Live 3D TEE Probe Technical Aspects - SD

Introduction

Hello, my name is Mike Budzinski.
I'm a project manager at Phillips Healthcare
and I'm responsible for the development
of a live 3D transesophageal transducer.

Good morning. I'm Mike Budzinski.
Today I'll be talking about the technical aspects
of developing a live 3D TEE probe.

Background and Development

This really started with the introduction
of a live three DX matrix X four transducer
that was produced by Phillips in 2002.
This transducer afforded live 3D images
of the beating heart and cardiologists came back
to Phillips engineers
and said, this is fantastic technology.
That's a great job, but when can we have a live?
3D TEE Phillips
engineers took this seriously
and did a significant amount of surveying
as far as customers were concerned, to really understand
what was required in the marketplace
with the next generation transesophageal transducer.

And what became very clear as a result of the surveying is
that the next generation live three DT probe needed
to be completely, fully functional just
as existing transducers were in the marketplace
and perform any better than any
other transducer on the market.

So the recipe that Phillips employed
to develop the new transducer was to take
the ergonomics from the Omni three transducer, combine that
with X Matrixx array technology
that enabled the X four transducer live.
3D imaging shrink the micro beam forming electronics
to be acceptable to fit in the housing
of a transesophageal probe,
and then produce the live 3D capable TE
with miniaturized X Matrixx technology.

Technical Challenges

Imaging Performance

Technical challenges start with imaging performance.
The transducer needed to have uncompromised 2D
and 3D spatial and temporal resolution.
Of course, it needed to be fully featured,
having all significant imaging loads available.
And then on top we needed
to have complete electronic image plane rotation
for 180 degrees worth of rotation.
That was formally done by mechanic rotation
of array now needed to be done electronically.

Tip Size

The tip size represented a significant constraint
as TE applications have very small limitations on the size
of the probes available for intubation
and extubation thermal performance.

Thermal Performance

Now that we had two heat sources, the addition
of electronics in the tip as well
as the acoustic heat source
provided an additional challenge.

Reliability

Technically, the reliability represented a
significant technical challenge.
As these transducers are obviously used in critical
life critical environments.

Manufacturability

Manufacturability represented a significant challenge, as
with extremely high element counts, the transducer had
to have extremely high yield
to become producible in the marketplace.

Imaging Performance Details

So for imaging performance, the engineers at Phillips
invoked X Matrixx live 3D technology,
the fundamental underpinning of which is the use
of 2,500 pure wave elements.
This transducer uses a fully sampled aperture, combined with
very high efficiency acoustics, produces
extremely high resolution images.
As you can see here on the 2D color flow on the side.

The transducer was also intended
to have a very broad bandwidth for a variety
of different cardiac applications.
High frequency seven megahertz imaging
for detailed resolution all the way down to two megahertz
for large penetration of difficult
to image patients in harmonic imaging.

In addition, the transducer needed to be very easy to use,
and so the engineers needed
to invoke extremely fast focusing coefficients in new
control algorithms, as well as provide
improved BOA suppression for use in the operating room.

I wanna highlight your view of the 2D images
because in several other presentations you'll see
spectacular 3D images.
But to underscore the idea that this transducer was designed
to be usable across all imaging modes,
the engineers at Phillips paid particular attention
to the 2D and color flow qualities as well
as the spectacular live 3D imaging.

Tip Size Details

To talk about tip size for a moment,
this really is a story about shrinking
beam forming electronics.
If you look at the number
of front end channel boards required
by a traditional ultrasound system to run 25 individual
elements, it looks by mathematically
to be about 150 front end boards.
The X four transducer compressed these 150 front end channel
boards into a new housing that had never been
for before accomplished.
The live 3D TEE further compressed this into the
tip of a T probe.

This was accomplished by new, higher integrated,
higher density integrated circuitry,
new revolutionary micro beam forming,
electronic architecture, novel interconnect schemes
with particular focus on the ergonomic shape
and design of the TE tip
that had the largest aperture available for the tip
of a TE probe that would be completely acceptable from
a clinical standpoint.

Thermal Performance Details

Thermal performance was also accomplished
by integrating pure wave crystal technology, along
with revolutionary new efficient acoustic designs.
Low power consumption electronics was the third arm
of this underpinning for improved thermal performance
for two heat sources.

To underscore the idea
that there are an additional heat source of
electronics in the tip combined with the heat source
of the acoustics, the new design using pure wave
of technology and a very efficient acoustic design as long
as, as well as low power consumption.
Electronics provided a very efficient thermal design
for the matrix T.

Qualification

The qualification of this device was
done in several different steps.
The first started with basic finite element modeling
to demonstrate the feasibility of the fundamental design,
followed on by physical modeling in the lab
to verify the element,
finite element modeling was working correctly.
And finally, clinical studies of well over 800
patients prior to introducing
this device to the marketplace.

Reliability Details

Reliability was accomplished by
invoking solid state electronics with significant,
interconnect redundancy.
Gone are the days of mechanical rotations with motors
and drive shaft that are prone to reliability issues.
The new live 3D TE is completely solid
state from one end to the other.

The qualification of this device included fill modes,
effects analysis at the early stages
to focus on critical components
and understand the reliability issues as early as possible.
That combined with widespread
TEE specific environmental testing protocols
that have been developed over many years at Phillips, along
with continuous hardware
and software improvement on the system side of the equation
resulted in early studies clinically of 800
or more patients, where the team was able
to really ring out the reliability of this system
and produce a very highly reliable product.

Manufacturability Details

At the initial introduction from manufacturability,
the manufacturability just starts
with simplicity and design.
The r and d teams worked early on
with the manufacturing teams to produce
some revolutionary interconnect schemes,
of which Phillips has now 32 patents on continuous
and process improvement throughout.
The entire development process was invoked to
bring yields from moderate numbers
to very high yield numbers before the device
was put into production.

The Philips Live 3D TEE Probe

And now without further ado, I'd like
to introduce the Phillips Live 3D TE probe, the referral's.
First fully functional live three DT.
This device produces outstanding multiplane TE performance
and all the standard modes.
Customers have become used to using including 2D 2D color,
pulsed wave and continuous wave doppler M mode,
as well as color M mode.
Left ventricular opacification X-rays res, all
of these are available in one degree rotational increments.

In addition to that, unparalleled live 3D imaging with modes
of live 3D live, 3D zoom full volume, 3D,
3D color flow, xplain and xplain color flow.

In addition, this transducer is producing the best BOA
suppression available in any Phillips TE probe.
Yet this transducer also has the same
user interface as the OMNI three transducers
that customers have become used to using
with a handle switch for image plane rotation, as well
as tip temperature indicated on the screen,
and an extra long cable for use in the operating room.

This transducer can also be disinfected
with all the standard disinfectants recommended by Phillips,
and it's available on the IE 33.

Conclusion

The Phillips engineers believes
that this transducer is a revolutionary step forward in
echo ultrasound imaging.
We believe that it'll make significant advances in the use
of standard diagnostic echocardiography as well
as enabling many minimally invasive procedures in the field
of invasive, minimally invasive procedures for cardiology
and potentially also in the area of arrhythmia management.

I would like to personally congratulate the development team
who is instrumental in producing this
device for the marketplace.
There is very much a cross-functional team
and a cross site team.
The photographs here of which
represent the majority of them, but not all.
Some of the engineers are hard to get into the room.
Together I'd like to offer my congratulations
to this development team on this
revolutionary new technology.