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1994 Ieee Ultrasonics Symposium
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Book Synopsis 1994 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium by : Moises Levy
Download or read book 1994 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium written by Moises Levy and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Fundamentals and Applications of Ultrasonic Waves by : J. David N. Cheeke
Download or read book Fundamentals and Applications of Ultrasonic Waves written by J. David N. Cheeke and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-12-19 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written at an intermediate level in a way that is easy to understand, Fundamentals and Applications of Ultrasonic Waves, Second Edition provides an up-to-date exposition of ultrasonics and some of its main applications. Designed specifically for newcomers to the field, this fully updated second edition emphasizes underlying physical concepts over mathematics. The first half covers the fundamentals of ultrasonic waves for isotropic media. Starting with bulk liquid and solid media, discussion extends to surface and plate effects, at which point the author introduces new modes such as Rayleigh and Lamb waves. This focus on only isotropic media simplifies the usually complex mathematics involved, enabling a clearer understanding of the underlying physics to avoid the complicated tensorial description characteristic of crystalline media. The second part of the book addresses a broad spectrum of industrial and research applications, including quartz crystal resonators, surface acoustic wave devices, MEMS and microacoustics, and acoustic sensors. It also provides a broad discussion on the use of ultrasonics for non-destructive evaluation. The author concentrates on the developing area of microacoustics, including exciting new work on the use of probe microscopy techniques in nanotechnology. Focusing on the physics of acoustic waves, as well as their propagation, technology, and applications, this book addresses viscoelasticity, as well as new concepts in acoustic microscopy. It updates coverage of ultrasonics in nature and developments in sonoluminescence, and it also compares new technologies, including use of atomic force acoustic microscopy and lasers. Highlighting both direct and indirect applications for readers working in neighboring disciplines, the author presents particularly important sections on the use of microacoustics and acoustic nanoprobes in next-generation devices and instruments.
Download or read book Ultrasonics written by Dale Ensminger and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2024-02-21 with total page 904 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Updated, revised, and restructured to reflect the latest advances in science and applications, the fourth edition of this best-selling industry and research reference covers the fundamental physical acoustics of ultrasonics and transducers, with a focus on piezoelectric and magnetostrictive modalities. It then discusses the full breadth of ultrasonics applications involving low power (sensing) and high power (processing) for research, industrial, and medical use. This book includes new content covering computer modeling used for acoustic and elastic wave phenomena, including scattering, mode conversion, transmission through layered media, Rayleigh and Lamb waves and flexural plates, modern horn design tools, Langevin transducers, and material characterization. There is more attention on process monitoring and advanced nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT/NDE), including phased array ultrasound (PAUT), long-range inspection, using guided ultrasonic waves (GUW), internally rotary inspection systems (IRIS), time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD), and acoustic emission (AE). These methods are discussed and applied to both metals and nonmetals using illustrations in various industries, including now additionally for food and beverage products. The topics of defect sizing, capabilities, and limitations, including the probability of detection (POD), are introduced. Three chapters provide a new treatment of high-power ultrasonics, for both fluids and solids, and again, with examples of industrial engineering, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and other process applications. Expanded coverage is given to medical and biological applications, covering diagnostics, therapy, and, at the highest powers, surgery. Key Features Provides an overview of fundamental analysis and transducer technologies needed to design and develop both measurement and processing systems Considers applications in material characterization and metrology Covers ultrasonic nondestructive testing and evaluation and high-power ultrasonics, which involves interactions that change the state of material Highlights medical and biomedical applications of ultrasound, focusing on the physical acoustics and the technology employed for diagnosis, therapy, surgery, and research This book is intended for both the undergraduate and graduate scientists and engineers, as well as the working professional, who seeks to understand the fundamentals together with a holistic treatment of the field of ultrasonics and its diversity of applications.
