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We present a 3-D ultrasound imaging system utilizing a light-based ultrasound transmitter. The system achieves high spatial resolution through a plain surface coated with a thin layer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which is optically scanned by a pulsed laser. The transmitter is fabricated by depositing a CNT-polydimethylsiloxane composite onto a glass substrate using techniques such as dip coating, dropping, and spin coating. The transmission characteristics are dependent on the laser beam width and CNT layer thickness, with the spin-coated layer demonstrating a center frequency of 9.08 MHz and bandwidth of 12.65 MHz. The imaging system boasts an axial resolution of 200 μm and lateral resolution of 190 μm. 3-D imaging was successfully performed on a chicken heart with a penetration depth up to 30 mm, providing a potential replacement for complex high voltage pulser circuits with a simple and manufacturable optical ultrasound transmitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater detection is accomplished using an underwater ultrasonic sensor, sound navigation and ranging (SONAR). Stealth to avoid detection by SONAR plays a major role in modern underwater warfare. In this study, we propose a smart skin that avoids detection by SONAR via controlling the signal reflected from an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). The smart skin is a multilayer transducer composed of an acoustic window, a double-layer receiver, and a single-layer transmitter. It separates the incident signal from the reflected signal from outside through the time-delay separation method and cancels the reflected wave from the phase-shifted transmission sound. The characteristics of the receiving and transmitting sensors were analyzed using a finite element analysis. Three types of devices were compared in the design of the sensors. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which had little effect on the transmitted sound, was selected as the receiving sensor. A stacked piezoelectric transducer with high sensitivity compared to a cymbal transducer was used as the transmitter. The active reflection control system was modeled and verified using 2D 360° reflection experiments. The stealth effect that could be achieved by applying a smart skin to a UUV was presented through an active reflection–control omnidirectional reflection model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an acoustic block for widening the bandwidth and modulating center frequency of airborne transducers to improve the ultrasound imaging or metrology system. When acoustic block is attached, the characteristics of the ultrasonic transducer are changed by the squeeze film effect. Extra elastic and damping force are generated by squeeze film damping and can be changed according to parameters of acoustic block. For impedance matching, a CMUT vibrating in bending mode was used. The CMUT's FBW is 3.18 % and the center frequency is 103.5 kHz. We changed the area ratio of the acoustic block and attached it to the CMUT. The FBW was changed to 7.14 to 9.14 % and the center frequency to 108.7 to 112.1 kHz. With acoustic block, conventional transducers can be transformed into transducers with better performance in areas such as non-destructive testing and ultrasonic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Techniques for reducing the reflection of acoustic signals have recently been actively studied. Most methods for reducing acoustic signals were studied using the normal-incidence wave reduction technique. Although the technique of canceling an object from the normal incidence wave is essential, research on reducing acoustic signals according to the angle of incidence is required for practical applications. In this study, we designed, fabricated, and experimented with an active reflection controller that can reduce acoustic signals according to the angle of incidence. The controller consists of a transmitter on one layer, a receiver sensor on two layers, and an acoustic window on three layers. To reduce the reflected signal, a combination of the time delay and phase was applied to the controller to minimize the acoustic signal by up to −23 dB at an angle of 10°. A controller array simulation was performed based on the results of a controlled experiment. In conclusion, our proposed controller can reduce acoustic signals according to the angle of incidence, which makes it suitable for many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement of bladder volume is an important tool for evaluating bladder function. In this study, we propose a wearable bladder scanner system that can continuously measure bladder volume in daily life for urinary patients who need urodynamic studies. The system consisted of a 2-D array, which included integrated forward-looking piezoelectric transducers with thin substrates. This study aims to estimate the volume of the bladder using a small number of piezoelectric transducers. A least-squares method was implemented to optimize an ellipsoid in a quadratic surface equation for bladder volume estimation. Ex-vivo experiments of a pig bladder were conducted to validate the proposed system. This work presents the potential of the approach for wearable bladder monitoring, which has similar measurement accuracy compared to the commercial bladder imaging system. The wearable bladder scanner can be improved further as electronic voiding diaries by adding a few more features to the current function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]