title: A flexible, conformal ultrasound array for medical imaging.
abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is under development that features a flexible transducer that can be wrapped conformally around curved surfaces of the body. The device is intended to deliver high image quality without the need for mechanical scanning, and will benefit medical personnel with limited ultrasound training. A 2 x 8 element piezoelectric transducer prototype and 15.5 MHz imaging system have been built, and the system concept has been demonstrated by imaging a soft tissue phantom. The transducer design, imaging procedure, and preliminary image processing techniques are presented.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT), CA, USA. mculjat@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Martin O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Culjat
authors.forename: Rahul S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Utley
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Vampola
authors.forename: Behnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharareh
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Elliott R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Warren S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Grundfest
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States