A MEMS ultrasonic probe for medical diagnostic imaging applications

这项研究的目的是利用温莎大学(UW)最近获得专利的电容式微机械超声换能器(CMUT)技术的进展，开发一种用于二维和三维解剖和功能医学诊断成像的高性能微电子机械系统(MEMS)超声探头。这项新技术基于申请者在温莎大学开发的专利技术“基于环烯®的晶片键合和密封腔形成”。这项新技术使人们能够以更高的转换效率制造高度紧凑、低成本的CMUT阵列，并已被多伦多的MIS Electronics公司授权用于汽车应用。该项目的目的是利用这项新技术的能力来实现一种基于CMUT的超声探头，该探头可以与标准的医疗诊断成像设备一起使用，与传统的基于压电的超声扫描仪相比，可以产生更明亮和更高分辨率的图像。目标探头还将具有配置或制造的潜力，以提供连续波(CW)高压聚焦超声(HIFU)，用于治疗应用，如癌细胞消融。全球的研究趋势是从压电式超声换能器转向用于医学成像和治疗应用的CMUT，以提高诊断图像质量、更快的愈合速度和更低的成本、更少的侵入性治疗，并提供基于超声波的新医疗技术。该项目的目标是使这项新开发的加拿大CMUT技术与全球趋势保持一致，以利用潜在的商业和更好的医疗保健效益。这项专利尖端技术的成功商业化将使加拿大在新的制造设施、创造收入、新的就业机会和出口方面受益。加拿大自己的医疗保健系统也将从该项目的结果中受益，因为这些性能更好、成本更低的系统将使诊断和治疗更加准确。

The objective of the proposed research is to develop a high performance Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based ultrasonic probe for 2-D and 3-D anatomical and functional medical diagnostic imaging using recently patented advances made in Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) technology at the University of Windsor (UW). This new technology is based on a patented, "Cyclotene® based wafer bonding and sealed cavity formation", technique developed by the applicant at the University of Windsor. This new technique enables one to fabricate highly compact, low cost CMUT arrays with better transduction efficiency and has been licensed for automotive applications to MIS Electronics, a Toronto based company. The aim of the proposed project is to exploit the capabilities of this new technique to realize a CMUT based ultrasonic probe that can be used with standard medical diagnostic imaging equipment to produce brighter and higher resolution images as compared to conventional piezoelectric based ultrasonic scanners. The target probe will also have the potential to be configured or fabricated to offer continuous wave (CW) high pressure focused ultrasound (HIFU) for use in therapeutic applications, such as cancerous cell ablation. The global research trend is to switch from piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers to CMUTs for medical imaging and therapeutic applications for improved diagnostic image quality, faster healing, and less invasive treatment at a lower cost and also to offer ultrasound based new healthcare technologies. The goal of this project is to align this newly developed Canadian CMUT technology with the global trend to exploit the underlying commercial and better healthcare benefit. Successful commercialization of this proprietary leading edge technology will benefit Canada in terms of new manufacturing facilities, creating revenues, new job opportunities and exports. Canada's own healthcare system would also benefit from the outcome of this project as these better performing and lower cost systems would enable more accurate diagnosis and therapy.