Real-time ultrasound angiography using superharmonic dual-frequency (2.25MHz/30MHz) cylindrical array: In vitro study

• Published in: Ultrasonics Vol. 82; pp. 298 - 303
• Main Authors: Wang, Zhuochen, Martin, K. Heath, Dayton, Paul A., Jiang, Xiaoning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2018
• Subjects: Acoustic angiography; Angiography - instrumentation; Dual-frequency ultrasound; Equipment Design; In Vitro Techniques; IVUS array; Lateral mode transducer; Microbubbles; Microvessels; Phantoms, Imaging; Superharmonic; Transducers; Ultrasonography - instrumentation; Acoustic angiography; Superharmonic; IVUS array; Lateral mode transducer; Dual-frequency ultrasound
• ISSN: 0041-624X; 1874-9968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2017.09.012

•A dual-frequency IVUS array transducer is developed for acoustic angiography.•The small size is obtained with a reduced form-factor lateral mode transmitter.•The superharmonic imaging is rendered using the Verasonics system.•High CNR and good spatial resolution are achieved with 1-cycle burst excitation. Recent studies suggest that dual-frequency intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducers allow detection of superharmonic bubble signatures, enabling acoustic angiography for microvascular and molecular imaging. In this paper, a dual-frequency IVUS cylindrical array transducer was developed for real-time superharmonic imaging. A reduced form-factor lateral mode transmitter (2.25MHz) was used to excite microbubbles effectively at 782kPa with single-cycle excitation while still maintaining the small size and low profile (5Fr) (3Fr=1mm) for intravascular imaging applications. Superharmonic microbubble responses generated in simulated microvessels were captured by the high frequency receiver (30MHz). The axial and lateral full-width half-maximum of microbubbles in a 200-μm-diameter cellulose tube were measured to be 162μm and 1039μm, respectively, with a contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of 16.6dB. Compared to our previously reported single-element IVUS transducers, this IVUS array design achieves a higher CNR (16.6dBvs 11dB) and improved axial resolution (162μmvs 616μm). The results show that this dual-frequency IVUS array transducer with a lateral-mode transmitter can fulfill the native design requirement (∼3–5Fr) for acoustic angiography by generating nonlinear microbubble responses as well as detecting their superharmonic responses in a 5Fr form factor.