Ultrasonic transducers and arrays

TLDR

Ultrasonic imaging is a rapidly growing diagnostic tool, yet performance improvements remain limited and multidimensional arrays are expected to become the industry standard. The article reviews past achievements and current developments to better understand transducer/array performance and factors limiting ultrasonic imaging resolution. The review examines piezoelectric materials, transducer/array fabrication and design, and modeling, including investigations into novel materials, stack architecture, and modeling techniques. The authors conclude that the transducer or array is a crucial component of an ultrasonic imaging system.

Abstract

Ultrasonic imaging is one of the most important and still growing diagnostic tools in use today. To better understand transducer/array performance and some of the factors that prevent ultrasonic imagers from reaching higher resolution, this article reviews past achievements and current developments in the technology, including piezoelectric materials, transducer/array fabrication and design, and modeling. It is concluded that the array or transducer is a crucial part of an ultrasonic imaging system. Although much progress has been made in recent years to improve performance, it is still a limiting factor in preventing ultrasonic imaging systems from reaching their theoretical resolution. Investigations into novel piezoelectric materials, array stack architecture design, and modeling are being pursued. In the future, it is likely that multidimensional arrays will gradually replace linear arrays as the industry standard.