Book Synopsis RF and Microwave Passive and Active Technologies by : Mike Golio
Download or read book RF and Microwave Passive and Active Technologies written by Mike Golio and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 734 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the high frequency world, the passive technologies required to realize RF and microwave functionality present distinctive challenges. SAW filters, dielectric resonators, MEMS, and waveguide do not have counterparts in the low frequency or digital environment. Even when conventional lumped components can be used in high frequency applications, their behavior does not resemble that observed at lower frequencies. RF and Microwave Passive and Active Technologies provides detailed information about a wide range of component technologies used in modern RF and microwave systems. Updated chapters include new material on such technologies as MEMS, device packaging, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters, bipolar junction and heterojunction transistors, and high mobility electron transistors (HMETs). The book also features a completely rewritten section on wide bandgap transistors.
Book Synopsis Reference for Modern Instrumentation, Techniques, and Technology: Ultrasonic Instruments and Devices I by :
Download or read book Reference for Modern Instrumentation, Techniques, and Technology: Ultrasonic Instruments and Devices I written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 1998-10-21 with total page 495 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While research on ultrasonics has been covered in earlier volumes of the Physical Acoustics series, Volumes 23 and 24 demonstrate the successful commercialization of devices and instruments arising from research in this area. These volumes will assist in the process of bringing research output into the marketplace to the benefit of customers.The chapters are liberally illustrated with pictures of actual commercial objects which have been or are in use. Included are Medical Ultrasonic Diagnostics, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), Acoustic Emission, Process Control, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Devices, Frequency Control Devices, Research Instruments, Transducers, and Ultrasonic Microscopes. Also contained in the text are six essays covering technology transfer and commercialization.
Book Synopsis Optimal Synthesis Methods for MEMS by : S.G.K. Ananthasuresh
Download or read book Optimal Synthesis Methods for MEMS written by S.G.K. Ananthasuresh and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of "microelectromechanical systems," or "MEMS," has gradually evolved from a "discipline" populated by a small group of researchers to an "enabling technology" supporting a variety of products in such diverse areas as mechanical and inertial sensors, optical projection displays, telecommunications equipment, and biology and medicine. Critical to the success of these products is the ability to design them, and this invariably involves detailed modeling of proposed designs. Over the past twenty years, such modeling has become increasingly sophisticated, with full suites of MEMS-oriented computer-aided-design tools now available worldwide. But there is another equally important side to the design process In my own book, Microsystem figuring out what to build in the first place. Design, I chose to emphasize the modeling aspect of design. The task of figuring out what to build was defined by a vague step called "creative thinking." I used practical product examples to illustrate the many subtle characteristics of successful designs, but I made no attempt to systematize the generation ofdesign proposals or optimized designs. That systemization is called "synthesis," which is the subjectofthis book.
Book Synopsis Encyclopedia Of Medical Robotics, The (In 4 Volumes) by :
Download or read book Encyclopedia Of Medical Robotics, The (In 4 Volumes) written by and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2018-08-28 with total page 1555 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Medical Robotics combines contributions in four distinct areas of Medical robotics, namely: Minimally Invasive Surgical Robotics, Micro and Nano Robotics in Medicine, Image-guided Surgical Procedures and Interventions, and Rehabilitation Robotics. The volume on Minimally Invasive Surgical Robotics focuses on robotic technologies geared towards challenges and opportunities in minimally invasive surgery and the research, design, implementation and clinical use of minimally invasive robotic systems. The volume on Micro and Nano robotics in Medicine is dedicated to research activities in an area of emerging interdisciplinary technology that is raising new scientific challenges and promising revolutionary advancement in applications such as medicine and biology. The size and range of these systems are at or below the micrometer scale and comprise assemblies of micro and nanoscale components. The volume on Image-guided Surgical Procedures and Interventions focuses primarily on the use of image guidance during surgical procedures and the challenges posed by various imaging environments and how they related to the design and development of robotic systems as well as their clinical applications. This volume also has significant contributions from the clinical viewpoint on some of the challenges in the domain of image-guided interventions. Finally, the volume on Rehabilitation Robotics is dedicated to the state-of-the-art of an emerging interdisciplinary field where robotics, sensors, and feedback are used in