Originally Published EMDM
May 2003
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Piezoelectric Arrays May Allow Novel MIS Procedures |
| Piezoelectric arrays under development can fold into cylinders with diameters as small as 8 mm. They can be used to ablate diseased tissue and to provide real-time imaging data. |
An advanced piezoelectric material being developed by Piezo Technologies (Indianapolis, IN, USA) may soon allow physicians to treat a variety of new maladies using minimally invasive techniques. Suited for generating and focusing high-intensity ultrasound waves, the material can be formed into collapsible arrays for insertion using transarterial catheters, laparoscopes, and transesophageal devices. Once inserted inside the body, the arrays unfold and can ablate diseased tissues or provide real-time imaging data for treating Barrett’s esophagus, liver tumors, and cardiac arrhythmia, as well as pancreatic, liver, and bladder cancers.
While similar devices have already found use on larger transrectal catheters, the piezoelectric arrays being developed by Piezo Technologies are unique because they generate a greater power output per unit of area. “The devices used for minimally invasive surgery do the same job as traditional devices, so they have the same power requirements,” explains chief technology officer Mike Phillips. “But since they’re smaller, they have to generate more power per square millimeter to attain an equivalent output. Our arrays fold into cylinders with diameters as small as 8 mm, so the material they’re made from needs to be four to five times as powerful as the state-of-the-art piezoelectric materials currently on the market,” he explains.
Piezo Technologies hopes to commercialize the first of these piezoelectric arrays within 3 years. To help them achieve this goal, the company has received a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Gaithersburg, MD, USA). Awarded for the maximum amount, this grant is intended to fund high-risk research and development projects that promise significant commercial payback and widespread benefits. Other possible uses for the material include sensors, actuators, and industrial products.
Zachary Turke
Copyright ©2003 European Medical Device Manufacturer
