 0.06 °C using 1 and 2 transducers, respectively. At the 3.0-cm depth, the maximal steady-state IM temperatures during the final 60 minutes of treatment were 3.05 °C ± 0.09 °C and 3.17 °C ± 0.05 °C using 1 and 2 transducers, respectively. We observed a difference between the temperatures measured at each depth (t78 = -2.45, P = .02), but the number of transducers used to generate heating was not different (t78 = 1.79, P = .08). The LITUS device elicited tissue heating equivalent to traditional ultrasound but could be sustained for multiple hours. It is a safe and effective alternative tool

A top-crossover-to-bottom addressed segmented annular array using piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Joontaek; Lee, Wonjun; Kang, Woojin; Hong, Hyeryung; Yuen Song, Hi; Oh, Inn-yeal; Park, Chul Soon; Choi, Hongsoo

2015-11-01

We design and fabricate segmented annular arrays (SAAs) using piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) to demonstrate the feasibility of acoustic focusing of ultrasound. The fabricated SAAs have 25 concentric top-electrode signal lines and eight bottom-electrodes for grounding to enable electronic steering of selectively grouped ultrasonic transducers from 2393 pMUT elements. Each element in the array is connected by top-crossover-to-bottom metal bridges, which reduce the parasitic capacitance. Circular-shaped pMUT elements, 120 μm in diameter, are fabricated using 1 μm-thick sol-gel lead zirconate titanate on a silicon wafer. To utilize the high-density pMUT array, a deep reactive ion etching process is used for anisotropic silicon etching to realize the transducer membranes. The resonant frequency and effective coupling coefficient of the elements, measured with an impedance analyzer, yields 1.517 MHz and 1.29%, respectively, in air. The SAAs using pMUTs are packaged on a printed circuit board and coated with parylene C for acoustic intensity measurements in water. The ultrasound generated by each segmented array is focused on a selected point in space. When a 5 Vpp, 1.5 MHz square wave is applied, the maximum spatial peak temporal average intensity ({{I}\\text{spta}} ) is found to be 79 mW cm-2 5 mm from the SAAs’ surface without beamforming. The beam widths (-3 dB) of ultrasonic radiation patterns in the elevation and azimuth directions are recorded as 3 and 3.4 mm, respectively. The results successfully show the feasibility of focusing ultrasound on a small area with SAAs using pMUTs.

PMN-PT single crystal, high-frequency ultrasonic needle transducers for pulsed-wave Doppler application.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qifa; Xu, Xiaochen; Gottlieb, Emanuel J; Sun, Lei; Cannata, Jonathan M; Ameri, Hossein; Humayun, Mark S; Han, Pengdi; Shung, K Kirk

2007-03-01

High-frequency needle ultrasound transducers with an aperture size of 0.4 mm were fabricated using lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-33% PT) as the active piezoelectric material. The active element was bonded to a conductive silver particle matching layer and a conductive epoxy backing through direct contact curing. An outer matching layer of parylene was formed by vapor deposition. The active element was housed within a polyimide tube and a 20-gauge needle housing. The magnitude and phase of the electrical impedance of the transducer were 47 omega and -38 degrees, respectively. The measured center frequency and -6 dB fractional bandwidth of the PMN-PT needle transducer were 44 MHz and 45%, respectively. The two-way insertion loss was approximately 15 dB. In vivo high-frequency, pulsed-wave Doppler patterns of blood flow in the posterior portion and in vitro ultrasonic backscatter microscope (UBM) images of the rabbit eye were obtained with the 44-MHz needle transducer.

Observation of a cavitation cloud in tissue using correlation between ultrafast ultrasound images.

Science.gov (United States)

Prieur, Fabrice; Zorgani, Ali; Catheline, Stefan; Souchon, Rémi; Mestas, Jean-Louis; Lafond, Maxime; Lafon, Cyril

2015-07-01

The local application of ultrasound is known to improve drug intake by tumors. Cavitating bubbles are one of the contributing effects. A setup in which two ultrasound transducers are placed confocally is used to generate cavitation in ex vivo tissue. As the transducers emit a series of short excitation bursts, the evolution of the cavitation activity is monitored using an ultrafast ultrasound imaging system. The frame rate of the system is several thousands of images per second, which provides several tens of images between consecutive excitation bursts. Using the correlation between consecutive images for speckle tracking, a decorrelation of the imaging signal appears due to the creation, fast movement, and dissolution of the bubbles in the cavitation cloud. By analyzing this area of decorrelation, the cavitation cloud can be localized and the spatial extent of the cavitation activity characterized.

Breast ultrasound tomography with total-variation regularization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Lianjie [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Li, Cuiping [KARMANOS CANCER INSTIT.; Duric, Neb [KARMANOS CANCER INSTIT

2009-01-01

Breast ultrasound tomography is a rapidly developing imaging modality that has the potential to impact breast cancer screening and diagnosis. A new ultrasound breast imaging device (CURE) with a ring array of transducers has been designed and built at Karmanos Cancer Institute, which acquires both reflection and transmission ultrasound signals. To extract the sound-speed information from the breast data acquired by CURE, we have developed an iterative sound-speed image reconstruction algorithm for breast ultrasound transmission tomography based on total-variation (TV) minimization. We investigate applicability of the TV tomography algorithm using in vivo ultrasound breast data from 61 patients, and compare the results with those obtained using the Tikhonov regularization method. We demonstrate that, compared to the Tikhonov regularization scheme, the TV regularization method significantly improves image quality, resulting in sound-speed tomography images with sharp (preserved) edges of abnormalities and few artifacts.

Hybrid Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Tomograph for Real-Time Finger Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Oeri, Milan; Bost, Wolfgang; Sénégond, Nicolas; Tretbar, Steffen; Fournelle, Marc

2017-10-01

We report a target-enclosing, hybrid tomograph with a total of 768 elements based on capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer technology and providing fast, high-resolution 2-D/3-D photoacoustic and ultrasound tomography tailored to finger imaging. A freely programmable ultrasound beamforming platform sampling data at 80 MHz was developed to realize plane wave transmission under multiple angles. A multiplexing unit enables the connection and control of a large number of elements. Fast image reconstruction is provided by GPU processing. The tomograph is composed of four independent and fully automated movable arc-shaped transducers, allowing imaging of all three finger joints. The system benefits from photoacoustics, yielding high optical contrast and enabling visualization of finger vascularization, and ultrasound provides morphologic information on joints and surrounding tissue. A diode-pumped, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and an optical parametric oscillator are used to broaden the spectrum of emitted wavelengths to provide multispectral imaging. Custom-made optical fiber bundles enable illumination of the region of interest in the plane of acoustic detection. Precision in positioning of the probe in motion is ensured by use of a motor-driven guide slide. The current position of the probe is encoded by the stage and used to relate ultrasound and photoacoustic signals to the corresponding region of interest of the suspicious finger joint. The system is characterized in phantoms and a healthy human finger in vivo. The results obtained promise to provide new opportunities in finger diagnostics and establish photoacoustic/ultrasound-tomography in medical routine. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computer model for harmonic ultrasound imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y; Zagzebski, J A

2000-01-01

Harmonic ultrasound imaging has received great attention from ultrasound scanner manufacturers and researchers. In this paper, we present a computer model that can generate realistic harmonic images. In this model, the incident ultrasound is modeled after the "KZK" equation, and the echo signal is modeled using linear propagation theory because the echo signal is much weaker than the incident pulse. Both time domain and frequency domain numerical solutions to the "KZK" equation were studied. Realistic harmonic images of spherical lesion phantoms were generated for scans by a circular transducer. This model can be a very useful tool for studying the harmonic buildup and dissipation processes in a nonlinear medium, and it can be used to investigate a wide variety of topics related to B-mode harmonic imaging.

Non-linear Ultrasound Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Du, Yigang

.3% relative to the measurement from a 1 inch diameter transducer. A preliminary study for harmonic imaging using synthetic aperture sequential beamforming (SASB) has been demonstrated. A wire phantom underwater measurement is made by an experimental synthetic aperture real-time ultrasound scanner (SARUS......) with a linear array transducer. The second harmonic imaging is obtained by a pulse inversion technique. The received data is beamformed by the SASB using a Beamformation Toolbox. In the measurements the lateral resolution at -6 dB is improved by 66% compared to the conventional imaging algorithm. There is also...... a 35% improvement for the lateral resolution at -6 dB compared with the sole harmonic imaging and a 46% improvement compared with merely using the SASB....

Convex functions and optimization methods on Riemannian manifolds

CERN Document Server

Udrişte, Constantin

1994-01-01

This unique monograph discusses the interaction between Riemannian geometry, convex programming, numerical analysis, dynamical systems and mathematical modelling. The book is the first account of the development of this subject as it emerged at the beginning of the 'seventies. A unified theory of convexity of functions, dynamical systems and optimization methods on Riemannian manifolds is also presented. Topics covered include geodesics and completeness of Riemannian manifolds, variations of the p-energy of a curve and Jacobi fields, convex programs on Riemannian manifolds, geometrical constructions of convex functions, flows and energies, applications of convexity, descent algorithms on Riemannian manifolds, TC and TP programs for calculations and plots, all allowing the user to explore and experiment interactively with real life problems in the language of Riemannian geometry. An appendix is devoted to convexity and completeness in Finsler manifolds. For students and researchers in such diverse fields as pu...

Rocking convex array used for 3D synthetic aperture focusing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Henrik; Nikolov, Svetoslav; Pedersen, M M

2008-01-01

Volumetric imaging can be performed using 1D arrays in combination with mechanical motion. Outside the elevation focus of the array, the resolution and contrast quickly degrade compared to the azimuth plane, because of the fixed transducer focus. The purpose of this paper is to use synthetic...... aperture focusing (SAF) for enhancing the elevation focusing for a convex rocking array, to obtain a more isotropic point spread function. This paper presents further development of the SAF method, which can be used with curved array combined with a rocking motion. The method uses a virtual source (VS...... Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria). The array has an elevation focus at 60 mm of depth, and the angular rocking velocity is up to 140deg/s. The scan sequence uses an fprf of 4500 - 7000 Hz allowing up to 15 cm of penetration. The full width at half max (FWHM) and main-lobe to side-lobe ratio (MLSL) is used...

Ultrasound generation with high power and coil only EMAT concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Rueter, Dirk; Morgenstern, Tino

2014-12-01

Electro-magnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are intended as non-contact and non-destructive ultrasound transducers for metallic material. The transmitted intensities from EMATS are modest, particularly at notable lift off distances. Some time ago a concept for a "coil only EMAT" was presented, without static magnetic field. In this contribution, such compact "coil only EMATs" with effective areas of 1-5cm(2) were driven to excessive power levels at MHz frequencies, using pulsed power technologies. RF induction currents of 10kA and tens of Megawatts are applied. With increasing power the electroacoustic conversion efficiency also increases. The total effect is of second order or quadratic, therefore non-linear and progressive, and yields strong ultrasound signals up to kW/cm(2) at MHz frequencies in the metal. Even at considerable lift off distances (cm) the ultrasound can be readily detected. Test materials are aluminum, ferromagnetic steel and stainless steel (non-ferromagnetic). Thereby, most metal types are represented. The technique is compared experimentally with other non-contact methods: laser pulse induced ultrasound and spark induced ultrasound, both damaging to the test object's surface. At small lift off distances, the intensity from this EMAT concept clearly outperforms the laser pulses or heavy spark impacts. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automatic Segmentation of Vessels in In-Vivo Ultrasound Scans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tamimi-Sarnikowski, Philip; Brink-Kjær, Andreas; Moshavegh, Ramin

2017-01-01

presents a fully automatic segmentation algorithm, for robustly segmenting the vessel lumen in longitudinal B-mode ultrasound images. The automatic segmentation is performed using a combination of B-mode and power Doppler images. The proposed algorithm includes a series of preprocessing steps, and performs......Ultrasound has become highly popular to monitor atherosclerosis, by scanning the carotid artery. The screening involves measuring the thickness of the vessel wall and diameter of the lumen. An automatic segmentation of the vessel lumen, can enable the determination of lumen diameter. This paper...... a vessel segmentation by use of the marker-controlled watershed transform. The ultrasound images used in the study were acquired using the bk3000 ultrasound scanner (BK Ultrasound, Herlev, Denmark) with two transducers ”8L2 Linear” and ”10L2w Wide Linear” (BK Ultrasound, Herlev, Denmark). The algorithm...

The diagnosis value of color doppler ultrasound in evaluating small renal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Gaiyi

2009-01-01

Objective: To characterize the ultrasound and color doppler imaging of small renal carcinoma. Methods: Ultrasound and color doppler images by convex-probe and high frequency-probe of 24 patients with renal carcinoma confirmed by surgery and histology were analyzed retrospectively. Tumor echo, halo, internal blood flow and peripheral tumor blood flow were observed. Results: Tumor echo in 9 lesions was hyper-echo, in 4 was iso-echoic, in 10 was hypo-echo, and in 1 was echoless. Halo was detected in 9 tumors, and small cyst was detected in 5 tumors. By using the convex-probe, peripheral and internal blood flow signal in 24 tumors were observed. Spot blood follow was detected in 6 tumors, half-circularity blood follow in 18 tumors and no circularity blood follow. Detection rate of internal blood flow was 20.83%. By using the high frequency-probe in 21 tumors, spot blood was detected in 1 tumor, half-circularity blood follow in 14 tumors, circularity blood follow in 6 tumors. Detection rate of internal blood flow was 90.48%. It was not satisfied for high frequency-probe in 3 patients because of obesity. Accordance of the diagnosis by high frequency-probe ultrasound was 90.48% and 91.67% by CT (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Detection of renal carcinoma is sensitive by ultrasound. The high frequency-probe is significant sensitive to detect blood follow in renal carcinoma and is helpful to correct diagnosis of renal carcinoma. (authors)

Simulation of Second Harmonic Ultrasound Fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Du, Yigang; Jensen, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2010-01-01

A non-linear ultrasound imaging simulation software should be capable of simulating the non-linear fields for any kind of transducer, focusing, apodization, and attenuation. At present, a major issue is the overlong simulation time of the non-linear software. An Angular Spectrum Approach (ASA......) using a quasi-linear approximation for solving the Westervelt equation can simulate the second harmonic pressure at any distance. Therefore, it shortens the execution time compared with the operator splitting method. The purpose of this paper is to implement the monochromatic solution for the second...... harmonic component based on ASA and Field II, and to compare with results from the simulation program Abersim. A linear array transducer with a center frequency of 4 MHz and 64 active elements is used as the transmitting source. The initial plane is 5 mm away from the transducer surface...

Annular phased array transducer for preclinical testing of anti-cancer drug efficacy on small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kujawska, Tamara; Secomski, Wojciech; Byra, Michał; Postema, Michiel; Nowicki, Andrzej

2017-04-01

A technique using pulsed High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to destroy deep-seated solid tumors is a promising noninvasive therapeutic approach. A main purpose of this study was to design and test a HIFU transducer suitable for preclinical studies of efficacy of tested, anti-cancer drugs, activated by HIFU beams, in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors implanted to various organs of small animals at the depth of the order of 1-2cm under the skin. To allow focusing of the beam, generated by such transducer, within treated tissue at different depths, a spherical, 2-MHz, 29-mm diameter annular phased array transducer was designed and built. To prove its potential for preclinical studies on small animals, multiple thermal lesions were induced in a pork loin ex vivo by heating beams of the same: 6W, or 12W, or 18W acoustic power and 25mm, 30mm, and 35mm focal lengths. Time delay for each annulus was controlled electronically to provide beam focusing within tissue at the depths of 10mm, 15mm, and 20mm. The exposure time required to induce local necrosis was determined at different depths using thermocouples. Location and extent of thermal lesions determined from numerical simulations were compared with those measured using ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging techniques and verified by a digital caliper after cutting the tested tissue samples. Quantitative analysis of the results showed that the location and extent of necrotic lesions on the magnetic resonance images are consistent with those predicted numerically and measured by caliper. The edges of lesions were clearly outlined although on ultrasound images they were fuzzy. This allows to conclude that the use of the transducer designed offers an effective noninvasive tool not only to induce local necrotic lesions within treated tissue without damaging the surrounding tissue structures but also to test various chemotherapeutics activated by the HIFU beams in preclinical studies on small animals

Convexity of the effective potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haymaker, R.W.; Perez-Mercader, J.

1978-01-01

The effective potential V(phi) in field theories is a convex function of phi. V(lambda phi 1 + (1 - lambda)phi 2 ) less than or equal to lambdaV(phi 1 ) + (1 - lambda)V(phi 2 ), 0 less than or equal to lambda less than or equal to 1, all phi 1 , phi 2 . A linear interpolation of V(phi) is always larger than or equal to V(phi). There are numerous examples in the tree approximation and in perturbation theory for which this is not the case, the most notorious example being the double dip potential. More complete solutions may or may not show this property automatically. However, a non-convex V(phi) simply indicates that an unstable vacuum state was used in implementing the definition of V(phi). A strict definition will instruct one to replace V(phi) with its linear interpolation in such a way as to make it convex. (Alternatively one can just as well take the view that V(phi) is undefined in these domains.) In this note, attention is called to a very simple argument for convexity based on a construction described by H. Callen in his classic book Thermodynamics

Laser generated ultrasound sources using polymer nanocomposites for high frequency metrology

KAUST Repository

Rajagopal, Srinath; Sainsbury, Toby; Treeby, Bradley; Cox, Ben

2017-01-01

Accurate characterisation of ultrasound fields generated by diagnostic and therapeutic transducers is critical for patient safety. This requires hydrophones calibrated to a traceable standard. The existing implementation of the primary standard

Characterization of Breast Masses Using a New Method of Ultrasound Contrast Agent Imaging in 3D Mapping of Vascular Anomalies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

LeCarpentier, Gerald

2002-01-01

.... The purpose of this work is to develop an innovative dual-transducer method to control the destruction and imaging of ultrasound contrast during 3D ultrasound scanning of suspicious breast masses...

Convex Banding of the Covariance Matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Bien, Jacob; Bunea, Florentina; Xiao, Luo

2016-01-01

We introduce a new sparse estimator of the covariance matrix for high-dimensional models in which the variables have a known ordering. Our estimator, which is the solution to a convex optimization problem, is equivalently expressed as an estimator which tapers the sample covariance matrix by a Toeplitz, sparsely-banded, data-adaptive matrix. As a result of this adaptivity, the convex banding estimator enjoys theoretical optimality properties not attained by previous banding or tapered estimators. In particular, our convex banding estimator is minimax rate adaptive in Frobenius and operator norms, up to log factors, over commonly-studied classes of covariance matrices, and over more general classes. Furthermore, it correctly recovers the bandwidth when the true covariance is exactly banded. Our convex formulation admits a simple and efficient algorithm. Empirical studies demonstrate its practical effectiveness and illustrate that our exactly-banded estimator works well even when the true covariance matrix is only close to a banded matrix, confirming our theoretical results. Our method compares favorably with all existing methods, in terms of accuracy and speed. We illustrate the practical merits of the convex banding estimator by showing that it can be used to improve the performance of discriminant analysis for classifying sound recordings.

Ultrasound Imaging Techniques for Spatiotemporal Characterization of Composition, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties in Tissue Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Cheri X; Hong, Xiaowei; Stegemann, Jan P

2016-08-01

Ultrasound techniques are increasingly being used to quantitatively characterize both native and engineered tissues. This review provides an overview and selected examples of the main techniques used in these applications. Grayscale imaging has been used to characterize extracellular matrix deposition, and quantitative ultrasound imaging based on the integrated backscatter coefficient has been applied to estimating cell concentrations and matrix morphology in tissue engineering. Spectral analysis has been employed to characterize the concentration and spatial distribution of mineral particles in a construct, as well as to monitor mineral deposition by cells over time. Ultrasound techniques have also been used to measure the mechanical properties of native and engineered tissues. Conventional ultrasound elasticity imaging and acoustic radiation force imaging have been applied to detect regions of altered stiffness within tissues. Sonorheometry and monitoring of steady-state excitation and recovery have been used to characterize viscoelastic properties of tissue using a single transducer to both deform and image the sample. Dual-mode ultrasound elastography uses separate ultrasound transducers to produce a more potent deformation force to microscale characterization of viscoelasticity of hydrogel constructs. These ultrasound-based techniques have high potential to impact the field of tissue engineering as they are further developed and their range of applications expands.

SU-G-JeP3-03: Effect of Robot Pose On Beam Blocking for Ultrasound Guided SBRT of the Prostate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerlach, S; Schlaefer, A [Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg (Germany); Kuhlemann, I; Ernst, F [Universitaet zu Luebeck, Luebeck (Germany); Fuerweger, C [European Cyberknife Center Munich, Munich (Germany)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Ultrasound presents a fast, volumetric image modality for real-time tracking of abdominal organ motion. How-ever, ultrasound transducer placement during radiation therapy is challenging. Recently, approaches using robotic arms for intra-treatment ultrasound imaging have been proposed. Good and reliable imaging requires placing the transducer close to the PTV. We studied the effect of a seven degrees of freedom robot on the fea-sible beam directions. Methods: For five CyberKnife prostate treatment plans we established viewports for the transducer, i.e., points on the patient surface with a soft tissue view towards the PTV. Choosing a feasible transducer pose and using the kinematic redundancy of the KUKA LBR iiwa robot, we considered three robot poses. Poses 1 to 3 had the elbow point anterior, superior, and inferior, respectively. For each pose and each beam starting point, the pro-jections of robot and PTV were computed. We added a 20 mm margin accounting for organ / beam motion. The number of nodes for which the PTV was partially of fully blocked were established. Moreover, the cumula-tive overlap for each of the poses and the minimum overlap over all poses were computed. Results: The fully and partially blocked nodes ranged from 12% to 20% and 13% to 27%, respectively. Typically, pose 3 caused the fewest blocked nodes. The cumulative overlap ranged from 19% to 29%. Taking the minimum overlap, i.e., considering moving the robot’s elbow while maintaining the transducer pose, the cumulative over-lap was reduced to 16% to 18% and was 3% to 6% lower than for the best individual pose. Conclusion: Our results indicate that it is possible to identify feasible ultrasound transducer poses and to use the kinematic redundancy of a 7 DOF robot to minimize the impact of the imaging subsystem on the feasible beam directions for ultrasound guided and motion compensated SBRT. Research partially funded by DFG grants ER 817/1-1 and SCHL 1844/3-1.

SU-G-JeP3-03: Effect of Robot Pose On Beam Blocking for Ultrasound Guided SBRT of the Prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerlach, S; Schlaefer, A; Kuhlemann, I; Ernst, F; Fuerweger, C

2016-01-01

Purpose: Ultrasound presents a fast, volumetric image modality for real-time tracking of abdominal organ motion. How-ever, ultrasound transducer placement during radiation therapy is challenging. Recently, approaches using robotic arms for intra-treatment ultrasound imaging have been proposed. Good and reliable imaging requires placing the transducer close to the PTV. We studied the effect of a seven degrees of freedom robot on the fea-sible beam directions. Methods: For five CyberKnife prostate treatment plans we established viewports for the transducer, i.e., points on the patient surface with a soft tissue view towards the PTV. Choosing a feasible transducer pose and using the kinematic redundancy of the KUKA LBR iiwa robot, we considered three robot poses. Poses 1 to 3 had the elbow point anterior, superior, and inferior, respectively. For each pose and each beam starting point, the pro-jections of robot and PTV were computed. We added a 20 mm margin accounting for organ / beam motion. The number of nodes for which the PTV was partially of fully blocked were established. Moreover, the cumula-tive overlap for each of the poses and the minimum overlap over all poses were computed. Results: The fully and partially blocked nodes ranged from 12% to 20% and 13% to 27%, respectively. Typically, pose 3 caused the fewest blocked nodes. The cumulative overlap ranged from 19% to 29%. Taking the minimum overlap, i.e., considering moving the robot’s elbow while maintaining the transducer pose, the cumulative over-lap was reduced to 16% to 18% and was 3% to 6% lower than for the best individual pose. Conclusion: Our results indicate that it is possible to identify feasible ultrasound transducer poses and to use the kinematic redundancy of a 7 DOF robot to minimize the impact of the imaging subsystem on the feasible beam directions for ultrasound guided and motion compensated SBRT. Research partially funded by DFG grants ER 817/1-1 and SCHL 1844/3-1.

Laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation in focused ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerold, Bjoern; Kotopoulis, Spiros; McDougall, Craig; McGloin, David; Postema, Michiel; Prentice, Paul

2011-04-01

Acoustic cavitation can occur in therapeutic applications of high-amplitude focused ultrasound. Studying acoustic cavitation has been challenging, because the onset of nucleation is unpredictable. We hypothesized that acoustic cavitation can be forced to occur at a specific location using a laser to nucleate a microcavity in a pre-established ultrasound field. In this paper we describe a scientific instrument that is dedicated to this outcome, combining a focused ultrasound transducer with a pulsed laser. We present high-speed photographic observations of laser-induced cavitation and laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation, at frame rates of 0.5×10(6) frames per second, from laser pulses of energy above and below the optical breakdown threshold, respectively. Acoustic recordings demonstrated inertial cavitation can be controllably introduced to the ultrasound focus. This technique will contribute to the understanding of cavitation evolution in focused ultrasound including for potential therapeutic applications. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Protozoa manipulation by ultrasound

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yancy Milena Porras Rodríguez

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Microorganism manipulation, considered as controlled motion and positioning, is one of the most important activities in microbiology and medicine. To achieve this goal there are some techniques such as those which and optical forces, among others. These techniques are usually sophisticated, and some of them can induce irreversible alterations on the microorganisms which prevents their use in another tests. Thus, there is justified the study of technological alternatives to manipulate microorganisms in an easy and cost-effective way. This work shows the interaction between protozoa and air microbubbles when they are under the influence of an ultrasonic field of 5.8 mW. At the microbubbles resonant frequencies, microorganisms were attracted toward the bubbles' frontier remaining there while the ultrasonic field was applied. Once the ultrasound disappears, protozoa recover their freedom of movement. The observed effects could be used as the actuation principle of devices capable to trap, hold and release microorganisms of high mobility without any apparent damage. Microbubbles are generated by electrolysis which take place on the surface of an electrode array, while the ultrasound is originated by means of a piezoelectric transducer. As microorganisms there were employed those present in stagnated water, and were observed through an stereomicroscope. Key words: manipulator; protozoa; ultrasonic; transducer; piezoelectric.

Convexity properties of Hamiltonian group actions

CERN Document Server

Guillemin, Victor

2005-01-01

This is a monograph on convexity properties of moment mappings in symplectic geometry. The fundamental result in this subject is the Kirwan convexity theorem, which describes the image of a moment map in terms of linear inequalities. This theorem bears a close relationship to perplexing old puzzles from linear algebra, such as the Horn problem on sums of Hermitian matrices, on which considerable progress has been made in recent years following a breakthrough by Klyachko. The book presents a simple local model for the moment polytope, valid in the "generic&rdquo case, and an elementary Morse-theoretic argument deriving the Klyachko inequalities and some of their generalizations. It reviews various infinite-dimensional manifestations of moment convexity, such as the Kostant type theorems for orbits of a loop group (due to Atiyah and Pressley) or a symplectomorphism group (due to Bloch, Flaschka and Ratiu). Finally, it gives an account of a new convexity theorem for moment map images of orbits of a Borel sub...