novel ways to re-learn, improve, or restore functional movements in humans.Volume 1, Minimally Invasive Surgical Robotics, focuses on an area of robotic applications that was established in the late 1990s, after the first robotics-assisted minimally invasive surgical procedure. This area has since received significant attention from industry and researchers. The teleoperated and ergonomic features of these robotic systems for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) have been able to reduce or eliminate most of the drawbacks of conventional (laparoscopic) MIS. Robotics-assisted MIS procedures have been conducted on over 3 million patients to date — primarily in the areas of urology, gynecology and general surgery using the FDA approved da Vinci® surgical system. The significant commercial and clinical success of the da Vinci® system has resulted in substantial research activity in recent years to reduce invasiveness, increase dexterity, provide additional features such as image guidance and haptic feedback, reduce size and cost, increase portability, and address specific clinical procedures. The area of robotic MIS is therefore in a state of rapid growth fueled by new developments in technologies such as continuum robotics, smart materials, sensing and actuation, and haptics and teleoperation. An important need arising from the incorporation of robotic technology for surgery is that of training in the appropriate use of the technology, and in the assessment of acquired skills. This volume covers the topics mentioned above in four sections. The first section gives an overview of the evolution and current state the da Vinci® system and clinical perspectives from three groups who use it on a regular basis. The second focuses on the research, and describes a number of new developments in surgical robotics that are likely to be the basis for the next generation of robotic MIS systems. The third deals with two important aspects of surgical robotic systems — teleoperation and haptics (the sense of touch). Technology for implementing the latter in a clinical setting is still very much at the research stage. The fourth section focuses on surgical training and skills assessment necessitated by the novelty and complexity of the technologies involved and the need to provide reliable and efficient training and objective assessment in the use of robotic MIS systems.In Volume 2, Micro and Nano Robotics in Medicine, a brief historical overview of the field of medical nanorobotics as well as the state-of-the-art in the field is presented in the introductory chapter. It covers the various types of nanorobotic systems, their applications and future directions in this field. The volume is divided into three themes related to medical applications. The first theme describes the main challenges of microrobotic design for propulsion in vascular media. Such nanoscale robotic agents are envisioned to revolutionize medicine by enabling minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. To be useful, nanorobots must be operated in complex biological fluids and tissues, which are often difficult to penetrate. In this section, a collection of four papers review the potential medical applications of motile nanorobots, catalytic-based propelling agents, biologically-inspired microrobots and nanoscale bacteria-enabled autonomous drug delivery systems. The second theme relates to the use of micro and nanorobots inside the body for drug-delivery and surgical applications. A collection of six chapters is presented in this segment. The first chapter reviews the different robot structures for three different types of surgery, namely laparoscopy, catheterization, and ophthalmic surgery. It highlights the progress of surgical microrobotics toward intracorporeally navigated mechanisms for ultra-minimally invasive interventions. Then, the design of different magnetic actuation platforms used in micro and nanorobotics are described. An overview of magnetic actuation-based control methods for microrobots, with eventually biomedical applications, is also covered in this segment. The third theme discusses the various nanomanipulation strategies that are currently used in biomedicine for cell characterization, injection, fusion and engineering. In-vitro (3D) cell culture has received increasing attention since it has been discovered to provide a better simulation environment of in-vivo cell growth. Nowadays, the rapid progress of robotic technology paves a new path for the highly controllable and flexible 3D cell assembly. One chapter in this segment discusses the applications of micro-nano robotic techniques for 3D cell culture using engineering approaches. Because cell fusion is important in numerous biological events and applications, such as tissue regeneration and cell reprogramming, a chapter on robotic-tweezers cell manipulation system to achieve precise laser-induced cell fusion using optical trapping has been included in this volume. Finally, the segment ends with a chapter on the use of novel MEMS-based characterization of micro-scale tissues instead of mechanical characterization for cell lines studies.Volume 3, Image-guided Surgical Procedures and Interventions, focuses on several aspects ranging from understanding the challenges and opportunities in this domain, to imaging technologies, to image-guided robotic systems for clinical applications. The volume includes several contributions in the area of imaging in the areas of X-Ray fluoroscopy, CT, PET, MR Imaging, Ultrasound imaging, and optical coherence tomography. Ultrasound-based diagnostics and therapeutics as well as