Extended Transmit and HIFU Options

Enabling Your Research and Development in Focused Ultrasound

Vantage Systems are Available
in Three Transmit Power Configurations:

Conventional Imaging Pulses

  • The Vantage power supply provides extremely high precision, high voltage power supply from 2 to 190 V p-p
  •  Maximum burst length: a few microseconds (see notes)1,2

Applications: B-mode, Doppler, NDT/NDE, conventional and non-conventional imaging

Extended Transmit Options

  • Independent internal power supply: 0.5 A max (up to 48 W total average power), 2 to 190 V p-p
  • Long pulse tolerant circuitry
  • Maximum burst length in 0.5 to 4.0 MHz band: ~ 1ms (see note)1

Applications: ARFI, Shear Wave “Push”, drug delivery, tissue manipulation, moderate tissue heating

The Vantage Arbitrary Waveform Package is a purchasable option that includes the Extended Transmit option, and provides:

  • Arbitrary sequences of tri-state pulses
  • Amplitude modulation of acoustic signal via pulse-width modulation
  • Waveform design software toolkit included

Applications:  Coded Emissions, FM, PWM, increased frame rate and penetration depth

HIFU Configuration – High Energy Delivery for Ablative Modalities or Long-Duration Pulses

  • 1200 W programmable external supply standard (2400 W Dual Supply option)
  • Extended Transmit Option included
  • Enhanced circuitry for high currents and very long pulses
  • Maximum burst length: 10 Megacycles (107 cycles)
  • Per-channel limit of 8 W average into 50 Ohms, in 0.5 to 4.0 MHz band
  • Total Average RF output power: 1000 W (with 1200 W supply)
  • Available on Vantage 256, Vantage 128 and Vantage 64LE standard frequency configurations only

Applications: HIFU, FUS, Drug Delivery, BBB opening, Sonoporation

1 Maximum achievable pulse length and pulse power depend on a number of factors, including operating voltage, effective frequency, number of active channels, acceptable voltage droop, transducer element impedance, etc. Software limit testing permits derated operation outside stated specifications. 2 Maximum allowable burst length without Extended Transmit option is a few microseconds. Excessive voltage droop may prevent bursts longer than about 10 cycles, under some conditions.
The Vantage 256 system with
the HIFU external power supply
Conventional
Imaging Pulses
Extended Transmit
Option
External Power Supply
(HIFU)
Transmitter Circuit
Voltage Range (VPeak) 2 to 190 V p-p 2 to 190 V p-p 2 to 190 V p-p
Maximum Pulse Current
(per channel)
 2.0 A  2.0 A  2.0 A
Power Supply Capabilities
Maximum Average Power Up to 10 W †  Up to 50 W †  1200 W *
Maximum Sustained Average Current  0.1 A  0.5 A  60 A
Pulse Length Range
(order of magnitude)
 up to a few microseconds (μs)  up to a few milliseconds (ms)  up to a few seconds (s)
Maximum Sustained Power
(during the pulse)
 over 10 kW  a few kW  ~ 1 kW
 Typical Applications

Basic Imaging
B-mode
Doppler
Ultrafast (Plane Wave)
NDT / NDE

Coded Excitation
Shear Wave Elastography
ARFI
Moderate Heating
Drug Delivery
BBB Opening
Boiling Cavitation
Guided Wave NDT
Ablative Heating
BBB Opening
Boiling Cavitation
 Examples
10 MHz, 4 cycles, 3000 Hz PRF (Doppler)  yes  yes  yes
5 MHz, 2000 cycles, 250 Hz PRF (Shear Wave “push”)  no  yes  yes
3 MHz, 1,000,000 cycles, 3 Hz PRF (HIFU ablation)  no  no  yes
† Maximum power only available at maximum voltage (VMax = 96 V)
* For the standard QPX600DP external power supply provided.  Maximum power may be greater using a different external power supply.  Contact Verasonics for details.

High Energy Transmit Features

Verasonics’ “Extended Transmit Option” (also called “extended burst” or “push”) provides an internal power supply with nearly 50 Watt capacity to sustain extended transmit bursts. A large energy storage capacitor provided within the system enables very high energy bursts, provided that enough time is allowed between transmissions to recharge the capacitor from the internal supply. This mode can damage transducers due to overheating, and can raise tissue temperatures above FDA safety limits. The Extended Transmit Option is available on all Vantage models except the Vantage 64 and the Vantage 32 LE.

The Verasonics Vantage research system, when configured to support HIFU or other high power transmit applications, can provide continuous output power levels of 8 Watts per channel into 50 Ohms (16 W into 100 Ohms) at transmit frequencies in the range from 0.5 to 4.0 MHz. The total system power output depends on other limits, such as the 1200 W capacity of the standard external power supply included with the HIFU configuration.

With the “HIFU Configuration”, circuit board provisions for additional thermal dissipation and connection of an external transmit power supply are added, and continuous transmit output power levels of up to 1000 Watts (2000 W with 2400 W supply) can be supported for a wide range of burst durations and repetition intervals, at any frequency in the 0.5 to 4.0 MHz range. Outside the fully supported frequency band, HIFU operation is possible but with reduced performance. The HIFU configuration permits all forms of imaging supported by the standard system using conventional imaging arrays, including radiation force methods. The HIFU Configuration (with external power supply) is available on the Vantage 256, the Vantage 128 and the Vantage 64 LE models.

Automatic Limit Checking: Operating states destructive to the system can be programmed by the user given the very high transmit energy levels available with the extended transmit option. An automatic operating limit-checking algorithm is included with the system that prevents system operation at potentially damaging levels, overriding the user’s program. This limit test function can be extended by the user to protect the transducer from damage, or to impose acoustic output power limits during imaging or therapy events.

Conventional imaging modes can be interleaved as desired between extended transmit or HIFU sequences, using different transmit voltage levels, and utilizing the full range of features and performance provided by the Verasonics systems for echo imaging and Doppler modalities. This enables the user to employ image guidance and monitoring of interventional and therapeutic techniques in real time.
Download the Vantage
Transmit Options Data Sheet
Learn about Focused Ultrasound Options
See a Video of the Vantage HIFU Capabilities
Verasonics

11335 NE 122nd Way, Suite 100
Kirkland WA 98034