ULTIMO: Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (pMUT) for the next generation of low-cost, portable and high-performance medical ultrasound imaging probes (Ultrasound Imaging on Mobile)

The ULTIMO project presents a handheld ultrasound device with a large aperture for medical imaging applications. A large aperture transducer array leads to a significantly increased resolution and penetration depth. To achieve this, we will further develop our piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (pMUT) technology towards a first prototype. This type of transducer answers the requirements of various applications in which not only high resolution and penetration depth, but also low cost, portability and 3D-capabilities are crucial, e.g. transabdominal imaging by general practitioners. The scientific challenges are obtaining the required pressure response, a high bandwidth and an efficient wiring solution. A full characterization of the pMUT devices and of the full system will be important to validate the technology. As such, this C3 project will be an important step towards the commercialization of our transducer technology, which will be achieved through the creation of a spin-off. By the end of the C3 project, we will not only have a validated technology, but also a business plan that is mature enough to be presented to potential investors.

Keywords:Piezoelectric materials, Micromachined ultrasound transducer, pMUT, Medical imaging

Disciplines:Diagnostic radiology, Micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems