Micromachines (Feb 2019)

Three-Dimensional Printed Piezoelectric Array for Improving Acoustic Field and Spatial Resolution in Medical Ultrasonic Imaging

  • Zeyu Chen,
  • Xuejun Qian,
  • Xuan Song,
  • Qiangguo Jiang,
  • Rongji Huang,
  • Yang Yang,
  • Runze Li,
  • Kirk Shung,
  • Yong Chen,
  • Qifa Zhou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10030170
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 3
p. 170

Abstract

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Piezoelectric arrays are widely used in non-destructive detecting, medical imaging and therapy. However, limited by traditional manufacturing methods, the array’s element is usually designed in simple geometry such as a cube or rectangle, restricting potential applications of the array. This work demonstrates an annular piezoelectric array consisting of different concentric elements printed by Mask-Image-Projection-based Stereolithography (MIP-SL) technology. The printed array displays stable piezoelectric and dielectric properties. Compared to a traditional single element transducer, the ultrasonic transducer with printed array successfully modifies the acoustic beam and significantly improves spatial resolution.

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