Element Array Optimization for Skin-Attachable Ultrasound Probes to Improve the Robustness against Positional and Angular Errors

Skin-attachable ultrasound probes face challenges in imaging the intended cross-section due to the difficulty in precisely adjusting the position and angle of attachment. While matrix element arrays are capable of imaging any cross-section within a three-dimensional field of view, their implementati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied sciences Vol. 14; no. 20; p. 9320
Main Authors Noda, Takumi, Azuma, Takashi, Sakuma, Ichiro, Tomii, Naoki
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.10.2024
Subjects
Acoustics
Approximation
Arrays
Optimization
Pressure distribution
Skin
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasound imaging
wearable devices
United States > US
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Summary:Skin-attachable ultrasound probes face challenges in imaging the intended cross-section due to the difficulty in precisely adjusting the position and angle of attachment. While matrix element arrays are capable of imaging any cross-section within a three-dimensional field of view, their implementation presents a challenge due to the significant number of required ultrasound elements. We propose a method for optimizing the coordinates and shapes of elements based on the focusing quality onto the imaging points under the positional and angular errors in the element array. A 128-element array was optimized through the proposed method and its imaging performance was evaluated with simulated phantoms. The optimized array demonstrated the ability to clearly visualize the simulated wires, cysts, and blood vessels even with the positional error of 3 mm and the angular error of 20°. These results indicate the feasibility of developing a skin-attachable ultrasound probe that can be easily used in daily life without requiring precise positional and angular accuracy.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app14209320