Application Cases

【Overview】
In this study, the Aigtek ATA-4012C high-voltage power amplifier was used to build an experimental system for ultrasound diagnosis and therapy, laying the theoretical foundation for clinical treatment applications.

Experiment Name: Mechanism and Experimental Study of Thermal Enhancement in Granular Media under Focused Ultrasound Therapy

Research Direction: Focused Ultrasound, Granular Media, Tumor Therapy

Experiment Objective:
To improve the efficiency and safety of focused ultrasound in tumor therapy while ensuring safe treatment. By studying the thermal enhancement effect of particles under low-power ultrasound, the influence of different volume fractions, particle size parameters, and ultrasound power on the energy deposition and temperature accumulation of focused ultrasound is clarified, providing a theoretical basis for clinical applications.

Testing Equipment:

1. Core ultrasound equipment: 1.16 MHz focused transducer (custom-made in the laboratory), signal source, power amplifier (ATA-4012B, Aigtek).

2. Positioning and measurement equipment: Three-dimensional positioning system, hydrophone (for focus localization), infrared camera, oscilloscope.

3. Auxiliary equipment: Magnetic stirrer, degassing device, phantom molds (acrylic ring + infrared glass base).

   
   

Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of the Experimental Platform

Experimental Procedure:

1. System setup: A 1.16 MHz custom-focused transducer was used as the core component, combined with a signal source, power amplifier, three-dimensional positioning system, infrared camera, and oscilloscope to form an infrared temperature measurement system. The focus position was determined using the hydrophone scanning method (positioned at the center of the phantom). Degassed water was used as the coupling medium.

2. Experimental conditions: The initial temperature of the phantom was set to 37°C. The electro-acoustic power conversion efficiency was 60%, and the excitation signal was a continuous sine wave. Within the electrical power range of 5–30 W, the same phantom group was irradiated for 20 seconds at intervals of 5 W.

3. Data acquisition: Real-time temperature changes of each phantom group were recorded using an infrared camera. The consistency between simulation and experimental results was compared, and the effects of different variables on phantom temperature rise and focal area were analyzed.

Experimental Results:
The simulation and experimental results were generally consistent (maximum relative error ≤ 10%). The presence of particles in the viscoelastic medium enhanced the viscous thermal effect, increasing the thermal accumulation efficiency of focused ultrasound by 2–3 times. Within the experimental range, the temperature rise of the focal area was negatively correlated with particle size (the most significant enhancement was observed at a particle size of 20 nm) and positively correlated with particle volume fraction (≤ 0.057) and ultrasound electrical power. The temperature rise of the particle phantom exceeded 2°C, significantly higher than that of the pure phantom (≤ 2°C). The temperature rise rate was faster in the first 5 seconds and then gradually leveled off. The focal area exhibited a symmetric shape with a high center and lower edges. The focal area of the phantom with a 5% volume fraction was much larger than that of the pure phantom, and the thermal enhancement effect of particles became more pronounced as the power increased.

Advantages of Aigtek Amplifiers in This Application:

1. High power output – Fully meets the requirements for continuous electrical power scanning, supporting a breakthrough 2–3 times improvement in thermal accumulation efficiency.

2. Wide bandwidth and high slew rate – Precisely matches the transducer, ensuring stability and reliability of temperature measurements.

3. Four-quadrant output and low distortion – Stably drives capacitive loads, ensuring consistency between simulation and experimental results.

Recommended Product: ATA-4012C High-Voltage Power Amplifier

Figure: ATA-4012C High-Voltage Power Amplifier Specifications and Parameters

The experimental materials in this article are compiled and released by Xi'an Aigtek Electronics. Aigtek has become a large-scale instrument and equipment supplier with a wide range of products in the industry. Demo units are available for free trial. Xi'an Aigtek Electronics is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research, development, production, and sales of electronic testing instruments such as power amplifiers, high-voltage amplifiers, power signal sources, preamplifiers for weak signals, high-precision voltage sources, and high-precision current sources.