From the Research
Hydrophones play a crucial role in medical research, particularly in the field of ultrasound, where they are used to measure acoustic pressure, intensity, and frequency, ensuring the safety and efficacy of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In medical applications, hydrophones help researchers study acoustic emissions from biological tissues and organs, and they are essential for calibrating medical ultrasound equipment 1. The effectiveness of hydrophones stems from their ability to convert acoustic pressure waves into electrical signals with minimal distortion, allowing for accurate quantification of sound properties in medical applications.
Some of the key features required for hydrophones in medical research include extreme robustness, broad bandwidth, large dynamic range, and small receiving element size, particularly for measurements at clinical levels in the focal region 2. The latest hydrophone designs, such as those incorporating a steel foil front protection layer and a low absorption and acoustic impedance matched backing, have been developed to meet these requirements and can be used for maximum peak rarefactional and peak compressional pressure measurements of 15 and 75 MPa, respectively, at 1.06 MHz driving frequency 2.
In addition to their use in ultrasound research, hydrophones are also used in other areas of medical research, such as neuroscience and cardiovascular studies, where they help monitor neural activity in aquatic animals and detect blood flow sounds and turbulence, respectively. Researchers also use hydrophones to develop and refine new ultrasound technologies, including focused ultrasound treatments for cancer and neurological disorders. The use of hydrophones in medical research has been supported by several studies, including a 2020 study that demonstrated the importance of high-frequency calibration of hydrophones for clinical and scientific applications of ultrasound 1, and a 2017 study that compared the performance of different hydrophones for pressure measurement in high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound fields 3.
Overall, hydrophones are a vital tool in medical research, and their use has contributed significantly to our understanding of acoustic emissions from biological tissues and organs, and the development of new ultrasound technologies.
- Key features of hydrophones in medical research: + Extreme robustness + Broad bandwidth + Large dynamic range + Small receiving element size
- Applications of hydrophones in medical research: + Ultrasound research + Neuroscience research + Cardiovascular studies + Development of new ultrasound technologies
- Importance of hydrophones in medical research: + Ensuring safety and efficacy of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures + Calibrating medical ultrasound equipment + Accurate quantification of sound properties in medical applications + Contributing to the development of new ultrasound technologies, as demonstrated by studies such as 1, 3, and 2.