Performance Improvements to 2-D Ultrasound Arrays

描述（由申请人提供）：本计划采用先进的 多层陶瓷封装的图案化和对准技术 工业上构造具有多层PZT柱的2-D超声阵列， 增加电容并因此增加换能器信噪比（SNR）。 传统的2-D换能器阵列为医学应用提供了许多优点。 超声成像，但性能往往受到低电容 元件和阻抗匹配差。使用共烧多层技术， 生产单独的阵列元件是阻抗失配的一个很好的解决方案 因为电容随着层数的平方而增加 在一个元素中。据估计，3层二维阵列将使信噪比提高9 dB和5层阵列将实现接近14 dB的改善。使 电连接到精细尺度的三维陶瓷结构， 直到最近才有可能。电子陶瓷的发展 封装行业在过去5年中，75和25 1 lm分辨率的通孔 冲压和精确对准分别使这一概念成为可行。 在第一阶段的工作中，我们将通过建造一个 3.5到5 MHz的2-D阵列从多层PZT。 拟定商业应用： 2-D阵列的最直接应用是心脏体积成像。 成功 多层2-D阵列将是当前2-D阵列技术的直接替代品。 放射科和产科也存在真实的实时体积扫描市场，其中 慢速三维超声扫描的价值有限。

DESCRIPTION (Provided by Applicant): This proposed program uses advanced patterning and alignment technology from the multiplayer ceramic packaging industry to construct 2-D ultrasound arrays with multiplayer PZT posts to increase capacitance and, therefore, transducer signal to noise ratio (SNR). Conventional 2-D transducer arrays provide many advantages for medical ultrasound imaging, but the performance often suffers from the low capacitance elements and poor impedance matching. Use of cofired multiplayer technology to produce individual array elements is a good solution to the impedance mismatch problem because capacitance increases with the square of the number of layers in an element. It was estimated that a 3-layer 2-D array will increase SNR by 9 dB and a 5 layer array will achieve close to 14 dB improvements. Making electrical connections to fine scale, three dimensional ceramic structures was not possible until recently. The progress made in the electronic ceramic packaging industry in the past 5 years, with 75 and 25 1lm resolution for via punching and precision alignment, respectively, has made this concept feasible. For the Phase I effort, we will demonstrate the feasibility by constructing a 3.5 to 5 MHz 2-D array from multilayer PZT. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The most immediate application for 2-D arrays is cardiac volumetric imaging. Successful multiplayer 2-D arrays would be drop-in replacement for current 2-D array technology. Markets for real time volumetric scanning also exist in radiology and obstetrics where slow 3-D ultrasound scanning is of limited value.