Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles
Reliable acoustic coupling in a non-handheld mode and reducing the form factor of electronics are specific challenges in making ultrasound wearable. Applications relying on a large field of view (such as tracking of large muscles) induce a need for a large element count to achieve high image quality...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Daniel Speicher Tobias Grün Steffen Weber Holger Hewener Stephan Klesy Schabo Rumanus Hannah Strohm Oskar Stamm Luis Perotti Steffen H. Tretbar Marc Fournelle |
| author_facet | Daniel Speicher Tobias Grün Steffen Weber Holger Hewener Stephan Klesy Schabo Rumanus Hannah Strohm Oskar Stamm Luis Perotti Steffen H. Tretbar Marc Fournelle |
| author_sort | Daniel Speicher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reliable acoustic coupling in a non-handheld mode and reducing the form factor of electronics are specific challenges in making ultrasound wearable. Applications relying on a large field of view (such as tracking of large muscles) induce a need for a large element count to achieve high image quality. In our work, we developed a 256-element linear array for imaging of abdominal muscles with four integrated custom-developed 8:32 multiplexer Integrated Circuits (ICs), allowing the array to be driven by our compact 32 ch electronics. The system is optimized for flexible use in R&D applications and allows adjustable transmit voltages (up to +/−100 V), arbitrary delay patterns, and 12-bit analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) with up to 50 MSPS and wireless (21.6 MBit/s) or USB link. Image metrics (SLL, FWHM) were very similar to a fully populated array driven with a 256 ch system. The contrast allowed imaging of lesions down to 7 cm in the phantom. In a first in-vivo study, we demonstrated reliable acoustic contact even during exercise and were able to visualize deep abdominal muscles such as the TrA. In combination with a muscle tracking algorithm, the change of thickness of the TrA during SSE could be monitored, demonstrating the potential of the approach as biofeedback for physiotherapy training. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4308a4c9ba484121b537ba67962d0362 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-4308a4c9ba484121b537ba67962d03622025-08-20T03:06:24ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-03-01157360010.3390/app15073600Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal MusclesDaniel Speicher0Tobias Grün1Steffen Weber2Holger Hewener3Stephan Klesy4Schabo Rumanus5Hannah Strohm6Oskar Stamm7Luis Perotti8Steffen H. Tretbar9Marc Fournelle10Ultrasound Department, Fraunhofer IBMT, D-66280 Sulzbach, GermanyUltrasound Department, Fraunhofer IBMT, D-66280 Sulzbach, GermanyUltrasound Department, Fraunhofer IBMT, D-66280 Sulzbach, GermanyUltrasound Department, Fraunhofer IBMT, D-66280 Sulzbach, GermanyPrema Semiconductor GmbH, D-55129 Mainz, GermanyPrema Semiconductor GmbH, D-55129 Mainz, GermanyFraunhofer MEVIS, D-28359 Bremen, GermanyForschungsgruppe Geriatrie, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13347 Berlin, GermanyForschungsgruppe Geriatrie, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13347 Berlin, GermanyUltrasound Department, Fraunhofer IBMT, D-66280 Sulzbach, GermanyUltrasound Department, Fraunhofer IBMT, D-66280 Sulzbach, GermanyReliable acoustic coupling in a non-handheld mode and reducing the form factor of electronics are specific challenges in making ultrasound wearable. Applications relying on a large field of view (such as tracking of large muscles) induce a need for a large element count to achieve high image quality. In our work, we developed a 256-element linear array for imaging of abdominal muscles with four integrated custom-developed 8:32 multiplexer Integrated Circuits (ICs), allowing the array to be driven by our compact 32 ch electronics. The system is optimized for flexible use in R&D applications and allows adjustable transmit voltages (up to +/−100 V), arbitrary delay patterns, and 12-bit analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) with up to 50 MSPS and wireless (21.6 MBit/s) or USB link. Image metrics (SLL, FWHM) were very similar to a fully populated array driven with a 256 ch system. The contrast allowed imaging of lesions down to 7 cm in the phantom. In a first in-vivo study, we demonstrated reliable acoustic contact even during exercise and were able to visualize deep abdominal muscles such as the TrA. In combination with a muscle tracking algorithm, the change of thickness of the TrA during SSE could be monitored, demonstrating the potential of the approach as biofeedback for physiotherapy training.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/7/3600linear arraymultiplexerwearable ultrasoundB-modeplane wave compoundingmultichannel electronics |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Speicher Tobias Grün Steffen Weber Holger Hewener Stephan Klesy Schabo Rumanus Hannah Strohm Oskar Stamm Luis Perotti Steffen H. Tretbar Marc Fournelle Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles Applied Sciences linear array multiplexer wearable ultrasound B-mode plane wave compounding multichannel electronics |
| title | Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles |
| title_full | Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles |
| title_fullStr | Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles |
| title_short | Wearable 256-Element MUX-Based Linear Array Transducer for Monitoring of Deep Abdominal Muscles |
| title_sort | wearable 256 element mux based linear array transducer for monitoring of deep abdominal muscles |
| topic | linear array multiplexer wearable ultrasound B-mode plane wave compounding multichannel electronics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/7/3600 |
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