Polarization Inverted Ultrasound Transducer Based on Composite Structure for Tissue Harmonic and Frequency Compound Imaging.

Ultrasound transducer with polarization inversion technique (PIT) can provide dual-frequency feature for tissue harmonic imaging (THI) and frequency compound imaging (FCI). However, in the conventional PIT, the ultrasound intensity is reduced due to the multiple resonance characteristics of the combined piezoelectric element, and it is challenging to handle the thin piezoelectric layer required to make a PIT-based acoustic stack. In this study, an improved PIT using a piezo-composite layer was proposed to compensate for those problems simultaneously. The novel PIT-based acoustic stack also consists of two piezoelectric layers with opposite poling directions, in which the piezo-composite layer is located on the front side and the bulk-type piezoelectric layer is located on the back side. The thickness ratio between two piezoelectric layers is 0.5:0.5, but unlike a typical PIT model, it can generate dual-frequency spectrum. A finite element analysis (FEA) simulation was conducted, and subsequently, the prototype transducer was fabricated for performance demonstration. In the simulation and experiment, the intensity was increased by 56.76% and 30.88% compared to the conventional PIT model with the thickness ratio of 0.3:0.7. Thus, the proposed PIT-based transducer is expected to be useful in implementation of THI and FCI.

Mechanically Rotating Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Transducer: A Review.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a valuable imaging modality for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis. It provides useful clinical information, such as lumen size, vessel wall thickness, and plaque composition, by providing a cross-sectional vascular image. For several decades, IVUS has made remarkable progress in improving the accuracy of diagnosing cardiovascular disease that remains the leading cause of death globally. As the quality of IVUS images mainly depends on the performance of the IVUS transducer, various IVUS transducers have been developed. Therefore, in this review, recently developed mechanically rotating IVUS transducers, especially ones exploiting piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, are discussed. In addition, this review addresses the history and technical challenges in the development of IVUS transducers and the prospects of next-generation IVUS transducers.

An Intraocular Pressure Measurement Technique Based on Acoustic Radiation Force Using an Ultrasound Transducer: A Feasibility Study.

High intraocular pressure (IOP) is one of the major risk factors for glaucoma, and thus accurate IOP measurements should be performed to diagnose and treat glaucoma early. In this study, a novel technique for measuring the IOP based on acoustic radiation force was proposed, and its potential was experimentally demonstrated. The proposed technique uses the acoustic radiation force to generate axial displacement on the ocular surface while simultaneously measuring the degree of deformation. In order to verify that the ocular displacement induced by the acoustic radiation force is related to the IOP, the experiment was conducted by fabricating a 5 MHz single element transducer and gelatin phantoms with different stiffness values. Our experimental results show that there is a close relationship between the ocular displacement by the acoustic radiation force and the IOP obtained by a commercial tonometer. Therefore, the proposed acoustic radiation force technique can be a promising candidate for measuring the IOP.

Interleaved Array Transducer with Polarization Inversion Technique to Implement Ultrasound Tissue Harmonic Imaging.

In ultrasound tissue harmonic imaging (THI), it is preferred that the bandwidth of the array transducer covers at least the fundamental frequency f0 for transmission and the second harmonic frequency 2f0 for reception. However, it is challenging to develop an array transducer with a broad bandwidth due to the single resonance characteristics of piezoelectric materials. In this study, we present an improved interleaved array transducer suitable for THI and a dedicated transducer fabrication scheme. The proposed array transducer has a novel structure in which conventional elements exhibiting f0 resonant frequency and polarization-inverted elements exhibiting 2f0 resonant frequency are alternately located, and the thicknesses of all piezoelectric elements are identical. The performance of the proposed method was demonstrated by finite element analysis (FEA) simulations and experiments using a fabricated prototype array transducer. Using the proposed technique, f0 and 2f0 frequency ultrasounds can be efficiently transmitted and received, respectively, resulting in a 90% broad bandwidth feature of the transducer. Thus, the proposed technique can be one of the potential ways to implement high resolution THI.

