Deployable tessellated acoustic array with a curved Miura-ori pattern for ultrasound focusing in multilayered media

Abstract

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been successfully applied to treat cancers in clinical settings. In such treatment, the ultrasonic transducer projects focused ultrasound to the diseased tissues for thermal ablation. Nevertheless, the absorption, diffusion, and reflection that occur on the propagation path of ultrasound may reduce the effectiveness of HIFU. In order to overcome this challenge, a concept of origami-inspired deployable tessellated acoustic arrays may be leveraged. Fueled by large portability, the array may be compacted for insertion to the body and guidance to the point of care where the deployed array is then used for treatment. Such a vision requires understanding how wave propagation behaviors from reconfigurable tessellated transducer arrays are tailored in a multilayer environment. Here, the curved Miura-ori tessellation is used to approximate the arc shape for focusing. An analytical modeling framework is extended to investigate the new wave propagation behaviors encountered in biological-like media. Using the analytical tool, the tessellated acoustic array is compared with the ideal arc transducer, and the results indicate that the proposed concept may be comparable with an ideal case in focusing. In addition, the deployability of the tessellated acoustic array is confirmed through experimental efforts in a controlled multilayer environment.High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been successfully applied to treat cancers in clinical settings. In such treatment, the ultrasonic transducer projects focused ultrasound to the diseased tissues for thermal ablation. Nevertheless, the absorption, diffusion, and reflection that occur on the propagation path of ultrasound may reduce the effectiveness of HIFU. In order to overcome this challenge, a concept of origami-inspired deployable tessellated acoustic arrays may be leveraged. Fueled by large portability, the array may be compacted for insertion to the body and guidance to the point of care where the deployed array is then used for treatment. Such a vision requires understanding how wave propagation behaviors from reconfigurable tessellated transducer arrays are tailored in a multilayer environment. Here, the curved Miura-ori tessellation is used to approximate the arc shape for focusing. An analytical modeling framework is extended to investigate the new wave propagation behaviors encounter...