Analog Devices Maximizes Image Quality and Power Performance Across Multiple Ultrasound Platforms

As hospitals, medical clinics, and mobile emergency units increasingly rely on high-performance and portable ultrasound equipment for routine, preventative, and acute medical care, ultrasound equipment designers must meet new and varied demands for a better balance between image quality and power efficiency. Addressing this need, the leading provider of data conversion technology and longtime collaborator to the medical imaging industry, Analog Devices, Inc. (NYSE: ADI), is announcing two new products, both eight-channel (octal) ultrasound receivers. The AD9272 features the industry’s lowest terminated noise for high- and mid-end cart-based ultrasound equipment that need superior image quality, and the AD9273 is the most power-efficient device in its class for addressing the requirements of portable ultrasound systems.

These devices follow the award-winning AD9271, which when unveiled in April 2007, was the first device to integrate a complete octal ultrasound receiver on a single chip, and is used today in ultrasound equipment throughout the world. The AD927x offerings replace previous discrete solutions with a single integrated circuit that combines eight channels, each comprising a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a variable-gain amplifier (VGA), an anti-aliasing filter (AAF) and a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

“Analog Devices fully understands the challenges facing designers of next-generation high-performance and portable ultrasound systems, including the need to balance image quality and diagnostic capabilities with power requirements,” said Pat O’Doherty, healthcare segment director, Analog Devices. “The AD927x family offers a complete, optimized, flexible receiver solution for both cart-based and battery-powered designs.”

About the AD927x Family

The AD9272 offers the industry’s lowest input referred noise (0.75 nV/rtHz @ 5 MHz typical) when operating under real world conditions and 6 dB/rtHz better input dynamic range than competing devices. For portable ultrasound equipment, the AD9273 has industry-leading power dissipation of less than 100 mW per channel @ 12-bits and 40 MSPS, which extends portable ultrasound battery life.

Both the AD9272 and AD9273 feature a variable gain range of up to 42 dB, a selection of anti-aliasing filter options, and pin-compatibility with other products in the ADI family. The AD9272 contains an ADC with a conversion rate of up to 80 MSPS (million samples per second); and the AD9273 includes an ADC with a conversion rate of up to 50 MSPS. The AD9271 features a variable gain range of 30 dB and includes an ADC with a conversion rate of up to 50 MSPS.

The devices in the AD927x family provide medical equipment designers with the flexibility to scale power and performance for different imaging modes. Both the AD9272 and AD9273 feature a Serial Port Interface (SPI) that allows designers to further customize the noise and power performance for any given imaging mode, probe, or power requirement. By changing SPI registers, designers can optimize an ultrasound signal processing architecture for the best possible noise performance or longest battery life. An easy-to-use software tool simplifies each configuration.

Recommended Complementary Components

The AD9272 and AD9273 were specifically designed to interface with the AD8339 quad programmable I/Q demodulator with phase shifter that is ideally suited for CW Doppler ultrasound systems. The devices also complement ADI’s AD8021 low noise high speed amplifiers; AD7980 16-bit, 1 MSPS PulSAR® analog-to-digital converter; and ADR433 5.0 V ultralow noise voltage reference. These offerings represent today’s broadest IC product portfolio specifically geared toward the medical imaging and ultrasound markets.

Pricing and Availability

The AD9272 and AD9273 are sampling now. Both products come in a 100-lead TQFP (thin quad flat package). In 1,000-unit quantities, the AD9272 is priced at $54.00 per unit and the AD9273 is priced at $51.00 per unit. For more information, visit www.analog.com/pr/AD9272 or www.analog.com/pr/AD9273. Evaluation platforms are available for both the AD9272 and AD9273.

About Analog Devices

Innovation, performance, and excellence are the cultural pillars on which Analog Devices has built one of the longest standing, highest growth companies within the technology sector. Acknowledged industry-wide as the world leader in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, Analog Devices serves over 60,000 customers, representing virtually all types of electronic equipment. Celebrating over 40 years as a leading global manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications, Analog Devices is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, with design and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Analog Devices' common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “ADI” and is included in the S&P 500 Index. http://www.analog.com

* Terminated noise refers to the practical environment