New piezocomposite transducers for therapeutic ultrasound

The development of therapeutic applications of ultrasound depends notably on the availability of high-performance transducers. New piezocomposite technologies offer performances that have proved to be particularly well adapted for such applications thanks to high power density generation with high efficiency. Moreover this technology enables a wide variety of shapes and the design of array transducers for electronic focusing, scanning and steering of the beam. This article details these advantages as well as other interests such as a large bandwidth or the MRI compatibility allowing the imaging / therapy association. Furthermore, the feasibility of highly focused transducers and complex array structures will be illustrated through various examples