A single crystal row-column-array for 3D ultrasound imaging.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• 3D ultrasound imaging is crucial for clinical and research applications.
• Current 2D-array transducers are complex and expensive due to numerous electronic channels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new, cost-effective fabrication process for a 7-MHz 128+128 element row-column-array (RCA) transducer.
• To evaluate the performance and imaging capabilities of the developed RCA transducer.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 7-MHz 128+128 RCA transducer using relaxor ferroelectric PMN-0.28PT single crystal.
• Optimization of piezoelectric properties and acoustic matching.
• Quantification of axial and lateral imaging resolutions using point spread function (PSF).
• Experimental validation on a hyperechoic phantom.

Main Results:

• Achieved -6 dB bandwidth of ~82% and insertion loss of -44.6 dB.
• Measured axial resolution of 0.20 mm and lateral resolution of 0.41 mm at 7.7 mm depth.
• Obtained high-quality 3D ultrasound images, including B-mode slices, on a phantom.

Conclusions:

• The developed RCA transducer offers a simplified fabrication and reduced hardware cost for 3D ultrasound.
• The transducer demonstrates excellent performance, enabling high-quality 3D imaging.
• This technology holds significant potential for ultrafast and functional 3D ultrasound imaging.