Plane Wave – Volume 5, Issue 3 – Verasonics Announces Latest Innovations in Research Ultrasound Solutions

Verasonics is pleased to offer customers its latest innovations in research ultrasound solutions. New products and features include expanded volume imaging capabilities, NDE Research Software (high-speed, advanced, and custom array imaging), HIFUPlex™ Elite (an ultrasound-guided platform designed to advance pre-clinical research in focused ultrasound) and a new high frequency linear array transducer for pre-clinical and superficial imaging applications. Additionally, Verasonics now offers with Vantage Software a complimentary simple impedance measurement utility providing an efficient method to check per-element impedance of transducers connected to the Vantage System.

Expanded Volume Imaging Solutions

As researchers explore new ways to use ultrasound to develop novel applications, there is an increasing need to employ more elements and channels for research with volume imaging . Verasonics has received frequent requests for high-channel-count applications to support high-speed data acquisition within a volume of tissue or material. The Verasonics Team is excited to introduce a 2-system configuration for volume imaging applications. The expanded Volume Imaging Package can now utilize 1, 2, or 4 Vantage 256™Research Ultrasound Systems to acquire volume datasets with high-channel-count techniques. Researchers can use 2D matrix array transducers in conjunction with either the UTA 1024-MUX adapter or the UTA 256-Direct adapter to find solutions that are most suitable for their needs. The Volume Imaging Package includes software licenses, hardware, a synchronization module as well as scripting support. Researchers can start with 1 or 2 systems and later acquire additional systems that can be synchronized to provide direct connection between channels and elements, to provide the optimal flexibility and performance with different types of high element count transducers.

Figure 1: Vantage 256 System with UTA 1024-MUX Adapter and 1024-element matrix array.

Introducing NDE Research Software

Verasonics is now introducing the NDE Research Software for high-speed, advanced, and custom array imaging. This user-friendly software package is designed to complement Verasonics’ existing programming model, providing advanced full matrix capture, multi-mode imaging and convenient data acquisition without the need for the user to program the system.

Acquisition and imaging techniques include FMC, HMC and Hadamard encoding. Single or dual array acquisitions are supported for contact or non-contact applications such as wedges, immersion testing and curved specimen geometries. Multi-mode TFM imaging supports direct, half- and full-skip imaging modes, including all mode conversion permutations.(Figure 2) The NDE software also includes several convenient tools such as sensitivity mapping and an RF data viewer.

By supporting the addition of custom, user-developed imaging modes, NDE Research Software provides a platform for rapid prototyping of new applications and the delivery of research and development outcomes, within or between organizations. This software is available on all Vantage systems with the 4.5 software release.

Figure 2: Multi-mode wedge imaging of a fatigue crack. Direct + half-skip TFM.

Introducing HIFUPlex Elite

In collaboration with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and Sonic Concepts™, Verasonics recently introduced the HIFUPlex Elite 3000 and 1000 systems – complete pre-clinical platforms for ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound research. The HIFUPlex Elite 1000 is designed for small animal investigations, while the HIFUPlex Elite 3000 is for expanded research capabilities for large animals.

Now, Verasonics has enhanced its HIFUPlex Elite 2D Software and added new capabilities with the HIFUPlex Elite. Both interfaces now feature a streamlined appearance, more imaging modes, Thermal Strain Imaging (TSI) for monitoring (optional on 2D), along with experiment data management.

The HIFUPlex Elite Software provides all the capabilities needed for a 3D experimental workflow: (Figure 3)

• Several imaging modes for ultrasound guidance, monitoring, and assessment
• Scan conversion of a series of 2D slices using rotary scanning to produce a 3D data set
• HIFUPlex Elite software for 3D treatment planning and automated delivery
• Thermal Strain Imaging (TSI) for monitoring of local heating
• Experiment data-logging and review tools

Figure 3: 3D Therapy Planning Example.

Now Available: L39-21gD High Frequency Linear Array Transducer

Figure 5 and 6: Functional Doppler images of vascular anatomy in the mouse brain acquired with the L39-21gD. (Courtesy of Claire Rabut, Shapiro Lab, Caltech)

Complimentary Simple Impedance Measurement Utility

This utility provides a fast and simple way to check per-element impedance of almost any probe connected to a Vantage system. Verasonics is pleased to offer users a quick method to identify elements that may have shorts or opens, or elements that may significantly differ on any probes. This complimentary utility allows the user to test their connected probes with a simple command utility in the MATLAB interface. The utility then identifies the probe, runs an acquisition sequence, and computes the estimated impedance magnitude for every element. Results are displayed as a plot. (Figure 7) This feature is available on all Vantage systems using the 4.5 software.

Figure 7: Simple Impedance Test output.