Approximate convex hull of affine iterated function system attractors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishkinis, Anton; Gentil, Christian; Lanquetin, Sandrine; Sokolov, Dmitry

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We present an iterative algorithm to approximate affine IFS attractor convex hull. ► Elimination of the interior points significantly reduces the complexity. ► To optimize calculations, we merge the convex hull images at each iteration. ► Approximation by ellipses increases speed of convergence to the exact convex hull. ► We present a method of the output convex hull simplification. - Abstract: In this paper, we present an algorithm to construct an approximate convex hull of the attractors of an affine iterated function system (IFS). We construct a sequence of convex hull approximations for any required precision using the self-similarity property of the attractor in order to optimize calculations. Due to the affine properties of IFS transformations, the number of points considered in the construction is reduced. The time complexity of our algorithm is a linear function of the number of iterations and the number of points in the output approximate convex hull. The number of iterations and the execution time increases logarithmically with increasing accuracy. In addition, we introduce a method to simplify the approximate convex hull without loss of accuracy.

ultrasound reflecting the morphological properties in soft tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorentzen, Torben; Larsen, Torben; Court-Payen, Michel

2014-01-01

Ultrasound (US) is an image modality providing the examiner with real-time images which reflect the morphological properties in soft tissue. Different types of transducers are used for different kind of exams. US is cheap, fast, and safe. US is widely used in abdominal imaging including obstetrics...

Introduction to Convex and Quasiconvex Analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.B.G. Frenk (Hans); G. Kassay

2004-01-01

textabstractIn the first chapter of this book the basic results within convex and quasiconvex analysis are presented. In Section 2 we consider in detail the algebraic and topological properties of convex sets within Rn together with their primal and dual representations. In Section 3 we apply the

Acoustic bubble sorting for ultrasound contrast agent enrichment.

Science.gov (United States)

Segers, Tim; Versluis, Michel

2014-05-21

An ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) suspension contains encapsulated microbubbles with a wide size distribution, with radii ranging from 1 to 10 μm. Medical transducers typically operate at a single frequency, therefore only a small selection of bubbles will resonate to the driving ultrasound pulse. Thus, the sensitivity can be improved by narrowing down the size distribution. Here, we present a simple lab-on-a-chip method to sort the population of microbubbles on-chip using a traveling ultrasound wave. First, we explore the physical parameter space of acoustic bubble sorting using well-defined bubble sizes formed in a flow-focusing device, then we demonstrate successful acoustic sorting of a commercial UCA. This novel sorting strategy may lead to an overall improvement of the sensitivity of contrast ultrasound by more than 10 dB.

Real-time ultrasound-guided spinal anaesthesia: a prospective observational study of a new approach.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Conroy, P H

2013-01-01

Identification of the subarachnoid space has traditionally been achieved by either a blind landmark-guided approach or using prepuncture ultrasound assistance. To assess the feasibility of performing spinal anaesthesia under real-time ultrasound guidance in routine clinical practice we conducted a single center prospective observational study among patients undergoing lower limb orthopaedic surgery. A spinal needle was inserted unassisted within the ultrasound transducer imaging plane using a paramedian approach (i.e., the operator held the transducer in one hand and the spinal needle in the other). The primary outcome measure was the success rate of CSF acquisition under real-time ultrasound guidance with CSF being located in 97 out of 100 consecutive patients within median three needle passes (IQR 1-6). CSF was not acquired in three patients. Subsequent attempts combining landmark palpation and pre-puncture ultrasound scanning resulted in successful spinal anaesthesia in two of these patients with the third patient requiring general anaesthesia. Median time from spinal needle insertion until intrathecal injection completion was 1.2 minutes (IQR 0.83-4.1) demonstrating the feasibility of this technique in routine clinical practice.

Decompositions, partitions, and coverings with convex polygons and pseudo-triangles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aichholzer, O.; Huemer, C.; Kappes, S.; Speckmann, B.; Tóth, Cs.D.

2007-01-01

We propose a novel subdivision of the plane that consists of both convex polygons and pseudo-triangles. This pseudo-convex decomposition is significantly sparser than either convex decompositions or pseudo-triangulations for planar point sets and simple polygons. We also introduce pseudo-convex

Modeling piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers for physiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iglesias, E.; Frutos, J. de; Montero de Espinosa, F.

2015-01-01

Applications of ultrasound are well known in medical and aesthetic skin and subcutaneous fatty tissue mobilization treatments. The basic transducer used consists of a piezoelectric disk adhered to a metal delay line in capsule shape. The capsule design is critical since the two bonded elements have vibration modes which can cause very inefficient designs and vibration distributions very irregular if they are not properly studied and utilized. This must be known to avoid distributions of heat and sound pressure that could be ineffective or harmful. In this paper, using Finite Element Method and laser interferometric vibrational analysis, it has reached a piston-type solution that allows properly implement sound pressure vibration dose. (Author)

Non-convex multi-objective optimization

CERN Document Server

Pardalos, Panos M; Žilinskas, Julius

2017-01-01

Recent results on non-convex multi-objective optimization problems and methods are presented in this book, with particular attention to expensive black-box objective functions. Multi-objective optimization methods facilitate designers, engineers, and researchers to make decisions on appropriate trade-offs between various conflicting goals. A variety of deterministic and stochastic multi-objective optimization methods are developed in this book. Beginning with basic concepts and a review of non-convex single-objective optimization problems; this book moves on to cover multi-objective branch and bound algorithms, worst-case optimal algorithms (for Lipschitz functions and bi-objective problems), statistical models based algorithms, and probabilistic branch and bound approach. Detailed descriptions of new algorithms for non-convex multi-objective optimization, their theoretical substantiation, and examples for practical applications to the cell formation problem in manufacturing engineering, the process design in...

Imaging of implant needles for real-time HDR-brachytherapy prostate treatment using biplane ultrasound transducers.

Science.gov (United States)

Siebert, Frank-André; Hirt, Markus; Niehoff, Peter; Kovács, György

2009-08-01

Ultrasound imaging is becoming increasingly important in prostate brachytherapy. In high-dose-rate (HDR) real-time planning procedures the definition of the implant needles is often performed by transrectal ultrasound. This article describes absolute measurements of the visibility and accuracy of manual detection of implant needle tips and compares measurement results of different biplane ultrasound systems in transversal and longitudinal (i.e., sagittal) ultrasound modes. To obtain a fixed coordinate system and stable conditions the measurements were carried out in a water tank using a dedicated marker system. Needles were manually placed in the phantom until the observer decided by the real-time ultrasound image that the zero position was reached. A comparison of three different ultrasound systems yielded an offset between 0.8 and 3.1 mm for manual detection of the needle tip in ultrasound images by one observer. The direction of the offset was discovered to be in the proximal direction, i.e., the actual needle position was located more distally compared to the ultrasound-based definition. In the second part of the study, the ultrasound anisotropy of trocar implant needles is reported. It was shown that the integrated optical density in a region of interest around the needle tip changes with needle rotation. Three peaks were observed with a phase angle of 120 degrees. Peaks appear not only in transversal but also in longitudinal ultrasound images, with a phase shift of 60 degrees. The third section of this study shows results of observer dependent influences on needle tip detection in sagittal ultrasound images considering needle rotation. These experiments were carried out using the marker system in a water tank. The needle tip was placed exactly at the position z=0 mm. It was found that different users tend to differently interpret the same ultrasound images. The needle tip was manually detected five times in the ultrasound images by three experienced observers

Convex bodies with many elliptic sections

OpenAIRE

Arelio, Isaac; Montejano, Luis

2014-01-01

{We show in this paper that two normal elliptic sections through every point of the boundary of a smooth convex body essentially characterize an ellipsoid and furthermore, that four different pairwise non-tangent elliptic sections through every point of the $C^2$-differentiable boundary of a convex body also essentially characterize an ellipsoid.

Assessment of pelvic floor by three-dimensional-ultrasound in primiparous women according to delivery mode: initial experience from a single reference service in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Araujo Júnior, Edward; de Freitas, Rogério Caixeta Moraes; Di Bella, Zsuzsanna Ilona Katalin de Jármy; Alexandre, Sandra Maria; Nakamura, Mary Uchiyama; Nardozza, Luciano Marcondes Machado; Moron, Antonio Fernandes

2013-03-01

To evaluate changes to the pelvic floor of primiparous women with different delivery modes, using three-dimensional ultrasound. A prospective cross-sectional study on 35 primiparae divided into groups according to the delivery mode: elective cesarean delivery (n=10), vaginal delivery (n=16), and forceps delivery (n=9). Three-dimensional ultrasound on the pelvic floor was performed on the second postpartum day with the patient in a resting position. A convex volumetric transducer (RAB4-8L) was used, in contact with the large labia, with the patient in the gynecological position. Biometric measurements of the urogenital hiatus were taken in the axial plane on images in the rendering mode, in order to assess the area, anteroposterior and transverse diameters, average thickness, and avulsion of the levator ani muscle. Differences between groups were evaluated by determining the mean differences and their respective 95% confidence intervals. The proportions of levator ani muscle avulsion were compared between elective cesarean section and vaginal birth using Fisher's exact test. The mean areas of the urogenital hiatus in the cases of vaginal and forceps deliveries were 17.0 and 20.1 cm(2), respectively, versus 12.4 cm(2) in the Control Group (elective cesarean). Avulsion of the levator ani muscle was observed in women who underwent vaginal delivery (3/25), however there was no statistically significant difference between cesarean section and vaginal delivery groups (p=0.5). Transperineal three-dimensional ultrasound was useful for assessing the pelvic floor of primiparous women, by allowing pelvic morphological changes to be differentiated according to the delivery mode.

Studies of nonlinear ultrasound propagation: safety considerations in the use of ultrasound for medical diagnosis - nonlinear propagation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egerton, B.; Barnett, S.; Vella, G.

1994-01-01

Diagnostic ultrasound is an established imaging modality without any documented harmful effects. New developments such as pulsed Doppler and intracavity investigations may result in increases in ultrasound exposures which could cause harm. Thermal mechanisms and cavitation may become relevant sources of bioeffects. The preliminary study described here investigates the distribution and amplitude of harmonics generated through nonlinear propagation of ultrasound in water. Knowledge of harmonic attenuation will help predict sites of enhanced heating and enable accurate modelling of clinical situations. This presentation is concerned with thermal safety guidelines, their relationship to a typical ultrasound beam profile for a single, medium focussed, transducer operating in water and possible sites of enhanced heating due to nonlinear propagation effects. Measurements were made of the amplitudes of the harmonics generated by the nonlinear propagation of ultrasound in water. The amplitudes of the harmonics were detected up to frequencies of 35 MHz and displayed using Fast Fourier Transform facilities within the oscilloscope. The nonlinearity parameter of the ultrasonic waveforms has been identified as an important factor in thermal effects of ultrasound interactions. The appearance of nonlinear distortion is shown to be dependant on the peak compressional pressure and distance from the ultrasound source. 20 refs., 2 figs

Realistic deformable 3D numeric phantom for transcutaneous ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cardoso, Fernando Mitsuyama; Moraes, Matheus Cardoso; Furuie, Sergio Shiguemi, E-mail: fernando.okara@gmail.com [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Escola de Engenharia

2017-01-15

Introduction: Numerical phantoms are important tools to design, calibrate and evaluate several methods in various image-processing applications, such as echocardiography and mammography. We present a framework for creating ultrasound numerical deformable phantoms based on Finite Element Method (FEM), Linear Isomorphism and Field II. The proposed method considers that the scatterers map is a property of the tissue; therefore, the scatterers should move according to the tissue strain. Methods: First, a volume representing the target tissue is loaded. Second, parameter values, such as Young's Modulus, scatterers density, attenuation and scattering amplitudes are inserted for each different regions of the phantom. Then, other parameters related to the ultrasound equipment, such as ultrasound frequency and number of transducer elements, are also defined in order to perform the ultrasound acquisition using Field II. Third, the size and position of the transducer and the pressures that are applied against the tissue are defined. Subsequently, FEM is executed and deformation is computed. Next, 3D linear isomorphism is performed to displace the scatterers according to the deformation. Finally, Field II is carried out to generate the non-deformed and deformed ultrasound data. Results: The framework is evaluated by comparing strain values obtained the numerical simulation and from the physical phantom from CIRS. The mean difference between both phantoms is lesser than 10%. Conclusion: The acoustic and deformation outcomes are similar to those obtained using a physical phantom. This framework led to a tool, which is available online and free of charges for educational and research purposes. (author)

Silicon photonic micro-ring resonators to sense strain and ultrasound

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerveld, W.J.

2014-01-01

We demonstrated that photonic micro-ring resonators can be used in micro-machined ultrasound microphones. This might cause a breakthrough in array transducers for ultrasonography; first because optical multiplexing allows array interrogation via one optical fiber and second because the

Simulation of non-linear ultrasound fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Fox, Paul D.; Wilhjelm, Jens E.

2002-01-01

-linear propagation. The speed of sound is calculated from the instantaneous pressure of the pulse and the nonlinearity B/A parameter of the medium. The harmonic field is found by introducing a number of virtual planes in front of the aperture and then propagating the pulse using Burgers' solution between the planes....... Simulations on the acoustical axis of an array transducer were performed and compared to measurements made in a water tank. A 3 MHz convex array transducer with a pitch of 0.53 mm and a height of 13 mm was used. The electronic focus was at 45 mm and 16 elements were used for emission. The emitted pressure...... was 1.4 MPa measured 6 mm from the aperture by a Force Institute MH25-5 needle hydrophone in a water bath. The build-up of higher harmonics can here be predicted accurately up to the 5th harmonic. The second harmonic is simulated with an accuracy of ±2.6 dB and the third harmonic with ±2 dB compared...

INdAM Workshop on Analytic Aspects of Convexity

CERN Document Server

Colesanti, Andrea; Gronchi, Paolo

2018-01-01

This book presents the proceedings of the international conference Analytic Aspects in Convexity, which was held in Rome in October 2016. It offers a collection of selected articles, written by some of the world’s leading experts in the field of Convex Geometry, on recent developments in this area: theory of valuations; geometric inequalities; affine geometry; and curvature measures. The book will be of interest to a broad readership, from those involved in Convex Geometry, to those focusing on Functional Analysis, Harmonic Analysis, Differential Geometry, or PDEs. The book is a addressed to PhD students and researchers, interested in Convex Geometry and its links to analysis.

User-friendly freehand ultrasound calibration using Lego bricks and automatic registration.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yiming; Yan, Charles Xiao Bo; Drouin, Simon; De Nigris, Dante; Kochanowska, Anna; Collins, D Louis

2016-09-01

As an inexpensive, noninvasive, and portable clinical imaging modality, ultrasound (US) has been widely employed in many interventional procedures for monitoring potential tissue deformation, surgical tool placement, and locating surgical targets. The application requires the spatial mapping between 2D US images and 3D coordinates of the patient. Although positions of the devices (i.e., ultrasound transducer) and the patient can be easily recorded by a motion tracking system, the spatial relationship between the US image and the tracker attached to the US transducer needs to be estimated through an US calibration procedure. Previously, various calibration techniques have been proposed, where a spatial transformation is computed to match the coordinates of corresponding features in a physical phantom and those seen in the US scans. However, most of these methods are difficult to use for novel users. We proposed an ultrasound calibration method by constructing a phantom from simple Lego bricks and applying an automated multi-slice 2D-3D registration scheme without volumetric reconstruction. The method was validated for its calibration accuracy and reproducibility. Our method yields a calibration accuracy of [Formula: see text] mm and a calibration reproducibility of 1.29 mm. We have proposed a robust, inexpensive, and easy-to-use ultrasound calibration method.

Perineal Ultrasound Findings of Stress Urinary Incontinence : Differentiation from Normal Findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baek, Seung Yon; Chung, Eun Chul; Rhee, Chung Sik; Suh, Jeong Soo

1995-01-01

Perineal ultrasonography is a noninvasive method that is easier than chain cystoure-thrography in the diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence(SUI). We report the findings of stress urinary incontinence at peritoneal ultrasound and its differential points form normal control. Twenty-two patients with SUI and l6 normal controls were included in our study. Aloka SSD 650 with 3.5MHz convex transducer was used, and sagittal image through the bladder, bladder base, urethrovesical junction and pubis was obtained from the vulva area, We measured thepdsterior urethrovesical angle(PUVA) at rest and stress, and calculated the difference between the two angles. We also measured the distance of bladder neck descent during stress and the diameter of proximal urethra at rest. The data were analyzed with student t-test. At rest, PUVA was 135.3 .deg. in patients with SUI group and 134.5 .deg. in normal control group(P=0.8376). During streets, PUVA was 149.5 .deg. in SUI group and 142.1 .deg. in normal group(P=0.0135). The difference PUVAs at rest and during stress was 14.2 .deg. in SUI group and 7.6 .deg. in normal group(P=0.0173). The distance of bladder neck descent during stress was 14.5mm in SUI group and 9.8mm in normal group(P=0.0029). The diameter of proxiaml urethra at rest was 4.4mm in SUI group and 3.6mm in normal group(P=0.0385). In conclusion, ultrasound parameters that include the PUVA during stress, the difference between PUVAs at rest and during stress, the distance of bladder neck descent during stress and the diameter of proximal ureyhra at rest are useful in diagnosis of the stress urinary incontinence

Perineal Ultrasound Findings of Stress Urinary Incontinence : Differentiation from Normal Findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baek, Seung Yon; Chung, Eun Chul; Rhee, Chung Sik; Suh, Jeong Soo [Ewha Womans University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1995-06-15

Perineal ultrasonography is a noninvasive method that is easier than chain cystoure-thrography in the diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence(SUI). We report the findings of stress urinary incontinence at peritoneal ultrasound and its differential points form normal control. Twenty-two patients with SUI and l6 normal controls were included in our study. Aloka SSD 650 with 3.5MHz convex transducer was used, and sagittal image through the bladder, bladder base, urethrovesical junction and pubis was obtained from the vulva area, We measured thepdsterior urethrovesical angle(PUVA) at rest and stress, and calculated the difference between the two angles. We also measured the distance of bladder neck descent during stress and the diameter of proximal urethra at rest. The data were analyzed with student t-test. At rest, PUVA was 135.3 .deg. in patients with SUI group and 134.5 .deg. in normal control group(P=0.8376). During streets, PUVA was 149.5 .deg. in SUI group and 142.1 .deg. in normal group(P=0.0135). The difference PUVAs at rest and during stress was 14.2 .deg. in SUI group and 7.6 .deg. in normal group(P=0.0173). The distance of bladder neck descent during stress was 14.5mm in SUI group and 9.8mm in normal group(P=0.0029). The diameter of proxiaml urethra at rest was 4.4mm in SUI group and 3.6mm in normal group(P=0.0385). In conclusion, ultrasound parameters that include the PUVA during stress, the difference between PUVAs at rest and during stress, the distance of bladder neck descent during stress and the diameter of proximal ureyhra at rest are useful in diagnosis of the stress urinary incontinence

Convex polytopes

CERN Document Server

Klee, Victor; Ziegler, Günter

2003-01-01

"The appearance of Grünbaum's book Convex Polytopes in 1967 was a moment of grace to geometers and combinatorialists. The special spirit of the book is very much alive even in those chapters where the book's immense influence made them quickly obsolete. Some other chapters promise beautiful unexplored land for future research. The appearance of the new edition is going to be another moment of grace. Kaibel, Klee and Ziegler were able to update the convex polytope saga in a clear, accurate, lively, and inspired way." (Gil Kalai, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) "The original book of Grünbaum has provided the central reference for work in this active area of mathematics for the past 35 years...I first consulted this book as a graduate student in 1967; yet, even today, I am surprised again and again by what I find there. It is an amazingly complete reference for work on this subject up to that time and continues to be a major influence on research to this day." (Louis J. Billera, Cornell University) "The or...

Gray scale and Doppler ultrasound in placenta accreta: Optimization of ultrasound signs

OpenAIRE

Mohamed Shawky; Essam AbouBieh; Alaa Masood

2016-01-01

Aim of work: To optimize ultrasound and Doppler signs in placenta accreta, and to clarify sensitivity and specificity. Patients & methods: This study included 50 pregnant women. The examinations were done in private center from January 2013 to November 2013. Patients have anterior low lying placenta or anterior placenta previa with history of previous CS. US was done using curvilinear or endovaginal transducer at frequency 3–5 MHz and 3–9 MHz. Results: This study included 50 pregnants w...

[Dome-shaped macula: appearance on ultrasound and optical coherence tomography].

Science.gov (United States)

Chéour, M; Ben Aleya, N; Brour, J; Falfoul, Y; Agrebi, S; Skhiri, M; Kraïem, A

2013-10-01

The purpose of our work is to demonstrate the role of optical coherence tomography and ocular ultrasound in the diagnosis of the dome-shaped macula in high myopia. We report the case of a patient with high myopia who presented with a decrease in visual acuity and metamorphopsia in the left eye. She underwent visual acuity measurement, biomicroscopic examination and measurement of axial length. B-mode ultrasound and optical coherence tomography showed a projection of the macula in the convexity of the myopic staphyloma confirming the diagnosis of dome-shaped macula. Dome-shaped macula is a recently discovered entity, which may be responsible for a decrease in visual acuity in patients with high myopic posterior staphyloma. Ultrasound and optical coherence tomography are very helpful in making the diagnosis. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

SU-G-JeP1-07: Development of a Programmable Motion Testbed for the Validation of Ultrasound Tracking Algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepard, A; Matrosic, C; Zagzebski, J; Bednarz, B [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an advanced testbed that combines a 3D motion stage and ultrasound phantom to optimize and validate 2D and 3D tracking algorithms for real-time motion management during radiation therapy. Methods: A Siemens S2000 Ultrasound scanner utilizing a 9L4 transducer was coupled with the Washington University 4D Phantom to simulate patient motion. The transducer was securely fastened to the 3D stage and positioned to image three cylinders of varying contrast in a Gammex 404GS LE phantom. The transducer was placed within a water bath above the phantom in order to maintain sufficient coupling for the entire range of simulated motion. A programmed motion sequence was used to move the transducer during image acquisition and a cine video was acquired for one minute to allow for long sequence tracking. Images were analyzed using a normalized cross-correlation block matching tracking algorithm and compared to the known motion of the transducer relative to the phantom. Results: The setup produced stable ultrasound motion traces consistent with those programmed into the 3D motion stage. The acquired ultrasound images showed minimal artifacts and an image quality that was more than suitable for tracking algorithm verification. Comparisons of a block matching tracking algorithm with the known motion trace for the three features resulted in an average tracking error of 0.59 mm. Conclusion: The high accuracy and programmability of the 4D phantom allows for the acquisition of ultrasound motion sequences that are highly customizable; allowing for focused analysis of some common pitfalls of tracking algorithms such as partial feature occlusion or feature disappearance, among others. The design can easily be modified to adapt to any probe such that the process can be extended to 3D acquisition. Further development of an anatomy specific phantom better resembling true anatomical landmarks could lead to an even more robust validation. This work is partially funded by NIH

SU-G-JeP1-07: Development of a Programmable Motion Testbed for the Validation of Ultrasound Tracking Algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shepard, A; Matrosic, C; Zagzebski, J; Bednarz, B

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop an advanced testbed that combines a 3D motion stage and ultrasound phantom to optimize and validate 2D and 3D tracking algorithms for real-time motion management during radiation therapy. Methods: A Siemens S2000 Ultrasound scanner utilizing a 9L4 transducer was coupled with the Washington University 4D Phantom to simulate patient motion. The transducer was securely fastened to the 3D stage and positioned to image three cylinders of varying contrast in a Gammex 404GS LE phantom. The transducer was placed within a water bath above the phantom in order to maintain sufficient coupling for the entire range of simulated motion. A programmed motion sequence was used to move the transducer during image acquisition and a cine video was acquired for one minute to allow for long sequence tracking. Images were analyzed using a normalized cross-correlation block matching tracking algorithm and compared to the known motion of the transducer relative to the phantom. Results: The setup produced stable ultrasound motion traces consistent with those programmed into the 3D motion stage. The acquired ultrasound images showed minimal artifacts and an image quality that was more than suitable for tracking algorithm verification. Comparisons of a block matching tracking algorithm with the known motion trace for the three features resulted in an average tracking error of 0.59 mm. Conclusion: The high accuracy and programmability of the 4D phantom allows for the acquisition of ultrasound motion sequences that are highly customizable; allowing for focused analysis of some common pitfalls of tracking algorithms such as partial feature occlusion or feature disappearance, among others. The design can easily be modified to adapt to any probe such that the process can be extended to 3D acquisition. Further development of an anatomy specific phantom better resembling true anatomical landmarks could lead to an even more robust validation. This work is partially funded by NIH

Noncontact ultrasound imaging applied to cortical bone phantoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulman, J B; Ganezer, K S; Halcrow, P W; Neeson, Ian

2012-06-01

The purpose of this paper was to take the first steps toward applying noncontact ultrasound (NCU) to the tasks of monitoring osteoporosis and quantitative ultrasound imaging (QUS) of cortical bone. The authors also focused on the advantages of NCU, such as its lack of reliance on a technologist to apply transducers and a layer of acoustical coupling gel, the ability of the transducers to operate autonomously as specified by preprogrammed software, and the likely reduction in statistical and systematic errors associated with the variability in the pressure applied by the clinician to the transmitting transducer that NCU might provide. The authors also undertook this study in order to find additional applications of NCU beyond its past limited usage in assessing the severity of third degree burns. A noncontact ultrasound imaging system using a pair of specially designed broadband, 1.5 MHz noncontact piezoelectric transducers and cortical bone phantoms, were used to determine bone mineral density (BMD), speed of sound (SOS), integrated response (IR), and ultrasonic transmittance. Air gaps of greater than 3 cm, two transmission and two reflection paths, and a digital signal processor were also used in the collection of data from phantoms of nominal mass densities that varied from 1.17 to 2.25 g/cm(3) and in bone mineral density from 0 to 1.7 g/cm(3). Good correlations between known BMD and measured SOS, IR, and transmittance were obtained for all 17 phantoms, and methods for quantifying and minimizing sources of systematic errors were outlined. The BMD of the phantom sets extended through most of the in vivo range found in cortical bone. A total of 16-20 repeated measurements of the SOS, thickness, and IR for the phantom set that were conducted over a period of several months showed a small variation in the range of measurements of ±1%-2%. These NCU data were shown to be in agreement with similar results using contact ultrasound to be within 1%-2%. Transmittance

Convex trace functions of several variables

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Frank

2002-01-01

We prove that the function (x1,...,xk)¿Tr(f(x1,...,xk)), defined on k-tuples of symmetric matrices of order (n1,...,nk) in the domain of f, is convex for any convex function f of k variables. The matrix f(x1,...,xk) is defined by the functional calculus for functions of several variables, and it ...

