MODULE 1
INTRODUCING SEQUOIA® ULTRASOUND
TECHNOLOGY
Sequoia Ultrasound Technology 1-3
User Interface and Industrial Design 1-3
High Density Electronic Packaging 1-3
Display Technology 1-3
Coherent Imageformer 1-4
Coherent Imageformer 1-4
Image Cells 1-4
DIMAQ™ Integrated Ultrasound Workstation 1-5
Doppler Technologies 1-6
SOLO™ Doppler Beamformer 1-6
CD Performance Speaker System 1-6
SST™ Color Doppler 1-6
Transducer Technology 1-7
MP Connector Technology 1-7
Worksheet: System Technology 1-8
Module 1 - Introducing Sequoia® Ultrasound Technology Acuson Confidential
REVISION HISTORY
QRC P/N-REVISION INITIATOR APPROVAL DATE CHANGE
S. Williams July 1999 Incorporate reviewer comments
A3210 49880 Rev. 1 J. Madarasz S. Williams Dec. 2000 Initial Release
Module 1-2 Sequoia Service Training Manual P/N 49880 Rev. 1
Acuson Confidential Sequoia Ultrasound Technology
SEQUOIA ULTRASOUND TECHNOLOGY
The Sequoia system is the most fundamental and far-reaching
advance in ultrasound imaging technology since the advent of
Computed Sonography in 1983. It incorporates four foundation
technologies that produce dramatic image quality, performance,
and functionality improvements in all modes of operation. These
foundation technologies include:
• Sequoia proprietary Coherent Image Formation tech nology
• Doppler Technology
• DIMAQ™ Integrated Ultrasound Workstation
• Transducer Technology
USER INTERFACE
AND INDUSTRIAL
DESIGN
HIGH DENSITY
E
LECTRONIC
ACKAGING
P
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
A great deal of foresight and research resulted in the industrial
design of the Sequoia ultrasound system. The Sequoia system’s
design is based on human factors analysis which involved extensive
research in a combination of ergonomics and user interface design.
The tilt-and-swivel display, height-adjustable keyboard and display ,
portability, micro-positioning, quieter system operation, simplif ied
maintenance, tactile controls, and operator-focused speaker system
are just a few examples of an industrial design that offers fatiguefree operation and timeless style.
Partnerships with two other leading electronics companies have
produced some of the highest density ASICs (Applicati on Specific
Integrated Circuits) and 16-layer printed circuit boards.
A partnership with a major European manufacturer has resulted in
the availability of display monitors of high-information density.
P/N 49880 Rev. 1 Sequoia Service Training Manual Module 1- 3
Module 1 - Introducing Sequoia® Ultrasound Technology Acuson Confidential
COHERENT IMAGEFORMER
The Multiple Beamformer is a new beamformer architecture that
utilizes 512 (Sequoia 512) or 256 (Sequoia C256) digital processing
channels, the equivalent of four channels per transducer array
element in a 128 element transducer. This unique architecture
produces the following results:
• Beam contains phase and amplitude; not done in conventional
beamformer-based systems.
• Beams are acquired simultaneously to capture motion between
beams
• Multiple Beams are acquired in the same amount of time th at a
single beamformer acquires a single beam.
The high-speed data acquisition generated by multiple
beamformers translates directly into significantly higher frame
rates, higher spatial resolution, and increased sensitivity in 2-D and
Color Doppler imaging Modes.
COHERENT
IMAGEFORMER
Phase information is used by the Coherent Imageformer to generate additional information that cannot be obtained without using phase.
Physicists have known for years that half of the signal information
is contained in phase component and the other half is in amplitude
component, but a practical method to use phase information eluded
them. Now this long-standing problem has been solved, paving the
way for the advent of an imageformer-based system.
The Coherent Imageformer acquires images with twice the
information in half the time, a quantum advance in ultrasound state
of the art. This manifests itself as extremely wide dynamic range,
greater spatial resolution, higher frame rates and better
differentiation. Images contain higher tissue integrity and greater
uniformity.