Intravascular Ultrasound Transducer by Using Polarization Inversion Technique for Tissue Harmonic Imaging: Modeling and Experiments.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) tissue harmonic imaging (THI) is a useful vessel imaging technique that can provide deep penetration depth as well as high spatial and contrast resolution. Typically, a high-frequency IVUS transducer for THI requires a broad bandwidth or dual-frequency bandwidth. However, it is very difficult to make an IVUS transducer with a frequency bandwidth covering from the fundamental frequency to the second harmonic or a dual-peak at the desired frequency. To solve this problem, in this study, we applied the polarization inversion technique (PIT) to the IVUS transducer for THI. The PIT makes it relatively easy to design IVUS transducers with suitable frequency characteristics for THI depending on the inversion ratio of the piezoelectric layer and specifications of the passive materials. In this study, two types of IVUS transducers based on the PIT were developed for THI. One is a front-side inversion layer (FSIL) transducer with a broad bandwidth, and the other is a back-side inversion layer (BSIL) transducer with a dual-frequency bandwidth. These transducers were designed using finite element analysis (FEA)-based simulation, and the prototype transducers were fabricated. Subsequently, the performance was evaluated by not only electrical impedance and pulse-echo response tests but also B-mode imaging tests with a 25 µm tungsten wire and tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms. The FEA simulation and experimental results show that the proposed scheme can successfully implement the tissue harmonic IVUS image, and thus it can be one of the promising techniques for developing IVUS transducers for THI.

A Phase-Canceled Backing Layer for Ultrasound Linear Array Transducer: Modeling and Experimental Verification.

In this study, a phase-canceled backing layer for ultrasound linear array transducer is presented. The proposed backing layer is composed of multiple blocks operated by a phase inversion technique. Inside the proposed backing layer, the phase of the reflected signals can be canceled by adjusting acoustic impedance, piezoelectric layer contact area, and thickness of each block constituting the backing layer. Therefore, the total thickness of the backing layer can be significantly reduced while maintaining the performance. Using finite element analysis (FEA) simulation, its performance was verified based on an 8-MHz linear array transducer. Two types of bulk-type backing layers with different thicknesses were also simulated to compare the performance of the proposed method. In the case of a narrow bandwidth signal without the matching layers, the 10-mm-thick bulk-type backing layer yielded a -6-dB bandwidth of 37.2%. When its thickness was reduced to 2 mm, the -6-dB bandwidth was decreased to 17.3% due to the reflected back-wall signals. However, the -6-dB bandwidth of the proposed backing layer with 2-mm thickness was 39.5%, which is similar to the thick bulk-type backing layer. In the case of broad bandwidth signal with the matching layers, the proposed transducer also exhibits similar performance compared with the thick bulk-type backing layer. The narrow bandwidth signal was experimentally implemented by using a prototype array transducer with the proposed technique, and the performance was similar to the simulation. Thus, the proposed method can reduce the thickness of the backing layer of various array transducers.

Correlation between mercury content and leaching characteristics in waste phosphor powder from spent UV curing lamp after thermal treatment.

This study evaluated the correlation between the amount of mercury (Hg) compounds in waste phosphor powder from spent UV curing lamps and their leaching characteristics. The appropriate thermal treatment conditions and Hg content in the residue necessary to satisfy the leaching criteria for classification as non-hazardous waste were identified. The decomposition of Hg compounds by thermal treatment was also evaluated by comparing sequential extraction results based on thermal stability and leaching potential of Hg compounds. Before the thermal treatment, the Hg content in waste phosphor powder and concentration in the leaching extract were 108.7 mg-Hg/kg and 0.56 mg-Hg/L, respectively. Hg compounds with low thermal stability were removed rapidly during the initial stage of thermal treatment at temperatures between 400 °C and 600 °C. After thermal treatment, Hg in the form of an intermetallic compound, such as Sr-Hg, was expected to be remained mainly, and the Hg content was reduced to 13 mg-Hg/kg in the waste phosphor powder, at that point the residue satisfied the leaching standard limit (5 µg-Hg/L) for non-hazardous waste stipulated in the legislation of Republic of Korea.

