Which term is synonymous with a convex array and describes its curved scan field?

Which term is synonymous with a convex array and describes its curved scan field?

• A. Linear array
• B. Phased array
• C. Annular array
• D. Curvilinear array

Answer: (D)

A curved layout of the transducer elements creates a convex, outward-opening scan field. When the elements lie along a curved surface, the emitted beams fan out more broadly, producing the wide, curved image typical of a convex footprint. The term for this arrangement is curvilinear array, and it directly describes both the curved physical shape of the transducer and the curved scan field it produces. In contrast, a linear array has a flat, straight footprint and yields a rectangular field; a phased array refers to how the beam is electronically steered and focused rather than the physical shape of the element arrangement; an annular array uses concentric rings and tends to produce a sector-shaped field with a curved boundary.

A curved layout of the transducer elements creates a convex, outward-opening scan field. When the elements lie along a curved surface, the emitted beams fan out more broadly, producing the wide, curved image typical of a convex footprint. The term for this arrangement is curvilinear array, and it directly describes both the curved physical shape of the transducer and the curved scan field it produces.

In contrast, a linear array has a flat, straight footprint and yields a rectangular field; a phased array refers to how the beam is electronically steered and focused rather than the physical shape of the element arrangement; an annular array uses concentric rings and tends to produce a sector-shaped field with a curved boundary.