Flexible ultrasound transceiver array for non-invasive surface-conformable imaging enabled by geometric phase...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Conventional ultrasound transducers are rigid, limiting imaging on curved surfaces due to air gaps.
• Geometric constraints hinder accurate soft tissue diagnostics in certain anatomical regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible 2D ultrasound transducer array capable of conforming to highly curved surfaces.
• To demonstrate real-time B-mode imaging with geometric phase correction on conformable arrays.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 256-element flexible 2D piezoelectric ultrasound transducer array.
• Implementation of geometric phase correction for improved image reconstruction.
• Benchmarking performance metrics including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and axial resolution.

Main Results:

• Achieved surface-conformable real-time B-mode imaging down to a 1.5 cm radius of curvature.
• Maintained high SNR and minimal elemental cross-talk during bending.
• Demonstrated proof-of-concept for imaging the human humerus with the flexible array.

Conclusions:

• Flexible ultrasound arrays with phase correction enable non-invasive diagnostics on challenging curved surfaces.
• This technology overcomes limitations of rigid transducers for improved medical imaging.
• The developed prototype shows potential for real-time diagnostic applications in various anatomical locations.