Application of powdered activated carbon coating to fabrics in a hybrid filter to enhance mercury removal.

Elemental mercury (Hg0) is predominant constituent of flue gas emitted from coal-fired power plants. Adsorption has been considered the best available technology for removal of Hg0 from flue gas. However, adsorbent injection increases the amount of ash generated. In the present study, powdered activated carbon (PAC) was coated on polytetrafluoroethylene/glass fiber filters to increase Hg0 removal while concurrently reducing the amount of ash generated. The optimal PAC coating rate was determined in laboratory experiments to ensure better Hg0 removal with low pressure drop. When PAC of particle size less than 45 µm was used, and the areal density was 50 g/m2, the pressure drop remained under 30 Pa while the Hg0 removal efficiency increased to 15.8% from 4.3%. The Hg0 removal efficiency also increased with decrease in filtration velocity. The optimal PAC coating rate was applied on a hybrid filter (HF), which was combined with a bag filter and an electrostatic precipitator in a single chamber. Originally designed to remove fine particulates matter, it was retrofitted to the flue gas control device for simultaneous Hg0 removal. By employing the PAC coating, the Hg removal efficiency of the HF increased to 79.79% from 66.35%. Also, a temporary reduction in Hg removal was seen but this was resolved following a cleaning cycle in which the dust layer was removed.

Development of High-Frequency (>60 MHz) Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Transducer by Using Asymmetric Electrodes for Improved Beam Profile.

In most commercial single-element intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducers, with 20 MHz to 40 MHz center frequencies, a conductive adhesive is used to bond a micro-sized cable for the signal line to the surface of the transducer aperture (<1 mm × 1 mm size) where ultrasound beam is generated. Therefore, the vibration of the piezoelectric layer is significantly disturbed by the adhesive with the signal line, thereby causing problems, such as reduced sensitivity, shortened penetration depth, and distorted beam profile. This phenomenon becomes more serious as the center frequency of the IVUS transducer is increased, and the aperture size becomes small. Therefore, we propose a novel IVUS acoustic stack employing asymmetric electrodes with conductive and non-conductive backing blocks. The purpose of this study is to verify the extent of performance degradation caused by the adhesive with the signal line, and to demonstrate how much performance degradation can be minimized by the proposed scheme. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulation was conducted, and the results show that -3 dB, -6 dB, and -10 dB penetration depths of the conventional transducer were shortened by 20%, 25%, and 19% respectively, while those of the proposed transducer were reduced only 3%, 4%, and 0% compared with their ideal transducers which have the same effective aperture size. Besides, the proposed transducer improved the -3 dB, -6 dB, and -10 dB penetration depths by 15%, 12%, and 10% respectively, compared with the conventional transducer. We also fabricated a 60 MHz IVUS transducer by using the proposed technique, and high-resolution IVUS B-mode (brightness mode) images were obtained. Thus, the proposed scheme can be one of the potential ways to provide more uniform beam profile resulting in improving the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in IVUS image.

Phase-Inverted Multifrequency HIFU Transducer for Lesion Expansion: A Simulation Study.

