Speakers - CARWC2025

Abstract

The High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) medical device used for anti-aging consists of a cartridge that generates focused ultrasound and a main body that controls it. Inside the cartridge, water is filled to facilitate the transmission of ultrasound energy to the skin, and the piezoelectric transducer that generates the focused ultrasound is typically mounted underwater.

In order to drive the piezoelectric transducer generating focused ultrasound at regular intervals from side to side, mechanical components to drive the piezoelectric transducer using an electronic motor are installed inside and outside the cartridge, which is connected to the handpiece. This structure causes issues such as increased weight of the handpiece, heat generation in the handpiece due to the low energy conversion efficiency of the electronic motor, noise, complexity of epoxy measures for waterproofing the mechanical components, and increased uncertainty in the transmission distance due to the connection of the mechanical components. Using an underwater drive-type piezoelectric linear motor employed in this study, a new type of focused ultrasound cartridge that ensures low power consumption, lightweight, miniaturization, and precision has been developed.

This structure leads to problems such as increased handpiece weight, heat generation in the handpiece due to the electronic motor's low energy conversion efficiency, noise, the complexity of waterproofing measures with epoxy for the mechanisms, and increased uncertainty in the transmission distance due to the connection of mechanisms. By using the underwater-driven piezoelectric linear motor in this study, a new type of focused ultrasound cartridge has been developed that ensures low power consumption, lightweight, miniaturization, and precision.