Coherent array imaging using phased subarrays. Part II: simulations and experimental results

The basic principles and theory of phased subarray (PSA) imaging imaging provides the flexibility of reducing the number of front-end hardware channels between that of classical synthetic aperture (CSA) imaging--which uses only one element per firing event--and full-phased array (FPA) imaging-which uses all elements for each firing. The performance of PSA generally ranges between that obtained by CSA and FPA using the same array, and depends on the amount of hardware complexity reduction. For the work described in this paper, we performed FPA, CSA, and PSA imaging of a resolution phantom using both simulated and experimental data from a 3-MHz, 3.2-cm, 128-element capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) array. The simulated system point responses in the spatial and frequency domains are presented as a means of studying the effects of signal bandwidth, reconstruction filter size, and subsampling rate on the PSA system performance. The PSA and FPA sector-scanned images were reconstructed using the wideband experimental data with 80% fractional bandwidth, with seven 32-element subarrays used for PSA imaging. The measurements on the experimental sector images indicate that, at the transmit focal zone, the PSA method provides a 10% improvement in the 6-dB lateral resolution, and the axial point resolution of PSA imaging is identical to that of FPA imaging. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of PSA image was 58.3 dB, 4.9 dB below that of the FPA image, and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) is reduced by 10%. The simulated and experimental test results presented in this paper validate theoretical expectations and illustrate the flexibility of PSA imaging as a way to exchange SNR and frame rate for simplified front-end hardware.     

Finite-element analysis of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

In this paper, we present the results of finite-element analysis performed to investigate capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). Both three-dimensional (3-D) and 2-D models were developed using a commercially available finite-element modeling (FEM) software. Depending on the dimensionality of the model, the membranes were constructed using plane or shell elements. The electrostatic gap was modeled using many parallel plate transducers. An axisymmetric model for a single membrane was built; the electrical input impedance of the device then was calculated in vacuum to investigate series and parallel resonant frequencies, where the input impedance has a minimum and a maximum, respectively. A method for decomposing the membrane capacitance into parasitic and active parts was demonstrated, and it was shown that the parallel resonant frequency shifted down with increased biased voltage. Calculations then were performed for immersion transducers. Acoustic wave propagation was simulated in the immersion medium, using appropriate elements in a 3-D model. Absorbing boundaries were implemented to avoid the reflections at the end of the medium mesh. One row of an array element, modeled with appropriate boundary conditions, was used to calculate the output pressure. The results were compared with a simpler model: a single membrane in immersion, with symmetry boundary conditions on the sidewalls that cause the calculations to reflect the properties of an infinitely large array. A 2-D model then was developed to demonstrate the effect of membrane dimensions on the output pressure and bandwidth. Our calculations revealed that the small signal transmit pressure was inversely proportional to the square root of gap height. We also compared FEM results with analytical and experimental results.     

Dynamic analysis of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

Electrostatic transducers are usually operated under a DC bias below their collapse voltage. The same scheme has been adopted for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs). DC bias deflects the cMUT membranes toward the substrate, so that their centers are free to move during both receive and transmit operations. In this paper, we present time-domain, finite element calculations for cMUTs using LS-DYNA, a commercially available finite element package. In addition to this DC bias mode, other new cMUT operations (collapse and collapse-snapback) have recently been demonstrated. Because cMUT membranes make contact with the substrate in these new operations, modeling of these cMUTs should include contact analysis. Our model was a cMUT transducer consisting of many hexagonal membranes; because it was symmetrical, we modeled only one-sixth of a hexagonal cell loaded with a fluid medium. The finite element results for both conventional and collapse modes were compared to measurements made by an optical interferometer; a good match was observed. Thus, the model is useful for designing cMUTs that operate in regimes where membranes make contact with the substrate.     

Forward-viewing CMUT arrays for medical imaging

This paper reports the design and testing of forward-viewing annular arrays fabricated using capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) technology. Recent research studies have shown that CMUTs have broad frequency bandwidth and high-transduction efficiency. One- and two-dimensional CMUT arrays of various sizes already have been fabricated, and their viability for medical imaging applications has been demonstrated. We fabricated 64-element, forward-viewing annular arrays using the standard CMUT fabrication process and carried out experiments to measure the operating frequency, bandwidth, and transmit/receive efficiency of the array elements. The annular array elements, designed for imaging applications in the 20 MHz range, had a resonance frequency of 13.5 MHz in air. The immersion pulse-echo data collected from a plane reflector showed that the devices operate in the 5-26 MHz range with a fractional bandwidth of 135%. The output pressure at the surface of the transducer was measured to be 24 kPa/V. These values translate into a dynamic range of 131.5 dB for 1-V excitation in 1-Hz bandwidth with a commercial low noise receiving circuitry. The designed, forward-viewing annular CMUT array is suitable for mounting on the front surface of a cylindrical catheter probe and can provide Doppler information for measurement of blood flow and guiding information for navigation through blood vessels in intravascular ultrasound imaging.     

Preparation,Characterization and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Selectivity of Hyperbranched Polyimides Containing Triazine

Novel polyimides based on aromatic dianhyride and various hexahydrotriazine monomers were synthesized via two-stage solution polycondensation method. The resulting polyimides were characterized by solubility, viscosity, density, spectroscopic and thermal analysis methods. The results showed that polyimides soluble in polar solvents and had inherent viscosities ranging from 1.92 to 2.32 dL/g. The glass transition temperatures were 315 and 344 ^○C, and the 10% weight loss temperatures were above 604 and 628 ^○C. Then, polyimide-modified electrodes were prepared for the selective determination of hydrogen peroxide. The electrochemical behavior of the resulting polyimide film electrodes to the electroactive and non-electroactive species such as ascorbic acid, oxalic acid, hydrogen peroxide, lactose, sucrose and urea was examined by CV, DPV and TB techniques. From the obtained findings, it was shown that polyimide-coated electrode (PI-2) was only permitted to hydrogen peroxide among the species examined. As a result, it is claimed that polyimide electrode could be used as a selective membrane for hydrogen peroxide.     

