The thermoAcoustic Range Verifier (tARV) system is a research tool that provides a non-invasive, non-ionizing means of acquiring signals that can be analyzed for accurate and precise localization of the Bragg peak relative to anatomical structures. This wireless device may have the potential to assist in adaptive planning decisions and be integrated with clinical workflow.
The acoustic matching layer of the ultrasound probe is surrounded by ARE’s sonar matching layer. Six receivers are embedded in the sonar matching layer.
A data acquisition (DAQ) system records six thermoacoustic channels plus radiation detector signals. Data is written to a micro SD card. Internal DAQ battery is charged via micro USB.
2023 : 6-channel wireless DAQ and AML enables easy lateral positioning. (tARV circled in red)
2024: tARV provides 2 mm range accuracy on ultrasound QA phantom. (tARV circled in red)
| wdt_ID | Spec | Thermoacoustic | Nuclear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sampling Rate | 384 ksps | 1.536 Msps |
| 4 | Vertical Resolution | 1.24 nV | 1 mV |
| 5 | DAQ Gain | 60-65 dB | 0 dB |
| 8 | Weight | 710 g | |
| 9 | Dimensions | 150 mm L x 95 mm W x 110 mm H |
Receive chain specifications over 10-100 kHz
| wdt_ID | Spec | Thermoacoustic | Nuclear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accuracy | 2 mm* | N/A |
| 2 | Precision | 1 mm* | N/A |
| 6 | tARV Rx sensitivity surrounded by couplant | 0.3-2.1 mV/Pa | N/A |
| 7 | tARV Rx sensitivity coupled only at face | 0.1-2.8 mV/Pa | N/A |
*preliminary results obtained in the SunNuclear054 GS phantom
tARV research workflow. Colors indicate added steps that are part of the clinical workflow (red) and performed offline (green).
DISCLAIMER: The tARV is a research tool and is not yet authorized for patient care.