Ultrasound transducers for ultrafast 3D cardiovascular imaging

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases stand as the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis, congenital heart diseases, rheumatic heart diseases, and arrhythmias. Early detection of cardiovascular issues is imperative for effective treatment, and the implementation of screening programs facilitates timely identification and intervention, ultimately reducing morbidity rates. Ultrasound imaging is a widely utilized technique for assessing cardiovascular diseases due to its portability, lack of radiation exposure, and relatively lower associated costs compared to other imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. In this thesis, we detail the development of specialized ultrasound probes for three distinct cardiovascular applications: carotid artery imaging, intracardiac echocardiography, and abdominal aorta imaging. These applications necessitate high-frame-rate 3D imaging with a wide field of view, requiring ultrasound matrix transducers with a vast number of elements and integrated electronics. We outline the design, fabrication, and characterization of three probes tailored for each specific application. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on simplifying and automating the acoustic characterization process of ultrasound transducers. The second part explores the design, manufacturing, characterization, and imaging of dedicated matrix transducers featuring integrated Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs).