BRIEF

3D Print an Ultrasound Transducer for Medical Applications.

 

PROJECT TYPE

Individual

 

OUTCOME: Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has the potential to revolutionise many areas of manufacturing especially in relation to medical devices - where higher levels of complexity, personalisation and functionality are required. During this project the design and printing of an ultrasound transducer, for use in medical applications, has been investigated - a first for Loughborough University.

 

Researchers are currently looking into the manufacturing capabilities of high frequency transducers - they provide higher resolution images and can destroy with greater ease diseased or damaged tissues. All dimensions associated with the design are relative to its wavelength, and therefore high frequency transducers tend to have much smaller component sizes than low frequency transducers. Traditional techniques such as the ‘dice and fill’ and ‘lamination’ composite fabrication processes have struggled to manufacture high frequency transducers of suitable quality - as they become expensive and time consuming to produce. However, additive manufacturing has been explored as a substitute process to produce these components quickly and of higher quality.

 

Using additive manufacturing technologies, this device has been fabricated using numerous production steps. A multi-material extrusion process of piezoelectric materials, along with conductive tracks, has been used to print the device. Other processes, such as sputtering and screen-printing, have been adopted to construct different components of the device. This project has been supported directly by an industry partner - Morgan Technical Ceramics.

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Please get in touch via the CONTACT page if you would like a copy of the report.