The purpose of this work is the development of a miniature precision acoustic sensor (hydrophone) which would survive in an in-vivo shock wave field. The immediate application of the device is in improving the safety and efficacy of Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESL) treatment of kidney and gallbladder stones. The hydrophone is designed for insertion into the body using a catheter or biopsy needle, in order to provide reliable in-vivo acoustic pressure measurements of ESL. The research efforts to date include 1) theoretical modeling to examine design trade-offs associated with material choice and sensor configuration; 2) prototype construction; and 3) acoustical performance characterization. The results of prototype testing will be shown, and will be compared to existing hydrophone designs. Performance differences involve bandwidth, directivity, and survivability under shock wave exposure. The fundamental difficulty is improving survivability without sacrificing bandwidth or signal fidelity.
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