ultrasound-guided planning and navigation are also included in this volume in addition to multi-modal imaging techniques and its applications to surgery and various interventions. The application of multi-modal imaging and fusion in the area of prostate biopsy is also covered. Imaging modality compatible robotic systems, sensors and actuator technologies for use in the MRI environment are also included in this work., as is the development of the framework incorporating image-guided modeling for surgery and intervention. Finally, there are several chapters in the clinical applications domain covering cochlear implant surgery, neurosurgery, breast biopsy, prostate cancer treatment, endovascular interventions, neurovascular interventions, robotic capsule endoscopy, and MRI-guided neurosurgical procedures and interventions.Volume 4, Rehabilitation Robotics, is dedicated to the state-of-the-art of an emerging interdisciplinary field where robotics, sensors, and feedback are used in novel ways to relearn, improve, or restore functional movements in humans. This volume attempts to cover a number of topics relevant to the field. The first section addresses an important activity in our daily lives: walking, where the neuromuscular system orchestrates the gait, posture, and balance. Conditions such as stroke, vestibular deficits, or old age impair this important activity. Three chapters on robotic training, gait rehabilitation, and cooperative orthoses describe the current works in the field to address this issue. The second section covers the significant advances in and novel designs of soft actuators and wearable systems that have emerged in the area of prosthetic lower limbs and ankles in recent years, which offer potential for both rehabilitation and human augmentation. These are described in two chapters. The next section addresses an important emphasis in the field of medicine today that strives to bring rehabilitation out from the clinic into the home environment, so that these medical aids are more readily available to users. The current state-of-the-art in this field is described in a chapter. The last section focuses on rehab devices for the pediatric population. Their impairments are life-long and rehabilitation robotics can have an even bigger impact during their lifespan. In recent years, a number of new developments have been made to promote mobility, socialization, and rehabilitation among the very young: the infants and toddlers. These aspects are summarized in two chapters of this volume.
Book Synopsis Piezoelectricity by : Walter Heywang
Download or read book Piezoelectricity written by Walter Heywang and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-11-14 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discovered in 1880, piezoelectric materials play a key role in an innovative market of several billions of dollars. Recent advances in applications derive from new materials and their development, as well as to new market requirements. With the exception of quartz, ferroelectric materials are used for they offer both high efficiency and sufficient versatility to meet adequately the multidimensional requirements for application. Consequently, strong emphasis is placed on tailoring materials and technology, whether one deals with single crystals, ceramics or plastic materials. Tailoring requires a basic understanding of both physical principles and technical possibilities and limitations. This report elucidates these developments by a broad spectrum of examples, comprising ultrasound in medicine and defence industry, frequency control, signal processing by SAW-devices, sensors, actuators, including novel valves for modern motor management. It delivers a mutual fertilization of technology push and market pull that should be of interest not only to materials scientists or engineers but also to managers who dedicate themselves to a sound future-oriented R&D policy.
Book Synopsis Design, Modeling and Experiments of 3-DOF Electromagnetic Spherical Actuators by : Liang Yan
Download or read book Design, Modeling and Experiments of 3-DOF Electromagnetic Spherical Actuators written by Liang Yan and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-06-06 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A spherical actuator is a novel electric device that can achieve 2/3-DOF rotational motions in a single joint with electric power input. It has advantages such as compact structure, low mass/moment of inertia, fast response and non-singularities within the workspace. It has promising applications in robotics, automobile, manufacturing, medicine and aerospace industry. This is the first monograph that introduces the research on spherical actuators systematically. It broadens the scope of actuators from conventional single-axis to multi-axis, which will help both beginners and researchers to enhance their knowledge on electromagnetic actuators. Generic analytic modeling methods for magnetic field and torque output are developed, which can be applied to the development of other electromagnetic actuators. A parametric design methodology that allows fast analysis and design of spherical actuators for various applications is proposed. A novel non-contact high-precision 3-DOF spherical motion sensing methodology is developed and evaluated with experiments, which shows that it can achieve one order of magnitude higher precision than conventional methods. The technologies of nondimensionalization and normalization are introduced into magnetic field analysis the first time, and a benchmark database is established for the reference of other researches on spherical actuators.
