This method of non-destructive imaging is usually achieved with linear arrays of piezoelectric ultrasound transducers, which convert mechanical sound energy to electrical signals and vice versa 1. We use our prototype to image the surface of the human humerus at different positions along the arm, demonstrating proof-of-concept applicability for real-time diagnostics using phase-corrected flexible ultrasound probes.ĭiagnostic ultrasound has become an invaluable imaging modality to healthcare professionals for the purpose of non-invasive examination of soft tissue, as it carries with it no associated risks of exposure to cell-damaging ionising radiation. With the current array design, we achieve an axial resolution of ≈ 2 mm at clinically-relevant depths in tissue, while operating the array at 1.4 MHz with a bandwidth of ≈ 41%. We benchmark the array capabilities by resolving reflectors buried at known locations in a medical-grade tissue phantom, and demonstrate how phase correction can improve image reconstruction on curved surfaces. We show surface-conformable real-time B-mode imaging, down to an extreme radius of curvature of 1.5 cm, while maintaining desirable performance metrics such as high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and minimal elemental cross-talk at all stages of bending.
Here, we demonstrate a 256-element flexible two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound piezoelectric transducer array with geometric phase correction. These geometric limitations can introduce a signal-quenching air gap for certain topographies, rendering accurate imaging difficult or impractical. However, the majority of commercially available ultrasonic transducers have rigid interfaces which cannot conform to highly-curved surfaces.
Ultrasound imaging provides the means for non-invasive real-time diagnostics of the internal structure of soft tissue in living organisms.
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