Electronic quality factor control for piezoelectric transducer arrays

In recent years, many therapeutic applications for medical ultrasound have arisen, such as ablation of tumors, breaking up kidney stones, and neuromodulation. To localize the target area, often ultrasound imaging methods are used. Conventionally, a different transducer array is used for imaging and therapeutic applications because of their...

Hybrid Beamforming Zero-Crossing-Based Noise-Shaping SAR ADC for Ultrasound Imaging

In ultrasound imaging systems, a charge-sharing successive-approximation-register (SAR) ADC has benefits over a charge-redistribution SAR because the charge-sharing SAR is organically compatible with the subarray beamformer which is deployed to reduce the large channel count. Besides, the noise-shaping (NS) SAR is a promising candidate for...

Ultrasound Imaging through Aberrating Layers using a Virtual Array

Ultrasound images are typically generated using the Delay-And-Sum (DAS) method, which assumes a homogeneous propagation medium. When an aberrating layer is situated between the sensor array and the imaging target, this assumption does not hold, and DAS is replaced with model-based methods. These methods are computationally expensive and require...

High-speed Data Acquisition and Processing for Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Brain Imaging

Functional ultrasound is by now a well-established technique in the neuroscience community to measure brain activity. However, the transcranial application of functional ultrasound on humans, with the exception of the acoustic windows in the skull, remains a huge challenge because of the properties of the cranial bone the acoustic waves will...

Integrating Ultrasound Neuromodulation and Imaging: A System Concept for a Non-Invasive Image-Guided Vagus Nerve Stimulator

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been proven to be an effective treatment for patients suffering from drug­-resistant epilepsy. Current vagus nerve stimulators are either implantable devices or bulky, handheld devices. The implant consists of a pulse generator beneath the skin of the chest, connected to electrodes that are wired to the cervical...

An Amplitude-Tunable Bipolar High-Voltage Pulser Using a Unipolar Supply for Ultrasound Applications

This thesis discusses the architecture, circuit implementation and simulation results of an amplitude-tunable bipolar high voltage (HV) pulser for ultrasound imaging. This design is capable of providing a relatively high-resolution amplitude modulation and allows bipolar pulsing under a unipolar supply with a small die size.<br/>The pulser...

Ultrasound Energy Transfer using Charged CMUTs

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) such as cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants, and neurostimulators improve millions of people’s lives every day. Over the years, IMDs have significantly improved in function, increased in lifetime, and decreased in size. However, further miniaturisation is limited by the batteries used to power these devices,...

Finding an application for an ultrasound probe tracking system and proving its suitability: Validation of a robotic arm for 3D reconstruction of human anatomical features with ultrasound stitching

Ultrasound imaging is a widely available and highly portable real-time, ionizing radiation-free imaging modality used as first-line in multiple areas. Conventionally, its use is focused on providing 2D imaging using ultrasound probes. However, with the introduction of matrix probes, the acquisition of 3D scans became possible enabling the...

Baby Viewer: An ultrasound device for the African medical world and the Western consumer market

This report presents the result of a new design for the Baby Viewer for the company Delft Imaging Systems. The Baby Viewer is an ultrasound device that will be used in two contexts, Africa and the West. The user scenario is different for both contexts. Explore Maternal mortality is a big problem in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural areas....

Baby Viewer: An ultrasound device for the African medical world and the Western consumer market

This report presents the result of a new design for the Baby Viewer for the company Delft Imaging Systems. The Baby Viewer is an ultrasound device that will be used in two contexts, Africa and the West. The user scenario is different for both contexts. Explore Maternal mortality is a big problem in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural areas....