title: A Prototype PZT Matrix Transducer With Low-Power Integrated Receive ASIC for 3-D Transesophageal Echocardiography.
abstract: This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of a prototype lead zirconium titanate (PZT) matrix transducer with an integrated receive ASIC, as a proof of concept for a miniature three-dimensional (3-D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe. It consists of an array of 9 ×12 piezoelectric elements mounted on the ASIC via an integration scheme that involves direct electrical connections between a bond-pad array on the ASIC and the transducer elements. The ASIC addresses the critical challenge of reducing cable count, and includes front-end amplifiers with adjustable gains and micro-beamformer circuits that locally process and combine echo signals received by the elements of each 3 ×3 subarray. Thus, an order-of-magnitude reduction in the number of receive channels is achieved. Dedicated circuit techniques are employed to meet the strict space and power constraints of TEE probes. The ASIC has been fabricated in a standard 0.18-μm CMOS process and consumes only 0.44 mW/channel. The prototype has been acoustically characterized in a water tank. The ASIC allows the array to be presteered across ±37° while achieving an overall dynamic range of 77 dB. Both the measured characteristics of the individual transducer elements and the performance of the ASIC are in good agreement with expectations, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shreyas B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Raghunathan
authors.forename: Zili
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Maysam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shabanimotlagh
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zu-yao
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blaak
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prins
authors.forename: Jacco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ponte
authors.forename: Emile
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noothout
authors.forename: Hendrik J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Michiel A P
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pertijs
mesh_terms: D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D007854:Lead / Q000737:chemistry*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014159:Transducers; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C065536:lead titanate zirconate; D007854:Lead; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium