Study on Discontinuity Properties of Phased-Array Ultrasound Transducer Affecting to Sound Pressure Fields Pattern

The phased-array ultrasound transducer types are
utilities for medical ultrasonography as well as optical imaging.
However, their discontinuity characteristic limits the applications due
to the artifacts contaminated into the reconstructed images. Because
of the effects of the ultrasound pressure field pattern to the echo
ultrasonic waves as well as the optical modulated signal, the side
lobes of the focused ultrasound beam induced by discontinuity of the
phased-array ultrasound transducer might the reason of the artifacts.
In this paper, a simple method in approach of numerical simulation
was used to investigate the limitation of discontinuity of the elements
in phased-array ultrasound transducer and their effects to the
ultrasound pressure field. Take into account the change of ultrasound
pressure field patterns in the conditions of variation of the pitches
between elements of the phased-array ultrasound transducer, the
appropriated parameters for phased-array ultrasound transducer
design were asserted quantitatively.





References:
[1] W. Leutz, and G. Maret, “Ultrasonic Modulation of Multiply
Scattered‐Light”, Physica B‐ Condensed Matter, 204(1‐4), 1995,
pp.14‐19.
[2] M. Kobayashi, T. Mizumoto, Y. Shibuya, “Fluorescence tomography in
turbid media based on acousto‐optic modulation imaging,” Applied
Physics Letters, 89(18), 2006.
[3] Grinvald A, Lieke E, Frostig RD, Gilbert CD, Wiesel TN, “Functional
Architecture of Cortex revealed by optical imaging of intrinsic signals”,
Nature 324 (6095):1986, pp. 361 - 364
[4] Hao F Zhang, Konstantin Maslov, George Stoica, Lihong V Wang,
“Functional photoacoustic microscopy for high-resolution and
noninvasive in vivo imaging”, Nature Biotechnology 24, 2006, pp. 848
– 851.
[5] S. Gunadi, and T. S. Leung, “Spatial sensitivity of acousto‐optic and
optical near‐infrared spectroscopy sensing measurements,” Journal of
Biomedical Optics, 16(12), 127005‐10, 2011.
[6] Pu Wang, Justin R. Rajian, Ji-Xin Cheng, “Spectroscopic Imaging of
Deep Tissue through Photoacoustic Detection of Molecular Vibration”,
J.Phys.Chem.Lett, 4, 2013, pp. 2177−2185.
[7] K. Kirk Shung, Gary A. Thieme, “Ultrasonic Scattering in Biological
Tissues”, CRC Press, 1992.
[8] Q. D. Trinh, Y. Nanbu, T. Suzuki, S. Takahashi, M. Takeda, M.
Kobayashi, “Basic study on application of the phased-array transducer to
determine fluorescence in turbid media based-on acousto-optic effects.”
International Conference on Laser Applications in Life Sciences (LALS
2008).
[9] Q. D. Trinh, Y. Nanbu, T. Suzuki, S. Takahashi, M. Takeda, M.
Kobayashi, “Fluorescence tomography based-on acousto-optic
modulations with phased-array ultrasound transducer.” BiOS Part of
SPIE Photonic West, paper No. 7177-57 (San Jose, USA, 2009).
[10] T.Q.Duc, S.Kaneta, M.Masaki, “Development of Ultrasonic Modulation
Probe for Fluorescence Tomography Based on Acousto-Optic Effect.”
International Journal Optic, Vol. 2011, 818302, pp. 1-6.
[11] T. Q. Duc, S. Kaneta, M. Kobayashi, “Study on the Mechanism of
Ultrasonic Fluorescence Modulation in Light Scattering Medium Based
on Diffusion Approximation with Varying Refractive Index.” Optical
Review Vol. 19, No. 3, 2012, pp. 1-8.
[12] André LAMARRE, “Dynamic Focusing of Phased Arrays for
Nondestructive Testing: Characterization and Application”, NDT.net,
Vol. 4 No. 9, 1999.