Numerical study on sector-vortex phased irradiation method using annular array transducer in High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound treatment

Experimental demonstration of Fresnel zone plate lens for robust subwavelength focusing at mega hertz

Acoustic focusing with high energy intensity, broadband and few side lobes properties are highly demanded in many fields and can be achieved with Fresnel zone plate (FZP) lens as an artificial structure. However, FZP focusing lenses for high frequency range such as around 5 MHz with precise focusing effect has not been demonstrated and the dependence of the size, especially the full width at half maximum (FWHM), of the focal spot has not been well explored. In this work, we numerically and experimentally study the FZP lenses for robust and subwavelength underwater sound focusing effect around 5 MHz. Stable subwavelength FWHM of the focusing spot over a broad frequency range is achieved. It is found that the FWHM has a quasi-linear relationship with the ratio between the focal length and the diameter of the lens. A quasi-linear relationship between the focal length and working frequency is also validated theoretically, numerically and experimentally. Our study proposes broadband and robust FZP lenses paving the way for high quality acoustic focusing at Mega Hertz frequency range for the development of imaging, non-destructive evaluation, and so on.

Complementary Acoustic Metamaterial for Penetrating Aberration Layers

Impedance-matched acoustic materials were developed to improve ultrasound penetration through the aberration layer. The traditional ultrasound layer matching material is called a couplant, which can only enhance ultrasound transmission to soft biological media such as the cartilage and muscle but cannot penetrate hard media such as the bone. Here, we propose a phase-modulated complementary acoustic metamaterial based on the principle of impedance matching, which enables ultrasound to penetrate the bone, and use the equivalent parameter technology of acoustic metamaterials for parameter design. Ultrasonic layer adjustment is performed through 3D printing and corrects bone aberrations. Several configurations were investigated through numerical simulations and experiments in non-reflecting tanks. Specifically, the bone matching layer can be optimally designed for a specific bone thickness and a specific operating frequency of the ultrasound probe, thereby amplifying the ultrasound to penetrate the matching layer and bone. The experimental and simulation results show that the proposed acoustic metamaterial can improve the transmission efficiency of ultrasound through the aberration layer.

Localized motion imaging for monitoring HIFU therapy: Comparison of modulating frequencies and utilization of square modulating wave

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been successfully used as a minimally invasive cancer therapy method. For monitoring the therapy, the amplitude-modulated (AM) localized motion imaging (LMI) method had been proposed. This paper compares the performance of AM-LMI while using different sine modulating wave frequencies and proposes the utilization of square modulating waves to gain the advantages of both high and low modulating frequencies. A single element therapy transducer with a 2 MHz central frequency was driven by sine modulating waves with different frequencies (approximate 34, 67, 102, 168, and 201 Hz) and by square modulating waves with two frequencies (34 and 67 Hz). An imaging probe with a 5 MHz central frequency and a 20 MHz sampling frequency was mounted in the center hole of the therapy transducer to acquire pulse-echo data, which were used to estimate the tissue oscillation amplitude induced by the acoustic radiation force of the HIFU beam. The decrease ratio of the oscillation amount was then utilized to estimate the coagulated lesion length during the therapy. The comparison of modulating frequencies demonstrated that a higher frequency could bring higher sensitivity to small lesions, while a lower frequency not only gives greater noise robustness but also promotes the ability to estimate lengths of larger lesions. The utilization of a square modulating wave demonstrated its utility to produce tissue oscillation with multiple frequencies and gain the advantages of both high and low modulating frequencies.