Strain-energy based homogenisation of two- and three-dimensional hyperelastic solid foams

A possible classification of cellular solids can be made based on the dimension into honeycombs and foams. In numerical simulations 2D models that are employed primarily to study honeycombs can also be used to model open-cell foams. Thereby, a loss of information regarding the 3D connectivity of the microstructure is involved. To answer the question how the missing third dimension in 2D models affects the overall properties, spatially periodic 2D and 3D model foams are adopted. From the point of homogenisation, a strain-energy based scheme is used for adequately determining the effective mechanical properties at large strains. The key idea behind this method is to use directly the equivalence condition between the meso-strain energy and the macro-strain energy. In a first step a representative volume element with the given microstructure and a corresponding volume element containing the effective medium are subjected to equivalent states of deformation. Subsequently, the macroscopic stress-strain relationships are determined by volume-averaging of the stored strain energy. The results of some fundamental loading cases indicate that both model foams represent the deformation characteristics of hyperelastic solid foams like localized bending and elastic buckling. In addition, the development of anisotropy due to microstructural changes at large strains can be traced with both model foams. Nevertheless, the different cell morphology affects the stress-strain curves in a quantitative manner.     

Comparison of film properties for crosslinked core–shell latexes

Thermosetting acrylic latexes were synthesized using butyl acrylate (BA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and methacrylic acid (MAA) via seeded two-stage process. A 2-level factorial experimental design was employed to investigate the effect of hydroxyl (core phase), carboxylate (shell phase) groups, and type of surfactant (Triton X200, Tergitol XJ) on the mechanical properties of thermosetting latexes. Eight latexes with varying concentration of HEMA, MAA and two types of surfactants were synthesized and crosslinked with three crosslinkers. Latex functionality for crosslinking was located in the core only, the shell only, and both the core–shell with varying concentrations. Melamine-formaldehyde (hexamethoxymethyl melamine) resin was employed to crosslink hydroxyl functionalities in the core. Carboxylic acid groups in the shell were crosslinked with zinc ammonium carbonate. HDI isocyanurate (Desmodur N3300A) were used to crosslink with hydroxyl or carboxyl functional groups in core and shell. The mechanical properties of coatings were evaluated in terms of tensile properties, cross-hatch adhesion, pencil hardness, and impact resistance. Design of experiment (DOE) was utilized to investigate the effect of variables on mechanical properties of crosslinked thermoset films.     

A new selenium-based RAFT agent for surface-initiated RAFT polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine

A new selenium-based reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, 4-cyanopentanoic acid diselenobenzoate (RAFT-Se), was synthesized and utilized in the surface-initiated RAFT polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) on silicon substrate. The results indicate that the RAFT-Se can control the surface-initiated RAFT polymerization, as evidenced by the number-average molecular weight that increase linearly with monomer conversion, molecular weights that agreed well with the predicted values, and the relatively low polydispersity indexes. The surface-initiated RAFT polymerization with the RAFT-Se was the same polymerization mechanism as its analog, 4-cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate (RAFT-S). The grafting density of the poly(4-vinylpyridine) brushes prepared in the presence of RAFT-Se (σ_RAFT-Se) and RAFT-S (σ_RAFT-S) was estimated to be about 0.51 and 0.66 chains/nm², respectively. In addition, the end of polymer chains on silicon substrate contains selenium element which may be useful in biosensor applications.     

Electropolymerized Polytyramine Film for the Selective Determination of Uric Acid

Electropolymerized polytyramine film was proposed for determination of uric acid in the presence of ascorbic acid. The influence of electropolymerization conditions on performance of the polytyramine film was examined to obtain the optimal experimental parameters. The voltammetric results demonstrated that polytyramine film obtained at the optimized conditions allowed penetration of large amounts of uric acid while blocking the permeation of electroactive (ascorbic acid, cysteine and oxalic acid) and non-electroactive interferents (lactose, sucrose and urea) through film in PBS. Therefore, it has been claimed that the polymeric film could be used as uric acid-selective membrane over a broad range of interference.     

Anisotropy effect on strengths of metamorphic rocks

This paper aims to study the effect of anisotropy on strengths of several metamorphic rocks of southern(Cine) submassif of Menderes metamorphic massif in southwest Turkey. Four different metamorphic rocks including foliated phyllite, schist, gneiss and marble(calcschist) were selected and examined.Discontinuity surveys were made along lines for each rock and evaluated with DIPS program. L-type Schmidt hammer was applied in the directions parallel and perpendicular to foliation during the field study. Several hand samples and rock blocks were collected during the field study for measurements of dry and saturated densities, dry and saturated unit weights and porosity, and for petrographic analysis and strength determination in laboratory. L-and N-type Schmidt hammers were applied in the directions perpendicular(anisotropy angle of 0°) and parallel(anisotropy angle of 90) to the foliation on selected blocks of phyllite, schist, gneiss and marble(calcschist). The phyllite and schist have higher porosity and lower density values than the other rocks. However, coarse crystalline gneiss and marble(calcschist) have higher rebound values and strengths, and they are classified as strong-very strong rocks. Generally, the rebound values in the direction perpendicular to the foliation are slightly higher than that in the direction parallel to foliation. Rebound values of N-type Schmidt hammer are higher than the L-type values except for phyllite. Sometimes, the rebound values of laboratory and field applications gave different results. This may result from variable local conditions such as minerals differentiation,discontinuities, water content, weathering degree and thickness of foliated structure.