Trans-Stent B-Mode Ultrasound and Passive Cavitation Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Haworth, Kevin J; Raymond, Jason L; Radhakrishnan, Kirthi; Moody, Melanie R; Huang, Shao-Ling; Peng, Tao; Shekhar, Himanshu; Klegerman, Melvin E; Kim, Hyunggun; McPherson, David D; Holland, Christy K

2016-02-01

Angioplasty and stenting of a stenosed artery enable acute restoration of blood flow. However, restenosis or a lack of re-endothelization can subsequently occur depending on the stent type. Cavitation-mediated drug delivery is a potential therapy for these conditions, but requires that particular types of cavitation be induced by ultrasound insonation. Because of the heterogeneity of tissue and stochastic nature of cavitation, feedback mechanisms are needed to determine whether the sustained bubble activity is induced. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of passive cavitation imaging through a metal stent in a flow phantom and an animal model. In this study, an endovascular stent was deployed in a flow phantom and in porcine femoral arteries. Fluorophore-labeled echogenic liposomes, a theragnostic ultrasound contrast agent, were injected proximal to the stent. Cavitation images were obtained by passively recording and beamforming the acoustic emissions from echogenic liposomes insonified with a low-frequency (500 kHz) transducer. In vitro experiments revealed that the signal-to-noise ratio for detecting stable cavitation activity through the stent was greater than 8 dB. The stent did not significantly reduce the signal-to-noise ratio. Trans-stent cavitation activity was also detected in vivo via passive cavitation imaging when echogenic liposomes were insonified by the 500-kHz transducer. When stable cavitation was detected, delivery of the fluorophore into the arterial wall was observed. Increased echogenicity within the stent was also observed when echogenic liposomes were administered. Thus, both B-mode ultrasound imaging and cavitation imaging are feasible in the presence of an endovascular stent in vivo. Demonstration of this capability supports future studies to monitor restenosis with contrast-enhanced ultrasound and pursue image-guided ultrasound-mediated drug delivery to inhibit restenosis. Copyright © 2016 World Federation for

A 3D airborne ultrasound scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Capineri, L.; Masotti, L.; Rocchi, S.

1998-06-01

This work investigates the feasibility of an ultrasound scanner designed to reconstruct three-dimensional profiles of objects in air. There are many industrial applications in which it is important to obtain quickly and accurately the digital reconstruction of solid objects with contactless methods. The final aim of this project was the profile reconstruction of shoe lasts in order to eliminate the mechanical tracers from the reproduction process of shoe prototypes. The feasibility of an ultrasonic scanner was investigated in laboratory conditions on wooden test objects with axial symmetry. A bistatic system based on five airborne polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF) transducers was mechanically moved to emulate a cylindrical array transducer that can host objects of maximum width and height 20 cm and 40 cm respectively. The object reconstruction was based on a simplified version of the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT): the time of flight (TOF) of the first in time echo for each receiving transducer was taken into account, a coarse spatial sampling of the ultrasonic field reflected on the array transducer was delivered and the reconstruction algorithm was based on the ellipsoidal backprojection. Measurements on a wooden cone section provided submillimetre accuracy in a controlled environment.

Nonsmooth Mechanics and Convex Optimization

CERN Document Server

Kanno, Yoshihiro

2011-01-01

"This book concerns matter that is intrinsically difficult: convex optimization, complementarity and duality, nonsmooth analysis, linear and nonlinear programming, etc. The author has skillfully introduced these and many more concepts, and woven them into a seamless whole by retaining an easy and consistent style throughout. The book is not all theory: There are many real-life applications in structural engineering, cable networks, frictional contact problems, and plasticity! I recommend it to any reader who desires a modern, authoritative account of nonsmooth mechanics and convex optimiz

Transducer handbook user's directory of electrical transducers

CERN Document Server

Boyle, H B

2013-01-01

When selecting or using a particular type of transducer or sensor, there are a number of factors which must be considered. The question is not only for what kind of measurement, but under what physical conditions, constraints of accuracy, and to meet which service requirements, is a transducer needed? This handbook is designed to meet the selection needs of anyone specifying or using transducers with an electrical output. Each transducer is described in an easy-to-use tabular format, giving all of the necessary data including operating principles, applications, range limits, errors, over-range protection, supply voltage requirements, sensitivities, cross sensitivities, temperature ranges and sensitivities and signal conditioning needs. The author has added notes that reflect his broad practical experience. Added to this is an extensive worldwide suppliers directory.

Ultrasound pulse-echo measurements on rough surfaces with linear array transducers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sjøj, Sidsel M. N.; Blanco, Esther N.; Wilhjelm, Jens E.

2012-01-01

The echo from planar surfaces with rms roughness, Rq, in the range from 0-155 μm was measured with a clinical linear array transducer at different angles of incidence at 6 MHz and 12 MHz. The echo-pulse from the surfaces was isolated with an equal sized window and the power of the echo-pulse was ......The echo from planar surfaces with rms roughness, Rq, in the range from 0-155 μm was measured with a clinical linear array transducer at different angles of incidence at 6 MHz and 12 MHz. The echo-pulse from the surfaces was isolated with an equal sized window and the power of the echo......-pulse was calculated. The power of the echo from the smooth surface (Rq = 0) is highly angle-dependent due to a high degree of specular reflection. Within the angular range considered here, -10° to 10°, the variation spans a range of 18 dB at both 6 MHz and 12 MHz. When roughness increases, the angle......-dependence decreases, as the echo process gradually changes from pure reflection to being predominantly governed by backscattering. The power of the echoes from the two roughest surfaces (Rq = 115 μm and 155 μm) are largely independent of angle at both 6 MHz and 12 MHz with a variation of 2 dB in the angular range...

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of digestive tract lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil, S.; Martin, I.; Ballesteros, J. M.; Gomez, C.; Marco, S. F.; Fernandez, P.

1999-01-01

To present our experience in ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of lesions located in the digestive tract. We performed ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy in 14 patients (10 men and 4 women) ranging in age from 7 to 71 years (mean; 519 years). The lesions were located throughout the digestive tract, from the pyriform sinus to the sigmoid colon. The biopsy was carried out with a 5 MHz convex probe equipped with a device to direct the needle. An 18G automatic needle or a 20G Chiba needle was used to obtain specimens for histological study in every case, and additional samples were collected with a 22G needle for cytological examination in 13 of the patients. The ultrasound images corresponded to pseudokidney in 9 cases and extrinsic masses in 5. The diagnosis was obtained from the histological examination in every case (100%) and from cytology in 6 (44.4%), the latter results were less specific. The only complication corresponded to a case of bilioperitoneum. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy is a suitable technique for the histological diagnosis of those lesions of the digestive tract that are visible in ultrasound images, but that for some reason can not be examined by endoscopic biopsy. (Author) 20 refs

Convexity of oligopoly games without transferable technologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Driessen, Theo; Meinhardt, Holger I.

2005-01-01

We present sufficient conditions involving the inverse demand function and the cost functions to establish the convexity of oligopoly TU-games without transferable technologies. For convex TU-games it is well known that the core is relatively large and that it is generically nonempty. The former

Pressure transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, A.V.

1975-01-01

Strain gauges pressure transducers types are presented. Models, characteristics and calibration procedures were also analysed. Initially, a theoretical study was accomplished to evaluate metallic alloys behavior on sensing elements manufacturing, and diaphragm was used as deflecting elements. Electrical models for potenciometric transducers were proposed at the beginning and subsequently comproved according our experiments. Concerning bridge transducers, existing models confirmed the conditions of linearity and sensitivity related to the electrical signal. All the work done was of help on the calibration field and pressure measurements employing unbounded strain gauge pressure transducers

Effects of microstructure and water on the electrical potentials in bone induced by ultrasound irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsuneda, H.; Matsukawa, S.; Takayanagi, S.; Matsukawa, M., E-mail: mmatsuka@mail.doshisha.ac.jp [Wave Electronics Research Center, Laboratory of Ultrasonic Electronics, Doshisha University, 1-3, Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Mizuno, K. [Underwater Technology Collaborative Research Center, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505 (Japan); Yanagitani, T. [Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan)

2015-02-16

The healing mechanism of bone fractures by low intensity pulse ultrasound is yet to be fully understood. There have been many discussions regarding how the high frequency dynamic stress can stimulate numerous cell types through various pathways. As one possible initial process of this mechanism, we focus on the piezoelectricity of bone and demonstrate that bone can generate electrical potentials by ultrasound irradiation in the MHz range. We have fabricated ultrasonic bone transducers using bovine cortical bone as the piezoelectric device. The ultrasonically induced electrical potentials in the transducers change as a function of time during immersed ultrasonic pulse measurements and become stable when the bone is fully wet. In addition, the magnitude of the induced electrical potentials changes owing to the microstructure in the cortical bone. The potentials of transducers with haversian structure bone are higher than those of plexiform structure bone, which informs about the effects of bone microstructure on the piezoelectricity.

Efficacy of high frequency ultrasound in postoperative evaluation of carpal tunnel syndrome treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Kapuścińska

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS is the most common entrapment neuropathy and a frequent cause of sick leave because of work-related hand overload. The main treatment is operation. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the usefulness of high frequency ultrasound in the postoperative evaluation of CTS treatment efficacy. Material and methods: Sixty-two patients (50 women and 12 men aged 28–70, mean age 55.2 underwent surgical treatment of CTS. Ultrasound examinations of the wrist in all carpal tunnel sufferers were performed 3 months after the procedure with the use of a high frequency broadband linear array transducer (6–18 MHz, using 18 MHz band of MyLab 70/Esaote. On the basis of the collected data, the author has performed multiple analyses to confirm the usefulness of ultrasound imaging for postoperative evaluation of CTS treatment efficacy. Results: Among all 62 patients, 3 months after surgical median nerve decompression: in 40 patients, CTS symptoms subsided completely, and sonographic evaluation did not show median nerve entrapment signs; in 9 patients, CTS symptoms persisted or exacerbated, and ultrasound proved nerve compression revealing preserved flexor retinaculum fibers; in 13 patients, scar tissue symptoms occurred, and in 5 of them CTS did not subside completely (although ultrasound showed no signs of compression. Conclusions: Ultrasound imaging with the use of a high frequency transducer is a valuable diagnostic tool for postoperative assessment of CTS treatment efficacy.

Improving needle tip identification during ultrasound-guided procedures in anaesthetic practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scholten, H.J.; Pourtaherian, A.; Mihajlovic, N.; Korsten, H.; Bouwman, R.A.

2017-01-01

Ultrasound guidance is becoming standard practice for needle-based interventions in anaesthetic practice, such as vascular access and peripheral nerve blocks. However, difficulties in aligning the needle and the transducer can lead to incorrect identification of the needle tip, possibly damaging

Conference on Convex Analysis and Global Optimization

CERN Document Server

Pardalos, Panos

2001-01-01

There has been much recent progress in global optimization algo­ rithms for nonconvex continuous and discrete problems from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. Convex analysis plays a fun­ damental role in the analysis and development of global optimization algorithms. This is due essentially to the fact that virtually all noncon­ vex optimization problems can be described using differences of convex functions and differences of convex sets. A conference on Convex Analysis and Global Optimization was held during June 5 -9, 2000 at Pythagorion, Samos, Greece. The conference was honoring the memory of C. Caratheodory (1873-1950) and was en­ dorsed by the Mathematical Programming Society (MPS) and by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Activity Group in Optimization. The conference was sponsored by the European Union (through the EPEAEK program), the Department of Mathematics of the Aegean University and the Center for Applied Optimization of the University of Florida, by th...

Is Transducer Hygiene sufficient when Vaginal Probes are used in the Clinical Routine?

Science.gov (United States)

Merz, E

2016-04-01

Vaginal ultrasound probes are semi-critical Group A medical products which must be disinfected following the manufacturer's instructions after every patient examination. According to the "Essential Requirements for Medical Devices (Directive 93/42/EEC, Annex I, paragraph 13)" the manufacturer's instructions for use for reusable products must contain suitable instructions for preparation processes. This presumes both an effective and material-compatible method. Evidence of effectiveness must be validated.In the Editorial in issue 1 Ultraschall in der Medizin/European Journal of Ultrasound 2005 we discussed the topic of transducer hygiene and stated that proper handling and cleaning as well as disinfection of probes in daily use are indispensable. This applies particularly to vaginal ultrasound probes routinely used in gynecological and obstetrical clinics, gynecological practices as well as IVF centers Normally the probe used in a transvaginal ultrasound examination is covered with a latex protective cover (with CE marking) which contains a certain amount of ultrasound gel. After the examination, the cover is removed and disposed of, and the gel is removed from the transducer. Since handling of the probe, ultrasound gel and cover can result in smear infections and cross-contamination with various pathogens (e. g. MRSA, HBV, HCV, HIV, herpes papilloma and cytomegalic viruses), after the protective cover is removed, the probe must be cleaned and subjected to disinfection with a bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal effect. This is especially important in the event the cover ruptures during the vaginal examination, and the probe comes into direct contact with vaginal secretions or blood. The same likewise applies if the sterile protective cover is perforated during a follicular puncture. Usually special bactericidal, levurocidal and virucidal wipes or special submersion disinfection methods are available for disinfecting the vaginal ultrasound probes 11. Using

Ultrasound Imaging of the Pelvic Floor: linking anatomical findings with clinical symtoms

OpenAIRE

Steensma, Anneke

2009-01-01

textabstractFor evaluation of pelvic floor and lower urinary tract dysfunction the use of transabdominal ultrasound was first documented in the early eighties, with the translabial [1], transrectal [2] and transvaginal [3, 4] techniques developing somewhat later. To obtain a translabial or transperineal image of the pelvic floor, the transducer (ideally a 3.5-6 MHZ curved array abdominal probe) is placed on the perineum, after covering the transducer with an unpowered glove or thin plastic wr...

Errors and mistakes in breast ultrasound diagnostics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wiesław Jakubowski

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Sonomammography is often the first additional examination performed in the diagnostics of breast diseases. The development of ultrasound imaging techniques, particularly the introduction of high frequency transducers, matrix transducers, harmonic imaging and finally, elastography, influenced the improvement of breast disease diagnostics. Neverthe‑ less, as in each imaging method, there are errors and mistakes resulting from the techni‑ cal limitations of the method, breast anatomy (fibrous remodeling, insufficient sensitivity and, in particular, specificity. Errors in breast ultrasound diagnostics can be divided into impossible to be avoided and potentially possible to be reduced. In this article the most frequently made errors in ultrasound have been presented, including the ones caused by the presence of artifacts resulting from volumetric averaging in the near and far field, artifacts in cysts or in dilated lactiferous ducts (reverberations, comet tail artifacts, lateral beam artifacts, improper setting of general enhancement or time gain curve or range. Errors dependent on the examiner, resulting in the wrong BIRADS‑usg classification, are divided into negative and positive errors. The sources of these errors have been listed. The methods of minimization of the number of errors made have been discussed, includ‑ ing the ones related to the appropriate examination technique, taking into account data from case history and the use of the greatest possible number of additional options such as: harmonic imaging, color and power Doppler and elastography. In the article examples of errors resulting from the technical conditions of the method have been presented, and those dependent on the examiner which are related to the great diversity and variation of ultrasound images of pathological breast lesions.

Transducer-Mounting Fixture

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, Kirk W.

1990-01-01

Transducer-mounting fixture holds transducer securely against stud. Projects only slightly beyond stud after installation. Flanged transducer fits into fixture when hinged halves open. When halves reclosed, fixture tightened onto threaded stud until stud makes contact with transducer. Knurled area on fixture aids in tightening fixture on stud.

A case of Legionella pneumophila evaluated with CT and ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, Alessio; De Simone, Chiara; Pagnottella, Marco; Rossi, Stefano; Pepe, Raffaele; Ruggieri, Giacomo; Cocco, Giulio; Schiavone, Cosima

2017-09-01

A 36-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department of "SS Annunziata" hospital in Chieti complaining of a sharp chest pain arisen some hours before admission. On examination, the patient looked sweaty; his vital signs showed tachycardia and augmented breath rate; sinus tachycardia and normal ventricular repolarization were observed on ECG, and no abnormalities were observed in the echoscan of the hearth. According to the clinical and electrocardiographic findings, and to previous episode of DVT in anamnesis, a thorax CT scan was performed in order to rule out pulmonary embolism. It showed an "area of parenchymal consolidation involving almost all the left lower lobe with patent bronchial structures"; given the patient's CURB 65 score, he was then admitted to the pneumology ward where empiric treatment with levofloxacin (750 mg PO once daily) was initiated. Thoracic ultrasound was performed using a multifrequency convex transducer, and the posterior left area was examined through intercostal approach, placing the patient in a sitting position. A subpleural patchy hypoechoic lesion with irregular boundaries was detected; the maximum diameter was 11 cm, and the multiple hyperechoic spots inside it (elsewhere defined as "air bronchogram") showed no Doppler signal. Given the positive result of the Legionella urinary antigen test, antibiotic treatment was switched to Levofloxacin 1000 mg PO once daily and Claritromicin 500 mg PO twice daily. After 3 days, his clinical conditions improved dramatically. Ultrasound performed after 5 days from the diagnosis showed decreased dimensions of the lesion previously identified (maximum diameter 8.25 cm) and a marked reduction of the hyperechoic spots in it. The patient was discharged in good clinical conditions, and both thorax CT scan obtained after 1 and 4 months from the diagnosis showed radiological resolution of the parenchymal consolidation. The key to ultrasound visualization of pneumonia is its contact with

Convex stoma appliances: an audit of stoma care nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, Angie

2016-12-08

This article observes the complexities surrounding the use of convex appliances within the specialist sphere of stoma care. It highlights some of the results taken from a small audit carried out with 24 stoma care nurses examining the general use of convex appliances and how usage of convex products has evolved, along with specialist stoma care practice.

Differential analysis of matrix convex functions II

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Frank; Tomiyama, Jun

2009-01-01

We continue the analysis in [F. Hansen, and J. Tomiyama, Differential analysis of matrix convex functions. Linear Algebra Appl., 420:102--116, 2007] of matrix convex functions of a fixed order defined in a real interval by differential methods as opposed to the characterization in terms of divided...

A STRONG OPTIMIZATION THEOREM IN LOCALLY CONVEX SPACES

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

程立新; 腾岩梅

2003-01-01

This paper presents a geometric characterization of convex sets in locally convex spaces onwhich a strong optimization theorem of the Stegall-type holds, and gives Collier's theorem ofw* Asplund spaces a localized setting.

Characterizing Convexity of Games using Marginal Vectors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Velzen, S.; Hamers, H.J.M.; Norde, H.W.

2003-01-01

In this paper we study the relation between convexity of TU games and marginal vectors.We show that if specfic marginal vectors are core elements, then the game is convex.We characterize sets of marginal vectors satisfying this property, and we derive the formula for the minimum number of marginal

Ultrasound in chemical processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baig, S.; Farooq, R.; Malik, A.H.

2009-01-01

The use of ultrasound to promote chemical reactions or sono chemistry is a field of chemistry which involves the process of acoustic cavitations i.e. the collapse of microscopic bubbles in liquid. There are two essential components for the application of sono chemistry, a liquid medium and a source of high-energy vibrations. The liquid medium is necessary because sono chemistry is driven by acoustic cavitations that can only occur in liquids. The source of the vibrational energy is the transducer. The chemical effects of ultrasound include the enhancement of reaction rates at ambient temperatures and striking advancements in stoichiometric and catalytic reactions In some cases, ultrasonic irradiation can increase reactivities by nearly million fold. The ultrasound has large number of applications not only in emending old chemical processes but also in developing new synthetic strategies. Ultrasound enhances all chemical and physical processes e.g., crystallization, vitamin synthesis, preparation of catalysts, dissolution of chemicals, organometallic reactions, electrochemical processes, etc. High-power ultrasonics is a new powerful technology that is not only safe and environmentally friendly in its application but is also efficient and economical. It can be applied to existing processes to eliminate the need for chemicals and/or heat application in a variety of industrial processes. (author)

Fast and Automatic Ultrasound Simulation from CT Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weijian Cong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrasound is currently widely used in clinical diagnosis because of its fast and safe imaging principles. As the anatomical structures present in an ultrasound image are not as clear as CT or MRI. Physicians usually need advance clinical knowledge and experience to distinguish diseased tissues. Fast simulation of ultrasound provides a cost-effective way for the training and correlation of ultrasound and the anatomic structures. In this paper, a novel method is proposed for fast simulation of ultrasound from a CT image. A multiscale method is developed to enhance tubular structures so as to simulate the blood flow. The acoustic response of common tissues is generated by weighted integration of adjacent regions on the ultrasound propagation path in the CT image, from which parameters, including attenuation, reflection, scattering, and noise, are estimated simultaneously. The thin-plate spline interpolation method is employed to transform the simulation image between polar and rectangular coordinate systems. The Kaiser window function is utilized to produce integration and radial blurring effects of multiple transducer elements. Experimental results show that the developed method is very fast and effective, allowing realistic ultrasound to be fast generated. Given that the developed method is fully automatic, it can be utilized for ultrasound guided navigation in clinical practice and for training purpose.

Displacement Convexity for First-Order Mean-Field Games

KAUST Repository

Seneci, Tommaso

2018-05-01

In this thesis, we consider the planning problem for first-order mean-field games (MFG). These games degenerate into optimal transport when there is no coupling between players. Our aim is to extend the concept of displacement convexity from optimal transport to MFGs. This extension gives new estimates for solutions of MFGs. First, we introduce the Monge-Kantorovich problem and examine related results on rearrangement maps. Next, we present the concept of displacement convexity. Then, we derive first-order MFGs, which are given by a system of a Hamilton-Jacobi equation coupled with a transport equation. Finally, we identify a large class of functions, that depend on solutions of MFGs, which are convex in time. Among these, we find several norms. This convexity gives bounds for the density of solutions of the planning problem.

Convex unwraps its first grown-up supercomputer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manuel, T.

1988-03-03

Convex Computer Corp.'s new supercomputer family is even more of an industry blockbuster than its first system. At a tenfold jump in performance, it's far from just an incremental upgrade over its first minisupercomputer, the C-1. The heart of the new family, the new C-2 processor, churning at 50 million floating-point operations/s, spawns a group of systems whose performance could pass for some fancy supercomputers-namely those of the Cray Research Inc. family. When added to the C-1, Convex's five new supercomputers create the C series, a six-member product group offering a performance range from 20 to 200 Mflops. They mark an important transition for Convex from a one-product high-tech startup to a multinational company with a wide-ranging product line. It's a tough transition but the Richardson, Texas, company seems to be doing it. The extended product line propels Convex into the upper end of the minisupercomputer class and nudges it into the low end of the big supercomputers. It positions Convex in an uncrowded segment of the market in the $500,000 to $1 million range offering 50 to 200 Mflops of performance. The company is making this move because the minisuper area, which it pioneered, quickly became crowded with new vendors, causing prices and gross margins to drop drastically.

Non-invasive estimation of temperature using diagnostic ultrasound during HIFU therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Georg, O.; Wilkens, V.

2017-03-01

The use of HIFU for thermal ablation of human tissues requires safe real-time monitoring of the lesion formation during the treatment to avoid damage of the surrounding healthy tissues and to control temperature rise. Besides MR imaging, several methods have been proposed for temperature imaging using diagnostic ultrasound, and echoshift estimation (using speckle tracking) is the most promising and commonly used technique. It is based on the thermal dependence of the ultrasound echo that accounts for two different physical phenomena: local change in speed of sound and thermal expansion of the propagating medium due to changes in temperature. In our experiments we have used two separate transducers: HIFU exposure was performed using a 1.06 MHz single element focusing transducer of 64 mm aperture and 63.2 mm focal length; the ultrasound diagnostic probe of 11 MHz operated in B-mode for image guidance. The temperature measurements were performed in an agar-based tissue-mimicking phantom. To verify the obtained results, numerical modeling of the acoustic and temperature fields was carried out using KZK and Pennes Bioheat equations, as well as measurements with thermocouples were performed.

Bipolar-power-transistor-based limiter for high frequency ultrasound imaging systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hojong; Yang, Hao-Chung; Shung, K Kirk

2014-03-01

High performance limiters are described in this paper for applications in high frequency ultrasound imaging systems. Limiters protect the ultrasound receiver from the high voltage (HV) spikes produced by the transmitter. We present a new bipolar power transistor (BPT) configuration and compare its design and performance to a diode limiter used in traditional ultrasound research and one commercially available limiter. Limiter performance depends greatly on the insertion loss (IL), total harmonic distortion (THD) and response time (RT), each of which will be evaluated in all the limiters. The results indicated that, compared with commercial limiter, BPT-based limiter had less IL (-7.7 dB), THD (-74.6 dB) and lower RT (43 ns) at 100 MHz. To evaluate the capability of these limiters, they were connected to a 100 MHz single element transducer and a two-way pulse-echo test was performed. It was found that the -6 dB bandwidth and sensitivity of the transducer using BPT-based limiter were better than those of the commercial limiter by 22% and 140%, respectively. Compared to the commercial limiter, BPT-based limiter is shown to be capable of minimizing signal attenuation, RT and THD at high frequencies and is thus suited for high frequency ultrasound applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Noninvasive Label-Free Detection of Micrometastases in the Lymphatics with Ultrasound-Guided Photoacoustic Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

imaging can be used to guide dissection. We have also successfully integrated a programmable ultrasound machine ( Verasonics Vantage ) and tunable pulsed...Mobile HE) with the programmable ultrasound machine ( Verasonics Vantage ). We have synchronized the signals to enable interleaved acquisition of US...transducer (L11-4v, Verasonics Inc.) and build a housing which effectively couples fiber optic light delivery. o What opportunities for training and

A deconvolution method for deriving the transit time spectrum for ultrasound propagation through cancellous bone replica models.

Science.gov (United States)

Langton, Christian M; Wille, Marie-Luise; Flegg, Mark B

2014-04-01

The acceptance of broadband ultrasound attenuation for the assessment of osteoporosis suffers from a limited understanding of ultrasound wave propagation through cancellous bone. It has recently been proposed that the ultrasound wave propagation can be described by a concept of parallel sonic rays. This concept approximates the detected transmission signal to be the superposition of all sonic rays that travel directly from transmitting to receiving transducer. The transit time of each ray is defined by the proportion of bone and marrow propagated. An ultrasound transit time spectrum describes the proportion of sonic rays having a particular transit time, effectively describing lateral inhomogeneity of transit times over the surface of the receiving ultrasound transducer. The aim of this study was to provide a proof of concept that a transit time spectrum may be derived from digital deconvolution of input and output ultrasound signals. We have applied the active-set method deconvolution algorithm to determine the ultrasound transit time spectra in the three orthogonal directions of four cancellous bone replica samples and have compared experimental data with the prediction from the computer simulation. The agreement between experimental and predicted ultrasound transit time spectrum analyses derived from Bland-Altman analysis ranged from 92% to 99%, thereby supporting the concept of parallel sonic rays for ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone. In addition to further validation of the parallel sonic ray concept, this technique offers the opportunity to consider quantitative characterisation of the material and structural properties of cancellous bone, not previously available utilising ultrasound.

