Micromachined 1–3 composite dual frequency IVUS array for contrast enhanced intravascular ultrasound imaging

摘要

Recent studies suggest that microbubbles based contrast enhanced intravascular ultrasound (CE-IVUS) for vasa vasorum assessment is promising in the identification of vulnerable plaques. However, conventional ultrasound is not suitable for imaging modality which demands up to 5th order harmonics for a receiver. To ensure the imaging performance, high-frequency broadband micromachined 1-3 composites is considered for receivers for their superior electromechanical coupling coefficient and relatively low acoustic impedance. Also, IVUS arrays are desirable for their capability of beam steering, sub-aperture firing, and higher frame rates. In our study, a dual-frequency IVUS array with micromachined 1-3 composites was developed as receiver for superharmonic imaging.