Flexible acoustic fiber ultrasound motor modeling using impedance and transmission matrices.

The four-port matrix modeling is here applied to the power transfer mechanism through the different sections of the acoustic fiber motor, in order to evaluate the performances of the design. Analytical results are compared with experimental measurements on a motor prototype (fiber length 115 mm and diameter 0.8 mm, maximum torque 1.4 mNm, maximum speed 3200 rpm), showing a good agreement.

Acoustic coupling in capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducers: modeling and experiments.

In the design of low-frequency transducer arrays for active sonar systems, the acoustic interactions that occur between the transducer elements have received much attention. Because of these interactions, the acoustic loading on each transducer depends on its position in the array, and the radiated acoustic power may vary considerably from one element to another. Capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducers (CMUT) are made of a two-dimensional array of metallized micromembranes, all electrically connected in parallel, and driven into flexural motion by the electrostatic force produced by an applied voltage. The mechanical impedance of these membranes is typically much lower than the acoustic impedance of water. In our investigations of acoustic coupling in CMUTs, interaction effects between the membranes in immersion were observed, similar to those reported in sonar arrays. Because CMUTs have many promising applications in the field of medical ultrasound imaging, understanding of cross-coupling mechanisms and acoustic interaction effects is especially important for reducing cross-talk between array elements, which can produce artifacts and degrade image quality. In this paper, we report a finite-element study of acoustic interactions in CMUTs and experimental results obtained by laser interferometry measurements. The good agreement found between finite element modeling (FEM) results and optical displacement measurements demonstrates that acoustic interactions through the liquid represent a major source of cross coupling in CMUTs.

Design, fabrication and characterization of a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic probe for medical imaging.

In this paper we report the design, fabrication process, and characterization of a 64-elements capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT), 3 MHz center frequency, 100% fractional bandwidth. Using this transducer, we developed a linear probe for application in medical echographic imaging. The probe was fully characterized and tested with a commercial echographic scanner to obtain first images from phantoms and in vivo human body. The results, which quickly follow similar results obtained by other researchers, clearly show the great potentiality of this new emerging technology. The cMUT probe works better than the standard piezoelectric probe as far as the axial resolution is concerned, but it suffers from low sensitivity. At present this can be a limit, especially for in depth operation. But we are strongly confident that significant improvements can be obtained in the very near future to overcome this limitation, with a better transducer design, the use of an acoustic lens, and using well matched, front-end electronics between the transducer and the echographic system.

Fast scanning probe for ophthalmic echography using an ultrasound motor.

High-frequency transducers, up to 35-50 MHz, are widely used in ophthalmic echography to image fine eye structures. Phased-array techniques are not practically applicable at such a high frequency, due to the too small size required for the single transducer element, and mechanical scanning is the only practical alternative. At present, all ophthalmic ultrasound systems use focused single-element, mechanically scanned probes. A good probe positioning and image evaluation feedback requires an image refresh-rate of about 15-30 frames per second, which is achieved in commercial mechanical scanning probes by using electromagnetic motors. In this work, we report the design, construction, and experimental characterization of the first mechanical scanning probe for ophthalmic echography based on a small piezoelectric ultrasound motor. The prototype probe reaches a scanning rate of 15 sectors per second, with very silent operation and little weight. The first high-frequency echographic images obtained with the prototype probe are presented.

Resolution enhancement of experimental echographic images using luminance extrapolation.

The experimental results of a resolution enhancement technique are presented, confirming the first simulations previously proposed. The technique enhances the resolution of ultrasound echographic images by extrapolating the luminance changes in the image when the aperture of the transducer is increased, and builds an image that could be obtained with a transducer aperture larger than that physically available.

The effects of membrane metallization in capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducers.

The mechanical effects of the metal layer on the membranes of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) are analyzed in this paper by means of finite element simulations. The influence of electrode size and thickness on the electrostatic behavior of the single CMUT cell, including diaphragm displacement, cell capacitance, and collapse voltage, is explored. The effect on device sensitivity is investigated through the transformation factor of the cell, that is computed by FEM and compared with the parallel plate model prediction. It is found that for a non-negligible electrode thickness, as in the majority of fabricated devices, both the static and dynamic performance of the cell can be affected in a significant way. Thus, the effects of membrane metallization must be taken into account in CMUT design and optimization.