Electrical impedance tomography imaging using a priori ultrasound data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soleimani Manuchehr

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Different imaging systems (e.g. electrical, magnetic, and ultrasound rely on a wide variety of physical properties, and the datasets obtained from such systems provide only partial information about the unknown true state. One approach is to choose complementary imaging systems, and to combine the information to achieve a better representation. Methods This paper discusses the combination of ultrasound and electrical impedance tomography (EIT information. Ultrasound reflection signals are good at locating sharp acoustic density changes associated with the boundaries of objects. Some boundaries, however, may be indeterminable due to masking from intermediate boundaries or because they are outside the ultrasound beam. Conversely, the EIT data contains relatively low-quality information, but it includes the whole region enclosed by the electrodes. Results Results are shown from a narrowband level-set method applied to 2D and 3D EIT incorporating limited angle ultrasound time of flight data. Conclusion The EIT reconstruction is shown to be faster and more accurate using the additional edge information from both one and four transducer ultrasound systems.

Review of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Joontaek; Lee, Wonjun; Kang, Woojin; Shin, Eunjung; Choi, Hongsoo; Ryu, Jungho

2017-01-01

In recent decades, micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs) have been investigated as an alternative to conventional piezocomposite ultrasonic transducers, primarily due to the advantages that microelectromechanical systems provide. Miniaturized ultrasonic systems require ultrasonic transducers integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits. Hence, piezoelectric MUTs (pMUTs) and capacitive MUTs (cMUTs) have been developed as the most favorable solutions. This paper reviews the basic equations to understand the characteristics of thin-film-based piezoelectric devices and presents recent research on pMUTs, including current approaches and limitations. Methods to improve the coupling coefficient of pMUTs are also investigated, such as device structure, materials, and fabrication techniques. The device structure improvements include multielectrode pMUTs, partially clamped boundary conditions, and 3D pMUTs (curved and domed types), where the latter can provide an electromechanical coupling coefficient of up to 45%. The piezoelectric coefficient ( e 31 ) can be increased by controlling the crystal texture (seed layer of γ -Al 2 O 3 ), using single-crystal (PMN-PT) materials, or control of residual stresses (using SiO 2 layer). Arrays of pMUTs can be implemented for various applications including intravascular ultrasound, fingerprint sensors, rangefinders in air, and wireless power supply systems. pMUTs are expected to be an ideal solution for applications such as mobile biometric security (fingerprint sensors) and rangefinders due to their superior power efficiency and compact size. (topical review)

Review of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers and their applications

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Joontaek; Lee, Wonjun; Kang, Woojin; Shin, Eunjung; Ryu, Jungho; Choi, Hongsoo

2017-11-01

In recent decades, micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs) have been investigated as an alternative to conventional piezocomposite ultrasonic transducers, primarily due to the advantages that microelectromechanical systems provide. Miniaturized ultrasonic systems require ultrasonic transducers integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits. Hence, piezoelectric MUTs (pMUTs) and capacitive MUTs (cMUTs) have been developed as the most favorable solutions. This paper reviews the basic equations to understand the characteristics of thin-film-based piezoelectric devices and presents recent research on pMUTs, including current approaches and limitations. Methods to improve the coupling coefficient of pMUTs are also investigated, such as device structure, materials, and fabrication techniques. The device structure improvements include multielectrode pMUTs, partially clamped boundary conditions, and 3D pMUTs (curved and domed types), where the latter can provide an electromechanical coupling coefficient of up to 45%. The piezoelectric coefficient (e 31) can be increased by controlling the crystal texture (seed layer of γ-Al2O3), using single-crystal (PMN-PT) materials, or control of residual stresses (using SiO2 layer). Arrays of pMUTs can be implemented for various applications including intravascular ultrasound, fingerprint sensors, rangefinders in air, and wireless power supply systems. pMUTs are expected to be an ideal solution for applications such as mobile biometric security (fingerprint sensors) and rangefinders due to their superior power efficiency and compact size.

Hermitian harmonic maps into convex balls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhenyang; Xi Zhang

2004-07-01

In this paper, we consider Hermitian harmonic maps from Hermitian manifolds into convex balls. We prove that there exist no non-trivial Hermitian harmonic maps from closed Hermitian manifolds into convex balls, and we use the heat flow method to solve the Dirichlet problem for Hermitian harmonic maps when the domain is compact Hermitian manifold with non-empty boundary. The case where the domain manifold is complete(noncompact) is also studied. (author)

Fundamentals of convex analysis duality, separation, representation, and resolution

CERN Document Server

Panik, Michael J

1993-01-01

Fundamentals of Convex Analysis offers an in-depth look at some of the fundamental themes covered within an area of mathematical analysis called convex analysis. In particular, it explores the topics of duality, separation, representation, and resolution. The work is intended for students of economics, management science, engineering, and mathematics who need exposure to the mathematical foundations of matrix games, optimization, and general equilibrium analysis. It is written at the advanced undergraduate to beginning graduate level and the only formal preparation required is some familiarity with set operations and with linear algebra and matrix theory. Fundamentals of Convex Analysis is self-contained in that a brief review of the essentials of these tool areas is provided in Chapter 1. Chapter exercises are also provided. Topics covered include: convex sets and their properties; separation and support theorems; theorems of the alternative; convex cones; dual homogeneous systems; basic solutions and comple...

A generalization of the convex Kakeya problem

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap

2013-09-19

Given a set of line segments in the plane, not necessarily finite, what is a convex region of smallest area that contains a translate of each input segment? This question can be seen as a generalization of Kakeya\\'s problem of finding a convex region of smallest area such that a needle can be rotated through 360 degrees within this region. We show that there is always an optimal region that is a triangle, and we give an optimal Θ(nlogn)-time algorithm to compute such a triangle for a given set of n segments. We also show that, if the goal is to minimize the perimeter of the region instead of its area, then placing the segments with their midpoint at the origin and taking their convex hull results in an optimal solution. Finally, we show that for any compact convex figure G, the smallest enclosing disk of G is a smallest-perimeter region containing a translate of every rotated copy of G. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Displacement Convexity for First-Order Mean-Field Games

KAUST Repository

Seneci, Tommaso

2018-01-01

Finally, we identify a large class of functions, that depend on solutions of MFGs, which are convex in time. Among these, we find several norms. This convexity gives bounds for the density of solutions of the planning problem.

Intraluminal laser atherectomy with ultrasound and electromagnetic guidance

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, Kenton W.; Aretz, H. Thomas; Martinelli, Michael A.; LeDet, Earl G.; Hatch, G. F.; Gregg, Richard E.; Sedlacek, Tomas; Haase, Wayne C.

1991-05-01

The MagellanTM coronary laser atherectomy system is described. It uses high- resolution ultrasound imaging and electromagnetic sensing to provide real-time guidance and control of laser therapy in the coronary arteries. The system consists of a flexible catheter, an electromagnetic navigation antenna, a sensor signal processor and a computer for image processing and display. The small, flexible catheter combines an ultrasound transducer and laser delivery optics, aimed at the artery wall, and an electromagnetic receiving sensor. An extra-corporeal electromagnetic transmit antenna, in combination with catheter sensors, locates the position of the ultrasound and laser beams in the artery. Navigation and ultrasound data are processed electronically to produce real-time, transverse, and axial cross-section images of the artery wall at selected locations. By exploiting the ability of ultrasound to image beneath the surface of artery walls, it is possible to identify candidate treatment sites and perform safe radial laser debulking of atherosclerotic plaque with reduced danger of perforation. The utility of the system in plaque identification and ablation is demonstrated with imaging and experimental results.

Multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann modeling of the acoustic field generated by focused transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Feng; Guo, Xiasheng; Tu, Juan; Cheng, Jianchun; Zhang, Dong

The high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has become an attractive therapeutic tool for the noninvasive tumor treatment. The ultrasonic transducer is the key component in HIFU treatment to generate the HIFU energy. The dimension of focal region generated by the transducer is closely relevant to the safety of HIFU treatment. Therefore, it is essential to numerically investigate the focal region of the transducer. Although the conventional acoustic wave equations have been used successfully to describe the acoustic field, there still exist some inherent drawbacks. In this work, we presented an axisymmetric isothermal multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method (MRT-LBM) model with the Bouzidi-Firdaouss-Lallemand (BFL) boundary condition in cylindrical coordinate system. With this model, some preliminary simulations were firstly conducted to determine a reasonable value of the relaxation parameter. Then, the validity of the model was examined by comparing the results obtained with the LBM results with the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation and the Spheroidal beam equation (SBE) for the focused transducers with different aperture angles, respectively. In addition, the influences of the aperture angle on the focal region were investigated. The proposed model in this work will provide significant references for the parameter optimization of the focused transducer for applications in the HIFU treatment or other fields, and provide new insights into the conventional acoustic numerical simulations.

Strictly convex functions on complete Finsler manifolds

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

convex functions on the metric structures of complete Finsler manifolds. More precisely we discuss ... map expp at some point p ∈ M (and hence at every point on M) is defined on the whole tangent space Mp to M at ... The influence of the existence of convex functions on the metric and topology of under- lying manifolds has ...

Airborne non-contact and contact broadband ultrasounds for frequency attenuation profile estimation of cementitious materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Gosálbez, J; Wright, W M D; Jiang, W; Carrión, A; Genovés, V; Bosch, I

2018-08-01

In this paper, the study of frequency-dependent ultrasonic attenuation in strongly heterogeneous cementitious materials is addressed. To accurately determine the attenuation over a wide frequency range, it is necessary to have suitable excitation techniques. We have analysed two kinds of ultrasound techniques: contact ultrasound and airborne non-contact ultrasound. The mathematical formulation for frequency-dependent attenuation has been established and it has been revealed that each technique may achieve similar results but requires specific different calibration processes. In particular, the airborne non-contact technique suffers high attenuation due to energy losses at the air-material interfaces. Thus, its bandwidth is limited to low frequencies but it does not require physical contact between transducer and specimen. In contrast, the classical contact technique can manage higher frequencies but the measurement depends on the pressure between the transducer and the specimen. Cement specimens have been tested with both techniques and frequency attenuation dependence has been estimated. Similar results were achieved at overlapping bandwidth and it has been demonstrated that the airborne non-contact ultrasound technique could be a viable alternative to the classical contact technique. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Has 4D transperineal ultrasound additional value over 2D transperineal ultrasound for diagnosing obstructed defaecation syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

van Gruting, I M A; Kluivers, K; Sultan, A H; De Bin, R; Stankiewicz, A; Blake, H; Thakar, R

2018-06-08

To establish the diagnostic test accuracy of both two-dimensional (2D) and four-dimensional (4D) transperineal ultrasound, to assess if 4D ultrasound imaging provides additional value in the diagnosis of posterior pelvic floor disorders in women with obstructed defaecation syndrome. In this prospective cohort study, 121 consecutive women with obstructed defaecation syndrome were recruited. Symptoms of obstructed defaecation and signs of pelvic organ prolapse were assessed using validated methods. All women underwent both 2D transperineal ultrasound (Pro-focus, 8802 transducer, BK-medical) and 4D transperineal ultrasound (Voluson i, RAB4-8-RS transducer, GE). Imaging analysis was performed by two blinded observers. Pelvic floor disorders were dichotomised into presence or absence according pre-defined cut-off values. In the absence of a reference standard a composite reference standard was created from a combination of results of evacuation proctogram, magnetic resonance imaging and endovaginal ultrasound. Primary outcome measures were diagnostic test characteristics of 2D and 4D transperineal ultrasound for diagnosis or rectocele, enterocele, intussusception and anismus. Secondary outcome measures were interobserver agreement, agreement between the two techniques and correlation of signs and symptoms to imaging findings. For diagnosis of all four posterior pelvic floor disorders there was no difference in sensitivity and specificity between 2D and 4D TPUS (p= 0.131 - 1.000). A good agreement between 2D and 4D TPUS was found for the diagnosis of rectocele (ĸ 0.675) and a moderate agreement for diagnosis of enterocele, intussusception and anismus (ĸ 0.465 - 0.545). There was no difference in rectocele depth measurements between both TPUS techniques (19.9 mm vs 19.0 mm, p=0.802). Inter-observer agreement was comparable for both techniques, however 2D TPUS had an excellent interobserver agreement for diagnosis of enterocele and rectocele depth measurements. Diagnosis

Characterization of HIFU transducers designed for sonochemistry application: Acoustic streaming.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallez, L; Touyeras, F; Hihn, J-Y; Bailly, Y

2016-03-01

Cavitation distribution in a High Intensity Focused Ultrasound sonoreactors (HIFU) has been extensively described in the recent literature, including quantification by an optical method (Sonochemiluminescence SCL). The present paper provides complementary measurements through the study of acoustic streaming generated by the same kind of HIFU transducers. To this end, results of mass transfer measurements (electrodiffusional method) were compared to optical method ones (Particle Image Velocimetry). This last one was used in various configurations: with or without an electrode in the acoustic field in order to have the same perturbation of the wave propagation. Results show that the maximum velocity is not located at the focal but shifted near the transducer, and that this shift is greater for high powers. The two cavitation modes (stationary and moving bubbles) are greatly affect the hydrodynamic behavior of our sonoreactors: acoustic streaming and the fluid generated by bubble motion. The results obtained by electrochemical measurements show the same low hydrodynamic activity in the transducer vicinity, the same shift of the active focal toward the transducer, and the same absence of activity in the post-focal axial zone. The comparison with theoretical Eckart's velocities (acoustic streaming in non-cavitating media) confirms a very high activity at the "sonochemical focal", accounted for by wave distortion, which induced greater absorption coefficients. Moreover, the equivalent liquid velocities are one order of magnitude larger than the ones measured by PIV, confirming the enhancement of mass transfer by bubbles oscillation and collapse close to the surface, rather than from a pure streaming effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Creaming enhancement in a liter scale ultrasonic reactor at selected transducer configurations and frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Juliano, Pablo; Temmel, Sandra; Rout, Manoj; Swiergon, Piotr; Mawson, Raymond; Knoerzer, Kai

2013-01-01

Recent research has shown that high frequency ultrasound (0.4-3 MHz), can enhance milkfat separation in small scale systems able to treat only a few milliliters of sample. In this work, the effect of ultrasonic standing waves on milkfat creaming was studied in a 6L reactor and the influence of different frequencies and transducer configurations in direct contact with the fluid was investigated. A recombined coarse milk emulsion with fat globules stained with oil-red-O dye was selected for the separation trials. Runs were performed with one or two transducers placed in vertical (parallel or perpendicular) and horizontal positions (at the reactor base) at 0.4, 1 and/or 2 MHz (specific energy 8.5 ± 0.6 kJ/kg per transducer). Creaming behavior was assessed by measuring the thickness of the separated cream layer. Other methods supporting this assessment included the measurement of fat content, backscattering, particle size distribution, and microscopy of samples taken at the bottom and top of the reactor. Most efficient creaming was found after treatment at 0.4 MHz in single and double vertical transducer configurations. Among these configurations, a higher separation rate was obtained when sonicating at 0.4 MHz in a vertical perpendicular double transducer setup. The horizontal transducer configuration promoted creaming at 2 MHz only. Fat globule size increase was observed when creaming occurred. This research highlights the potential for enhanced separation of milkfat in larger scale systems from selected transducer configurations in contact with a dairy emulsion, or emulsion splitting in general. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First-order Convex Optimization Methods for Signal and Image Processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tobias Lindstrøm

2012-01-01

In this thesis we investigate the use of first-order convex optimization methods applied to problems in signal and image processing. First we make a general introduction to convex optimization, first-order methods and their iteration complexity. Then we look at different techniques, which can...... be used with first-order methods such as smoothing, Lagrange multipliers and proximal gradient methods. We continue by presenting different applications of convex optimization and notable convex formulations with an emphasis on inverse problems and sparse signal processing. We also describe the multiple...

Auto-positioning ultrasonic transducer system

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, Randy K. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

An ultrasonic transducer apparatus and process for determining the optimal transducer position for flow measurement along a conduit outer surface. The apparatus includes a transmitting transducer for transmitting an ultrasonic signal, said transducer affixed to a conduit outer surface; a guide rail attached to a receiving transducer for guiding movement of a receiving transducer along the conduit outer surface, wherein the receiving transducer receives an ultrasonic signal from the transmitting transducer and sends a signal to a data acquisition system; and a motor for moving the receiving transducer along the guide rail, wherein the motor is controlled by a controller. The method includes affixing a transmitting transducer to an outer surface of a conduit; moving a receiving transducer on the conduit outer surface, wherein the receiving transducer is moved along a guide rail by a motor; transmitting an ultrasonic signal from the transmitting transducer that is received by the receiving transducer; communicating the signal received by the receiving transducer to a data acquisition and control system; and repeating the moving, transmitting, and communicating along a length of the conduit.

Convexity-preserving Bernstein–Bézier quartic scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Hussain

2014-07-01

Full Text Available A C1 convex surface data interpolation scheme is presented to preserve the shape of scattered data arranged over a triangular grid. Bernstein–Bézier quartic function is used for interpolation. Lower bound of the boundary and inner Bézier ordinates is determined to guarantee convexity of surface. The developed scheme is flexible and involves more relaxed constraints.

Counting convex polygons in planar point sets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mitchell, J.S.B.; Rote, G.; Sundaram, Gopalakrishnan; Woeginger, G.J.

1995-01-01

Given a set S of n points in the plane, we compute in time O(n3) the total number of convex polygons whose vertices are a subset of S. We give an O(m · n3) algorithm for computing the number of convex k-gons with vertices in S, for all values k = 3,…, m; previously known bounds were exponential

Reconstruction of convex bodies from surface tensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kousholt, Astrid; Kiderlen, Markus

. The output of the reconstruction algorithm is a polytope P, where the surface tensors of P and K are identical up to rank s. We establish a stability result based on a generalization of Wirtinger’s inequality that shows that for large s, two convex bodies are close in shape when they have identical surface...... that are translates of each other. An algorithm for reconstructing an unknown convex body in R 2 from its surface tensors up to a certain rank is presented. Using the reconstruction algorithm, the shape of an unknown convex body can be approximated when only a finite number s of surface tensors are available...... tensors up to rank s. This is used to establish consistency of the developed reconstruction algorithm....

Recovering convexity in non-associated plasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Francfort, Gilles A.

2018-03-01

We quickly review two main non-associated plasticity models, the Armstrong-Frederick model of nonlinear kinematic hardening and the Drucker-Prager cap model. Non-associativity is commonly thought to preclude any kind of variational formulation, be it in a Hencky-type (static) setting, or when considering a quasi-static evolution because non-associativity destroys convexity. We demonstrate that such an opinion is misguided: associativity (and convexity) can be restored at the expense of the introduction of state variable-dependent dissipation potentials.

Skin temperature increase mediated by wearable, long duration, low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, Matthew D.; Huang, Wenyi; Ghanem, Angi; Guo, Yuan; Lewis, George K.

2017-03-01

One of the safety concerns with the delivery of therapeutic ultrasound is overheating of the transducer-skin interface due to poor or improper coupling. The objective of this research was to define a model that could be used to calculate the heating in the skin as a result of a novel, wearable long-duration ultrasound device. This model was used to determine that the maximum heating in the skin remained below the minimum threshold necessary to cause thermal injury over multiple hours of use. In addition to this model data, a human clinical study used wire thermocouples on the skin surface to measure heating characteristics during treatment with the sustained ultrasound system. Parametric analysis of the model determined that the maximum temperature increase is at the surface of the skin ranged from 40-41.8° C when perfusion was taken into account. The clinical data agreed well with the model predictions. The average steady state temperature observed across all 44 subjects was 40°C. The maximum temperature observed was less than 44° C, which is clinically safe for over 5 hours of human skin contact. The resultant clinical temperature data paired well with the model data suggesting the model can be used for future transducer and ultrasound system design simulation. As a result, the device was validated for thermal safety for typical users and use conditions.

Treatment of esophageal tumors using high intensity intraluminal ultrasound: first clinical results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prat Frederic

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Esophageal tumors generally bear a poor prognosis. Radical surgery is generally the only curative method available but is not feasible in the majority of patients; palliative therapy with stent placement is generally performed. It has been demonstrated that High Intensity Ultrasound can induce rapid, complete and well-defined coagulation necrosis. Thus, for the treatment of esophageal tumors, we have designed an ultrasound applicator that uses an intraluminal approach to fill up this therapeutic gap. Methods Thermal ablation is performed with water-cooled ultrasound transducers operating at a frequency of 10 MHz. Single lesions extend from the transducer surface up to 10 mm in depth when applying an intensity of 14 W/cm2 for 10s. A lumen inside the therapy applicator provides path for an endoscopic ultrasound imaging probe operating at a frequency of 12 MHz. The mechanical rotation of the applicator around its axis enables treatment of sectorial or cylindrical volumes. This method is thus particularly suitable for esophageal tumors that may develop only on a portion of the esophageal circumference. Previous experiments were conducted from bench to in vivo studies on pig esophagi. Results Here we report clinical results obtained on four patients included in a pilot study. The treatment of esophageal tumors was performed under fluoroscopic guidance and ultrasound imaging. Objective tumor response was obtained in all cases and a complete necrosis of a tumor was obtained in one case. All patients recovered uneventfully and dysphagia improved significantly within 15 days, allowing for resuming a solid diet in three cases. Conclusion This clinical work demonstrated the efficacy of intraluminal high intensity ultrasound therapy for local tumor destruction in the esophagus.

Conditionally exponential convex functions on locally compact groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okb El-Bab, A.S.

1992-09-01

The main results of the thesis are: 1) The construction of a compact base for the convex cone of all conditionally exponential convex functions. 2) The determination of the extreme parts of this cone. Some supplementary lemmas are proved for this purpose. (author). 8 refs

Entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laeven, Roger; Stadje, M.A.

2010-01-01

We introduce entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk and prove a collection of axiomatic characterization and duality results. We show in particular that entropy coherent and entropy convex measures of risk emerge as negative certainty equivalents in (the regular and a generalized

Multi-resolution simulation of focused ultrasound propagation through ovine skull from a single-element transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Kyungho; Lee, Wonhye; Croce, Phillip; Cammalleri, Amanda; Yoo, Seung-Schik

2018-05-01

Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is emerging as a non-invasive brain stimulation modality. Complicated interactions between acoustic pressure waves and osseous tissue introduce many challenges in the accurate targeting of an acoustic focus through the cranium. Image-guidance accompanied by a numerical simulation is desired to predict the intracranial acoustic propagation through the skull; however, such simulations typically demand heavy computation, which warrants an expedited processing method to provide on-site feedback for the user in guiding the acoustic focus to a particular brain region. In this paper, we present a multi-resolution simulation method based on the finite-difference time-domain formulation to model the transcranial propagation of acoustic waves from a single-element transducer (250 kHz). The multi-resolution approach improved computational efficiency by providing the flexibility in adjusting the spatial resolution. The simulation was also accelerated by utilizing parallelized computation through the graphic processing unit. To evaluate the accuracy of the method, we measured the actual acoustic fields through ex vivo sheep skulls with different sonication incident angles. The measured acoustic fields were compared to the simulation results in terms of focal location, dimensions, and pressure levels. The computational efficiency of the presented method was also assessed by comparing simulation speeds at various combinations of resolution grid settings. The multi-resolution grids consisting of 0.5 and 1.0 mm resolutions gave acceptable accuracy (under 3 mm in terms of focal position and dimension, less than 5% difference in peak pressure ratio) with a speed compatible with semi real-time user feedback (within 30 s). The proposed multi-resolution approach may serve as a novel tool for simulation-based guidance for tFUS applications.

The selection problem for discounted Hamilton–Jacobi equations: some non-convex cases

KAUST Repository

Gomes, Diogo A.; Mitake, Hiroyoshi; Tran, Hung V.

2018-01-01

Here, we study the selection problem for the vanishing discount approximation of non-convex, first-order Hamilton–Jacobi equations. While the selection problem is well understood for convex Hamiltonians, the selection problem for non-convex Hamiltonians has thus far not been studied. We begin our study by examining a generalized discounted Hamilton–Jacobi equation. Next, using an exponential transformation, we apply our methods to strictly quasi-convex and to some non-convex Hamilton–Jacobi equations. Finally, we examine a non-convex Hamiltonian with flat parts to which our results do not directly apply. In this case, we establish the convergence by a direct approach.

The selection problem for discounted Hamilton–Jacobi equations: some non-convex cases

KAUST Repository

Gomes, Diogo A.

2018-01-26

Here, we study the selection problem for the vanishing discount approximation of non-convex, first-order Hamilton–Jacobi equations. While the selection problem is well understood for convex Hamiltonians, the selection problem for non-convex Hamiltonians has thus far not been studied. We begin our study by examining a generalized discounted Hamilton–Jacobi equation. Next, using an exponential transformation, we apply our methods to strictly quasi-convex and to some non-convex Hamilton–Jacobi equations. Finally, we examine a non-convex Hamiltonian with flat parts to which our results do not directly apply. In this case, we establish the convergence by a direct approach.

Stereotype locally convex spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbarov, S S

2000-01-01

We give complete proofs of some previously announced results in the theory of stereotype (that is, reflexive in the sense of Pontryagin duality) locally convex spaces. These spaces have important applications in topological algebra and functional analysis

Stereotype locally convex spaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbarov, S S

2000-08-31

We give complete proofs of some previously announced results in the theory of stereotype (that is, reflexive in the sense of Pontryagin duality) locally convex spaces. These spaces have important applications in topological algebra and functional analysis.

Stereotype locally convex spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Akbarov, S. S.

2000-08-01

We give complete proofs of some previously announced results in the theory of stereotype (that is, reflexive in the sense of Pontryagin duality) locally convex spaces. These spaces have important applications in topological algebra and functional analysis.

CVXPY: A Python-Embedded Modeling Language for Convex Optimization

OpenAIRE

Diamond, Steven; Boyd, Stephen

2016-01-01

CVXPY is a domain-specific language for convex optimization embedded in Python. It allows the user to express convex optimization problems in a natural syntax that follows the math, rather than in the restrictive standard form required by solvers. CVXPY makes it easy to combine convex optimization with high-level features of Python such as parallelism and object-oriented design. CVXPY is available at http://www.cvxpy.org/ under the GPL license, along with documentation and examples.

CVXPY: A Python-Embedded Modeling Language for Convex Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Diamond, Steven; Boyd, Stephen

2016-04-01

CVXPY is a domain-specific language for convex optimization embedded in Python. It allows the user to express convex optimization problems in a natural syntax that follows the math, rather than in the restrictive standard form required by solvers. CVXPY makes it easy to combine convex optimization with high-level features of Python such as parallelism and object-oriented design. CVXPY is available at http://www.cvxpy.org/ under the GPL license, along with documentation and examples.

