| Although a cure for atrial fibrillation is known, its implementation remains a high-risk procedure. Simulations have shown that, when inserted through the esophagus, a two-dimensional (2-D) high power ultrasonic phased array can focus to a precise spot of adequate size and accuracy in order to coagulate heart tissue and modify the electrical pulse conduction path in cardiac muscle. The goal of this study is to determine a feasible method of constructing a 2-D phased array for use in transesophageal cardiac ablation. A method for reliable and fine scale 2-D interconnection was developed involving a semi-conductor fabrication technique known as wire-bonding. Several transducer array prototypes were built in the 1MHz to 1.5MHz range. Their acoustic focusing capability was measured and compared to simulations. The particle displacements on the transducer surfaces were measured using a laser vibrometer to determine the mechanical coupling between array elements. |
