Multi Array, Conformable Ultrasound Patch for Soft Tissue Imaging

Abstract

Medical ultrasound imaging is a rapidly growing field due to its safety and affordability when compared to other imaging modalities such as MRI and X-Ray. Ultrasound transducers are made in various configurations from dense 2-D arrays for volumetric imaging to single element needle like transducers for intravascular imaging. The performance of an ultrasound transducer is dictated by the properties of the piezoelectric material being used. One current drawback to ultrasound is that it is heavily operator dependent. This has motivated research into developing ultrasound systems that are conformable to the body and capable of obtaining relevant information without the need for an operator. This thesis explores the design and fabrication of a locally rigid globally flexible ultrasound patch using novel piezoelectric ceramics. The ceramics are fabricated into 64 element linear arrays transducers and then their electrical impedance and acoustic properties are characterized. Individual and groups of transducers are then used to image a flat and a curved ultrasound imaging phantoms via the Verasonics system.