A high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system for the ex vivo measurement of mechanical properties of crystalline lenses with laser-induced microbubbles interrogated by acoustic radiation force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Sangpil; Emelianov, Stanislav; Aglyamov, Salavat; Karpiouk, Andrei

2012-01-01

A high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system for an ex vivo measurement of mechanical properties of an animal crystalline lens was developed and validated. We measured the bulk displacement of laser-induced microbubbles created at different positions within the lens using nanosecond laser pulses. An impulsive acoustic radiation force was applied to the microbubble, and spatio-temporal measurements of the microbubble displacement were assessed using a custom-made high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system consisting of two 25 MHz focused ultrasound transducers. One of these transducers was used to emit a train of ultrasound pulses and another transducer was used to receive the ultrasound echoes reflected from the microbubble. The developed system was operating at 1 MHz pulse repetition frequency. Based on the measured motion of the microbubble, Young’s moduli of surrounding tissue were reconstructed and the values were compared with those measured using the indentation test. Measured values of Young’s moduli of four bovine lenses ranged from 2.6 ± 0.1 to 26 ± 1.4 kPa, and there was good agreement between the two methods. Therefore, our studies, utilizing the high pulse repetition frequency ultrasound system, suggest that the developed approach can be used to assess the mechanical properties of ex vivo crystalline lenses. Furthermore, the potential of the presented approach for in vivo measurements is discussed. (paper)

Clinical acceptance testing and scanner comparison of ultrasound shear wave elastography.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Zaiyang; Tradup, Donald J; Song, Pengfei; Stekel, Scott F; Chen, Shigao; Glazebrook, Katrina N; Hangiandreou, Nicholas J

2018-03-15

Because of the rapidly growing use of ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) in clinical practices, there is a significant need for development of clinical physics performance assessment methods for this technology. This study aims to report two clinical medical physicists' tasks: (a) acceptance testing (AT) of SWE function on ten commercial ultrasound systems for clinical liver application and (b) comparison of SWE measurements of targets across vendors for clinical musculoskeletal application. For AT, ten GE LOGIQ E9 XDclear 2.0 scanners with ten C1-6-D and ten 9L-D transducers were studied using two commercial homogenous phantoms. Five measurements were acquired at two depths for each scanner/transducer pair by two operators. Additional tests were performed to access effects of different coupling media, phantom locations and operators. System deviations were less than 5% of group mean or three times standard deviation; therefore, all systems passed AT. A test protocol was provided based on results that no statistically significant difference was observed between using ultrasound gel and salt water for coupling, among different phantom locations, and that interoperator and intraoperator coefficient of variation was less than 3%. For SWE target measurements, two systems were compared - a Supersonic Aixplorer scanner with a SL10-2 and a SL15-4 transducer, and an abovementioned GE scanner with 9L-D transducer. Two stepped cylinders with diameters of 4.05-10.40 mm were measured both longitudinally and transaxially. Target shear wave speed quantification was performed using an in-house MATLAB program. Using the target shear wave speed deduced from phantom specs as a reference, SL15-4 performed the best at the measured depth. However, it was challenging to reliably measure a 4.05 mm target for either system. The reported test methods and results could provide important information when dealing with SWE-related tasks in the clinical environment. © 2018 The Authors

Entropy and convexity for nonlinear partial differential equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, John M; Chen, Gui-Qiang G

2013-12-28

Partial differential equations are ubiquitous in almost all applications of mathematics, where they provide a natural mathematical description of many phenomena involving change in physical, chemical, biological and social processes. The concept of entropy originated in thermodynamics and statistical physics during the nineteenth century to describe the heat exchanges that occur in the thermal processes in a thermodynamic system, while the original notion of convexity is for sets and functions in mathematics. Since then, entropy and convexity have become two of the most important concepts in mathematics. In particular, nonlinear methods via entropy and convexity have been playing an increasingly important role in the analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations in recent decades. This opening article of the Theme Issue is intended to provide an introduction to entropy, convexity and related nonlinear methods for the analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations. We also provide a brief discussion about the content and contributions of the papers that make up this Theme Issue.

Studies of the source complex behaviour and of the ultrasound radiation of contact flexible multi-element transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amory, V.

2007-12-01

This work deals with the ultrasonic nondestructive testing of parts with complex geometries using soft multi-element sensors. The different types of contact control configurations are presented first. Then, the difficulties encountered with conventional contact transducers are explained and the multi-element piezoelectric transducers technology, developed to meet these difficulties, is presented. The second chapter presents the results of finite-element calculations showing the complexity of a transducer in a condition of testing utilization. In a same configuration, the radiated far field calculated by finite-elements is compared to the measurement in order to validate the way the source behaviour is calculated. However, despite the efficiency of the finite-elements simulation, this tool is numerically too costly and cannot be used to optimize a full multi-element transducer. Therefore, a realistic source model is built and implemented in a radiation code based on high-frequency asymptotic approximations where only L and T volume waves are calculated. The incapacity of this model to reproduce the behaviour of T waves in some directions of propagation has led to give a particular attention to the fore-waves, neglected in the radiation calculation. Chapter 3 treats of the building of an exact radiation model taking into consideration the fore-waves contribution emitted by a contact transducer exerting a random space-time distribution constraint at the surface of the considered medium. A radiation model, based on the calculation of exact Green functions of the Lamb problem is proposed. The exact model is particularly interesting in the case of sensor geometries with a long length with respect to other dimensions (2D case). Field calculation results are shown for an element of the matrix network (3D case) and for a linear element (2D case). A study of different existing approached models is carried out as well. The last chapter presents some results of the field

Improved sonothrombolysis from a modified diagnostic transducer delivering impulses containing a longer pulse duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Juefei; Xie, Feng; Kumar, Tanmay; Liu, Jinjin; Lof, John; Shi, William; Everbach, E Carr; Porter, Thomas R

2014-07-01

Although guided high-mechanical-index (MI) impulses from a diagnostic ultrasound transducer have been used in preclinical studies to dissolve coronary arterial and microvascular thrombi in the presence of intravenously infused microbubbles, it is possible that pulse durations (PDs) longer than that used for diagnostic imaging may further improve the effectiveness of this approach. By use of an established in vitro model flow system, a total of 90 occlusive porcine arterial thrombi (thrombus age: 3-4 h) within a vascular mimicking system were randomized to 10-min treatments with two different PDs (5 and 20 μs) using a Philips S5-1 transducer (1.6-MHz center frequency) at a range of MIs (from 0.2 to 1.4). All impulses were delivered in an intermittent fashion to permit microbubble replenishment within the thrombosed vessel. Diluted lipid-encapsulated microbubbles (0.5% Definity) were infused during the entire treatment period. A tissue-mimicking phantom 5 cm thick was placed between the transducer and thrombosed vessel to mimic transthoracic attenuation. Two 20-MHz passive cavitation detection systems were placed confocal to the insonified vessel to assess for inertial cavitational activity. Percentage thrombus dissolution was calculated by weighing the thrombi before and after each treatment. Percentage thrombus dissolution was significantly higher with a 20-μs PD already at the 0.2 and 0.4 MI therapeutic impulses (54 ± 12% vs. 33 ± 17% and 54 ± 22% vs. 34 ± 17%, p cavitation detection systems detected only low intensities of inertial cavitation. At higher MI settings and 20-μs PDs, percentage thrombus dissolution decreased most likely from high-intensity cavitation shielding of the thrombus. Slightly prolonging the PD on a diagnostic transducer improves the degree of sonothrombolysis that can be achieved without fibrinolytic agents at a lower mechanical index. Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc

Imaging the Cemento-Enamel Junction Using a 20-MHz Ultrasonic Transducer.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Kim-Cuong T; Le, Lawrence H; Kaipatur, Neelambar R; Major, Paul W

2016-01-01

The cemento-enamel junction (CEJ), which is the intersection between enamel and cementum, is an important landmark in the diagnosis of periodontal disease. Pulse-echo ultrasound was used to image the CEJs of six porcine lower central incisors with a single 20-MHz transducer. A notch was longitudinally created on the enamel as a stable marker, from which the CEJ was measured. Data were acquired along the tooth's axis at 0.4-mm intervals. Time-distance data were bandpass-filtered to enhance signal-to-noise ratio and record density was increased fourfold to 0.1-mm spacing by a frequency-distance interpolation scheme. Reflections from the CEJ were unambiguously identified along with those from enamel, dentin and cementum. The notch-CEJ distances measured by the ultrasound and micro-computed tomography methods correlated strongly (r = 0.996, p < 0.05) and were in good agreement with the 95% lines of agreement between -0.49 and 0.17 mm, as statistically determined by Bland-Altman analysis. The results indicate the potential of ultrasound to be a reliable and non-ionizing technique to image the CEJ. Copyright © 2016 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Renormalization Analysis of a Composite Ultrasonic Transducer with a Fractal Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Algehyne, Ebrahem A.; Mulholland, Anthony J.

To ensure the safe operation of many safety critical structures such as nuclear plants, aircraft and oil pipelines, non-destructive imaging is employed using piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. These sensors typically operate at a single frequency due to the restrictions imposed on their resonant behavior by the use of a single length scale in the design. To allow these transducers to transmit and receive more complex signals it would seem logical to use a range of length scales in the design so that a wide range of resonating frequencies will result. In this paper, we derive a mathematical model to predict the dynamics of an ultrasound transducer that achieves this range of length scales by adopting a fractal architecture. In fact, the device is modeled as a graph where the nodes represent segments of the piezoelectric and polymer materials. The electrical and mechanical fields that are contained within this graph are then expressed in terms of a finite element basis. The structure of the resulting discretized equations yields to a renormalization methodology which is used to derive expressions for the non-dimensionalized electrical impedance and the transmission and reception sensitivities. A comparison with a standard design shows some benefits of these fractal designs.

Driving electrostatic transducers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Dennis; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2013-01-01

Electrostatic transducers represent a very interesting alternative to the traditional inefficient electrodynamic transducers. In order to establish the full potential of these transducers, power amplifiers which fulfill the strict requirements imposed by such loads (high impedance, frequency...... depended, nonlinear and high bias voltage for linearization) must be developed. This paper analyzes power stages and bias configurations suitable for driving an electrostatic transducer. Measurement results of a 300 V prototype amplifier are shown. Measuring THD across a high impedance source is discussed...

Application of focused ultrasounds to the measurement of the dimensions of defects in welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foulquier, H.; Roule, M.; Saglio, R.; Touffait, A.M.

1976-01-01

Non destructive testing using ultrasounds must not only detect eventual defects but also give their nature and dimensions. C.E.A. has studied and developed focused transducers which permit the sizing of defects with high precision [fr

Convex Optimization in R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger Koenker

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Convex optimization now plays an essential role in many facets of statistics. We briefly survey some recent developments and describe some implementations of these methods in R . Applications of linear and quadratic programming are introduced including quantile regression, the Huber M-estimator and various penalized regression methods. Applications to additively separable convex problems subject to linear equality and inequality constraints such as nonparametric density estimation and maximum likelihood estimation of general nonparametric mixture models are described, as are several cone programming problems. We focus throughout primarily on implementations in the R environment that rely on solution methods linked to R, like MOSEK by the package Rmosek. Code is provided in R to illustrate several of these problems. Other applications are available in the R package REBayes, dealing with empirical Bayes estimation of nonparametric mixture models.

Numerical implementation of magneto-acousto-electrical tomography (MAET) using a linear phased array transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Soner Gözü, Mehmet; Zengin, Reyhan; Güneri Gençer, Nevzat

2018-02-01

In this study, the performance and implementation of magneto-acousto-electrical tomography (MAET) is investigated using a linear phased array (LPA) transducer. The goal of MAET is to image the conductivity distribution in biological bodies. It uses the interaction between ultrasound and a static magnetic field to generate velocity current density distribution inside the body. The resultant voltage due to velocity current density is sensed by surface electrodes attached on the body. In this study, the theory of MAET is reviewed. A 16-element LPA transducer with 1 MHz excitation frequency is used to provide beam directivity and steerability of acoustic waves. Different two-dimensional numerical models of breast and tumour are formed to analyze the multiphysics problem coupled with acoustics and electromagnetic fields. In these models, velocity current density distributions are obtained for pulse type ultrasound excitations. The static magnetic field is assumed as 1 T. To sense the resultant voltage caused by the velocity current density, it is assumed that two electrodes are attached on the surface of the body. The performance of MAET is shown through sensitivity matrix analysis. The sensitivity matrix is obtained for two transducer positions with 13 steering angles between -30\\circ to 30\\circ with 5\\circ angular intervals. For the reconstruction of the images, truncated singular value decomposition method is used with different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values (20 dB, 40 dB, 60 dB and 80 dB). The resultant images show that the perturbation (5 mm  ×  5 mm) placed 35 mm depth can be detected even if the SNR is 20 dB.

Use of a high-frequency aspiration-biopsy transducer for direct ultrasound-guided amniocentesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bree, R L

1979-04-01

The techniques and applications of amniocentesis performed with a new high-frequency aspiration-biopsy transducer are described in detail. The advantages of this technique are greatest in third-trimester patients where active fetal motion and diminished amniotic fluid volumes make unguided punctures difficult or impossible. The ability to visualize small-caliber needles within the fluid space further enhances the effectiveness of this technique.

Transmitting Performance Evaluation of ASICs for CMUT-Based Portable Ultrasound Scanners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Llimos Muntal, Pere; Diederichsen, Søren Elmin; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger

2017-01-01

Portable ultrasound scanners (PUS) have, in recent years, raised a lot of attention, as they can potentially overcome some of the limitations of static scanners. However, PUS have a lot of design limitations including size and power consumption. These restrictions can compromise the image quality...... of the scanner. In order to overcome these restrictions, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are needed to implement the electronics. In this work, a comparative study of the transmitting performance of a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) driven by a commercial generic ultrasound...

Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the thickened peritoneal reflections: efficacy and diagnostic role in the differential diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis and peritoneal carcinomatosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Hwan; Ryeom, Hun Kyu; Chung, Tae Gyun; Park, Hyo Yong; Kim, Yong Joo; Kang, Duck Sik

2000-01-01

To evaluate the accuracy and safety of ultrasound-guided biopsy of the thickened peritoneal reflections and to determine the efficacy and diagnostic role of this procedure in the differential diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Twenty-seven patients with only mildly thickened (25 mm or less) peritoneal reflections without apparent mass formations, and in whom imaging findings were not diagnostic, underwent ultrasound-guided biopsy. Five-MHz linear or convex linear array transducers were used for ultrasound guidance, and an automated gun with 18-gauge (n=3D23) or 20-gauge (n=3D4) needles for tissue sampling. biopsies were performed on the thickened parietal peritoneum (n=3D9), greater omentum (n=3D11), and small bowel mesentery (n=3D7), and the results were compared with the final diagnosis determined by radiologic/clinical follow-up (n=3D17) or laparoscopic biopsy (n=3D10). Complications and changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels after the procedure were evaluated. Specimens adequate for pathologic examination were obtained in all 27 patients. The histopathologic results were metastatic carcinomatosis (n=3D15), peritoneal tuberculosis (n=3D8), and chronic granulomatous inflammation (n=3D4). Specific pathologic diagnosis was obtained in all patients except the four with chronic granulomatous inflammation. Differentiation between benignancy and malignancy was possible in all patients and the histopathologic specific accuracy rate was 100%. No clinically significant complications were observed. In 24 patients with ascites at the site of the biopsy, transient bleeding was observed immediately after the procedure, but this stopped spontaneously within a few minutes. Post-procedural hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were only minimally lower (mean values of 0.9 g/dL and 3.0%, respectively) than pre-procedurally. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of thickened peritoneal reflections is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure and is useful in

Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the thickened peritoneal reflections: efficacy and diagnostic role in the differential diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis and peritoneal carcinomatosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Hwan; Ryeom, Hun Kyu; Chung, Tae Gyun; Park, Hyo Yong; Kim, Yong Joo; Kang, Duck Sik [Kyungpook National University Hospital, Taegu (Korea, Republic of)

2000-08-01

To evaluate the accuracy and safety of ultrasound-guided biopsy of the thickened peritoneal reflections and to determine the efficacy and diagnostic role of this procedure in the differential diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Twenty-seven patients with only mildly thickened (25 mm or less) peritoneal reflections without apparent mass formations, and in whom imaging findings were not diagnostic, underwent ultrasound-guided biopsy. Five-MHz linear or convex linear array transducers were used for ultrasound guidance, and an automated gun with 18-gauge (n=3D23) or 20-gauge (n=3D4) needles for tissue sampling. biopsies were performed on the thickened parietal peritoneum (n=3D9), greater omentum (n=3D11), and small bowel mesentery (n=3D7), and the results were compared with the final diagnosis determined by radiologic/clinical follow-up (n=3D17) or laparoscopic biopsy (n=3D10). Complications and changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels after the procedure were evaluated. Specimens adequate for pathologic examination were obtained in all 27 patients. The histopathologic results were metastatic carcinomatosis (n=3D15), peritoneal tuberculosis (n=3D8), and chronic granulomatous inflammation (n=3D4). Specific pathologic diagnosis was obtained in all patients except the four with chronic granulomatous inflammation. Differentiation between benignancy and malignancy was possible in all patients and the histopathologic specific accuracy rate was 100%. No clinically significant complications were observed. In 24 patients with ascites at the site of the biopsy, transient bleeding was observed immediately after the procedure, but this stopped spontaneously within a few minutes. Post-procedural hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were only minimally lower (mean values of 0.9 g/dL and 3.0%, respectively) than pre-procedurally. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of thickened peritoneal reflections is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure and is useful in

Detection of an embolized central venous catheter fragment with endobronchial ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhillon, Samjot Singh; Harris, Kassem; Alraiyes, Abdul H; Picone, Anthony L

2018-01-01

An 84-year-old woman underwent Convex-probe Endobronchial Ultrasound (CP-EBUS) for 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose avid subcarinal lymphadenopathy on Positron Emission Tomogram (PET) scan. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of the subcarinal lymph node revealed squamous cell lung carcinoma. A small hyperechoic rounded density was noted inside the lumen of the azygous vein. Based on chest computed tomography findings and her clinical history, this was felt to be a broken fragment of a peripherally inserted central catheter, which was placed for intravenous antibiotics, a few months prior to this presentation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ever CP-EBUS description of a broken fragment of central venous catheter. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Performance Evaluation of a Synthetic Aperture Real-Time Ultrasound System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stuart, Matthias Bo; Tomov, Borislav Gueorguiev; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2011-01-01

This paper evaluates the signal-to-noise ratio, the time stability, and the phase difference of the sampling in the experimental ultrasound scanner SARUS: A synthetic aperture, real-time ultrasound system. SARUS has 1024 independent transmit and receive channels and is capable of handling 2D probes...... arrays (FPGAs) making it very flexible and allowing implementation of other real-time ultrasound processing methods in the future. For conventional B-mode imaging, a penetration depth around 7 cm for a 7 MHz transducer is obtained (signal-tonoise ratio of 0 dB), which is comparable to commercial...... for 3D ultrasound imaging. It samples at 12 bits per sample and has a sampling rate of 70 MHz with the possibility of decimating the sampling frequency at the input. SARUS is capable of advanced real-time computations such as synthetic aperture imaging. The system is built using fieldprogrammable gate...

Design, Simulation and Experimental Evaluation of Tri-Phasic Piezoelectric Composite Transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Tamez, Juan Pedro

Piezoelectric ceramics exhibit excellent piezoelectric and dielectric properties that is the basis of practically all transducers and piezoelectric devices, but their inherent properties, such as brittleness, non-ductility and poor shapeability may limit their applications in areas such as vibration sensing, impact detection, structural health monitoring and other reinforced structures and energy harvesting. To compensate for such limitations, the 1-3 piezoelectric composites transducers have become the material of choice for many high performance ultrasound transducers since it was invented in the late 1970's [ref. Newnham/Cross]. Extensive studies on 1-3 composites have been performed since then to improve the performance of a transducer by modifying their electromechanical coupling, bandwidth, quality factor, and flexibility and by reducing or eliminating the cross talk, i.e., induced noise between the active piezoelectric elements, especially in high power and low frequency applications. These fundamental issues, their possible solutions and their wide impact underline the motivation of the current work in this dissertation report. The motivation for this dissertation was to study and provide a foundation to designing multiphasic piezoelectric transducers that could be useful for multitude of applications. The goal was to improve the 1-3 diphasic composite transducer by eliminating the cross talk between the active piezoelectric elements while maintaining and improving the figures of merit of the design. To achieve the ultimate goal, the steps outlined below were followed: i. Understanding the theoretical and mathematical modeling for tri-phasic piezoelectric composite. ii. Implement Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and simulations of tri-phasic piezoelectric composites where the different active piezoelectric material PZT-5H and PMN-30%PT is surrounded by a vacuum phase that is enclosed by a hexagonal polymer walls. iii. Propose a redesign of the tri

Schur Convexity of Generalized Heronian Means Involving Two Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bencze Mihály

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The Schur convexity and Schur-geometric convexity of generalized Heronian means involving two parameters are studied, the main result is then used to obtain several interesting and significantly inequalities for generalized Heronian means.

Power MOSFET-diode-based limiter for high-frequency ultrasound systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hojong; Kim, Min Gon; Cummins, Thomas M; Hwang, Jae Youn; Shung, K Kirk

2014-10-01

The purpose of the limiter circuits used in the ultrasound imaging systems is to pass low-voltage echo signals generated by ultrasonic transducers while preventing high-voltage short pulses transmitted by pulsers from damaging front-end circuits. Resistor-diode-based limiters (a 50 Ω resistor with a single cross-coupled diode pair) have been widely used in pulse-echo measurement and imaging system applications due to their low cost and simple architecture. However, resistor-diode-based limiters may not be suited for high-frequency ultrasound transducer applications since they produce large signal conduction losses at higher frequencies. Therefore, we propose a new limiter architecture utilizing power MOSFETs, which we call a power MOSFET-diode-based limiter. The performance of a power MOSFET-diode-based limiter was evaluated with respect to insertion loss (IL), total harmonic distortion (THD), and response time (RT). We compared these results with those of three other conventional limiter designs and showed that the power MOSFET-diode-based limiter offers the lowest IL (-1.33 dB) and fastest RT (0.10 µs) with the lowest suppressed output voltage (3.47 Vp-p) among all the limiters at 70 MHz. A pulse-echo test was performed to determine how the new limiter affected the sensitivity and bandwidth of the transducer. We found that the sensitivity and bandwidth of the transducer were 130% and 129% greater, respectively, when combined with the new power MOSFET-diode-based limiter versus the resistor-diode-based limiter. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the power MOSFET-diode-based limiter is capable of producing lower signal attenuation than the three conventional limiter designs at higher frequency operation. © The Author(s) 2014.

Physics of tissue harmonic imaging by ultrasound

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Yuan

Tissue Harmonic Imaging (THI) is an imaging modality that is currently deployed on diagnostic ultrasound scanners. In THI the amplitude of the ultrasonic pulse that is used to probe the tissue is large enough that the pulse undergoes nonlinear distortion as it propagates into the tissue. One result of the distortion is that as the pulse propagates energy is shifted from the fundamental frequency of the source pulse into its higher harmonics. These harmonics will scatter off objects in the tissue and images formed from the scattered higher harmonics are considered to have superior quality to the images formed from the fundamental frequency. Processes that have been suggested as possibly responsible for the improved imaging in THI include: (1) reduced sensitivity to reverberation, (2) reduced sensitivity to aberration, and (3) reduction in side lobes. By using a combination of controlled experiments and numerical simulations, these three reasons have been investigated. A single element transducer and a clinical ultrasound scanner with a phased array transducer were used to image a commercial tissue-mimicking phantom with calibrated targets. The higher image quality achieved with THI was quantified in terms of spatial resolution and "clutter" signals. A three-dimensional model of the forward propagation of nonlinear sound beams in media with arbitrary spatial properties (a generalized KZK equation) was developed. A time-domain code for solving the KZK equation was validated with measurements of the acoustic field generated by the single element transducer and the phased array transducer. The code was used to investigate the impact of aberration using tissue-like media with three-dimensional variations in all acoustic properties. The three-dimensional maps of tissue properties were derived from the datasets available through the Visible Female project. The experiments and simulations demonstrated that second harmonic imaging (1) suffers less clutter associated with

Angular spectrum approach for fast simulation of pulsed non-linear ultrasound fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Du, Yigang; Jensen, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2011-01-01

The paper presents an Angular Spectrum Approach (ASA) for simulating pulsed non-linear ultrasound fields. The source of the ASA is generated by Field II, which can simulate array transducers of any arbitrary geometry and focusing. The non-linear ultrasound simulation program - Abersim, is used...... as the reference. A linear array transducer with 64 active elements is simulated by both Field II and Abersim. The excitation is a 2-cycle sine wave with a frequency of 5 MHz. The second harmonic field in the time domain is simulated using ASA. Pulse inversion is used in the Abersim simulation to remove...... the fundamental and keep the second harmonic field, since Abersim simulates non-linear fields with all harmonic components. ASA and Abersim are compared for the pulsed fundamental and second harmonic fields in the time domain at depths of 30 mm, 40 mm (focal depth) and 60 mm. Full widths at -6 dB (FWHM) are f0...

Inhibitory competition in figure-ground perception: context and convexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Mary A; Salvagio, Elizabeth

2008-12-15

Convexity has long been considered a potent cue as to which of two regions on opposite sides of an edge is the shaped figure. Experiment 1 shows that for a single edge, there is only a weak bias toward seeing the figure on the convex side. Experiments 1-3 show that the bias toward seeing the convex side as figure increases as the number of edges delimiting alternating convex and concave regions increases, provided that the concave regions are homogeneous in color. The results of Experiments 2 and 3 rule out a probability summation explanation for these context effects. Taken together, the results of Experiments 1-3 show that the homogeneity versus heterogeneity of the convex regions is irrelevant. Experiment 4 shows that homogeneity of alternating regions is not sufficient for context effects; a cue that favors the perception of the intervening regions as figures is necessary. Thus homogeneity alone does not alone operate as a background cue. We interpret our results within a model of figure-ground perception in which shape properties on opposite sides of an edge compete for representation and the competitive strength of weak competitors is further reduced when they are homogeneous.

A Portable Ultrasound System for Non-Invasive Ultrasonic Neuro-Stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Weibao; Zhou, Juan; Chen, Yan; Su, Min; Li, Guofeng; Zhao, Huixia; Gu, Xianyi; Meng, De; Wang, Congzhi; Xiao, Yang; Lam, Kwok Ho; Dai, Jiyan; Zheng, Hairong

2017-12-01

Fundamental insights into the function of the neural circuits often follows from the advances in methodologies and tools for neuroscience. Electrode- and optical- based stimulation methods have been used widely for neuro-modulation with high resolution. However, they are suffering from inherent invasive surgical procedure. Ultrasound has been proved as a promising technology for neuro-stimulation in a non-invasive manner. However, no portable ultrasound system has been developed particularly for neuro-stimulation. The utilities used currently are assembled by traditional functional generator, power amplifier, and general transducer, therefore, resulting in lack of flexibility. This paper presents a portable system to achieve ultrasonic neuro-stimulation to satisfy various studies. The system incorporated a high voltage waveform generator and a matching circuit that were optimized for neuro-stimulation. A new switching mode power amplifier was designed and fabricated. The noise generated by the power amplifier was reduced (about 30 dB), and the size and weight were smaller in contrast with commercial equipment. In addition, a miniaturized ultrasound transducer was fabricated using Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) 1-3 composite single crystal for the improved ultrasonic performance. The spatial peak temporal average pressure was higher than 250 kPa in the range of 0.5-5 MHz. In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to show the performance of the system.

