On the development of a method to measure the surface temperature of ultrasonic diagnostic transducers
Year: 2004
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: A project to develop improved and practical procedures to measure the surface temperature of diagnostic ultrasound transducers under normal use conditions has been carried out. The approach taken in the project was first to produce tissue mimicking material and an experimental measurement set-up that could lead to reasonably accurate and reproducible values of surface temperature rise. The relative influence of different tissue layers close to the surface has been modelled. Measurement results obtained using different types of thermocouples and using an infrared camera system were compared. Typical transducer surface temperature rises on a layered physical model were compared to those obtained on human skin (forearm). The difference between the average temperature rises on a 1.5 mm silicone layer on a soft tissue mimic and on the human forearm was not more than 7%. However, the variation between transducers introduces an uncertainty around 23% (95% confidence) of the temperature rise ratio. If the output beam dimension is accounted for as a (weak) factor of influence, the uncertainty is reduced to 19%. For endocavity transducers there does not seem to be a strong argument for potting the transducer in a tissue model. An example set-up for the measurement of externally used transducers has been implemented in the IEC 60601-2-37 1st Amendment. The material developed can be ordered from TNO.
Authors: R T Hekkenberg, R A Bezemer
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2060469575