A PMN-PT Composite-Based Circular Array for Endoscopic Ultrasonic Imaging

IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2020 Nov;67(11):2354-2362. doi: 10.1109/TUFFC.2020.3005029. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Abstract

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), an interventional imaging technology, utilizes a circular array to delineate the cross-sectional morphology of internal organs through the gastrointestinal (GI) track. However, the performance of conventional EUS transducers has scope for improvement because of the ordinary piezoelectric parameters of Pb(Zr, Ti) [Formula: see text] (PZT) bulk ceramic as well as its inferior mechanical flexibility which can cause material cracks during the circular shaping process. To achieve both prominent imaging capabilities and high device reliability, a 128-element 6.8-MHz circular array transducer is developed using a Pb(Mg [Formula: see text]Nb [Formula: see text]) [Formula: see text]-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) 1-3 composite with a coefficient of high electromechanical coupling ( [Formula: see text]) and good mechanical flexibility. The characterization results exhibit a large average bandwidth of 58%, a high average sensitivity of 100 mVpp, and a crosstalk of less than -37 dB near the center frequency. Imaging performance of the PMN-PT composite-based array transducer is evaluated by a wire phantom, an anechoic cyst phantom, and an ex-vivo swine intestine. This work demonstrates the superior performance of the crucial ultrasonic device based on an advanced PMN-PT composite material and may lead to the development of next-generation biomedical ultrasonic devices for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cysts / diagnostic imaging
  • Equipment Design
  • Intestines / diagnostic imaging
  • Metals, Heavy / chemistry*
  • Models, Biological
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Swine
  • Transducers*
  • Ultrasonography, Interventional / instrumentation*
  • Ultrasonography, Interventional / methods

Substances

  • Metals, Heavy