Wideband Single-Crystal Transducer for Bone Characterization

The microgravity conditions of space travel create unique physiological demands on the astronauts’ skeletal structures, resulting in a reduction in bone strength from restructuring of the micro-architecture and loss of key minerals. An ultrasound system was developed that is capable of quantitatively correlating a series of measurement parameters to the physiology. The Nautilus transducer is a spiral-wrapped ultrasound transducer fabricated from piezoelectric Mn:PIN-PMN-PT single crystal that uses micromachining to take advantage of unique resonance modes within the crystal. The combination of integration of a single crystal and use of multiple resonances provided a bandwidth superior to commercial devices with the capacity for high sensitivity.