Metal-free flat horn for ultrasonic surgical devices

Li, Xuan, Wang, Yifei and Lam, Koko (2025) Metal-free flat horn for ultrasonic surgical devices. In 2025 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS): Symposium Proceedings. IEEE. 4 pp . (doi:10.1109/IUS62464.2025.11201570).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Ultrasonic surgical devices are traditionally designed as bolted Langevin transducers (BLTs), in which a bolt pre-stresses a stack of piezoelectric rings between two metallic end masses. This configuration offers high mechanical stability and acoustic power handling capability, but it suffers from increased bulk, weight, and self-heating issues, significantly restricting the ergonomic suitability for hand-held surgical procedures.Recently, planar ultrasonic scalpels have emerged as a more compact, lightweight, and thermal-efficient alternative. Unlike BLTs, which operate in the thickness mode of the piezoelectric stack, planar scalpels utilize the length-thickness mode of the piezoelectric plates bonded with epoxy near the longitudinal displacement nodes of a flat metal horn. However, their limited volume of active material reduces the dynamic performance of the devices. This work presents a novel planar design in which the flat horn is made entirely from a PZT plate, eliminating the metal counterpart. The goal is to maximize the PZT volume and minimize the epoxy usage, thereby enhancing the electromechanical performance.

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