FPGAs deliver ultrasound scanner to market faster

A developer of ultrasound systems for the medical and health-science industries, is using Virtex-4 SX EasyPath FPGAs to display high-definition images in its latest diagnostic product.

Aloka, a developer of ultrasound systems for the medical and health-science industries, has selected Virtex-4 SX EasyPath FPGAs from Xilinx for its ProSound alpha 10 high-end ultrasound diagnostic system.

Aloka has made use of Xilinx's high-performance DSP technology to develop a real-time display for high-definition images, including sophisticated features while significantly reducing development lead time.

The EasyPath FPGA conversion-free cost-reduction path enabled Aloka to ramp to volume production in just 12 weeks following design freeze.

Because EasyPath FPGAs are identical to standard FPGAs, Aloka was also able to avoid the high cost of system requalification that would have been required with an ASIC.

Each ProSound alpha 10 system includes multiple Xilinx Virtex-4 SX devices using EasyPath technology.

The Virtex-4 SX devices are used primarily to transmit/receive focused data in the ProSound alpha 10.

The ultrasound system displays real-time tomographic images of internal organs for accurate diagnosis.

Displaying high-resolution ultrasound images requires precise focus of ultrasound beams, which is accomplished through high-speed, high-resolution processing of data received across dozens of channels.

To reduce the cost of this process, Aloka selected EasyPath FPGAs over an ASIC solution.

EasyPath FPGAs were chosen over an ASIC alternative based on their conversion-free cost reduction path that provides the lowest total cost while offering 100% support for "Hard IP" including high-performance DSP multipliers.

The shift from an ASIC approach to a programmable architecture allowed Aloka to integrate a wide range of circuits into a single chip while reducing the number of system components and provided flexibility throughout the design process to refine specifications all the way up to volume production.

"We're now in our 12th year of using Xilinx FPGAs in our products", says Toshiaki Fujiki, Assistant General Manager, R and D Section, Medical System Engineering Dept, at Aloka.

"We're using several dozen Xilinx FPGAs and CPLDs in the ProSound alpha 10 as key components of its electronic circuitry".

"Going forward, we intend to fit even more circuits into the same space to reduce cost and produce smaller form factor products".

"We look forward to future innovations from Xilinx as they push for even higher system integration".

"Aloka was able to leverage the unique benefits of EasyPath FPGAs to bring the product to market sooner, with higher quality and lower cost", says Patrick Dorsey, Product Line Director for EasyPath at Xilinx.

"The EasyPath total cost advantage enables customers like Aloka to avoid the high cost and high risk of an ASIC conversion".

Ultrasound diagnostic systems are widely used in medical facilities, both in Japan and abroad, for their safety and ease of use.

The ProSound alpha 10 delivers crisp and clear images with excellent spatial analysis performance and low acoustic noise thanks to its significantly improved precision in focusing ultrasound pulse formation.

The world's ultrasound diagnostic equipment market is worth some 450 billion yen annually and promises to continue growing by about 5% annually.

Since launching its first ultrasound diagnostic product in 1960, Aloka has manufactured some 200,000 ultrasound systems as of December 31, 2006.

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