What determines the duty factor in ultrasound systems?

The duty factor in ultrasound systems is primarily determined by the transducer design. The duty factor is the ratio of the time the ultrasound system is actively transmitting sound to the total time for one complete cycle of transmission and reception.

In diagnostic ultrasound, transducers typically operate using short bursts of ultrasound (pulses) followed by a listening period (reception) to detect echoes returning from tissues. The specific design of the transducer, including factors like the pulse duration and the length of the listening time, directly influences the duty factor. Higher duty factors indicate that the transducer is transmitting sound more of the time relative to receiving, which can improve the signal-to-noise ratio but may also limit the maximum imaging depth due to increased likelihood of overlap between transmitted and received signals.

Transducer design encompasses various aspects such as the type of crystal used, the pulse duration, and the overall architecture. While receiver sensitivity, sound source, and imaging depth do play roles in ultrasound performance, they do not directly dictate the duty factor.