Measurement of ultrasonic power using an acoustically absorbing well

Measurement of the temperature-dependent output of lead zirconate titanate transducers

The effect of temperature and electrical drive conditions on the output of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers is of particular interest in ultrasound metrology and medical ultrasound applications. In this work, the temperature-dependent output of two single-element PZT transducers was measured between 22 °C and 46 °C. Two independent measurement methods were used, namely radiation force balance measurements and laser vibrometry. When driven at constant voltage using a 50 Ω matched signal generator and amplifier using continuous wave (CW) or quasi-CW excitation, the output of the two transducers increased on average by 0.6 % per degree, largely due to an increase in transducer efficiency with temperature. The two measurement methods showed close agreement. Similar trends were observed when using single cycle excitation with the same signal chain. However, when driven using a pulser (which is not electrically matched), the two transducers exhibited different behaviour depending on their electrical impedance. Accounting for the temperature-dependent output of PZT transducers could have implications for many areas of ultrasound metrology, for example, in therapeutic ultrasound where a coupling fluid at an increased or decreased temperature is often used.

Quality assurance for clinical high intensity focused ultrasound fields

As the use of HIFU in the clinic becomes more widespread there is an ever increasing need to standardise quality assurance protocols, an important step in facilitating the wider acceptance of HIFU as a therapeutic modality. This article reviews pertinent aspects of HIFU treatment delivery, encompassing the closely related aspects of quality assurance and calibration. Particular attention is given to the description and characterisation of relevant acoustic field parameters and the measurement of acoustic power. Where appropriate, recommendations are made.

Ultrasound imparted air-recoil resonance (UIAR) method for acoustic power estimation: theory and experiment

Ultrasound imparted air-recoil resonance (UIAR), a new method for acoustic power estimation, is introduced with emphasis on therapeutic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) monitoring applications. Advantages of this approach over existing practices include fast response; electrical and magnetic inertness, and hence MRI compatibility; portability; high damage threshold and immunity to vibration and interference; low cost; etc. The angle of incidence should be fixed for accurate measurement. However, the transducer-detector pair can be aligned in any direction with respect to the force of gravity. In this sense, the operation of the device is orientation independent. The acoustic response of a pneumatically coupled pair of Helmholtz resonators, with one of them acting as the sensor head, is used for the estimation of acoustic power. The principle is valid in the case of pulsed/ burst as well as continuous ultrasound exposure, the former being more sensitive and accurate. An electro-acoustic theory has been developed for describing the dynamics of pressure flow and resonance in the system considering various thermo- viscous loss mechanisms. Experimental observations are found to be in agreement with theoretical results. Assuming the window damage threshold (~10 J·mm(-2)) and accuracy of RF power estimation are the upper and lower scale-limiting factors, the performance of the device was examined for an RF power range of 5 mW to 100 W with a HIFU transducer operating at 1.70 MHz, and an average nonlinearity of ~1.5% was observed. The device is also sensitive to sub-milliwatt powers. The frequency response was analyzed at 0.85, 1.70, 2.55, and 3.40 MHz and the results are presented with respective theoretical estimates. Typical response time is in the millisecond regime. Output drift is about 3% for resonant and 5% for nonresonant modes. The principle has been optimized to demonstrate a general-purpose acoustic power meter.

Calibration and measurement issues for therapeutic ultrasound

This review paper examines some of the issues relating to calibration and measurement of therapeutic medical ultrasonic equipment (MUE). This is not intended to be an all-encompassing review of all aspects of characterising therapeutic ultrasound. Instead it concentrates on issues related to the acoustic output of two applications: physiotherapy and high intensity focused ultrasound surgery (HIFUS or HIFU; also referred to as high intensity therapeutic ultrasound, HITU). Physiotherapy has a well-established standards infrastructure for calibration: the requirements are small in number and well-defined. The issue for physiotherapy is not so much 'How to calibrate?' but rather, 'How to ensure that equipment IS calibrated?' The situation in the much newer area of HIFU is very different: the first steps towards writing standards are just starting and even the very basic questions of what to measure and with what type of sensor are open for debate. Readers whose main interest is in other ultrasound therapies will find ideas of relevance to their own specialty.