Convexities move because they contain matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Barenholtz, Elan

2010-09-22

Figure-ground assignment to a contour is a fundamental stage in visual processing. The current paper introduces a novel, highly general dynamic cue to figure-ground assignment: "Convex Motion." Across six experiments, subjects showed a strong preference to assign figure and ground to a dynamically deforming contour such that the moving contour segment was convex rather than concave. Experiments 1 and 2 established the preference across two different kinds of deformational motion. Additional experiments determined that this preference was not due to fixation (Experiment 3) or attentional mechanisms (Experiment 4). Experiment 5 found a similar, but reduced bias for rigid-as opposed to deformational-motion, and Experiment 6 demonstrated that the phenomenon depends on the global motion of the effected contour. An explanation of this phenomenon is presented on the basis of typical natural deformational motion, which tends to involve convex contour projections that contain regions consisting of physical "matter," as opposed to concave contour indentations that contain empty space. These results highlight the fundamental relationship between figure and ground, perceived shape, and the inferred physical properties of an object.

Use of Convexity in Ostomy Care: Results of an International Consensus Meeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoeflok, Jo; Salvadalena, Ginger; Pridham, Sue; Droste, Werner; McNichol, Laurie; Gray, Mikel

Ostomy skin barriers that incorporate a convexity feature have been available in the marketplace for decades, but limited resources are available to guide clinicians in selection and use of convex products. Given the widespread use of convexity, and the need to provide practical guidelines for appropriate use of pouching systems with convex features, an international consensus panel was convened to provide consensus-based guidance for this aspect of ostomy practice. Panelists were provided with a summary of relevant literature in advance of the meeting; these articles were used to generate and reach consensus on 26 statements during a 1-day meeting. Consensus was achieved when 80% of panelists agreed on a statement using an anonymous electronic response system. The 26 statements provide guidance for convex product characteristics, patient assessment, convexity use, and outcomes.

Acoustic transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Drumheller, Douglas S.

2000-01-01

An active acoustic transducer tool for use down-hole applications. The tool includes a single cylindrical mandrel including a shoulder defining the boundary of a narrowed portion over which is placed a sandwich-style piezoelectric tranducer assembly. The piezoelectric transducer assembly is prestressed by being placed in a thermal interference fit between the shoulder of the mandrel and the base of an anvil which is likewise positioned over the narrower portion of the mandrel. In the preferred embodiment, assembly of the tool is accomplished using a hydraulic jack to stretch the mandrel prior to emplacement of the cylindrical sandwich-style piezoelectric transducer assembly and anvil. After those elements are positioned and secured, the stretched mandrel is allowed to return substantially to its original (pre-stretch) dimensions with the result that the piezoelectric transducer elements are compressed between the anvil and the shoulder of the mandrel.

Hermite-Hadamard type inequality for φ{sub h}-convex stochastic processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarıkaya, Mehmet Zeki, E-mail: sarikayamz@gmail.com [Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Düzce University, Düzce (Turkey); Kiriş, Mehmet Eyüp, E-mail: kiris@aku.edu.tr [Department of Mathematics, Institute of Science and Arts, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar (Turkey); Çelik, Nuri, E-mail: ncelik@bartin.edu.tr [Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, Bartın University, Bartın-Turkey (Turkey)

2016-04-18

The main aim of the present paper is to introduce φ{sub h}-convex stochastic processes and we investigate main properties of these mappings. Moreover, we prove the Hadamard-type inequalities for φ{sub h}-convex stochastic processes. We also give some new general inequalities for φ{sub h}-convex stochastic processes.

Calibration of acoustic emission transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leschek, W.C.

1976-01-01

A method is described for calibrating an acoustic emission transducer to be used in a pre-set frequency range. The absolute reception sensitivity of a reference transducer is determined at frequencies selected within the frequency range. The reference transducer and the acoustic emission transducer are put into acoustic communication with the surface of a limited acoustic medium representing an equivalent acoustic load appreciably identical to that of the medium in which the use of the acoustic emission transducer is intended. A blank random acoustic noise is emitted in the acoustic medium in order to establish a diffuse and reverberating sound field, after which the output responses of the reference transducer and of the acoustic emission transducer are obtained with respect to the diffuse and reverberating field, for selected frequencies. The output response of the acoustic emission transducer is compared with that of the reference transducer for the selected frequencies, so as to determine the reception sensitivity of the acoustic emission transducer [fr

Development of Remote-Type Haptic Catheter Sensor System using Piezoelectric Transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Haruta, Mineyuki; Murayama, Yoshinobu; Omata, Sadao

This study describes the development of Remote-Type Haptic Catheter Sensor System which enables the mechanical property evaluation of a blood vessel. This system consists of a feedback circuit and a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer, and is operated based on a phase shift method so that the entire system oscillates at its inherent resonance frequency. Ultrasound reflected by the blood vessel makes a phase shift of the resonance system depending on the acoustic impedance of the reflector. The phase shift is then measured as a change in resonance frequency of the system; therefore, the detection resolution is highly improved. The correlation between the acoustic impedance and the resonance frequency change of the sensor system was demonstrated using silicone rubbers, metals and actual blood vessels from a pig. The performance of the sensor was also examined using vessel shaped phantom model. Finally, the discussion surveys a possibility of the novel sensor system in an application for intra vascular diagnosis.

Motion compensation with skin contact control for high intensity focused ultrasound surgery in moving organs

Science.gov (United States)

Diodato, A.; Cafarelli, A.; Schiappacasse, A.; Tognarelli, S.; Ciuti, G.; Menciassi, A.

2018-02-01

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an emerging therapeutic solution that enables non-invasive treatment of several pathologies, mainly in oncology. On the other hand, accurate targeting of moving abdominal organs (e.g. liver, kidney, pancreas) is still an open challenge. This paper proposes a novel method to compensate the physiological respiratory motion of organs during HIFU procedures, by exploiting a robotic platform for ultrasound-guided HIFU surgery provided with a therapeutic annular phased array transducer. The proposed method enables us to keep the same contact point between the transducer and the patient’s skin during the whole procedure, thus minimizing the modification of the acoustic window during the breathing phases. The motion of the target point is compensated through the rotation of the transducer around a virtual pivot point, while the focal depth is continuously adjusted thanks to the axial electronically steering capabilities of the HIFU transducer. The feasibility of the angular motion compensation strategy has been demonstrated in a simulated respiratory-induced organ motion environment. Based on the experimental results, the proposed method appears to be significantly accurate (i.e. the maximum compensation error is always under 1 mm), thus paving the way for the potential use of this technique for in vivo treatment of moving organs, and therefore enabling a wide use of HIFU in clinics.

Design of patient-specific focused ultrasound arrays for non-invasive brain therapy with increased trans-skull transmission and steering range

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Alec; Hynynen, Kullervo

2017-09-01

The use of a phased array of ultrasound transducer elements to sonicate through the skull has opened the way for new treatments and the delivery of therapeutics beyond the blood-brain barrier. The limited steering range of current clinical devices, particularly at higher frequencies, limits the regions of the brain that are considered treatable by ultrasound. A new array design is introduced that allows for high levels of beam steering and increased transmission throughout the brain. These improvements are achieved using concave transducers normal to the outer-skull surface in a patient-specific configuration to target within the skull, so that the far-field of each beam is within the brain. It is shown that by using pulsed ultrasound waves timed to arrive in-phase at the desired target, sufficient levels of acoustic energy are delivered for blood-brain barrier opening throughout the brain.

Fast approximate convex decomposition using relative concavity

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Mukulika; Amato, Nancy M.; Lu, Yanyan; Lien, Jyh-Ming

2013-01-01

Approximate convex decomposition (ACD) is a technique that partitions an input object into approximately convex components. Decomposition into approximately convex pieces is both more efficient to compute than exact convex decomposition and can also generate a more manageable number of components. It can be used as a basis of divide-and-conquer algorithms for applications such as collision detection, skeleton extraction and mesh generation. In this paper, we propose a new method called Fast Approximate Convex Decomposition (FACD) that improves the quality of the decomposition and reduces the cost of computing it for both 2D and 3D models. In particular, we propose a new strategy for evaluating potential cuts that aims to reduce the relative concavity, rather than absolute concavity. As shown in our results, this leads to more natural and smaller decompositions that include components for small but important features such as toes or fingers while not decomposing larger components, such as the torso, that may have concavities due to surface texture. Second, instead of decomposing a component into two pieces at each step, as in the original ACD, we propose a new strategy that uses a dynamic programming approach to select a set of n c non-crossing (independent) cuts that can be simultaneously applied to decompose the component into n c+1 components. This reduces the depth of recursion and, together with a more efficient method for computing the concavity measure, leads to significant gains in efficiency. We provide comparative results for 2D and 3D models illustrating the improvements obtained by FACD over ACD and we compare with the segmentation methods in the Princeton Shape Benchmark by Chen et al. (2009) [31]. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast approximate convex decomposition using relative concavity

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Mukulika

2013-02-01

Approximate convex decomposition (ACD) is a technique that partitions an input object into approximately convex components. Decomposition into approximately convex pieces is both more efficient to compute than exact convex decomposition and can also generate a more manageable number of components. It can be used as a basis of divide-and-conquer algorithms for applications such as collision detection, skeleton extraction and mesh generation. In this paper, we propose a new method called Fast Approximate Convex Decomposition (FACD) that improves the quality of the decomposition and reduces the cost of computing it for both 2D and 3D models. In particular, we propose a new strategy for evaluating potential cuts that aims to reduce the relative concavity, rather than absolute concavity. As shown in our results, this leads to more natural and smaller decompositions that include components for small but important features such as toes or fingers while not decomposing larger components, such as the torso, that may have concavities due to surface texture. Second, instead of decomposing a component into two pieces at each step, as in the original ACD, we propose a new strategy that uses a dynamic programming approach to select a set of n c non-crossing (independent) cuts that can be simultaneously applied to decompose the component into n c+1 components. This reduces the depth of recursion and, together with a more efficient method for computing the concavity measure, leads to significant gains in efficiency. We provide comparative results for 2D and 3D models illustrating the improvements obtained by FACD over ACD and we compare with the segmentation methods in the Princeton Shape Benchmark by Chen et al. (2009) [31]. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary In-vivo Results For Spatially Coded Synthetic Transmit Aperture Ultrasound Based On Frequency Division

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gran, Fredrik; Hansen, Kristoffer Lindskov; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2006-01-01

This paper investigates the possibility of using spatial coding based on frequency division for in-vivo synthetic transmit aperture (STA) ultrasound imaging. When using spatial encoding for STA, it is possible to use several transmitters simultaneously and separate the signals at the receiver....... This increases the maximum transmit power compared to conventional STA, where only one transmitter can be active. The signal-to-noise-ratio can therefore he increased and better penetration can be obtained. For frequency division, the coding is achieved by designing a number of transmit waveforms with disjoint...... spectral support, spanning the passband of the ultrasound transducer. The signals can therefore he separated at the receiver using matched filtering. The method is tested using a commercial linear array transducer with a center frequency of 9 MHz and 68% fractional bandwidth. In this paper, the transmit...

Combined ultrasound and MR imaging to guide focused ultrasound therapies in the brain

Science.gov (United States)

Arvanitis, Costas D.; Livingstone, Margaret S.; McDannold, Nathan

2013-07-01

Several emerging therapies with potential for use in the brain, harness effects produced by acoustic cavitation—the interaction between ultrasound and microbubbles either generated during sonication or introduced into the vasculature. Systems developed for transcranial MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thermal ablation can enable their clinical translation, but methods for real-time monitoring and control are currently lacking. Acoustic emissions produced during sonication can provide information about the location, strength and type of the microbubble oscillations within the ultrasound field, and they can be mapped in real-time using passive imaging approaches. Here, we tested whether such mapping can be achieved transcranially within a clinical brain MRgFUS system. We integrated an ultrasound imaging array into the hemisphere transducer of the MRgFUS device. Passive cavitation maps were obtained during sonications combined with a circulating microbubble agent at 20 targets in the cingulate cortex in three macaques. The maps were compared with MRI-evident tissue effects. The system successfully mapped microbubble activity during both stable and inertial cavitation, which was correlated with MRI-evident transient blood-brain barrier disruption and vascular damage, respectively. The location of this activity was coincident with the resulting tissue changes within the expected resolution limits of the system. While preliminary, these data clearly demonstrate, for the first time, that it is possible to construct maps of stable and inertial cavitation transcranially, in a large animal model, and under clinically relevant conditions. Further, these results suggest that this hybrid ultrasound/MRI approach can provide comprehensive guidance for targeted drug delivery via blood-brain barrier disruption and other emerging ultrasound treatments, facilitating their clinical translation. We anticipate that it will also prove to be an important research tool that will

Combined ultrasound and MR imaging to guide focused ultrasound therapies in the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arvanitis, Costas D; McDannold, Nathan; Livingstone, Margaret S

2013-01-01

Several emerging therapies with potential for use in the brain, harness effects produced by acoustic cavitation—the interaction between ultrasound and microbubbles either generated during sonication or introduced into the vasculature. Systems developed for transcranial MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thermal ablation can enable their clinical translation, but methods for real-time monitoring and control are currently lacking. Acoustic emissions produced during sonication can provide information about the location, strength and type of the microbubble oscillations within the ultrasound field, and they can be mapped in real-time using passive imaging approaches. Here, we tested whether such mapping can be achieved transcranially within a clinical brain MRgFUS system. We integrated an ultrasound imaging array into the hemisphere transducer of the MRgFUS device. Passive cavitation maps were obtained during sonications combined with a circulating microbubble agent at 20 targets in the cingulate cortex in three macaques. The maps were compared with MRI-evident tissue effects. The system successfully mapped microbubble activity during both stable and inertial cavitation, which was correlated with MRI-evident transient blood–brain barrier disruption and vascular damage, respectively. The location of this activity was coincident with the resulting tissue changes within the expected resolution limits of the system. While preliminary, these data clearly demonstrate, for the first time, that it is possible to construct maps of stable and inertial cavitation transcranially, in a large animal model, and under clinically relevant conditions. Further, these results suggest that this hybrid ultrasound/MRI approach can provide comprehensive guidance for targeted drug delivery via blood–brain barrier disruption and other emerging ultrasound treatments, facilitating their clinical translation. We anticipate that it will also prove to be an important research tool that

Production of particulates from transducer erosion: implications on food safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Mawson, Raymond; Rout, Manoj; Ripoll, Gabriela; Swiergon, Piotr; Singh, Tanoj; Knoerzer, Kai; Juliano, Pablo

2014-11-01

The formation of metallic particulates from erosion was investigated by running a series of transducers at various frequencies in water. Two low frequency transducer sonotrodes were run for 7.5h at 18kHz and 20kHz. Three high frequency plates operating at megasonic frequencies of 0.4MHz, 1MHz, and 2MHz were run over a 7days period. Electrical conductivity and pH of the solution were measured before and after each run. A portion of the non-sonicated and treated water was partially evaporated to achieve an 80-fold concentration of particles and then sieved through nano-filters of 0.1μm, 0.05μm, and 0.01μm. An aliquot of the evaporated liquid was also completely dried on strips of carbon tape to determine the presence of finer particles post sieving. An aliquot was analyzed for detection of 11 trace elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICPMS). The filters and carbon tapes were analyzed by FE-SEM imaging to track the presence of metals by EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) and measure the particle size and approximate composition of individual particles detected. Light microscopy visualization was used to calculate the area occupied by the particles present in each filter and high resolution photography was used for visualization of sonotrode surfaces. The roughness of all transducers before and after sonication was tested through profilometry. No evidence of formation of nano-particles was found at any tested frequency. High amounts of metallic micron-sized particles at 18kHz and 20kHz formed within a day, while after 7day runs only a few metallic micro particles were detected above 0.4MHz. Erosion was corroborated by an increase in roughness in the 20kHz tip after ultrasound. The elemental analysis showed that metal leach occurred but values remained below accepted drinking water limits, even after excessively long exposure to ultrasound. With the proviso that the particles measured here were only characterized in two dimensions and could be

"Anterior convergent" chest probing in rapid ultrasound transducer positioning versus formal chest ultrasonography to detect pneumothorax during the primary survey of hospital trauma patients: a diagnostic accuracy study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziapour, Behrad; Haji, Houman Seyedjavady

2015-01-01

Occult pneumothorax represents a diagnostic pitfall during the primary survey of trauma patients, particularly if these patients require early positive pressure ventilation. This study investigated the accuracy of our proposed rapid model of ultrasound transducer positioning during the primary survey of trauma patients after their arrival at the hospital. This diagnostic trial was conducted over 12 months and was based on the results of 84 ultrasound (US) exams performed on patients with severe multiple trauma. Our index test (US) was used to detect pneumothorax in four pre-defined locations on the anterior of each hemi-thorax using the "Anterior Convergent" approach, and its performance was limited to the primary survey. Consecutively, patients underwent chest-computed tomography (CT) with or without chest radiography. The diagnostic findings of both chest radiography and chest ultrasounds were compared to the gold-standard test (CT). The diagnostic sensitivity was 78 % for US and 36.4 % for chest radiography (p chest radiography (not significant); the positive predictive values were 74 % for US and 80 % for chest radiography (not significant); the negative predictive values were 94 % for US and 87 % for chest radiography (not significant); the positive likelihood ratio was 10 for US and 18 for chest radiography (p = 0.007); and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.25 for US and 0.65 for chest radiography (p = 0.001). The mean required time for performing the new method was 64 ± 10 s. An absence of the expected diffused dynamic view among ultrasound images obtained from patients with pneumothorax was also observed. We designated this phenomenon "Gestalt Lung Recession." "Anterior convergent" chest US probing represents a brief but efficient model that provides clinicians a safe and accurate exam and adequate resuscitation during critical minutes of the primary survey without interrupting other medical staff activities taking place around the

Microbubbles induce renal hemorrhage when exposed to diagnostic ultrasound in anesthetized rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wible, James H; Galen, Karen P; Wojdyla, Jolette K; Hughes, Michael S; Klibanov, Alexander L; Brandenburger, Gary H

2002-01-01

The generation of ultrasound (US) bioeffects using a clinical imaging system is controversial. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of microbubbles in the US field of a medical imager induces biologic effects. Both kidneys of anesthetized rats were insonified for 5 min using a medical imaging system after the administration of microbubbles. One kidney was insonified using a continuous mode (30 Hz) and the opposite kidney was insonified using an intermittent (1 Hz) technique. The microbubbles were exposed to three different transducer frequencies and four transducer output powers. After insonification, the animals were euthanized, the kidneys were removed and their gross appearance scored under "blinded" conditions using a defined scale. After the administration of microbubbles, US imaging of the kidney caused hemorrhage in the renal tissue. The severity and area of hemorrhage increased with an increase in the transducer power and a decrease in the transducer frequency. Intermittent insonification in the presence of microbubbles produced a greater degree of renal hemorrhage than continuous imaging techniques.

Advanced 3-D Ultrasound Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Morten Fischer

The main purpose of the PhD project was to develop methods that increase the 3-D ultrasound imaging quality available for the medical personnel in the clinic. Acquiring a 3-D volume gives the medical doctor the freedom to investigate the measured anatomy in any slice desirable after the scan has...... been completed. This allows for precise measurements of organs dimensions and makes the scan more operator independent. Real-time 3-D ultrasound imaging is still not as widespread in use in the clinics as 2-D imaging. A limiting factor has traditionally been the low image quality achievable using...... a channel limited 2-D transducer array and the conventional 3-D beamforming technique, Parallel Beamforming. The first part of the scientific contributions demonstrate that 3-D synthetic aperture imaging achieves a better image quality than the Parallel Beamforming technique. Data were obtained using both...

A Front-End ASIC with Receive Sub-array Beamforming Integrated with a 32 × 32 PZT Matrix Transducer for 3-D Transesophageal Echocardiography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, C.; Chen, Z.; Bera, Deep; Raghunathan, S.B.; ShabaniMotlagh, M.; Noothout, E.C.; Chang, Z.Y.; Ponte, Jacco; Prins, Christian; Vos, H.J.; Bosch, Johan G.; Verweij, M.D.; de Jong, N.; Pertijs, M.A.P.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a power-and area-efficient front-end application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is directly integrated with an array of 32 × 32 piezoelectric transducer elements to enable next-generation miniature ultrasound probes for real-time 3-D transesophageal echocardiography.

Generalized Bregman distances and convergence rates for non-convex regularization methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grasmair, Markus

2010-01-01

We generalize the notion of Bregman distance using concepts from abstract convexity in order to derive convergence rates for Tikhonov regularization with non-convex regularization terms. In particular, we study the non-convex regularization of linear operator equations on Hilbert spaces, showing that the conditions required for the application of the convergence rates results are strongly related to the standard range conditions from the convex case. Moreover, we consider the setting of sparse regularization, where we show that a rate of order δ 1/p holds, if the regularization term has a slightly faster growth at zero than |t| p

Canonical Primal-Dual Method for Solving Non-convex Minimization Problems

OpenAIRE

Wu, Changzhi; Li, Chaojie; Gao, David Yang

2012-01-01

A new primal-dual algorithm is presented for solving a class of non-convex minimization problems. This algorithm is based on canonical duality theory such that the original non-convex minimization problem is first reformulated as a convex-concave saddle point optimization problem, which is then solved by a quadratically perturbed primal-dual method. %It is proved that the popular SDP method is indeed a special case of the canonical duality theory. Numerical examples are illustrated. Comparing...

Acoustic window planning for ultrasound acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Göbl, Rüdiger; Virga, Salvatore; Rackerseder, Julia; Frisch, Benjamin; Navab, Nassir; Hennersperger, Christoph

2017-06-01

Autonomous robotic ultrasound has recently gained considerable interest, especially for collaborative applications. Existing methods for acquisition trajectory planning are solely based on geometrical considerations, such as the pose of the transducer with respect to the patient surface. This work aims at establishing acoustic window planning to enable autonomous ultrasound acquisitions of anatomies with restricted acoustic windows, such as the liver or the heart. We propose a fully automatic approach for the planning of acquisition trajectories, which only requires information about the target region as well as existing tomographic imaging data, such as X-ray computed tomography. The framework integrates both geometrical and physics-based constraints to estimate the best ultrasound acquisition trajectories with respect to the available acoustic windows. We evaluate the developed method using virtual planning scenarios based on real patient data as well as for real robotic ultrasound acquisitions on a tissue-mimicking phantom. The proposed method yields superior image quality in comparison with a naive planning approach, while maintaining the necessary coverage of the target. We demonstrate that by taking image formation properties into account acquisition planning methods can outperform naive plannings. Furthermore, we show the need for such planning techniques, since naive approaches are not sufficient as they do not take the expected image quality into account.

Semi-analytical computation of the acoustic field of a segment of a cylindrically concave transducer in lossless and attenuating media.

Science.gov (United States)

Karbeyaz, Başak Ulker; Miller, Eric L; Cleveland, Robin O

2007-02-01

Conventional ultrasound transducers used for medical diagnosis generally consist of linearly aligned rectangular apertures with elements that are focused in one plane. While traditional beamforming is easily accomplished with such transducers, the development of quantitative, physics-based imaging methods, such as tomography, requires an accurate, and computationally efficient, model of the field radiated by the transducer. The field can be expressed in terms of the Helmholtz-Kirchhoff integral; however, its direct numerical evaluation is a computationally intensive task. Here, a fast semianalytical method based on Stepanishen's spatial impulse response formulation [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 49, 1627-1638 (1971)] is developed to compute the acoustic field of a rectangular element of cylindrically concave transducers in a homogeneous medium. The pressure field, for, lossless and attenuating media, is expressed as a superposition of Bessel functions, which can be evaluated rapidly. In particular, the coefficients of the Bessel series are frequency independent and need only be evaluated once for a given transducer. A speed up of two orders of magnitude is obtained compared to an optimized direct numerical integration. The numerical results are compared with Field II and the Fresnel approximation.

Study on IAEA international emergency response exercise convEx-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Kazuya

2007-05-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carried out a large-scale international emergency response exercise in 2005 under the designated name of ConvEx-3(2005), at Romania. This review report summarizes a study about ConvEx-3(2005) based on several related open literature. The ConvEx-3 was conducted in accordance with Agency's safety standard series and requirements in the field of Emergency Preparedness and Response. The study on the preparation, conduct and evaluation of ConvEx-3(2005) exercise is expected to provide very useful knowledge for development of drills and educational programs conducted by Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (NEAT). Especially, study on the exercise evaluations is instrumental in improving evaluations of drills planned by the national government and local governments. As international cooperation among Asian countries in the field of nuclear emergency preparedness and response is going to realize, it is very useful to survey and consider scheme and methodology about international emergency preparedness, response and exercise referring the knowledge of this ConvEx-3 study. The lessons learned from this study of ConvEx-3(2005) are summarized in four chapters; methodology of exercises and educational programs, exercise evaluation process, amendments/verification of the emergency response plan of NEAT, and technical issues of systems for emergency response and assistance of NEAT relevant to interface for international emergency communication. (author)

Intra­‑abdominal adhesions in ultrasound. Part I: The visceroperitoneal bordeline, anatomy and the method of examination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Smereczyński

2012-12-01

authors’ own experiences indicate that the effectiveness of the test is increased when lower extremities are moderately bent. This relaxes the muscle tension in the anterior wall of the abdomen. To assess the condition of these structures, linear transducers with the frequency of 5–9 MHz prove the most appropriate. In obese patients, a convex transducer with the frequency of 3.5–5 MHz also may be used. The acoustic focus should be set on the borderline of the abdominal wall and viscera and in order to visualize the changes it might be helpful to use harmonic, compound and XRes imaging. When examining the abdominal wall, the cross and longitudinal sections should be made. The complete evaluation of the visceroperitoneal borderline includes nine segments – three in the epigastrium, three in the mid-abdomen and three in the hypogastrium.