Book Synopsis Dynamics of Advanced Materials and Smart Structures by : Kazumi Watanabe
Download or read book Dynamics of Advanced Materials and Smart Structures written by Kazumi Watanabe and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 501 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two key words for mechanical engineering in the future are Micro and Intelligence. It is weIl known that the leadership in the intelligence technology is a marter of vital importance for the future status of industrial society, and thus national research projects for intelligent materials, structures and machines have started not only in advanced countries, but also in developing countries. Materials and structures which have self-sensing, diagnosis and actuating systems, are called intelligent or smart, and are of growing research interest in the world. In this situation, the IUT AM symposium on Dynamics 0/ Advanced Materials and Smart Structures was a timely one. Smart materials and structures are those equipped with sensors and actuators to achieve their designed performance in achanging environment. They have complex structural properties and mechanical responses. Many engineering problems, such as interface and edge phenomena, mechanical and electro-magnetic interaction/coupling and sensing, actuating and control techniques, arise in the development ofintelligent structures. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature ofthese problems, all ofthe classical sciences and technologies, such as applied mathematics, material science, solid and fluid mechanics, control techniques and others must be assembled and used to solve them. IUTAM weIl understands the importance ofthis emerging technology. An IUTAM symposium on Smart Structures and Structronic Systems (Chaired by U.
Download or read book Acoustical Imaging written by L. Masotti and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 834 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume contains 131 of the papers presented at the 22nd International Symposium on Acoustical Imaging. This meeting, which was held for the first time in Florence, Italy, on September 3-6, 1995, allowed an intense and friendly exchange of ideas between over 150 researchers from 26 different countries of Europe (70%), America (20%), Asia and Australia (10%). The Symposium started on Sunday, September 3, with the opening Session held in the magnificent 'Salone dei 500' in Palazzo Vecchio; this included invited talks by Peter WeHs and Hua Lee, who reviewed the State of the Art in Acoustical Imaging research. One hundred and forty papers, selected from the nearly 200 submitted Abstracts, were presented in 11 non-parallel oral Sessions and one Poster Session. This year a 'Best Poster' award was introduced, which was won by V. Miette, M. Fink and F. Wu. Also, a special session on Acoustical Microscopy was organized by Walter Arnold, in which invited speakers Ioie Iones, Oleg Kolosov, Andrew Briggs and Ute Rabe reviewed the capabilities of this em erging topic.
Book Synopsis Acoustical Imaging by : Leonardo Marotti
Download or read book Acoustical Imaging written by Leonardo Marotti and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1996 with total page 858 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains 131 papers presented at the September 1995 symposium. Arrangement is in sections on the mathematics and physics of acoustical imaging, novel approaches in biomedical imaging, tissue characterization, flow imaging, transducers and arrays, imaging systems and techniques, underwater and indust
Book Synopsis Biomedical Engineering, Trends in Electronics by : Anthony Laskovski
Download or read book Biomedical Engineering, Trends in Electronics written by Anthony Laskovski and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2011-01-08 with total page 752 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rapid technological developments in the last century have brought the field of biomedical engineering into a totally new realm. Breakthroughs in material science, imaging, electronics and more recently the information age have improved our understanding of the human body. As a result, the field of biomedical engineering is thriving with new innovations that aim to improve the quality and cost of medical care. This book is the first in a series of three that will present recent trends in biomedical engineering, with a particular focus on electronic and communication applications. More specifically: wireless monitoring, sensors, medical imaging and the management of medical information.
