CMOS high voltage analog 1-64 multiplexer/de-multiplexer for integrated ultrasound guided breast needle biopsy

Abstract

Ultrasound guided needle biopsy is an important method for collection of breast cancer tissue. In this paper, we report on the design and testing of a high-voltage 1 to 64 Multiplexer/Demultiplexer (MUX/De-MUX) integrated circuit (IC) for ultrasound-guided breast biopsy applications implemented in a high-voltage CMOS process. The IC is intended to be incorporated inside the breast biopsy needle and is designed to fit inside the needle inner diameter of 2.38 mm. The MUX/De-MUX electronics are made up of three parts, including a low-voltage 6 to 64 decoder, a level shifter to convert from low voltage to high voltage, and analog high-voltage switches. Experimental results show a -3-dB bandwidth of over 70 MHz, Rds (on) of 140 Omega, -2.279-dB insertion loss, and -17.5-dB off isolation at 70 MHz with low-voltage input. Finally, we present results obtained via synthetic aperture imaging using the fabricated MUX/De-Mux device and a high-frequency ultrasound array. This device and technique hold promise for high-frequency imaging probes where a limited number of elements are used and the depth of penetration is short such as in breast biopsy and intravascular applications.