A power transducer system for the ultrasonic lubrication of the continuous steel casting.

A critical point in the continuous steel casting process exists in the meniscus zone of the cooled mould, i.e., the region in which the steel stream flowing out of the tundish nozzle starts to solidify. This is a critical point because of the sticking that occurs between the solid shell of steel and the mould. In this work, a new system for the ultrasonic lubrication of the continuous steel casting is proposed and experimentally tested. The basic idea is to excite one of the mould's natural vibration modes by means of a distributed ultrasonic source. This source is composed of an array of power emitters, with each of them placed upon an antinode of the mould. An experimental characterization of the vibrational behavior of a square mould was first carried out. The most active resonance modes of the mould were detected with an experimental technique based on a simple impedance measurement. The modal shape of the selected mode, and hence the position of antinodes, was obtained by means of interferometer measurements. Additional experimental investigations were performed by exciting mould vibrations with up to four piezoceramic disks placed on different sets of antinodes. Some positioning criteria to maximize the superposition effect were derived. Measurements were obtained through excitation of the mould with up to four Langevin-type power emitters, designed and manufactured to work at the mould's selected resonance frequency. These measurements have shown that, by increasing the number of emitters, the ultrasonic power transmitted to the mould and, consequently, the maximum available displacement, increases. Other practical advantages of the proposed system are highlighted and discussed.

Electromechanical coupling factor of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers.

Recently, a linear, analytical distributed model for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) was presented, and an electromechanical equivalent circuit based on the theory reported was used to describe the behavior of the transducer [IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 49, 159-168 (2002)]. The distributed model is applied here to calculate the dynamic coupling factor k(w) of a lossless CMUT, based on a definition that involves the energies stored in a dynamic vibration cycle, and the results are compared with those obtained with a lumped model. A strong discrepancy is found between the two models as the bias voltage increases. The lumped model predicts an increasing dynamic k factor up to unity, whereas the distributed model predicts a more realistic saturation of this parameter to values substantially lower. It is demonstrated that the maximum value of k(w), corresponding to an operating point close to the diaphragm collapse, is 0.4 for a CMUT single cell with a circular membrane diaphragm and no parasitic capacitance (0.36 for a cell with a circular plate diaphragm). This means that the dynamic coupling factor of a CMUT is comparable to that of a piezoceramic plate oscillating in the thickness mode. Parasitic capacitance decreases the value of k(w), because it does not contribute to the energy conversion. The effective coupling factor k(eff) is also investigated, showing that this parameter coincides with k(w) within the lumped model approximation, but a quite different result is obtained if a computation is made with the more accurate distributed model. As a consequence, k(eff), which can be measured from the transducer electrical impedance, does not give a reliable value of the actual dynamic coupling factor.

Vibration maps of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers by laser interferometry.

In this letter, a 1.8-mm x 1.8-mm capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) element is experimentally characterized by means of optical measurements. Optical displacement measurements provide information on the resonant behavior of the single membranes and also allow us to investigate the dispersion in the frequency spectrum of adjacent membranes. In addition, higher order mode shapes are observed, showing that either symmetrical or asymmetrical modes are excited in CMUT membranes. Laser interferometry vibration maps, combined with quantitative displacement measurements, provide information about the quality and repeatability of the fabrication process, which is a basic requirement for 2-D array fabrication for ultrasound imaging.

An accurate model for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers.

Modeling of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs) is based on a two-port network with an electrical and a mechanical side. To obtain a distributed model, a solution of the differential equation of motion of the diaphragm for each element of the transducer has to be found. Previous works omit the mechanical load of the cavity behind the diaphragm, i.e., the effect of the gas inside. In this paper, we propose a distributed model for cMUTs that takes this effect into account. A closed-form solution of the mechanical impedance of the membranes has been obtained, including the effect of the restoring forces because of the stiffness of the membrane and because of the compression of the air in the cavity. Simulation results based on the presented model are compared with the experimental data for two types of cMUTs reported in the recent literature. It is demonstrated that the compression of the air has a significant effect on the fundamental frequency of the air transducer, with a deviation of about 22% from the prediction of a model that does not consider the interaction between the vibrating diaphragm and the air cushion.