It has been well known that the treatment time of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery can be reduced by expanding the focal area per sonication. Previously, a dual-concentric transducer using phase-inverted signals was proposed to axially extend the focal area, but it has suffered from the deep notch point between two focal lobes. In this paper, we propose the improved HIFU transducer with dual-concentric aperture driven by phase-inverted multifrequency signals based on an inversion layer technique. The proposed transducer can generate the expanded focal zone with a significantly reduced level of the notch point between two focal lobes in the axial direction. The performance of the proposed transducer was investigated using finite element analysis simulation. The electrical impedance, one-way impulse response, and acoustic field of the transducer were simulated. Subsequently, the lesion volume was investigated by heat transfer simulation. In the proposed method, the level of the notch point was increased above -6 dB due to various phase interactions between the fundamental and harmonic frequency combinations and the inverted and noninverted frequency combinations. The -6-dB depth of field related to the necrotic lesion size was increased by 141% compared with the conventional single element transducer. Thus, the proposed transducer can be a potential way to enlarge coagulated lesion size resulting in a reduced overall treatment time of HIFU surgery.

The simultaneous capture of mercury and fine particles by hybrid filter with powder activated carbon injection.

The hybrid filter (HF) was newly designed and operated with powder activated carbon (PAC) injection to capture mercury and fine particulate matter in the coal power plant. With PAC injection in HF operation, the capture efficiency of elemental mercury was clearly enhanced. When the injection rate of PAC increased from 0 to 20 mg/m3, the speciation fraction of elemental mercury significantly decreased from 85.19% to 3.76% at the inlet of the hybrid filter. The speciation fraction of oxidized mercury did not vary greatly, whereas the particulate mercury increased from 1.31% to 94.04%. It was clearly observed that the HF played a role in the capture of mercury and fine PM by leading the conversion of elemental mercury as particulate mercury and the growth of PM via electrode discharge in the HF operation with PAC injection.

Mercury distribution characteristics in primary manganese smelting plants.

The mercury (Hg) distribution characteristics were investigated in three primary manganese smelting plants in Korea for the assessment of anthropogenic Hg released. Input and output materials were sampled from each process, and Hg concentrations in the samples were analyzed. Among the input materials, the most mercury was found in the manganese ore (83.1-99.7%) and mercury was mainly released through fly ash or off gas, depending on the condition of off gas cleaning system. As off gas temperature decreases, proportion and concentration of emitted gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) in off gas decreases. Based on mass balance study from these three plants and national manganese production data, the total amount of mercury released from those Korean plants was estimated to 644 kg/yr. About half of it was emitted into the air while the rest was released to waste as fly ash. With the results of this investigation, national inventory for Hg emission and release could be updated for the response to Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Dual-/tri-apodization techniques for high frequency ultrasound imaging: a simulation study.

BACKGROUND: In the ultrasound B-mode (Brightness-mode) imaging, high side-lobe level reduces contrast to noise ratio (CNR). A linear apodization scheme by using the window function can suppress the side-lobe level while the main-lobe width is increased resulting in degraded lateral resolution. In order to reduce the side-lobe level without sacrificing the main-lobe width, a non-linear apodization method has been suggested. METHODS: In this paper, we computationally evaluated the performance of the non-linear apodization method such as dual-/tri-apodization focusing on the high frequency ultrasound image. The rectangular, Dolph-Chebyshev, and Kaiser window functions were employed to implement dual-/tri-apodization algorithms. The point and cyst target simulations were conducted by using a dedicated ultrasound simulation tool called Field-II. The center frequency of the simulated linear array transducer was 40 MHz and the total number of elements was 128. The performance of dual-/tri-apodization was compared with that of the rectangular window function focusing on the side-lobe level and the main-lobe widths (at -6 dB and -35 dB). RESULTS: In the point target simulation, the main-lobe widths of the dual-/tri-apodization were very similar to that of the rectangular window, and the side-lobe levels of the dual-/tri-apodization were more suppressed by 9~10 dB. In the cyst target simulation, CNR values of the dual-/tri-apodization were improved by 41% and 51%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the non-linear apodization was numerically investigated. In comparison with the rectangular window function, the non-linear apodization method such as dual- and tri-apodization had low side-lobe level without sacrificing the main-lobe width. Thus, it can be a potential way to increase CNR maintaining the main-lobe width in the high frequency ultrasound imaging.