Convex geometry of quantum resource quantification

Science.gov (United States)

Regula, Bartosz

2018-01-01

We introduce a framework unifying the mathematical characterisation of different measures of general quantum resources and allowing for a systematic way to define a variety of faithful quantifiers for any given convex quantum resource theory. The approach allows us to describe many commonly used measures such as matrix norm-based quantifiers, robustness measures, convex roof-based measures, and witness-based quantifiers together in a common formalism based on the convex geometry of the underlying sets of resource-free states. We establish easily verifiable criteria for a measure to possess desirable properties such as faithfulness and strong monotonicity under relevant free operations, and show that many quantifiers obtained in this framework indeed satisfy them for any considered quantum resource. We derive various bounds and relations between the measures, generalising and providing significantly simplified proofs of results found in the resource theories of quantum entanglement and coherence. We also prove that the quantification of resources in this framework simplifies for pure states, allowing us to obtain more easily computable forms of the considered measures, and show that many of them are in fact equal on pure states. Further, we investigate the dual formulation of resource quantifiers, which provide a characterisation of the sets of resource witnesses. We present an explicit application of the results to the resource theories of multi-level coherence, entanglement of Schmidt number k, multipartite entanglement, as well as magic states, providing insight into the quantification of the four resources by establishing novel quantitative relations and introducing new quantifiers, such as a measure of entanglement of Schmidt number k which generalises the convex roof-extended negativity, a measure of k-coherence which generalises the \

Transrectal ultrasound applicator for prostate heating monitored using MRI thermometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Nadine Barrie; Buchanan, Mark T.; Hynynen, Kullervo

1999-01-01

Purpose: For potential localized hyperthermia treatment of tumors within the prostate, an ultrasound applicator consisting entirely of nonmagnetic materials for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been developed and tested on muscle tissue ex vivo and in vivo. Methods and Materials: A partial-cylindrical intracavitary transducer consisting of 16 elements in a 4 x 4 pattern was constructed. It produced a radially propagating acoustic pressure field. Each element of this array (1.5 x 0.75 cm), operating at 1.5 MHz, could be separately powered to produce a desired energy deposition pattern within a target volume. Spatial and temporal temperature elevations were determined using the temperature-dependent proton resonant frequency (PRF) shift and phase subtraction of MR images acquired during ultrasonic heating. Four rabbits were exposed to the ultrasound to raise the local tissue temperature to 45 deg. C for 25 minutes. Six experiments compared thermocouple temperature results to PRF shift temperature results. Results: The tests showed that the multi-element ultrasound applicator was MRI-compatible and allowed imaging during sonication. The induced temperature distribution could be controlled by monitoring the RF power to each transducer element. Therapeutic temperature elevations were easily achieved in vivo at power levels that were about 16% of the maximum system power. From the six thermocouple experiments, comparison between the thermocouple temperature and the PRF temperature yielded an average error of 0.34 ± 0.36 deg. C. Conclusions: The MRI-compatible intracavitary applicator and driving system was able to control the ultrasound field and temperature pattern in vivo. MRI thermometry using the PRF shift can provide adequate temperature accuracy and stability for controlling the temperature distribution

High-resolution ultrasound biomicroscopy for monitoring ovarian structures in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Jaswant

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Until recently, the limit of spatial resolution of ultrasound systems has prevented characterization of structures Methods Experiment 1 was a pilot study to develop methods of immobilization (physical restraint vs. general anesthesia and determine technical factors affecting ovarian images using ultrasound bio-microscopy in rats vs. mice. The hair coat was removed over the thoraco-lumber area using depilation cream, and a highly viscous acoustic gel was applied while the animals were maintained in sternal recumbency. In Experiment 2, changes in ovarian structures during the estrous cycle were monitored by twice daily ultrasonography in 10 mice for 2 estrous cycles. Results Ovarian images were not distinct in rats due to attenuation of ultrasound waves. Physical restraint, without general anesthesia, was insufficient for immobilization in mice. By placing the transducer face over the dorsal flank, the kidney was visualized initially as a point of reference. A routine of moving the transducer a few millimetres caudo-laterally from the kidney was established to quickly and consistently localize the ovaries; the total time to scan both ovaries in a mouse was about 10 minutes. By comparing vaginal cytology with non-anesthetized controls, repeated exposure to anesthesia did not affect the estrous cycle. Temporal changes in the number of follicles in 3 different size categories support the hypothesis that follicles ≥ 20 microns develop in a wave-like fashion. Conclusion The mouse is a suitable model for the study of ovarian dynamics using transcutaneous ultrasound bio-microscopy. Repeated general anesthesia for examination had no apparent effect on the estrous cycle, and preliminary results revealed a wave-like pattern of ovarian follicle development in mice.

A generalization of the convex Kakeya problem

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap

2012-01-01

We consider the following geometric alignment problem: Given a set of line segments in the plane, find a convex region of smallest area that contains a translate of each input segment. This can be seen as a generalization of Kakeya\\'s problem of finding a convex region of smallest area such that a needle can be turned through 360 degrees within this region. Our main result is an optimal Θ(n log n)-time algorithm for our geometric alignment problem, when the input is a set of n line segments. We also show that, if the goal is to minimize the perimeter of the region instead of its area, then the optimum placement is when the midpoints of the segments coincide. Finally, we show that for any compact convex figure G, the smallest enclosing disk of G is a smallest-perimeter region containing a translate of any rotated copy of G. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Ultrasound fields in an attenuating medium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Gandhi,, D; O'Brien,, W.D., Jr.

1993-01-01

of the rectangles and sums all contributions to arrive at the spatial impulse response for the aperture and field point. This approach makes it possible to model all transducer apertures, and the program can readily calculate the emitted, pulse-echo and continuous wave field. Attenuation is included by splitting...... it into a frequency dependent part and frequency independent part. The latter results in an attenuation factor that is multiplied onto the responses from the individual elements, and the frequency dependent part is handled by attenuating the basic one-dimensional pulse. The influence on ultrasound fields from......Ultrasound fields propagating in tissue will undergo changes in shape not only due to diffraction, but also due to the frequency dependent attenuation. Linear fields can be fairly well predicted for a non-attenuating medium like water by using the Tupholme-Stepanishen method for calculating...

Adaptive HIFU noise cancellation for simultaneous therapy and imaging using an integrated HIFU/imaging transducer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Jong Seob; Cannata, Jonathan Matthew; Shung, K Kirk

2010-04-07

It was previously demonstrated that it is feasible to simultaneously perform ultrasound therapy and imaging of a coagulated lesion during treatment with an integrated transducer that is capable of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and B-mode ultrasound imaging. It was found that coded excitation and fixed notch filtering upon reception could significantly reduce interference caused by the therapeutic transducer. During HIFU sonication, the imaging signal generated with coded excitation and fixed notch filtering had a range side-lobe level of less than -40 dB, while traditional short-pulse excitation and fixed notch filtering produced a range side-lobe level of -20 dB. The shortcoming is, however, that relatively complicated electronics may be needed to utilize coded excitation in an array imaging system. It is for this reason that in this paper an adaptive noise canceling technique is proposed to improve image quality by minimizing not only the therapeutic interference, but also the remnant side-lobe 'ripples' when using the traditional short-pulse excitation. The performance of this technique was verified through simulation and experiments using a prototype integrated HIFU/imaging transducer. Although it is known that the remnant ripples are related to the notch attenuation value of the fixed notch filter, in reality, it is difficult to find the optimal notch attenuation value due to the change in targets or the media resulted from motion or different acoustic properties even during one sonication pulse. In contrast, the proposed adaptive noise canceling technique is capable of optimally minimizing both the therapeutic interference and residual ripples without such constraints. The prototype integrated HIFU/imaging transducer is composed of three rectangular elements. The 6 MHz center element is used for imaging and the outer two identical 4 MHz elements work together to transmit the HIFU beam. Two HIFU elements of 14.4 mm x 20.0 mm dimensions could

Adaptive HIFU noise cancellation for simultaneous therapy and imaging using an integrated HIFU/imaging transducer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Jong Seob; Cannata, Jonathan Matthew; Shung, K Kirk

2010-01-01

It was previously demonstrated that it is feasible to simultaneously perform ultrasound therapy and imaging of a coagulated lesion during treatment with an integrated transducer that is capable of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and B-mode ultrasound imaging. It was found that coded excitation and fixed notch filtering upon reception could significantly reduce interference caused by the therapeutic transducer. During HIFU sonication, the imaging signal generated with coded excitation and fixed notch filtering had a range side-lobe level of less than -40 dB, while traditional short-pulse excitation and fixed notch filtering produced a range side-lobe level of -20 dB. The shortcoming is, however, that relatively complicated electronics may be needed to utilize coded excitation in an array imaging system. It is for this reason that in this paper an adaptive noise canceling technique is proposed to improve image quality by minimizing not only the therapeutic interference, but also the remnant side-lobe 'ripples' when using the traditional short-pulse excitation. The performance of this technique was verified through simulation and experiments using a prototype integrated HIFU/imaging transducer. Although it is known that the remnant ripples are related to the notch attenuation value of the fixed notch filter, in reality, it is difficult to find the optimal notch attenuation value due to the change in targets or the media resulted from motion or different acoustic properties even during one sonication pulse. In contrast, the proposed adaptive noise canceling technique is capable of optimally minimizing both the therapeutic interference and residual ripples without such constraints. The prototype integrated HIFU/imaging transducer is composed of three rectangular elements. The 6 MHz center element is used for imaging and the outer two identical 4 MHz elements work together to transmit the HIFU beam. Two HIFU elements of 14.4 mm x 20.0 mm dimensions could

Probing convex polygons with X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edelsbrunner, H.; Skiena, S.S.

1988-01-01

An X-ray probe through a polygon measures the length of intersection between a line and the polygon. This paper considers the properties of various classes of X-ray probes, and shows how they interact to give finite strategies for completely describing convex n-gons. It is shown that (3n/2)+6 probes are sufficient to verify a specified n-gon, while for determining convex polygons (3n-1)/2 X-ray probes are necessary and 5n+O(1) sufficient, with 3n+O(1) sufficient given that a lower bound on the size of the smallest edge of P is known

Simulation and training of ultrasound supported anaesthesia: a low-cost approach

Science.gov (United States)

Schaaf, T.; Lamontain, M.; Hilpert, J.; Schilling, F.; Tolxdorff, T.

2010-03-01

The use of ultrasound imaging technology during techniques of peripheral nerve blockade offers several clinical benefits. Here we report on a new method to educate residents in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. The daily challenge for the anesthesiologists is the 3D angle-depending handling of the stimulation needle and the ultrasound probe while watching the 2D ultrasound image on the monitor. Purpose: Our approach describes how a computer-aided simulation and training set for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia could be built based on wireless low-cost devices and an interactive simulation of a 2D ultrasound image. For training purposes the injection needle and the ultrasound probe are replaced by wireless Bluetooth-connected 3D tracking devices, which are embedded in WII-mote controllers (Nintendo-Brand). In correlation to the tracked 3D positions of the needle and transducer models the visibility and position of the needle should be simulated in the 2D generated ultrasound image. Conclusion: In future, this tracking and visualization software module could be integrated in a more complex training set, where complex injection paths could be trained based on a 3D segmented model and the training results could be part of a curricular e-learning module.

Finite element modeling of the 1-D piezoceramic ultrasound array inter-element cross-coupling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

State, M.; Ledoux, L.; Vosse, van de F.N.

2008-01-01

sponsible for undesired behavior in radiation field patterns and electroacoustic response of the ultrasound transducers for medical imaging. This undesired behavior is ultimately impairing the end echographic image quality [1,2]. The aim of our research is to study the influence of the dicing depth,

Ultrasound elastography for imaging tendons and muscles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Drakonaki

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Ultrasound elastography is a recently developed ultrasound-based method which allows the qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of tissue. Strain (compression ultrasound elastography is the commonest technique performed by ap‑ plying mild compression with the hand-held transducer to create real-time strain dis‑ tribution maps, which are color-coded and superimposed on the B-mode images. There is increasing evidence that ultrasound elastography can be used in the investigation of muscle, tendon and soft tissue disease in the clinical practice, as a supplementary tool to conventional ultrasound examination. Based on preliminary data, potential clinical appli‑ cations include early diagnosis, staging, and guiding interventions musculotendinous and neuromuscular disease as well as monitoring disease during rehabilitation. Ultrasound elastography could also be used for research into the biomechanics and pathophysiology of musculotendinous disease. Despite the great interest in the technique, there is still limited evidence in the literature and there are several technical issues which limit the reproducibility of the method, including differences in quantification methods, artefacts, limitations and variation in the application of the technique by different users. This re‑ view presents the published evidence on musculoskeletal applications of strain elastogra‑ phy, discusses the technical issues and future perspectives of this method and emphasizes the need for standardization and further research.

Ultrasound triggered drug delivery with liposomal nested microbubbles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, N; Wrenn, S P

2015-12-01

When ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles are nested within a liposome, damage to the liposome membrane caused by both stable and inertial cavitation of the microbubble allows for release of the aqueous core of the liposome. Triggered release was not accomplished unless microbubbles were present within the liposome. Leakage was tested using fluorescence assays developed specifically for this drug delivery vehicle and qualitative measurements using an optical microscope. These studies were done using a 1 MHz focused ultrasound transducer while varying parameters including peak negative ultrasound pressure, average liposome diameter, and microbubble concentration. Two regimes exist for membrane disruption caused by cavitating microbubbles. A faster release rate, as well as permanent membrane damage are seen for samples exposed to high pressure (2.1-3.7 MPa). A slower release rate and dilation/temporary poration are characteristic of stable cavitation for low pressure studies (0.54-1.7 MPa). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities for GA-s-convex functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İmdat İşcan

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, The author introduces the concepts of the GA-s-convex functions in the first sense and second sense and establishes some integral inequalities of Hermite-Hadamard type related to the GA-s-convex functions. Some applications to special means of real numbers are also given.

STRICT CONVEXITY THROUGH EQUIVALENT NORMS IN SEPARABLES BANACH SPACES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willy Zubiaga Vera

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Let E be a separable Banach space with norm || . ||. In the present work, the objective is to construct a norm || . ||1 that is equivalent to || . || in E, such that || . ||1 is strictly convex. In addition it is shown that its dual conjugate norm is also strictly convex.

Macular hole: 10 and 20-MHz ultrasound and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Mantovani Bottós

2012-12-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Optical coherence tomography (OCT is valuable for macula evaluation. However, as this technique relies on light energy it cannot be performed in the presence of opaque media. In such cases, the ultrasound (US may predict some macular features. The aim of this study was to characterize images obtained by ultrasound with 10 and 20-MHz transducers comparing to OCT, as well as to analyze the relationship between the vitreous and retina in eyes with macular hole (MH. METHODS: 29 eyes of 22 patients with biomicroscopic evidence of MH at different stages were included. All patients were evaluated using ultrasonography with 10 and 20-MHz transducers and OCT. RESULTS: OCT identified signs of MH in 25 of 29 eyes. The remaining 4 cases not identified by US were pseudoholes caused by epiretinal membranes. In MH stages I (2 eyes and II (1 eye, both transducers were not useful to analyze the macular thickening, but suggestive findings as macular irregularity, operculum or partial posterior vitreous detachment (PVD were highlighted. In stages III (14 eyes and IV (5 eyes, both transducers identified the double hump irregularity and thickening. US could measure the macular thickness and other suggestive findings for MH: operculum, vitreomacular traction and partial or complete PVD. In cases of pseudoholes, US identified irregularities macular contour and a discrete depression. CONCLUSION: 10-MHz US was useful for an overall assessment of the vitreous body as well as its relationship to the retina. The 20-MHz transducer allowed valuable information on the vitreomacular interface and macular contour. OCT provides superior quality for fine morphological study of macular area, except in cases of opaque media. In these cases, and even if OCT is not available, the combined US study is able to provide a valid evaluation of the macular area improving therapeutic approach.

An ultrasound system for simultaneous ultrasound hyperthermia and photon beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straube, William L.; Moros, Eduardo G.; Low, Daniel A.; Klein, Eric E.; Willcut, Virgil M.; Myerson, Robert J.

1996-01-01

Purpose: An existing ultrasound system has been adapted for simultaneous use with external photon beam irradiation. The system is being used to investigate the potential for increased biological benefit of simultaneously combined hyperthermia and external beam irradiation with currently achievable temperature distributions. Methods and Materials: An existing clinical ultrasound system has been modified for simultaneous operation with a 60 Co teletherapy machine. The generator, thermometry system, computer, and applicators are located inside the treatment room, while the monitor and system control are located at the control console. Two approaches have been used clinically to combine the two modalities. In the first approach, an en-face setup is used in which the ultrasound beam and the photon beam travel through the same window of entry to the tumor. This is achieved by a reflecting system designed to deflect the ultrasound to the tumor while positioning the ultrasound transducer outside the radiation beam. The reflecting system consists of water and water-equivalent materials except for a 1 mm sheet of polished brass that is used as the reflector. The relative pressure fields were measured in water at the same distance from the ultrasound source using a scanning hydrophone with and without the reflector at the two operating frequencies of the device (1.0 and 3.4 MHz) for two applicators. Radiation dosimetry measurements were performed to determine the relationship between 60 Co irradiation through the reflector and absorbed dose. In the second approach the ultrasound and the radiation beam travel into the tumor from different windows of entry such that the radiation beam passes through no portion of the water bolus prior to entering the patient. We have termed this approach the orthogonal approach. For both approaches, the radiation fraction is given in the middle of an uninterrupted 60-min hyperthermia treatment. Results: The system modifications did not impair

Visualizing Data as Objects by DC (Difference of Convex) Optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carrizosa, Emilio; Guerrero, Vanesa; Morales, Dolores Romero

2018-01-01

In this paper we address the problem of visualizing in a bounded region a set of individuals, which has attached a dissimilarity measure and a statistical value, as convex objects. This problem, which extends the standard Multidimensional Scaling Analysis, is written as a global optimization...... problem whose objective is the difference of two convex functions (DC). Suitable DC decompositions allow us to use the Difference of Convex Algorithm (DCA) in a very efficient way. Our algorithmic approach is used to visualize two real-world datasets....

Generation of ultrasound in materials using continuous-wave lasers.

Science.gov (United States)

Caron, James N; DiComo, Gregory P; Nikitin, Sergei

2012-03-01

Generating and detecting ultrasound is a standard method of nondestructive evaluation of materials. Pulsed lasers are used to generate ultrasound remotely in situations that prohibit the use of contact transducers. The scanning rate is limited by the repetition rates of the pulsed lasers, ranging between 10 and 100 Hz for lasers with sufficient pulse widths and energies. Alternately, a high-power continuous-wave laser can be scanned across the surface, creating an ultrasonic wavefront. Since generation is continuous, the scanning rate can be as much as 4 orders of magnitude higher than with pulsed lasers. This paper introduces the concept, comparing the theoretical scanning speed with generation by pulsed laser. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Some Aspects of Convexity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

for all t E [0,1] and all x, y (in the domain of definition of f). ... Proof: (a) is a consequence of the definition. (b) Define conv(S) ... More generally, a set F is said to be a face of the convex .... and bounded, and assume the validity (for a proof, see.

Experimental performance assessment of the sub-band minimum variance beamformer for ultrasound imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diamantis, Konstantinos; Greenaway, Alan H.; Anderson, Tom

2017-01-01

Recent progress in adaptive beamforming techniques for medical ultrasound has shown that current resolution limits can be surpassed. One method of obtaining improved lateral resolution is the Minimum Variance (MV) beamformer. The frequency domain implementation of this method effectively divides...... the broadband ultrasound signals into sub-bands (MVS) to conform with the narrow-band assumption of the original MV theory. This approach is investigated here using experimental Synthetic Aperture (SA) data from wire and cyst phantoms. A 7 MHz linear array transducer is used with the SARUS experimental...

Laser generated ultrasound sources using polymer nanocomposites for high frequency metrology

KAUST Repository

Rajagopal, Srinath

2017-11-22

Accurate characterisation of ultrasound fields generated by diagnostic and therapeutic transducers is critical for patient safety. This requires hydrophones calibrated to a traceable standard. The existing implementation of the primary standard at the National Measurement Institutes, e.g., NPL and PTB, can provide accurate calibration to a maximum frequency of 40MHz. However, the increasing use of high frequencies for both imaging and therapy necessitates calibrations to frequencies well beyond this range. For this to be possible, a source of high amplitude, broadband, quasi-planar and stable ultrasound fields is required. This is difficult to achieve using conventional piezoelectric sources, but laser generated ultrasound is a promising technique in this regard. In this study various polymer-carbon nanotube nanocomposites (PNC) were fabricated and tested for their suitability for such an application.

Reconstruction of convex bodies from surface tensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kousholt, Astrid; Kiderlen, Markus

We present two algorithms for reconstruction of the shape of convex bodies in the two-dimensional Euclidean space. The first reconstruction algorithm requires knowledge of the exact surface tensors of a convex body up to rank s for some natural number s. The second algorithm uses harmonic intrinsic...... volumes which are certain values of the surface tensors and allows for noisy measurements. From a generalized version of Wirtinger's inequality, we derive stability results that are utilized to ensure consistency of both reconstruction procedures. Consistency of the reconstruction procedure based...

Superficial Ultrasound Shear Wave Speed Measurements in Soft and Hard Elasticity Phantoms: Repeatability and Reproducibility Using Two Different Ultrasound Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Dillman, Jonathan R.; Chen, Shigao; Davenport, Matthew S.; Zhao, Heng; Urban, Matthew W.; Song, Pengfei; Watcharotone, Kuanwong; Carson, Paul L.

2014-01-01

Background There is a paucity of data available regarding the repeatability and reproducibility of superficial shear wave speed (SWS) measurements at imaging depths relevant to the pediatric population. Purpose To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of superficial shear wave speed (SWS) measurements acquired from elasticity phantoms at varying imaging depths using three different imaging methods, two different ultrasound systems, and multiple operators. Methods and Materials Soft and hard elasticity phantoms manufactured by Computerized Imaging Reference Systems, Inc. (Norfolk, VA) were utilized for our investigation. Institution #1 used an Acuson S3000 ultrasound system (Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.) and three different shear wave imaging method/transducer combinations, while institution #2 used an Aixplorer ultrasound system (Supersonic Imagine) and two different transducers. Ten stiffness measurements were acquired from each phantom at three depths (1.0, 2.5, and 4.0 cm) by four operators at each institution. Student’s t-test was used to compare SWS measurements between imaging techniques, while SWS measurement agreement was assessed with two-way random effects single measure intra-class correlation coefficients and coefficients of variation. Mixed model regression analysis determined the effect of predictor variables on SWS measurements. Results For the soft phantom, the average of mean SWS measurements across the various imaging methods and depths was 0.84 ± 0.04 m/s (mean ± standard deviation) for the Acuson S3000 system and 0.90 ± 0.02 m/s for the Aixplorer system (p=0.003). For the hard phantom, the average of mean SWS measurements across the various imaging methods and depths was 2.14 ± 0.08 m/s for the Acuson S3000 system and 2.07 ± 0.03 m/s Aixplorer system (p>0.05). The coefficients of variation were low (0.5–6.8%), and inter-operator agreement was near-perfect (ICCs ≥0.99). Shear wave imaging method and imaging depth

Speed-accuracy trade-offs in computing spatial impulse responses for simulating medical ultrasound imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2001-01-01

sampling frequency is unnecessary in the final signals, since the transducers used in medical ultrasound are band limited. Approaches to reduce the sampling frequency are, thus, needed to make efficient simulation programs. Field II uses time integration of the spatial impulse responses using a continuous......Medical ultrasound imaging can be simulated realistically using linear acoustics. One of the most powerful approaches is to employ spatial impulse responses. Hereby both emitted fields and pulse-echo responses from point scatterers can be determined. Also any kind of dynamic focusing...

Wireless Power Transfer to Millimeter-Sized Nodes Using Airborne Ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Rekhi, Angad S; Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T; Arbabian, Amin

2017-10-01

We propose the use of airborne ultrasound for wireless power transfer to mm-sized nodes, with intended application in the next generation of the Internet of Things (IoT). We show through simulation that ultrasonic power transfer can deliver 50 [Formula: see text] to a mm-sized node 0.88 m away from a ~ 50-kHz, 25-cm 2 transmitter array, with the peak pressure remaining below recommended limits in air, and with load power increasing with transmitter area. We report wireless power recovery measurements with a precharged capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer, demonstrating a load power of 5 [Formula: see text] at a simulated distance of 1.05 m. We present aperture efficiency, dynamic range, and bias-free operation as key metrics for the comparison of transducers meant for wireless power recovery. We also argue that long-range wireless charging at the watt level is extremely challenging with existing technology and regulations. Finally, we compare our acoustic powering system with cutting edge electromagnetically powered nodes and show that ultrasound has many advantages over RF as a vehicle for power delivery. Our work sets the foundation for further research into ultrasonic wireless power transfer for the IoT.

Convergence theorems for quasi-contractive maps in uniformly convex spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chidume, C.E.; Osilike, M.O.

1992-04-01

Let K be a nonempty closed convex and bounded subset of a real uniformly convex Banach space E of modulus of convexity of power type q≥2. Let T by a quasi-contractive mapping of K into itself. It is proved that each of two well known fixed point iteration methods (the Mann and the Ishikawa iteration methods) converges strongly, without any compactness assumption on the domain of the map, to the unique fixed point of T in K. Our theorems generalize important known results. (author). 22 refs

Real-time monitoring of focused ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening via subharmonic acoustic emission detection: implementation of confocal dual-frequency piezoelectric transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Chih-Hung; Zhang, Jia-Wei; Liao, Yi-Yi; Liu, Hao-Li

2016-04-01

Burst-tone focused ultrasound exposure in the presence of microbubbles has been demonstrated to be effective at inducing temporal and local opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which promises significant clinical potential to deliver therapeutic molecules into the central nervous system (CNS). Traditional contrast-enhanced imaging confirmation after focused ultrasound (FUS) exposure serves as a post-operative indicator of the effectiveness of FUS-BBB opening, however, an indicator that can concurrently report the BBB status and BBB-opening effectiveness is required to provide effective feedback to implement this treatment clinically. In this study, we demonstrate the use of subharmonic acoustic emission detection with implementation on a confocal dual-frequency piezoelectric ceramic structure to perform real-time monitoring of FUS-BBB opening. A confocal dual-frequency (0.55 MHz/1.1 MHz) focused ultrasound transducer was designed. The 1.1 MHz spherically-curved ceramic was employed to deliver FUS exposure to induce BBB-opening, whereas the outer-ring 0.55 MHz ceramic was employed to detect the subharmonic acoustic emissions originating from the target position. In stage-1 experiments, we employed spectral analysis and performed an energy spectrum density (ESD) calculation. An optimized 0.55 MHz ESD level change was shown to effectively discriminate the occurrence of BBB-opening. Wideband acoustic emissions received from 0.55 MHz ceramics were also analyzed to evaluate its correlations with erythrocyte extravasations. In stage-2 real-time monitoring experiments, we applied the predetermined ESD change as a detection threshold in PC-controlled algorithm to predict the FUS exposure intra-operatively. In stage-1 experiment, we showed that subharmonic ESD presents distinguishable dynamics between intact BBB and opened BBB, and therefore a threshold ESD change level (5.5 dB) can be identified for BBB-opening prediction. Using this ESD change threshold detection as a

Real-time monitoring of focused ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening via subharmonic acoustic emission detection: implementation of confocal dual-frequency piezoelectric transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Chih-Hung; Zhang, Jia-Wei; Liao, Yi-Yi; Liu, Hao-Li

2016-01-01

Burst-tone focused ultrasound exposure in the presence of microbubbles has been demonstrated to be effective at inducing temporal and local opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which promises significant clinical potential to deliver therapeutic molecules into the central nervous system (CNS). Traditional contrast-enhanced imaging confirmation after focused ultrasound (FUS) exposure serves as a post-operative indicator of the effectiveness of FUS-BBB opening, however, an indicator that can concurrently report the BBB status and BBB-opening effectiveness is required to provide effective feedback to implement this treatment clinically. In this study, we demonstrate the use of subharmonic acoustic emission detection with implementation on a confocal dual-frequency piezoelectric ceramic structure to perform real-time monitoring of FUS-BBB opening. A confocal dual-frequency (0.55 MHz/1.1 MHz) focused ultrasound transducer was designed. The 1.1 MHz spherically-curved ceramic was employed to deliver FUS exposure to induce BBB-opening, whereas the outer-ring 0.55 MHz ceramic was employed to detect the subharmonic acoustic emissions originating from the target position. In stage-1 experiments, we employed spectral analysis and performed an energy spectrum density (ESD) calculation. An optimized 0.55 MHz ESD level change was shown to effectively discriminate the occurrence of BBB-opening. Wideband acoustic emissions received from 0.55 MHz ceramics were also analyzed to evaluate its correlations with erythrocyte extravasations. In stage-2 real-time monitoring experiments, we applied the predetermined ESD change as a detection threshold in PC-controlled algorithm to predict the FUS exposure intra-operatively. In stage-1 experiment, we showed that subharmonic ESD presents distinguishable dynamics between intact BBB and opened BBB, and therefore a threshold ESD change level (5.5 dB) can be identified for BBB-opening prediction. Using this ESD change threshold detection as a

A Fast Algorithm of Convex Hull Vertices Selection for Online Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Shuguang; Nie, Xiangli; Qiao, Hong; Zhang, Bo

2018-04-01

Reducing samples through convex hull vertices selection (CHVS) within each class is an important and effective method for online classification problems, since the classifier can be trained rapidly with the selected samples. However, the process of CHVS is NP-hard. In this paper, we propose a fast algorithm to select the convex hull vertices, based on the convex hull decomposition and the property of projection. In the proposed algorithm, the quadratic minimization problem of computing the distance between a point and a convex hull is converted into a linear equation problem with a low computational complexity. When the data dimension is high, an approximate, instead of exact, convex hull is allowed to be selected by setting an appropriate termination condition in order to delete more nonimportant samples. In addition, the impact of outliers is also considered, and the proposed algorithm is improved by deleting the outliers in the initial procedure. Furthermore, a dimension convention technique via the kernel trick is used to deal with nonlinearly separable problems. An upper bound is theoretically proved for the difference between the support vector machines based on the approximate convex hull vertices selected and all the training samples. Experimental results on both synthetic and real data sets show the effectiveness and validity of the proposed algorithm.

