xDDx: A Numerical Toolbox for Ultrasound Transducer Characterization and Design With Acoustic Holography

Area of Science:

• Acoustics and Ultrasonics
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Transient acoustic holography reconstructs ultrasound fields but is computationally intensive.
• Numerical projections for field reconstruction can be slow and sensitive to misalignment.
• Accurate characterization of ultrasound transducers is crucial for medical imaging and therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an open-access toolbox for efficient and accurate ultrasound transducer characterization.
• To address the computational time and alignment sensitivity issues in acoustic holography.
• To enable detailed analysis of transducer surface vibrations and radiated acoustic fields.

Main Methods:

• The toolbox utilizes the Rayleigh integral algorithm implemented in C++ for GPU and CPU acceleration.
• It includes an automated procedure for correcting axes misalignments.
• The software allows for both reconstruction from measured holograms and simulation of radiated fields.

Main Results:

• The toolbox significantly reduces computation time for acoustic field reconstruction, with GPUs achieving speeds from 0.2 s to 3 min.
• Automated alignment correction enhances the visualization of transducer surface vibrations.
• Demonstrated successful characterization of focused sector transducers.

Conclusions:

• The developed toolbox offers a faster, more accurate, and user-friendly approach to ultrasound transducer characterization.
• It provides valuable capabilities for identifying transducer defects and analyzing acoustic field structures.
• The open-access nature promotes wider adoption and advancement in the field.