title: Experimental characterization of fundamental and second harmonic beams for a high-frequency ultrasound transducer.
abstract: In the diagnostic frequency range, nonlinear imaging has been shown to improve image contrast and decrease artefacts. The extension of these techniques to high-frequency imaging (>15 MHz) was investigated. The second harmonic beam at 40 MHz of a high-frequency focused transducer (aperture 6 mm, focal distance 10 mm, f-number 1.67) was measured experimentally in water, in transmission and pulse-echo, and compared with the fundamental beams at 20 MHz and 40 MHz. Measurements were performed at peak negative pressures of 0.8 to 4.7 MPa. Transmission measurements were performed with a custom hydrophone with a 25microm spot size to limit beam averaging. Over the range of peak negative pressures, the transmitted harmonic (40 MHz) beam had an average lateral beam width (-3 dB) of 77 microm and an average depth-of-field of 0.93 mm, whereas the fundamental beam had a corresponding beam width of 137 microm and a depth-of-field of 1.59 mm. The harmonic beam showed a 3-dB decrease in side lobe levels. Preliminary second harmonic images of mouse tissue in vitro are presented and compared to fundamental imaging at 20 and 40 MHz.
authors.affiliation: Imag. Res., Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. emmanuel,cherin@swchsc.on.ca
authors.forename: Emmanuel W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Cherin
authors.forename: Jens Kristian
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: A F W
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: van der Steen
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: F Stuart
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016477:Artifacts; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D012107:Research Design; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water