Texas Instruments has developed two novel integrated analog front ends (AFEs) for hand held ultrasound systems. The industry-first 16-channel AFE5851 and the 8-channel AFE5801 provide increased power efficiency. In terms of size, the new offering is a breakthrough in the compactness for the handheld ultrasound systems because it can now fit in a doctor's pocket.

New uses of electronic medical devices and emerging economies are driving the need for innovative, handheld ultrasound systems. Doctors in remote regions and medical technicians in first responder situations need a non-invasive tool for accurate, on-site diagnosis. By carrying a system at all times, doctors can also use ultrasound for new application areas particularly diagnosis of cardiac conditions.

"We expect a broad range of new applications to emerge as ultrasound systems become handheld, informed Poornima Mohanachandran, director, Medical Business Unit, Texas Instruments India. "Portable ultrasound manufacturers choose the AFE58xx family for its high integration and power and noise optimization. With the new AFE5851 and AFE5801, TI is enabling high image quality with even lower power consumption to address this new market for small, handheld systems," she added.

The new AFE5851 features 39 mW/channel at 32.5 MSPS and integrates 16 variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) and eight 12-bit, 65-MSPS analog to digital converters (ADCs). The ADC is shared between two VGAs and each VGA differential output is sampled at alternate clock cycles to optimize power efficiency. The ADC has scalable power consumption to further lower power use with lower sampling rates. The AFE5851's high channel count and low-power features allow for increased channel density in handheld ultrasound systems.

The second device, AFE5801, features 50 mW/channel at 30 MSPS and 58 mW/channel at 50 MSPS and integrates eight VGAs and eight 12-bit, 65 MSPS high-speed ADCs with LVDS data outputs.

Both the AFE5851 and AFE5801 can be preceded by a transformer or an off-chip low-noise amplifier, which can be located on the probe. This new architecture results in at least 40 percent power savings when compared to other devices currently available on the market.

The devices are available in a 9 mm x 9 mm package. "These new AFE58xx devices are the smallest analog front ends currently available in the market with a 70 per cent smaller footprint than competitive analog front ends for ultrasound systems and 40 percent smaller than previously introduced devices in the AFE58xx family," stated Mohanachandran.