Analysis of mutual acoustic coupling in CMUT arrays using an accurate lumped element nonlinear equivalent circuit model

Abstract

We use an accurate nonlinear equivalent circuit model to analyze CMUT arrays with multiple cells, where every cell in the array is coupled to other cells at their acoustic terminals through a mutual radiation impedance matrix. We get results comparable to finite element analysis accuracy. Hence, the analysis of a large array becomes a circuit theory problem and can be scrutinized with circuit simulators. We study the mutual acoustic interactions that arise through the immersion medium due to the influence of the generated pressure field by each cell on the others. We compare the performance of different 1D cMUT arrays, where each element is half-wavelength wide and 10 and 20 wavelengths long at the resonance frequency of a single cell. © 2012 IEEE.