BACKGROUND:  Current medical ultrasound techniques require scanning with rigid multi-element arrays to obtain images over curved surfaces of the body. While portable high-resolution ultrasound imaging systems have been achieved, the development of flexible conformable arrays would be a great benefit to the diagnosis of soft tissue and hard tissue injuries. Flexible ultrasound arrays have been developed and have been used in non-destructive testing and for thermal therapy. However, none of the transducer designs to date are both flexible and conformable, enabling them to "wrap" around the body (either partially or fully).

INNOVATION:  Researchers at UCLA have developed a thin, flexible, and conformable ultrasound array that can be wrapped around extremities and curved surfaces of the body. This device can be used in a partially wrapped configuration (i.e. around the abdomen), or can be fully wrapped around an object (the acoustic analog of a CT scanner). A portable, flexible, and conformable ultrasound array will be useful as a point-of-care imaging system for use in emergency rooms, trauma centers, ambulances, as well as in-field military use and dental offices. In addition, it will be attractive to a wide variety of medical professionals including: cardiologists, OBGYN's, endocrinologists, orthopedist, pre-hospital respondents, and dentists.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS 

• Imaging of soft tissues or for the detection and characterization of hard tissue surface features (calluses, tumors, implants, joints, and connective tissue)
• Image guidance procedures such as thyroid or breast biopsy
• In-field use in the military sector to image fractures, shrapnel, and wound tracts
• Images can be sent over existing and secure military communication links for remote diagnostic decisions
• Dental imaging to improve the detection of fractures, caries, and other dental features

ADVANTAGES

• Experienced operators are not required
• The thin, flexible, and conformable nature of the transducer allows for wrapping around extremities and curved surfaces of the body
• Lightweight, portable and low in cost
• Point-of-care
• Produces multiple unique "looks" around internal objects
• Allows for high resolution volumetric images in real time

DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:  The transducer has been prototyped and has preliminary evidence of proof of concept both in simulation and experimentally.

Related Papers (Selected)

• Singh RS, Culjat MO, Vampola SP, Williams K, Taylor ZD, Lee H, Grundfest WS, Brown ER, "Simulation, fabrication, and characterization of a novel flexible, conformal ultrasound transducer array," Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, 28-31 October 2007, New York, NY, 1824-1827, 2007. [more]
• Culjat MO, Singh RS, Utley C, Vampola SP, Sharareh B, Lee H, Brown ER, Grundfest WS, "A flexible, conformal ultrasound array for medical imaging," Proceedings of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 16: parallel, combinatorial, convergent: NextMed by design, 31 January - 1 February 2008, Long Beach, CA, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 132, 95-97, 2008.