IMAGE CELLS The Sequoia system Coherent Imageformer uses multiple beams
with encoded phase and amplitude data to construct image cells. Image cells are two- dimensional; that is, they contain range and azimuth, as opposed to one- dimensional scan lines. Use of phase data provides accurate amplitude information between beams without resorting to conventional interpolation (a smoothing which may be inaccurate). Since data between beams is known, the image is acquired in a continuous way, and not along scan lines.
Module 1-4 Sequoia Service Training Manual P/N 49880 Rev. 1
Acuson Confidential DIMAQ™ Integrated Ultrasound Workstation
DIMAQ™ INTEGRATED ULTRASOUND WORKSTATION
The integration of a special purpose worksta tion into the system
architecture is at the heart of the Sequoia system’s digital image
management.
Integration means that the DIMAQ workstations has direct access
to data in every part of the system. This is not possible on an
external workstation, regardless of any computational pow e r.
Access to this data means that the DIMAQ workstation can perform
image analysis functions which will become available in future.
Thus, the DIMAQ workstation becomes the key to sustained
technological and application a d vances.
Numerous powerful system capabilities have been designed into
the DIMAQ workstation which allow it to:
• Expand the science of quantification
• Expand AEGIS® Digital image and data management
capabilities
• Perform JPEG compression
• Display multiple static and dynamic images
• Direct Ethernet and DICOM connectivity
• Perform special applications, such as Stress Echo.
P/N 49880 Rev. 1 Sequoia Service Training Manual Module 1- 5
Module 1 - Introducing Sequoia® Ultrasound Technology Acuson Confidential
DOPPLER TECHNOLOGIES
SOLO™ DOPPLER BEAMFORMER
CD PERFORMANCE SPEAKER SYSTEM
SST™ COLOR DOPPLER
Ultrasound engineers have always known that the characteristics of
Doppler signals are vastly different from the tissue signal
characteristics. In beamformer-based systems, the same
beamformer is used for both signals. This for ces a tra de-of f between
image quality and spectral quality. Sequoia system technology
solves this trade-off by creating a unique architecture, with multiple
beamformers dedicated to 2-D, and a dedicated audio beamformer
for the spectral Doppler. Doppler information is processed at audio
frequencies.
The result is a new level of performance. Sequoia system offers a
major sensitivity improvement in all Doppler modes: PW, CW,
HPRF, and AUX CW.
A partnership with Henry Kloss (of Cambridge Sound waves), an
honored audio pioneer, has produced a speaker system that
matches the CD quality of our Doppler audio. What you see is what
you hear, exactly, and the audio will not alias.
Unparalleled Color Doppler sensitivity, spatial resolution, and
temporal resolution are clear proof of what Sequoia system
technology can do. Within this architecture, multiple color
beamformers and Acuson ’s proprietary color processing play a
clear role in achieving this high performance.
The trade-offs in performance associated with beamformer-based
systems no longer apply.
Color Doppler performance is characterized by simultaneous
achievement of:
• High spatial resolution
• High Frame rate, equal to what is obtained in 2-D mode in
beamformer- based systems
• High sensitivity, equal to that achieved by CDE Color Doppler
Energy mode in beamformer- based systems
Module 1-6 Sequoia Service Training Manual P/N 49880 Rev. 1
Acuson Confidential Transducer Technology
TRANSDUCER TECHNOLOGY
Sequoia’s system breakthrough in design principles and
architecture required advances in the transducer technology.
New controlled bandwidth acoustics, new cable and connector
technology , and new industrial design, have resulted in transducers
with increased sensitivity, higher operating frequencies, and a new
standard of comfort and handling.
MP CONNECTOR
T
ECHNOLOGY
A strategic partnership between Acuson and a major connector
manufacturer has produced a breakthrough, patented, connector
design.
The MP connector has no pins, has zero insertion force, provides
612 connections and overcomes the limitations of conventional
connectors. The Sequoia system has enough connections to
incorporate active electronics in the transducer, opening the door to
new transducer performance improvements.
P/N 49880 Rev. 1 Sequoia Service Training Manual Module 1- 7
Module 1 - Introducing Sequoia® Ultrasound Technology Acuson Confidential
WORKSHEET: SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
Lab Objective Notes Sign Off
System
Technology
Features
Module 1-8 Sequoia Service Training Manual P/N 49880 Rev. 1
Loading...