title: A multifunctional, reconfigurable pulse generator for high-frequency ultrasound imaging.
abstract: High-frequency (>20 MHz) ultrasound (HFUS) imaging systems have made it possible to image small structures with fine spatial resolution. They find a variety of biomedical applications in dermatology, ophthalmology, intravascular imaging, and small-animal imaging. One critical technical challenge of HFUS is to generate high-voltage, high-frequency pulsed signals to effectively excite the transducer for a high SNR. This paper presents the development of a multifunctional, reconfigurable pulse generator for HFUS imaging. The pulse generator can produce a high-voltage unipolar pulse, a bipolar pulse, or arbitrary pulses for B-mode imaging, Doppler measurement, and modulated excitation imaging. The characteristics of the pulses, such as timing, waveform, and frequency are reconfigurable by a high-speed field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Customized software was developed to interface with the FPGA through a USB connector for pulse selection, and easy, flexible, real-time pulse management. The hardware was implemented in a compact, printed circuit board (PCB)-based scheme using state-of-the-art electronics for costeffectiveness and fully digital control. Testing results show that the unipolar pulse can reach over 165 Vpp with a 6-dB bandwidth of 70 MHz, and the bipolar pulse and arbitrary pulses can reach 150 and 60 Vpp with central frequencies of 60 and 120 MHz, respectively.
authors: Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Weibao
authors: W
authors: Qiu
authors: Yanyan
authors: Y
authors: Yu
authors: Fu
authors: F
authors: Tsang
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*