Design and Implementation of a Transmit/Receive Ultrasound Phased Array for Brain Applications
Journal
IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
Journal Volume
65
Journal Issue
10
Pages
1756-1767
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Abstract
Focused ultrasound phased array systems have attracted increased attention for brain therapy applications. However, such systems currently lack a direct and real-time method to intraoperatively monitor ultrasound pressure distribution for securing treatment. This study proposes a dual-mode ultrasound phased array system design to support transmit/receive operations for concurrent ultrasound exposure and backscattered focal beam reconstruction through a spherically focused ultrasound array. A 256-channel ultrasound transmission system was used to transmit focused ultrasonic energy (full 256 channels), with an extended implementation of multiple-channel receiving function (up to 64 channels) using the same 256-channel ultrasound array. A coherent backscatter-received beam formation algorithm was implemented to map the point spread function (PSF) and focal beam distribution under a free-field/transcranial environment setup, with the backscattering generated from a strong scatterer (a point reflector or a microbubble-perfused tube) or a weakly scattered tissue-mimicking graphite phantom. Our results showed that PSF and focal beam can be successfully reconstructed and visualized in free-field conditions and can also be transcranially reconstructed following skull-induced aberration correction. In vivo experiments were conducted to demonstrate its capability to preoperatively and semiquantitatively map a focal beam to guide blood-brain barrier opening. The proposed system may have potential for real-time guidance of ultrasound brain intervention, and may facilitate the design of a dual-mode ultrasound phased array for brain therapeutic applications. ? 2018 IEEE.
Subjects
Acoustics; Antenna phased arrays; Backscattering; Blood; Coherent scattering; Image reconstruction; Optical transfer function; Real time systems; Ultrasonic imaging; Acoustic beams; Blood-brain barrier; Brain therapy; Coherent beams; Dual transmit/receive mode; Radio frequencies; Ultrasound phased arrays; Field programmable gate arrays (FPGA); algorithm; animal; blood brain barrier; brain; devices; diagnostic imaging; echography; equipment design; human; image processing; imaging phantom; male; microbubble; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; procedures; rat; skull; ultrasound therapy; Algorithms; Animals; Blood-Brain Barrier; Brain; Equipment Design; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Microbubbles; Phantoms, Imaging; Rats; Skull; Ultrasonic Therapy; Ultrasonography
Type
journal article