A Flexible Ultrasound Transducer Array Patch

Abstract

Ultrasound is a non-destructive and safe testing technology that can be used for structural health monitoring and biomedical electronics. Current rigid probes have limitations such as difficulty in fitting to curved surfaces, heavy additional mass and large size, which make it difficult to be fully utilized in practical applications. To tackle this issue, an innovative flexible sensing technology has been developed, employing flexible materials such as flexible polymer substrates combined with a novel preparation process that allows the entire sensing network to be integrated onto the structure to be measured. This adaptable approach proves suitable for a diverse range of applications. In this work, a flexible ultrasound transducer array patch designed for attachment to curved surfaces for ultrasound detection is introduced. We proposed a simple fabrication process, and validate the device performance through software simulation and experimentation. The size of each transducer element is 2 mm × 2 mm × 0.6 mm and the overall size of the device is 28 mm × 28 mm × 0.9 mm, with an array of 3 × 4.