Stretchable ultrasonic transducer arrays for three-dimensional imaging on complex surfaces

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ultrasound imaging is crucial for noninvasive subsurface inspection of materials and biological tissues.
• Existing ultrasound probes are rigid, limiting their use on nonplanar, complex 3D surfaces where defects often occur.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stretchable ultrasound probe capable of conforming to and imaging nonplanar surfaces.
• To demonstrate the probe's ability to detect defects in complex geometries with high resolution.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 10x10 piezoelectric transducer array using an "island-bridge" layout with multilayer electrodes.
• Encapsulation of the array within thin, compliant silicone elastomers to achieve stretchability.
• Testing electromechanical coupling, cross-talk, and stretchability (over 50%).

Main Results:

• The stretchable probe exhibited excellent electromechanical coupling and minimal cross-talk.
• Demonstrated successful reconstruction of 3D defects through flat, concave, and convex surfaces with high spatial resolution.
• Achieved over 50% stretchability without compromising performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed stretchable ultrasound probe effectively images complex, nonplanar surfaces.
• This technology significantly expands the applicability of ultrasound for defect detection in challenging environments.
• Holds great potential for advanced noninvasive inspection in various fields.