A buoyancy method for the measurement of total ultrasound power generated by HIFU transducers

Total acoustic output power is a key parameter for most ultrasonic medical equipment and especially for high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) systems, which treat certain cancers and other conditions by the noninvasive thermal ablation of the affected tissue. In planar unfocused fields, the use of a radiation force balance has been considered the most accurate method of measuring ultrasound power. However, radiation force is not strictly dependent on the ultrasound power but, rather, on the wave momentum resolved in one direction. Consequently, measurements based on radiation force become progressively less accurate as the ultrasound wave deviates further from a true plane-wave. HIFU transducers can be very strongly focused with F-numbers less than one: under these conditions, the uncertainty associated with use of the radiation force method becomes very significant. In this article, a new method for determining power is described in detail. Instead of radiation force, the new method relies on measuring the change in buoyancy caused by thermal expansion of castor oil inside a target suspended in a water bath. The change in volume is proportional to the incident energy and is independent of focusing or the angle of incidence of the ultrasound. The principles and theory behind the new method are laid out and the characteristics and construction of an appropriate target are examined and the results of validation tests are presented. The uncertainties of the method are calculated to be approximately +/-3.4% in the current implementation, with the potential to reduce these further. The new technique has several important advantages over the radiation force method and offers the potential to be an alternative primary standard method.

A novel pyroelectric method of determining ultrasonic transducer output power: device concept, modeling, and preliminary studies

This paper describes a new thermally based method of monitoring acoustic output power generated by ultrasonic transducers. Its novelty lies in the exploitation of the pyroelectric properties of a thin membrane of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The membrane is backed by a thick layer of polyurethane rubber that is extremely attenuating to ultrasound, with the result that the majority of the applied acoustic power is absorbed within a few millimeters of the membrane-backing interface. Through the resultant rapid increase in temperature of the membrane, a voltage is generated across its electrodes whose magnitude is proportional to the rate of change of temperature with respect to time. Changes in the pyroelectric voltage generated by switching the transducer ON and OFF are related to the acoustic power delivered by the transducer. Features of the technique are explored through the development of a simple one-dimensional model. An experimental evaluation of the potential secondary measurement technique is also presented, covering the frequency range 1 to 5 MHz, for delivered powers up to a watt. Predictions of the sensor output signals, as well as the frequency dependent sensitivity, are in good agreement with observation. The potential of the new method as a simple, rapid means of providing traceable ultrasonic power measurements is outlined.

Acoustic power calibration of high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers using a radiation force technique

To address the challenges associated with measuring the ultrasonic power from high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers via radiation force, a technique based on pulsed measurements was developed and analyzed. Two focused ultrasound transducers were characterized in terms of an effective duty factor, which was then used to calculate the power during the pulse at high applied power levels. Two absorbing target designs were used, and both gave comparable results and displayed no damage and minimal temperature rise if placed near the transducer and away from the focus. The method yielded reproducible results up to the maximum pulse power generated of approximately 230 W, thus allowing the radiated power to be calibrated in terms of the peak-to-peak voltage applied to the transducer.

Progress in medical ultrasound exposimetry

Biomedical applications of ultrasound have experienced tremendous growth over the past 50 years. Early work in thermal therapy and surgery soon was followed by diagnostic imaging and Doppler. Because patient safety was an important issue from the beginning, the study of methods for measuring exposure levels, and their relationship to possible biological effects, paralleled the growth of the various therapeutic and diagnostic techniques. The diverse conditions of use have presented a range of exposure measurement challenges, and the sensors and techniques used to evaluate ultrasound fields have had to evolve as new or expanded clinical applications have emerged. In this paper some of the more notable of these developments are presented and discussed. Topics covered include devices and techniques, methods of calibration, progress in standardization, and current problem areas, including the effects of nonlinear propagation. Some early methods are described, but emphasis is given to more recent work applicable to present and future uses of ultrasound in medicine and biology.