Piezoelectric transducers are triggered by the output voltage signal of a transmit voltage amplifier (TVA). In mobile ultrasound instruments, the sensitivity of piezoelectric transducers is a critical parameter under limited power supply from portable batteries. Therefore, the enhancement of the output voltage amplitude of the amplifier under limited power supply could increase the sensitivity of the piezoelectric transducer. Several-stage TVAs are used to increase the voltage amplitude. However, inter-stage design issues between each TVA block may reduce the voltage amplitude and bandwidth because the electronic components of the amplifier are nonlinearly operated at the desired frequency ranges. To compensate for this effect, we propose a novel inter-stage output voltage amplitude improvement (OVAI) circuit integrated with a class-B TVA circuit. We performed fundamental A-mode pulse-echo tests using a 15-MHz immersion-type piezoelectric transducer to verify the design. The echo amplitude and bandwidth when using an inter-stage OVAI circuit integrated with a class-B TVA circuit (696 mV and 29.91%, respectively) were higher than those obtained when using only the class-B TVA circuit (576 mV and 24.21%, respectively). Therefore, the proposed OVAI circuit could be beneficial for increasing the output amplitude of the class-B TVA circuit for mobile ultrasound machines.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s20216244 | DOI Listing |
Nanoscale Horiz
January 2025
London Centre for Nanotechnology, 19 Gordon St, London, WC1H 0AH, UK.
We demonstrate low energy, forming and compliance-free operation of a resistive memory obtained by the partial oxidation of a two-dimensional layered van-der-Waals semiconductor: hafnium disulfide (HfS). Semiconductor-oxide heterostructures are achieved by low temperature (<300 °C) thermal oxidation of HfS under dry conditions, carefully controlling process parameters. The resulting HfOS/HfS heterostructures are integrated between metal contacts, forming vertical crossbar devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
Hebei Key Laboratory of Photo-Electricity Information and Materials, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, P. R. China.
Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are commonly used in polarization-sensitive photodetectors (PDs) for applications such as polarization imaging, remote sensing, and optical communication. Although various methods exist to adjust the polarization-sensitive photocurrent, a universal and effective approach for continuous control of MHPs' optoelectronic and polarized properties is lacking. A universal strategy to electrically modulate the polarization ratio (PR) of self-powered polarized PDs using the ferro-pyro-phototronic effect (FPPE) in 2D perovskites is presented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
(K,Na)NbO-based ceramics are deemed among the most promising lead-free piezoelectric materials, though their overall piezoelectric performance still lags behind the mainstream lead-containing counterparts. Here, we achieve an ultrahigh piezoelectric charge coefficient d ∼ 807 pC·N, along with a high longitudinal electromechanical coupling factor (k ∼ 88%) and Curie temperature (T ∼ 245 °C) in the (K,Na)(NbSb)O-BiNaZrO-BiFeO (KNN-xSb) system through structural flexibility and grain orientation strategies. Phenomenological models, phase field simulations and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy reveal that the structural flexibility originates from the high Coulomb force between K/Na ions and Sb ions in the KNN-xSb system, while the grain orientation promotes the displacement of B-site cations leveraging the engineered domain configuration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, 380 Roth Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Partial oxidation of methane (POM) is achieved by forming air-methane microbubbles in saltwater to which an alternating electric field is applied using a copper oxide foam electrode. The solubility of methane is increased by putting it in contact with water containing dissolved KCl or NaCl (3%). Being fully dispersed as microbubbles (20-40 µm in diameter), methane reacts more fully with hydroxyl radicals (OH·) at the gas-water interface.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoscale
January 2025
Pro2TecS - Chemical Product and Process Technology Research Center. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Universidad de Huelva. ETSI, Campus de "El Carmen", 21071 Huelva, Spain.
This study explores the preparation of lubricating oleo-dispersions using electrospun nanofibrous mats made from low-sulfonate lignin (LSL) and polycaprolactone (PCL). The rheological and tribological properties of the oleo-dispersions were significantly modulated for the first time through the exploration of LSL/PCL ratio and electrospinning conditions such as applied voltage, distance between the tip and collector, flow rate, ambient humidity, and collector configuration. Adequate uniform ultrathin fibers and Small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) functions of the oleo-dispersions, with storage modulus values ranging from 10 to 10 Pa at 25 °C, were obtained with a flow rate of 0.
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