Application of Finger-Mounted Ultrasound Array Probes

Ultrasound guidance procedures, such as central line placement and needle biopsy, require considerable skill to precisely position a needle or catheter while simultaneously holding a transducer. Finger-mounted ultrasound transducer array probes may potentially improve the workflow requirements of ultrasound-guided techniques by allowing an unassisted operator to use one hand to image, palpate, immobilize, and assist with the line placement. Farus proposes to develop a flexible finger-mounted ultrasound transducer array that can provide high resolution imagery of vascular structures for needle guidance procedures. The transducer array, fabricated using novel proprietary polyimide-based microfabrication techniques, allows the transducer to conform to the body’s shape. The conformal nature of the finger-mounted array provides high angular coverage, and therefore a large field of view with multiple look angles. The proposed transducer arrays are to be low cost, disposable for sterile use, and detachable for hands-free use. Phase I will focus on (1) acoustic finite element modeling to assist in design of the transducer array architecture, (2) development of image reconstruction techniques that demonstrate the resolution and field of view requirements of the system, and (3) fabrication of a prototype transducer array.