光弹法测量超声换能器声场

超声换能器声场的测试对于超声检测具有基础性作用,而传统的超声换能器声场测试方法具有一些局限性。本文介绍了搭建的动态激光光弹实验平台,并利用动态光弹法测量了纵波换能器和横波换能器辐射声场的特征,由瞬态声场图像获得了传声介质的声波速度及超声换能器的中心频率;由稳态声场图像获得了声场的近场长度、指向性和扩散角等参数;分析了光弹实验系统和测量方法可能引起测量误差。本文结果表明动态光弹法是一种有效的定量测量超声换能器声场的方法。     

Spectral anomalies of pulsed Hermite-cosh-Gaussian beams focused by an aperture lens

The spectral behaviors of pulsed Hermite-cosh-Gaussian (HChG) beams focused by an aperture lens are studied. The propagation equation for the power spectra of pulsed HChG beams focused by an aperture lens is derived and used to study the spectral anomalies of pulsed HChG beams in the focused field. Numerical results are given to illustrate the dependence of spectral anomalies behavior on the pulse parameter and truncation parameter. The potential applications of spectral anomalies of ultrashort pulsed beams in information encoding and information transmission are considered.     

Gaussian representation of high-intensity focused ultrasound beams

A method for fast numerical simulation of high-intensity focused ultrasound beams is derived. The method is based on the frequency-domain representation of the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation, and assumes for each harmonic a Gaussian transverse pressure distribution at all distances from the transducer face. The beamwidths of the harmonics are constrained to vary inversely with the square root of the harmonic number, and as such this method may be viewed as an extension of a quasilinear approximation. The technique is capable of determining pressure or intensity fields of moderately nonlinear high-intensity focused ultrasound beams in water or biological tissue, usually requiring less than a minute of computer time on a modern workstation. Moreover, this method is particularly well suited to high-gain simulations since, unlike traditional finite-difference methods, it is not subject to resolution limitations in the transverse direction. Results are shown to be in reasonable agreement with numerical solutions of the full KZK equation in both tissue and water for moderately nonlinear beams.     

Spectral behavior of pulsed Bessel beams focused by a dispersive lens

Starting from the Huygens–Fresnel diffraction integral, the analytical expression for the power spectrum of pulsed Bessel beams focused by a dispersive aperture lens is derived and used to study the spectral anomalies of pulsed Bessel beams in the focused field. Numerical calculation results are given to illustrate the dependence of spectral anomalous behavior on the pulse parameters, truncation parameter and material dispersion of the lens. It is shown that near the phase singularities the spectral anomalies may take place. The potential applications of spectral anomalies of ultrashort pulsed beams in information encoding and information transmission are considered.     

Imaging with unfocused regions of focused ultrasound beams

This article gives an analytical, computational, and experimental treatment of the spatial resolution encoded in unfocused regions of focused ultrasound beams. This topic is important in diagnostic ultrasound since ultrasound array systems are limited to a single transmit focal point per acoustic transmission, hence there is a loss of spatial resolution away from the transmit focus, even with the use of dynamic receive focusing. It is demonstrated that the spatial bandwidth of a Gaussian-apodized beam is approximately constant with depth, which means that there is just as much encoded spatial resolution away from the transmit focus as there is in the focal region. The practical application of this principle is discussed, an algorithm for retrospectively focusing signals from unfocused regions of fixed-focus beams is presented, and a quantitative comparison between the authors' methods and dynamic-receive beamforming is provided.     

Characterization of high intensity focused ultrasound transducers using acoustic streaming

A new approach for characterizing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducers is presented. The technique is based upon the acoustic streaming field generated by absorption of the HIFU beam in a liquid medium. The streaming field is quantified using digital particle image velocimetry, and a numerical algorithm is employed to compute the acoustic intensity field giving rise to the observed streaming field. The method as presented here is applicable to moderate intensity regimes, above the intensities which may be damaging to conventional hydrophones, but below the levels where nonlinear propagation effects are appreciable. Intensity fields and acoustic powers predicted using the streaming method were found to agree within 10% with measurements obtained using hydrophones and radiation force balances. Besides acoustic intensity fields, the streaming technique may be used to determine other important HIFU parameters, such as beam tilt angle or absorption of the propagation medium.     

