Application Cases

Ultrasonic Focusing Transducer, also known as a High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) transducer, is a device that utilizes the principles of ultrasonic energy concentration and conversion. Ultrasound is ubiquitous, whether in medical imaging and diagnostic equipment, certain disease treatment protocols, or quality assessment in industrial and commercial applications. Depending on the field of application, the performance requirements for ultrasound—such as resolution, intensity, or focal length—vary significantly. The fundamental principle involves using a single spherical-cap piezoelectric ceramic transducer or a spherical-cap array composed of multiple piezoelectric ceramic elements to form a focused acoustic field, achieving very high acoustic intensity at the focal point. This high-intensity focused acoustic field has diverse applications.

In piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic technology, the voltage generated by the piezoelectric effect is transmitted to the piezoelectric ceramic via an ultrasonic transmitter, causing the piezoelectric ceramic to vibrate. The vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic induces vibrations in the surrounding medium, thereby generating ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic waves are mechanical waves characterized by high frequency, short wavelength, and strong penetration capability.

Ultrasonic ablation, also known as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, is exemplified by devices like the "Haifu Knife," widely used in gynecological tumor treatment. As a relatively new technology developed over the past two decades, ultrasonic ablation is non-invasive and allows real-time imaging during procedures, minimizing postoperative complications such as bleeding and tumor metastasis from穿刺 (note:穿刺 means puncture or needle insertion, implying invasive procedures). It has been adopted in over one hundred countries and regions worldwide, achieving remarkable success, and is commonly used for various solid benign and malignant tumors.

As the only currently available non-invasive treatment modality, HIFU has evolved over decades and is now widely used for the non-invasive ablation of various benign and malignant solid tumors. However, several key challenges remain, such as the large size of existing treatment equipment, the inability to fully achieve real-time temperature monitoring during treatment, and significant limitations in the clarity of anatomical background in temperature mapping. Therefore, focused ultrasound tumor ablation technology requires further research in the coming decade.

In experiments related to focused ultrasound tumor ablation technology, RF power amplifiers are typically part of a test system comprising an upper computer, an excitation section, and a data acquisition section. The excitation section includes a signal generator and an ATA-8202 power amplifier, which provides the high-frequency, high-power signals required to drive the focusing transducer, generating acoustic intensity. The ultrasonic thermal effect of the test sample is then utilized to raise the temperature at the focal point to 65°C–100°C, causing irreversible damage to cells and achieving the goal of killing tumor cells. During this process, a hydrophone, oscilloscope, and temperature acquisition card are used to monitor the acoustic intensity generated by the focused ultrasound transducer in real time.

Figure: ATA-8000 Series RF Power Amplifier Specifications

The ATA-8000 series is an RF power amplifier with a P1dB output power of 500W and a maximum saturated output power of 1000W. It features digitally controlled adjustable gain, one-touch settings save, and provides a simple and convenient operation interface. It can be used with mainstream signal generators to achieve amplification of RF signals.

Application Scenarios of the ATA-8000 Series RF Power Amplifier: Non-destructive testing, Sonodynamic therapy, Focused ultrasound, Ultrasonic nebulization, Drug-controlled release, Ultrasonic medical testing, Cell tumor ablation.