A PZT-P[VDF-TrFE] dual-layer transducer for 3-D rectilinear imaging

The difficulties associated with fabricating and connecting 2-D arrays with large numbers of elements have limited the development of arrays with more than 5000 elements. However, 2-D arrays for rectilinear imaging of targets such as the breast, carotid artery, and musculoskeletal system require 128 × 128 = 16,384 to 256 × 256 = 65,536 elements. To simplify transducer design and system requirements, we propose a PZT-P[VDF-TrFE] dual-layer transducer array design which uses perpendicular 1-D arrays for 3-D imaging of targets near the transducer. This transducer design reduces the fabrication complexity and the channel count.