Ultrasound backscatter microscope using PZT, fine-grain PZT, and single-crystal perovskite transducers

Higher frequency ultrasound is rapidly becoming an important tool for dermatologic and ophthalmologic imaging. This brings about a need for improvement in single element transducers operating in the frequency range between 40 MHz and 100 MHz. Several piezoelectric materials may yield improved performance over common lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers. This study investigated several different materials incorporated into single element transducers. A static ultrasonic backscatter microscope (UBM) was constructed in the laboratory. This system allowed for a comparative testing of the imaging performance of various transducers. B-mode scans made by individual transducers show differences in image resolution. Clinically, these differences may be important to allow finer detail to be observed in a structure. Not only does this work show differences between transducers constructed from various materials, but it does so in an application-based environment. Previously, only a limited number of materials were used in such a system. This study showed results from several materials that had not been demonstrated before.

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