The application of piezoelectric ceramics in diagnostic ultrasound transducers

Abstract

Since the middle of the 1970's, significant progress has been made in ultrasound diagnostic systems resulting in their widespread adoption by the medical profession. Most of the ultrasound transducers currently used in ultrasound diagnostic systems utilize piezoelectric ceramics as their vibrator materials.This article first briefly surveys the working principles of ultrasound diagnostic systems and describes the role and basic configuration of their ultrasound transducers. The transducers are classified into two groups, single element transducers and array transducers. The application of the former can be represented by transducers for mechanical scanning ultrasound diagnostic systems, and the latter by transducers for electronic scanning ultrasound diagnostic systems which have made the most substantial contribution to progress in the adoption of these systems. The article briefly describes the basic structure common to these two types of transducers and covers their development history. It then introduces the design theory of array transducers in which the emphasis is placed on the method of selecting the most suitable piezoelectric ceramics for optimum operation of any array transducer.