Use Of Piezoelectric Material For Advanced And Cost-Effective Tumor Screening

Abstract

The use of piezoelectric materials including lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has emerged as one of the most promising sources for energy harvesting applications; however, more recently the use of PZT materials has progressed towards investigating areas of advanced defect detection and fatigue-life estimation. This technology can be utilized in mechanical engineering systems as well as biomedical applications such as tumor detection. In this research, we evaluated the feasibility of using piezoelectric materials for detection of tumors and similar forms of malignancies. Specifically, the changes in the impedance-frequency response of the PZT material is monitored for accurate diagnosis about the tumor’s depth and location relative to the PZT sensor. We utilized only the real part of the impedance, or resistance, to increase the data quality and tumor detection accuracy. Successful development of a transducer for tumor detection utilizing PZT materials will contribute to an accumulating knowledge base for PZT-related bio-sensing, wider use of cost-effective sensors, and improved prognosis and treatment options for patients with malignant tumors.