Shock wave sensors: I. Requirements and design

In the last 9 years, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy has become one of the preferred procedures for the treatment of urinary and gallbladder calculi. While there is still uncertainty as to the mechanisms of stone fragmentation, current hypotheses suggest that acoustical shock wave parameters such as rise time, peak compressional and rarefactional pressure, and frequency content may all influence the treatment's efficiency. Thus, optimization of lithotripsy treatment needs pressure sensors that can adequately characterize the shock wave field. This article presents and discusses the design of reliable, wideband, quantitative shock wave sensors made of piezoelectric material. The development, design, and performance characteristics of the sensors are presented. Sensor construction details are described, as are the methods used to characterize the sensor's acoustical performance. The key acoustical parameters of the sensor, its frequency response, and directivity pattern are presented; theory indicates that the probes feature uniform sensitivity over the frequency range up to 100 MHz. Preliminary experimental results indicate that piezoelectric polymer sensors made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with a low acoustical impedance backing are suitable for lithotripter field measurements. The applicability of sensors based on fiber optics to shock wave measurements is also briefly discussed. In a companion article, shock wave measurement techniques are outlined and selected lithotripter test data are presented.