Convexity, gauge-dependence and tunneling rates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plascencia, Alexis D.; Tamarit, Carlos [Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Durham University,South Road, DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2016-10-19

We clarify issues of convexity, gauge-dependence and radiative corrections in relation to tunneling rates. Despite the gauge dependence of the effective action at zero and finite temperature, it is shown that tunneling and nucleation rates remain independent of the choice of gauge-fixing. Taking as a starting point the functional that defines the transition amplitude from a false vacuum onto itself, it is shown that decay rates are exactly determined by a non-convex, false vacuum effective action evaluated at an extremum. The latter can be viewed as a generalized bounce configuration, and gauge-independence follows from the appropriate Nielsen identities. This holds for any election of gauge-fixing that leads to an invertible Faddeev-Popov matrix.

Convexity, gauge-dependence and tunneling rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plascencia, Alexis D.; Tamarit, Carlos

2016-01-01

We clarify issues of convexity, gauge-dependence and radiative corrections in relation to tunneling rates. Despite the gauge dependence of the effective action at zero and finite temperature, it is shown that tunneling and nucleation rates remain independent of the choice of gauge-fixing. Taking as a starting point the functional that defines the transition amplitude from a false vacuum onto itself, it is shown that decay rates are exactly determined by a non-convex, false vacuum effective action evaluated at an extremum. The latter can be viewed as a generalized bounce configuration, and gauge-independence follows from the appropriate Nielsen identities. This holds for any election of gauge-fixing that leads to an invertible Faddeev-Popov matrix.

Convexity and concavity constants in Lorentz and Marcinkiewicz spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Kaminska, Anna; Parrish, Anca M.

2008-07-01

We provide here the formulas for the q-convexity and q-concavity constants for function and sequence Lorentz spaces associated to either decreasing or increasing weights. It yields also the formula for the q-convexity constants in function and sequence Marcinkiewicz spaces. In this paper we extent and enhance the results from [G.J.O. Jameson, The q-concavity constants of Lorentz sequence spaces and related inequalities, Math. Z. 227 (1998) 129-142] and [A. Kaminska, A.M. Parrish, The q-concavity and q-convexity constants in Lorentz spaces, in: Banach Spaces and Their Applications in Analysis, Conference in Honor of Nigel Kalton, May 2006, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2007, pp. 357-373].

MATLAB/Simulink Pulse-Echo Ultrasound System Simulator Based on Experimentally Validated Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Taehoon; Shin, Sangmin; Lee, Hyongmin; Lee, Hyunsook; Kim, Heewon; Shin, Eunhee; Kim, Suhwan

2016-02-01

A flexible clinical ultrasound system must operate with different transducers, which have characteristic impulse responses and widely varying impedances. The impulse response determines the shape of the high-voltage pulse that is transmitted and the specifications of the front-end electronics that receive the echo; the impedance determines the specification of the matching network through which the transducer is connected. System-level optimization of these subsystems requires accurate modeling of pulse-echo (two-way) response, which in turn demands a unified simulation of the ultrasonics and electronics. In this paper, this is realized by combining MATLAB/Simulink models of the high-voltage transmitter, the transmission interface, the acoustic subsystem which includes wave propagation and reflection, the receiving interface, and the front-end receiver. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our simulator, the models are experimentally validated by comparing the simulation results with the measured data from a commercial ultrasound system. This simulator could be used to quickly provide system-level feedback for an optimized tuning of electronic design parameters.

Two examples of non strictly convex large deviations

OpenAIRE

De Marco, Stefano; Jacquier, Antoine; Roome, Patrick

2016-01-01

We present two examples of a large deviations principle where the rate function is not strictly convex. This is motivated by a model used in mathematical finance (the Heston model), and adds a new item to the zoology of non strictly convex large deviations. For one of these examples, we show that the rate function of the Cramer-type of large deviations coincides with that of the Freidlin-Wentzell when contraction principles are applied.

Convex Hull Aided Registration Method (CHARM).

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jingfan; Yang, Jian; Zhao, Yitian; Ai, Danni; Liu, Yonghuai; Wang, Ge; Wang, Yongtian

2017-09-01

Non-rigid registration finds many applications such as photogrammetry, motion tracking, model retrieval, and object recognition. In this paper we propose a novel convex hull aided registration method (CHARM) to match two point sets subject to a non-rigid transformation. First, two convex hulls are extracted from the source and target respectively. Then, all points of the point sets are projected onto the reference plane through each triangular facet of the hulls. From these projections, invariant features are extracted and matched optimally. The matched feature point pairs are mapped back onto the triangular facets of the convex hulls to remove outliers that are outside any relevant triangular facet. The rigid transformation from the source to the target is robustly estimated by the random sample consensus (RANSAC) scheme through minimizing the distance between the matched feature point pairs. Finally, these feature points are utilized as the control points to achieve non-rigid deformation in the form of thin-plate spline of the entire source point set towards the target one. The experimental results based on both synthetic and real data show that the proposed algorithm outperforms several state-of-the-art ones with respect to sampling, rotational angle, and data noise. In addition, the proposed CHARM algorithm also shows higher computational efficiency compared to these methods.

On convex complexity measures

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hrubeš, P.; Jukna, S.; Kulikov, A.; Pudlák, Pavel

2010-01-01

Roč. 411, 16-18 (2010), s. 1842-1854 ISSN 0304-3975 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1019401 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : boolean formula * complexity measure * combinatorial rectangle * convexity Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.838, year: 2010 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304397510000885

The occipital lobe convexity sulci and gyri.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Raphael V; Ribas, Guilherme C; Párraga, Richard G; de Oliveira, Evandro

2012-05-01

The anatomy of the occipital lobe convexity is so intricate and variable that its precise description is not found in the classic anatomy textbooks, and the occipital sulci and gyri are described with different nomenclatures according to different authors. The aim of this study was to investigate and describe the anatomy of the occipital lobe convexity and clarify its nomenclature. The configurations of sulci and gyri on the lateral surface of the occipital lobe of 20 cerebral hemispheres were examined in order to identify the most characteristic and consistent patterns. The most characteristic and consistent occipital sulci identified in this study were the intraoccipital, transverse occipital, and lateral occipital sulci. The morphology of the transverse occipital sulcus and the intraoccipital sulcus connection was identified as the most important aspect to define the gyral pattern of the occipital lobe convexity. Knowledge of the main features of the occipital sulci and gyri permits the recognition of a basic configuration of the occipital lobe and the identification of its sulcal and gyral variations.

On approximation and energy estimates for delta 6-convex functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleem, Muhammad Shoaib; Pečarić, Josip; Rehman, Nasir; Khan, Muhammad Wahab; Zahoor, Muhammad Sajid

2018-01-01

The smooth approximation and weighted energy estimates for delta 6-convex functions are derived in this research. Moreover, we conclude that if 6-convex functions are closed in uniform norm, then their third derivatives are closed in weighted [Formula: see text]-norm.

Coalgebraising subsequential transducers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.H. Hansen (Helle); J. Adamek; C.A. Kupke (Clemens)

2008-01-01

htmlabstractSubsequential transducers generalise both classic deterministic automata and Mealy/Moore type state machines by combining (input) language recognition with transduction. In this paper we show that normalisation and taking differentials of subsequential transducers and their underlying

Novel power MOSFET-based expander for high frequency ultrasound systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hojong; Shung, K Kirk

2014-01-01

The function of an expander is to obstruct the noise signal transmitted by the pulser so that it does not pass into the transducer or receive electronics, where it can produce undesirable ring-down in an ultrasound imaging application. The most common type is a diode-based expander, which is essentially a simple diode-pair, is widely used in pulse-echo measurements and imaging applications because of its simple architecture. However, diode-based expanders may degrade the performance of ultrasonic transducers and electronic components on the receiving and transmitting sides of the ultrasound systems, respectively. Since they are non-linear devices, they cause excessive signal attenuation and noise at higher frequencies and voltages. In this paper, a new type of expander that utilizes power MOSFET components, which we call a power MOSFET-based expander, is introduced and evaluated for use in high frequency ultrasound imaging systems. The performance of a power MOSFET-based expander was evaluated relative to a diode-based expander by comparing the noise figure (NF), insertion loss (IL), total harmonic distortion (THD), response time (RT), electrical impedance (EI) and dynamic power consumption (DPC). The results showed that the power MOSFET-based expander provided better NF (0.76 dB), IL (-0.3 dB) and THD (-62.9 dB), and faster RT (82 ns) than did the diode-based expander (NF (2.6 dB), IL (-1.4 dB), THD (-56.0 dB) and RT (119 ns)) at 70 MHz. The -6 dB bandwidth and the peak-to-peak voltage of the echo signal received by the transducer using the power MOSFET-based expander improved by 17.4% and 240% compared to the diode-based expander, respectively. The new power MOSFET-based expander was shown to yield lower NF, IL and THD, faster RT and lower ring down than the diode-based expander at the expense of higher dynamic power consumption. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contributions to ultrasound monitoring of the process of milk curdling.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez, Antonio; Rufo, Montaña; Paniagua, Jesús M; Crespo, Abel T; Guerrero, M Patricia; Riballo, M José

2017-04-01

Ultrasound evaluation permits the state of milk being curdled to be determined quickly and cheaply, thus satisfying the demands faced by today's dairy product producers. This paper describes the non-invasive ultrasonic method of in situ monitoring the changing physical properties of milk during the renneting process. The basic objectives of the study were, on the one hand, to confirm the usefulness of conventional non-destructive ultrasonic testing (time-of-flight and attenuation of the ultrasound waves) in monitoring the process in the case of ewe's milk, and, on the other, to include other ultrasound parameters which have not previously been considered in studies on this topic, in particular, parameters provided by the Fast Fourier Transform technique. The experimental study was carried out in a dairy industry environment on four 52-l samples of raw milk in which were immersed 500kHz ultrasound transducers. Other physicochemical parameters of the raw milk (pH, dry matter, protein, Gerber fat test, and lactose) were measured, as also were the pH and temperature of the curdled samples simultaneously with the ultrasound tests. Another contribution of this study is the linear correlation analysis of the aforementioned ultrasound parameters and the physicochemical properties of the curdled milk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coalgebraising Subsequential Transducers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hansen, H.H.

2008-01-01

Subsequential transducers generalise both classic deterministic automata and Mealy/Moore type state machines by combining (input) language recognition with transduction. In this paper we show that normalisation and taking differentials of subsequential transducers and their underlying structures can

Transient disturbance growth in flows over convex surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Karp, Michael; Hack, M. J. Philipp

2017-11-01

Flows over curved surfaces occur in a wide range of applications including airfoils, compressor and turbine vanes as well as aerial, naval and ground vehicles. In most of these applications the surface has convex curvature, while concave surfaces are less common. Since monotonic boundary-layer flows over convex surfaces are exponentially stable, they have received considerably less attention than flows over concave walls which are destabilized by centrifugal forces. Non-modal mechanisms may nonetheless enable significant disturbance growth which can make the flow susceptible to secondary instabilities. A parametric investigation of the transient growth and secondary instability of flows over convex surfaces is performed. The specific conditions yielding the maximal transient growth and strongest instability are identified. The effect of wall-normal and spanwise inflection points on the instability process is discussed. Finally, the role and significance of additional parameters, such as the geometry and pressure gradient, is analyzed.

Are ultrasound-guided ophthalmic blocks injurious to the eye? A comparative rabbit model study of two ultrasound devices evaluating intraorbital thermal and structural changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Palte, Howard D; Gayer, Steven; Arrieta, Esdras; Scot Shaw, Eric; Nose, Izuru; Lee, Elizabete; Arheart, Kristopher L; Dubovy, Sander; Birnbach, David J; Parel, Jean-Marie

2012-07-01

Since Atkinson's original description of retrobulbar block in 1936, needle-based anesthetic techniques have become integral to ophthalmic anesthesia. These techniques are unfortunately associated with rare, grave complications such as globe perforation. Ultrasound has gained widespread acceptance for peripheral nerve blockade, but its translation to ocular anesthesia has been hampered because sonic energy, in the guise of thermal or biomechanical insult, is potentially injurious to vulnerable eye tissue. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defined guidelines for safe use of ultrasound for ophthalmic examination, but most ultrasound devices used by anesthesiologists are not FDA-approved for ocular application because they generate excessive energy. Regulating agencies state that ultrasound examinations can be safely undertaken as long as tissue temperatures do not increase >1.5°C above physiological levels. Using a rabbit model, we investigated the thermal and mechanical ocular effects after prolonged ultrasonic exposure to single orbital- and nonorbital-rated devices. In a dual-phase study, aimed at detecting ocular injury, the eyes of 8 rabbits were exposed to continuous 10-minute ultrasound examinations from 2 devices: (1) the Sonosite Micromaxx (nonorbital rated) and (2) the Sonomed VuMax (orbital rated) machines. In phase I, temperatures were continuously monitored via thermocouples implanted within specific eye structures (n = 4). In phase II the eyes were subjected to ultrasonic exposure without surgical intervention (n = 4). All eyes underwent light microscopy examinations, followed at different intervals by histology evaluations conducted by an ophthalmic pathologist. Temperature changes were monitored in the eyes of 4 rabbits. The nonorbital-rated transducer produced increases in ocular tissue temperature that surpassed the safe limit (increases >1.5°C) in the lens of 3 rabbits (at 5.0, 5.5, and 1.5 minutes) and cornea of 2 rabbits (both at 1

Algorithms for estimating blood velocities using ultrasound

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2000-01-01

Ultrasound has been used intensively for the last 15 years for studying the hemodynamics of the human body. Systems for determining both the velocity distribution at one point of interest (spectral systems) and for displaying a map of velocity in real time have been constructed. A number of schemes...... have been developed for performing the estimation, and the various approaches are described. The current systems only display the velocity along the ultrasound beam direction and a velocity transverse to the beam is not detected. This is a major problem in these systems, since most blood vessels...... are parallel to the skin surface. Angling the transducer will often disturb the flow, and new techniques for finding transverse velocities are needed. The various approaches for determining transverse velocities will be explained. This includes techniques using two-dimensional correlation (speckle tracking...

On approximation and energy estimates for delta 6-convex functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Shoaib Saleem

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The smooth approximation and weighted energy estimates for delta 6-convex functions are derived in this research. Moreover, we conclude that if 6-convex functions are closed in uniform norm, then their third derivatives are closed in weighted L2 $L^{2}$-norm.

Therapeutic ultrasound as a potential male contraceptive: power, frequency and temperature required to deplete rat testes of meiotic cells and epididymides of sperm determined using a commercially available system.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuruta, James K; Dayton, Paul A; Gallippi, Caterina M; O'Rand, Michael G; Streicker, Michael A; Gessner, Ryan C; Gregory, Thomas S; Silva, Erick J R; Hamil, Katherine G; Moser, Glenda J; Sokal, David C

2012-01-30

Studies published in the 1970s by Mostafa S. Fahim and colleagues showed that a short treatment with ultrasound caused the depletion of germ cells and infertility. The goal of the current study was to determine if a commercially available therapeutic ultrasound generator and transducer could be used as the basis for a male contraceptive. Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and their testes were treated with 1 MHz or 3 MHz ultrasound while varying power, duration and temperature of treatment. We found that 3 MHz ultrasound delivered with 2.2 Watt per square cm power for fifteen minutes was necessary to deplete spermatocytes and spermatids from the testis and that this treatment significantly reduced epididymal sperm reserves. 3 MHz ultrasound treatment reduced total epididymal sperm count 10-fold lower than the wet-heat control and decreased motile sperm counts 1,000-fold lower than wet-heat alone. The current treatment regimen provided nominally more energy to the treatment chamber than Fahim's originally reported conditions of 1 MHz ultrasound delivered at 1 Watt per square cm for ten minutes. However, the true spatial average intensity, effective radiating area and power output of the transducers used by Fahim were not reported, making a direct comparison impossible. We found that germ cell depletion was most uniform and effective when we rotated the therapeutic transducer to mitigate non-uniformity of the beam field. The lowest sperm count was achieved when the coupling medium (3% saline) was held at 37 degrees C and two consecutive 15-minute treatments of 3 MHz ultrasound at 2.2 Watt per square cm were separated by 2 days. The non-invasive nature of ultrasound and its efficacy in reducing sperm count make therapeutic ultrasound a promising candidate for a male contraceptive. However, further studies must be conducted to confirm its efficacy in providing a contraceptive effect, to test the result of repeated use, to verify that the contraceptive effect is

A convex optimization approach for solving large scale linear systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debora Cores

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The well-known Conjugate Gradient (CG method minimizes a strictly convex quadratic function for solving large-scale linear system of equations when the coefficient matrix is symmetric and positive definite. In this work we present and analyze a non-quadratic convex function for solving any large-scale linear system of equations regardless of the characteristics of the coefficient matrix. For finding the global minimizers, of this new convex function, any low-cost iterative optimization technique could be applied. In particular, we propose to use the low-cost globally convergent Spectral Projected Gradient (SPG method, which allow us to extend this optimization approach for solving consistent square and rectangular linear system, as well as linear feasibility problem, with and without convex constraints and with and without preconditioning strategies. Our numerical results indicate that the new scheme outperforms state-of-the-art iterative techniques for solving linear systems when the symmetric part of the coefficient matrix is indefinite, and also for solving linear feasibility problems.

Sampling system for in vivo ultrasound images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jorgen Arendt; Mathorne, Jan

1991-01-01

Newly developed algorithms for processing medical ultrasound images use the high frequency sampled transducer signal. This paper describes demands imposed on a sampling system suitable for acquiring such data and gives details about a prototype constructed. It acquires full clinical images...... at a sampling frequency of 20 MHz with a resolution of 12 bits. The prototype can be used for real time image processing. An example of a clinical in vivo image is shown and various aspects of the data acquisition process are discussed....

Control of liquid crystal molecular orientation using ultrasound vibration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taniguchi, Satoki [Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Wave Electronics Research Center, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Koyama, Daisuke; Matsukawa, Mami [Wave Electronics Research Center, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Shimizu, Yuki; Emoto, Akira [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan); Nakamura, Kentaro [Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-R2-26, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)

2016-03-07

We propose a technique to control the orientation of nematic liquid crystals using ultrasound and investigate the optical characteristics of the oriented samples. An ultrasonic liquid crystal cell with a thickness of 5–25 μm and two ultrasonic lead zirconate titanate transducers was fabricated. By exciting the ultrasonic transducers, the flexural vibration modes were generated on the cell. An acoustic radiation force to the liquid crystal layer was generated, changing the molecular orientation and thus the light transmission. By modulating the ultrasonic driving frequency and voltage, the spatial distribution of the molecular orientation of the liquid crystals could be controlled. The distribution of the transmitted light intensity depends on the thickness of the liquid crystal layer because the acoustic field in the liquid crystal layer is changed by the orientational film.

SU-G-JeP3-08: Robotic System for Ultrasound Tracking in Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhlemann, I [University of Luebeck, Luebeck (Germany); Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Luebeck (Germany); Jauer, P; Schweikard, A; Ernst, F [University of Luebeck, Luebeck (Germany)

2016-06-15

Purpose: For safe and accurate real-time tracking of tumors for IGRT using 4D ultrasound, it is necessary to make use of novel, high-end force-sensitive lightweight robots designed for human-machine interaction. Such a robot will be integrated into an existing robotized ultrasound system for non-invasive 4D live tracking, using a newly developed real-time control and communication framework. Methods: The new KUKA LWR iiwa robot is used for robotized ultrasound real-time tumor tracking. Besides more precise probe contact pressure detection, this robot provides an additional 7th link, enhancing the dexterity of the kinematic and the mounted transducer. Several integrated, certified safety features create a safe environment for the patients during treatment. However, to remotely control the robot for the ultrasound application, a real-time control and communication framework has to be developed. Based on a client/server concept, client-side control commands are received and processed by a central server unit and are implemented by a client module running directly on the robot’s controller. Several special functionalities for robotized ultrasound applications are integrated and the robot can now be used for real-time control of the image quality by adjusting the transducer position, and contact pressure. The framework was evaluated looking at overall real-time capability for communication and processing of three different standard commands. Results: Due to inherent, certified safety modules, the new robot ensures a safe environment for patients during tumor tracking. Furthermore, the developed framework shows overall real-time capability with a maximum average latency of 3.6 ms (Minimum 2.5 ms; 5000 trials). Conclusion: The novel KUKA LBR iiwa robot will advance the current robotized ultrasound tracking system with important features. With the developed framework, it is now possible to remotely control this robot and use it for robotized ultrasound tracking

SU-G-JeP3-08: Robotic System for Ultrasound Tracking in Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuhlemann, I; Jauer, P; Schweikard, A; Ernst, F

2016-01-01

Purpose: For safe and accurate real-time tracking of tumors for IGRT using 4D ultrasound, it is necessary to make use of novel, high-end force-sensitive lightweight robots designed for human-machine interaction. Such a robot will be integrated into an existing robotized ultrasound system for non-invasive 4D live tracking, using a newly developed real-time control and communication framework. Methods: The new KUKA LWR iiwa robot is used for robotized ultrasound real-time tumor tracking. Besides more precise probe contact pressure detection, this robot provides an additional 7th link, enhancing the dexterity of the kinematic and the mounted transducer. Several integrated, certified safety features create a safe environment for the patients during treatment. However, to remotely control the robot for the ultrasound application, a real-time control and communication framework has to be developed. Based on a client/server concept, client-side control commands are received and processed by a central server unit and are implemented by a client module running directly on the robot’s controller. Several special functionalities for robotized ultrasound applications are integrated and the robot can now be used for real-time control of the image quality by adjusting the transducer position, and contact pressure. The framework was evaluated looking at overall real-time capability for communication and processing of three different standard commands. Results: Due to inherent, certified safety modules, the new robot ensures a safe environment for patients during tumor tracking. Furthermore, the developed framework shows overall real-time capability with a maximum average latency of 3.6 ms (Minimum 2.5 ms; 5000 trials). Conclusion: The novel KUKA LBR iiwa robot will advance the current robotized ultrasound tracking system with important features. With the developed framework, it is now possible to remotely control this robot and use it for robotized ultrasound tracking

Riemann solvers and undercompressive shocks of convex FPU chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, Michael; Rademacher, Jens D M

2010-01-01

We consider FPU-type atomic chains with general convex potentials. The naive continuum limit in the hyperbolic space–time scaling is the p-system of mass and momentum conservation. We systematically compare Riemann solutions to the p-system with numerical solutions to discrete Riemann problems in FPU chains, and argue that the latter can be described by modified p-system Riemann solvers. We allow the flux to have a turning point, and observe a third type of elementary wave (conservative shocks) in the atomistic simulations. These waves are heteroclinic travelling waves and correspond to non-classical, undercompressive shocks of the p-system. We analyse such shocks for fluxes with one or more turning points. Depending on the convexity properties of the flux we propose FPU-Riemann solvers. Our numerical simulations confirm that Lax shocks are replaced by so-called dispersive shocks. For convex–concave flux we provide numerical evidence that convex FPU chains follow the p-system in generating conservative shocks that are supersonic. For concave–convex flux, however, the conservative shocks of the p-system are subsonic and do not appear in FPU-Riemann solutions

The effect of ultrasound irradiation on the convective heat transfer rate during immersion cooling of a stationary sphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiani, Hossein; Sun, Da-Wen; Zhang, Zhihang

2012-11-01

It has been proven that ultrasound irradiation can enhance the rate of heat transfer processes. The objective of this work was to study the heat transfer phenomenon, mainly the heat exchange at the surface, as affected by ultrasound irradiation around a stationary copper sphere (k=386W m(-1)K(-1), C(p)=384J kg(-1)K(-1), ρ=8660kg m(-3)) during cooling. The sphere (0.01m in diameter) was immersed in an ethylene glycol-water mixture (-10°C) in an ultrasonic cooling system that included a refrigerated circulator, a flow meter, an ultrasound generator and an ultrasonic bath. The temperature of the sphere was recorded using a data logger equipped with a T-type thermocouple in the center of the sphere. The temperature of the cooling medium was also monitored by four thermocouples situated at different places in the bath. The sphere was located at different positions (0.02, 0.04 and 0.06m) above the transducer surface of the bath calculated considering the center of the sphere as the center of the reference system and was exposed to different intensities of ultrasound (0, 120, 190, 450, 890, 1800, 2800, 3400 and 4100W m(-2)) during cooling. The frequency of the ultrasound was 25kHz. It was demonstrated that ultrasound irradiation can increase the rate of heat transfer significantly, resulting in considerably shorter cooling times. Higher intensities caused higher cooling rates, and Nu values were increased from about 23-27 to 25-108 depending on the intensity of ultrasound and the position of the sphere. However, high intensities of ultrasound led to the generation of heat at the surface of the sphere, thus limiting the lowest final temperature achieved. An analytical solution was developed considering the heat generation and was fitted to the experimental data with R(2) values in the range of 0.910-0.998. Visual observations revealed that both cavitation and acoustic streaming were important for heat transfer phenomenon. Cavitation clouds at the surface of the sphere

Liquid sodium testing of in-house phased array EMAT transducer for L-wave applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Bourdais, F.; Le Polles, T. [Non Destructive Testing Department at the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette CEDEX, (France); Baque, F. [Department of Sodium Technology at the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Cadarache, 13108 St Paul lez Durance CEDEX, (France)

2015-07-01

This paper describes the development of an in-house phased array EMAT transducer for longitudinal wave inspection in liquid sodium. The work presented herein is part of an undergoing project aimed at improving in-service inspection techniques for the ASTRID reactor project. The design process of the phased array EMAT probe is briefly explained and followed by a review of experimental test results. We first present test results obtained in the laboratory while the last part of the paper describes the liquid sodium testing and the produced ultrasound images. (authors)

Liquid sodium testing of in-house phased array EMAT transducer for L-wave applications