A Programmable Platform for Accelerating the Development of Smart Ultrasound Transducer Probe

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an ultraportable ultrasound smart probe has proven to be one of the few practical diagnostic and monitoring tools for doctors who are fully covered with personal protective equipment. The real-time, safety, ease of sanitization, and ultraportability features of an ultrasound smart probe make it extremely suitable for diagnosing COVID-19. In this article, we discuss the implementation of a smart probe designed according to the classic architecture of ultrasound scanners. The design balanced both performance and power consumption. This programmable platform for an ultrasound smart probe supports a 64-channel full digital beamformer. The platform's size is smaller than 10 cm ×5 cm. It achieves a 60-dBFS signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and an average power consumption of ~4 W with 80% power efficiency. The platform is capable of achieving triplex B-mode, M-mode, color, pulsed-wave Doppler mode imaging in real time. The hardware design files are available for researchers and engineers for further study, improvement or rapid commercialization of ultrasound smart probes to fight COVID-19.