Zhang Yun, Jin Tong, Deng Yining, Zhao Zijie, Wang Rui, He Qiong, Luo Jianwen, Li Jiawei, Du Kang, Wu Tao, Yan Chenfang, Zhang Hao, Lu Xinchao, Huang Chengjun, Gao Hang
Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
Microsyst Nanoeng. 2024 Sep 12;10(1):128. doi: 10.1038/s41378-024-00755-9.
Wearable ultrasound imaging technology has become an emerging modality for the continuous monitoring of deep-tissue physiology, providing crucial health and disease information. Fast volumetric imaging that can provide a full spatiotemporal view of intrinsic 3D targets is desirable for interpreting internal organ dynamics. However, existing 1D ultrasound transducer arrays provide 2D images, making it challenging to overcome the trade-off between the temporal resolution and volumetric coverage. In addition, the high driving voltage limits their implementation in wearable settings. With the use of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology, we report an ultrasonic phased-array transducer, i.e., a 2D piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (pMUT) array, which is driven by a low voltage and is chip-compatible for fast 3D volumetric imaging. By grouping multiple pMUT cells into one single drive channel/element, we propose an innovative cell-element-array design and operation of a pMUT array that can be used to quantitatively characterize the key coupling effects between each pMUT cell, allowing 3D imaging with 5-V actuation. The pMUT array demonstrates fast volumetric imaging covering a range of 40 mm × 40 mm × 70 mm in wire phantom and vascular phantom experiments, achieving a high temporal frame rate of 11 kHz. The proposed solution offers a full volumetric view of deep-tissue disorders in a fast manner, paving the way for long-term wearable imaging technology for various organs in deep tissues.
可穿戴超声成像技术已成为一种用于连续监测深部组织生理状况的新兴模式，可提供关键的健康和疾病信息。能够提供固有三维目标完整时空视图的快速容积成像对于解读内部器官动态至关重要。然而，现有的一维超声换能器阵列只能提供二维图像，要克服时间分辨率和容积覆盖范围之间的权衡颇具挑战。此外，高驱动电压限制了它们在可穿戴设备中的应用。通过使用微机电系统（MEMS）技术，我们报道了一种超声相控阵换能器，即二维压电微加工超声换能器（pMUT）阵列，它由低电压驱动，并且与芯片兼容，可用于快速三维容积成像。通过将多个pMUT单元分组到一个单一驱动通道/元件中，我们提出了一种创新的pMUT阵列单元-元件-阵列设计及操作方法，该方法可用于定量表征每个pMUT单元之间的关键耦合效应，从而实现5伏驱动下的三维成像。在金属丝仿体和血管仿体实验中，pMUT阵列展示了覆盖范围为40毫米×40毫米×70毫米的快速容积成像，实现了11千赫兹的高时间帧率。所提出的解决方案能够快速提供深部组织疾病的完整容积视图，为深部组织中各种器官的长期可穿戴成像技术铺平了道路。
