[xt00]

The thing looks pretty fragile -- one of the reasons why they use piezo based systems is they are pretty robust.. I guess I am not clear how this system equates to getting a $100 ultrasound machine.. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this system probably is not going to replace normal ultrasound systems for some time.. but could be used to wrap one of these membranes around say your heart and have something like an implantable ultrasound heart monitor..

[rsingla]

Sorry, can I have some explanation on how piezo-based ultrasound systems aren't considered fragile? Even within their casing, dropping or banging one risks damaging the crystals.

Using Philips Lumify, Clarius' C-3, and other transducers, I think we've seen a bit of what low cost ($1k - $10k range) ultrasound machines with the same form factor can do to the market. Rather than displace the whole market, low cost ultrasound created a new fragment and opened doors for more clinicians and more clinical applications. The higher end machines are still regularly used and sought after (you can't really get the image quality and amazing beamforming otherwise).

I do like the idea of implantable ultrasound heart monitor! Fun to think about.

Disclosure: one of the co-inventors in the article was my graduate supervisor. I had no relation with this work however.