Textile-based shape-conformable and breathable ultrasound imaging probe

Daily monitoring of internal tissues with shape-conformable and breathable ultrasound (US) imaging probes is promising for early detection of diseases. In recent years, textile substrates are widely used for wearable devices since they satisfy both conformability and breathability. However, it is not currently possible to use textile substrates for US probes due to the reflection or attenuation of US waves at the air gaps in the textiles. In this paper, we fabricated a shape-conformable and breathable US imaging probe by sandwiching the US elements between two woven polyester textiles on which copper electrodes were formed through electroless plating. The air gaps between the fibers at the electrode parts were filled with copper, allowing for high penetration of US waves. On the other hand, the non-electrode parts retain air gaps, leading to high breathability. The fabricated textile-based probe showed low flexural rigidity (0.066 × 10⁻⁴ N m² m⁻¹) and high air permeability (11.7 cm³ cm⁻²s⁻¹). Human neck imaging demonstrated the ability of the probe to monitor the pulsation of the common carotid artery and change in the internal jugular vein diameter, which led to the early detection of health issues such as arteriosclerosis and dehydration, and the capability of stable 24-hour monitoring.

Takumi Noda, Seiichi Takamatsu, Michitaka Yamamoto, Naoto Tomita, Toshihiro Itoh, Takashi Azuma, Ichiro Sakuma, Naoki Tomii