Book Synopsis Acoustical Imaging by : Michael Halliwell
Download or read book Acoustical Imaging written by Michael Halliwell and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2001-01-31 with total page 571 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The International Symposium of Acoustical Imaging has been widely recognized as the premier forum for presentations of advanced research result in both theoretical and experimental development. Held regularly since 1968, the symposium brings together international leading researchers in the area of acoustical imaging. The proceedings from the 25th meeting contains articles on the following topics: Mathematics and Physics of Acoustical Imaging, Transducers and Arrays, Nondestructive Evaluation, Geophysical and Underwater Ultrasonics, Microscopy and Microscanning, Scattering by Blood and Tissue, Medical and Biological Image Formation, Tissue Characterization, Tissue and Motion and Blood Flow, Elasticity Imaging, Hard Tissues, and Novel and Emerging Methods.
Book Synopsis Development and Implementation of RFID Technology by : Cristina Turcu
Download or read book Development and Implementation of RFID Technology written by Cristina Turcu and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book generously covers a wide range of aspects and issues related to RFID systems, namely the design of RFID antennas, RFID readers and the variety of tags (e.g. UHF tags for sensing applications, surface acoustic wave RFID tags, smart RFID tags), complex RFID systems, security and privacy issues in RFID applications, as well as the selection of encryption algorithms. The book offers new insights, solutions and ideas for the design of efficient RFID architectures and applications. While not pretending to be comprehensive, its wide coverage may be appropriate not only for RFID novices but also for experienced technical professionals and RFID aficionados.
Book Synopsis Applications in Electronics Pervading Industry, Environment and Society by : Alessandro De Gloria
Download or read book Applications in Electronics Pervading Industry, Environment and Society written by Alessandro De Gloria and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-06-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a thorough overview of cutting-edge research on electronics applications relevant to industry, the environment, and society at large. It covers a broad spectrum of application domains, from automotive to space and from health to security, while devoting special attention to the use of embedded devices and sensors for imaging, communication and control. The book is based on the 2016 ApplePies Conference, held in Rome, Italy in September 2016, which brought together researchers and stakeholders to consider the most significant current trends in the field of applied electronics and to debate visions for the future. Areas addressed by the conference included information communication technology; biotechnology and biomedical imaging; space; secure, clean and efficient energy; the environment; and smart, green and integrated transport. As electronics technology continues to develop apace, constantly meeting previously unthinkable targets, further attention needs to be directed toward the electronics applications and the development of systems that facilitate human activities. This book, written by industrial and academic professionals, represents a valuable contribution in this endeavor.
Book Synopsis Advances in Acoustic Microscopy by : Andrew Briggs
Download or read book Advances in Acoustic Microscopy written by Andrew Briggs and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the second volume of Advances in Acoustic Microscopy. It continues the aim of presenting applications and developments of techniques that are related to high-resolution acoustic imaging. We are very grateful to the authors who have devoted considerable time to preparing these chapters, each of which describes a field of growing importance. Laboratories that have high-performance acoustic microscopes are frequently asked to examine samples for which the highest available resolution is not necessary, and the ability to penetrate opaque layers is more significant. Such applications can be thought of as bridging the gap be tween acoustic microscopy at low gigahertz frequencies, and on the one hand nondestructive testing of materials at low megahertz frequencies and on the other hand medical ultrasonic imaging at low megahertz frequencies. Commercial acoustic microscopes are becoming increasingly available and popular for such applications. We are therefore delighted to be able to begin the volume with chapters from each of those two fields. The first chapter, by Gabriele Pfannschmidt, describes uses of acoustic microscopy in the semiconductor industry. It provides a splendid balance to the opening chapter of Volume 1, which came from a national research center, being written from within a major European electronics industry itself. Dr Pfann schmidt describes the use of two quite different types of acoustic microscopes, and points out the advantages of each for specific purposes.