Wideband Single Crystal Transducer for Bone Characterization

TRS Technologies proposes to develop a very wideband ultrasound diagnostic tool for quantification of trabecular bone properties for astronauts in long term space missions. Loss of calcification in bones and general loss of strength must be monitored in missions to insure personnel health, however, there are currently limited non-invasive methods that can do this. Research has shown that different parameters of bone health can be elucidated from ultrasound characteristics at different frequencies, and the goal of TRS is to make a device that can produce the nearly 5 octave range necessary to evaluate these parameters. TRS will utilize PMN-PT single crystal piezoelectrics, which have inherent advantages over traditional materials, and integrate this with photolithographic micromachining methods to produce a device with high sensitivity and bandwidth that surpasses other systems. Bone scans will be used to show both the resolution and depth of penetration characteristics of the device and its applicability for future in vivo use in space.