Optimization of pulsed focused ultrasound exposures for hyperthermia applications

Hyperthermic temperatures, with potential applications in drug/gene delivery and chemo/radio sensitization, may be generated in biological tissues by applying focused ultrasound (FUS) in pulsed mode. Here, a strategy for optimizing FUS exposures for hyperthermia applications is proposed based on theoretical simulations and in vitro experiments. Initial simulations were carried out for tissue-mimicking phantoms, and subsequent thermocouple measurements allowed for validation of the simulation results. Advanced simulations were then conducted for an ectopic, murine xenograft tumor model. The ultrasound exposure parameters investigated in this study included acoustic power (3-5 W), duty cycle (DC) (10%-50%), and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) (1-5 Hz), as well as effects of tissue perfusion. The thermocouple measurements agreed well with simulation outcomes, where differences between the two never exceeded 1.9%. Based on a desired temperature range of 39-44 °C, optimal tumor coverage (40.8% of the total tumor volume) by a single FUS exposure at 1 MHz was achieved with 4 W acoustic power, 50% DC, and 5 Hz PRF. Results of this study demonstrate the utility of a proposed strategy for optimizing pulsed-FUS induced hyperthermia. These strategies can help reduce the requirement for empirical animal experimentation, and facilitate the translation of pulsed-FUS applications to the clinic.     

Modeling of pulsed finite-amplitude focused sound beams in time domain.

A time-domain numerical model is presented for simulating the finite-amplitude focused acoustic pulse propagation in a dissipative and nonlinear medium with a symmetrical source geometry. In this method, the main effects responsible in finite-amplitude wave propagation, i.e., diffraction, nonlinearity, and absorption, are taken into account. These effects are treated independently using the method of fractional steps with a second-order operator-splitting algorithm. In this method, the acoustic beam propagates, plane-by-plane, from the surface of a highly focused radiator up to its focus. The results of calculations in an ideal (linear and nondissipative) medium show the validity of the model for simulating the effect of diffraction in highly focused pulse propagation. For real media, very good agreement was obtained in the shape of the theoretical and experimental pressure-time waveforms. A discrepancy in the amplitudes was observed with a maximum of around 20%, which can be explained by existing sources of error in our measurements and on the assumptions inherent in our theoretical model. The model has certain advantages over other time-domain methods previously reported in that it: (1) allows for arbitrary absorption and dispersion, and (2) makes use of full diffraction formulation. The latter point is particularly important for studying intense sources with high focusing gains.     

Nonlinear images of scatterers in chirped pulsed laser beams

The bandwidth and the duration of incident pulsed beam are proved to play important roles in modifying the nonlinear image of amplitude-type scatterer.It is found that the initially positive chirp-type bandwidth can suppress the nonlinear image,while the negative one can enhance it,and that both effects are inversely proportional to the incident pulse duration.Numerical simulations further demonstrate that the location of nonlinear image is at the conjugate plane of the scatterer and that,for negatively pre-chirped pulsed beam,the nonlinear image peak intensity can be higher than that in the corresponding monochromatic case under certain conditions.Moreover the effect of group velocity dispersion on nonlinear image is found to be similar to that of chirp-type bandwidth.     

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.     

Spatial structure of high intensity focused ultrasound beams of various geometry

The influence of nonlinear and diffraction effects on distortion of the spatial structure of peak positive and negative pressures in focused acoustic beams was studied for a weakly dissipative propagation medium. The problem was solved numerically based on the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov equation for beams with uniform and Gaussian distributions of the harmonic signal amplitude at the source.     

Spectral properties of spatially and spectrally partially coherent cosh-Gaussian pulsed beams focused by an aperture lens

The analytical expression for the spectrum of spatially and spectrally partially coherent cosh-Gaussian pulsed (ChGP) beams focused by an aperture lens is derived and used to study their spectral properties at the focal plane and on the axis. The effect of the truncation parameter, spatial correlation parameter, decentered parameter and temporal coherence length on the spectral shifts and spectral switches of spatially and spectrally partially coherent ChGP beams is stressed. The results are illustrated numerically and interpreted physically.     

Spectral and spatiotemporal properties of Bessel–Gauss pulsed beams focused by a dispersive aperture lens

The spectral and spatiotemporal properties of Bessel–Gauss pulsed beams focused by a dispersive aperture lens are studied, where the dispersion of the first, second, and higher orders is taken into consideration. It is shown that the spectral switches take place at the geometrical focal plane, and the dispersion of the first order leads to a shift of the critical position towards the z-axis. The dispersion plays a noticeable role in the spatiotemporal intensity distribution. The dispersion of the first order results in a decrease of the peak intensity, in a shift and a broadening of the pulse form, and the effect becomes more noticeable with increasing waist width. The dispersion of the second order results in a further broadening and a decrease of the peak intensity, and the effect is larger as the thickness of the lens increases. However, the dispersion of the higher order plays a relatively minor role. The results are illustrated by numerical examples and interpreted physically.     

部分空间相干和部分光谱相干厄米-高斯脉冲光束的焦场的相干特性

从部分相干光的传输理论出发,采用傅里叶变换法,推导出聚焦部分空间相干部分光谱相干厄米一高斯脉冲光束的光谱和光谱相干度的解析表达式,并用以研究了聚焦场的相干特性．研究结果表明,聚焦光束的光谱相干度与空间相关长度、时间相干长度和光束阶数有关．时间相干长度的减小将引起光谱相干度的减小,但光谱相干度的空间分布特性不受影响．随着光束阶数的增大,光谱相干度会出现振荡,且光束阶数越大,空间相关长度越小,振荡越明显．     

Nonlinear absorption in biological tissue for high intensity focused ultrasound

In recent years the propagation of the high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in biological tissue is an interesting area due to its potential applications in non-invasive treatment of disease. The base principle of these applications is the heat effect generated by ultrasound absorption. In order to control therapeutic efficiency, it is important to evaluate the heat generation in biological tissue irradiated by ultrasound. In his paper, based on the Khokhlov-Zabolotkaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation in frequency-domain, the numerical simulations of nonlinear absorption in biological tissues for high intensity focused ultrasound are performed. We find that ultrasound thermal transfer effect will be enhanced with the increasing of initial acoustic intensity due to the high harmonic generation. The concept of extra absorption factor is introduced to describe nonlinear absorption in biological tissue for HIFU. The theoretical results show that the heat deposition induced by the nonlinear theory can be nearly two times as large as that predicated by linear theory. Then, the influence of the diffraction effect on the position of the focus in HIFU is investigated. It is shown that the sound focus moves toward the transducer compared with the geometry focus because of the diffraction of the sound wave. The position of the maximum heat deposition is shifted to the geometry focus with the increase of initial acoustic intensity because the high harmonics are less diffraction. Finally, the temperature in the porcine fat tissue changing with the time is predicated by Pennes' equation and the experimental results verify the nonlinear theoretical prediction.     

Mechanisms for saturation of nonlinear pulsed and periodic signals in focused acoustic beams

Acoustic fields of powerful ultrasound sources with Gaussian spatial apodization and initial excitation in the form of a periodic wave or single pulse are examined based on the numerical solution of the Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov equation. The influence of nonlinear effects on the spatial structure of focused beams, as well as on the limiting values of the acoustic field parameters is compared. It is demonstrated that pressure saturation in periodic fields is mainly due to the effect of nonlinear absorption at a shock front, while in pulsed fields is due to the effect of nonlinear refraction. The limiting attainable values for the peak positive pressure in periodic fields turned out to be higher than the analogous values in pulsed acoustic fields. The total energy in a beam of periodic waves decreases with the distance from the source faster than in the case of a pulsed field, but it becomes concentrated within much smaller spatial region in the vicinity of the focus. These special features of nonlinear effect manifestation provide an opportunity to use pulsed beams for more efficient delivery of wave energy to the focus and to use periodic beams for attaining higher values of pressure in the focal region.     

A novel method for estimating the focal size of two confocal high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers

Estimating the focal size and position of a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer remains a challenge since traditional methods, such as hydrophone scanning or schlieren imaging, cannot tolerate high pressures, are directional, or provide low resolution. The difficulties increase when dealing with the complex beam pattern of a multielement HIFU transducer array, e.g., two transducers facing each other. In the present study we show a novel approach to the visualization of the HIFU focus by using shockwave-generated bubbles and a diagnostic B-mode scanner. Bubbles were generated and pushed by shock waves toward the HIFU beam, and were trapped in its pressure valleys. These trapped bubbles moved along the pressure valleys and thereby delineated the shape and size of the HIFU beam. The main and sidelobes of 1.1- and 3.5 MHz HIFU beams were clearly visible, and could be measured with a millimeter resolution. The combined foci could also be visualized by observing the generation of sustained inertial cavitation and enhanced scattering. The results of this study further demonstrate the possibility of reducing the inertial cavitation threshold by the local introduction of shock wave-generated bubbles, which might be useful when bubble generation and cavitation-related bioeffects are intended within a small region in vivo.     

球面矩形阵元相控阵高强度聚焦超声手术的子阵工作模式

提出了超声手术治疗肝肿瘤时非侵入性的球面矩形阵元相控阵的多种子阵工作模式:通过图像扫描来确定仅让不受肋骨遮挡的换能器子阵继续工作,并运用超声传播公式、伪逆矩阵算法和遗传算法进行声场的优化合成。结果表明:球面矩形阵元相控阵换能器的多种不同的子阵划分,不仅能够产生手术中需要的单焦点、多焦点等多种治疗模式,其声场的焦域形状和聚焦声强均达到了治疗的要求,而且能够减少肋骨上的声功率累积,避免了正常组织受损,从而可能解决高强度聚焦超声手术治疗肝肿瘤时超声波束受肋骨遮挡不能形成治疗需求声场模式的困难,拓宽治疗区域。