Acoustic metamaterials applied to biomedical ultrasound

Metamaterials are materials which have been engineered to have extraordinary properties. They are constructed from repeated structures that are smaller than the wavelength they are manipulating. Acoustic metamaterials have been shown to be of interest for applications such as sound absorption.

The literature provides detailed theory on metamaterials, including information on the formation of forbidden frequency bands due to periodic structure physics. However, most studies that focus on these metamaterials have only achieved sound absorption with low frequencies such as audible sound. Backing layers are significant, and usually physically the largest components of medical ultrasound probes, and therefore developing methods of integrating metamaterials into devices for higher frequency sound absorption are becoming more urgent, especially for miniaturizing devices.

In general, this project aims to:

- Study current acoustic metamaterial designs, and their related physics, for sound attenuation and understand the current gaps in knowledge which will inform the investigative approach.

- Investigate different metamaterial designs that bring about manipulation of acoustic waves at MHz frequencies through simulation.

- Design a fabrication and testing approach towards an acoustic metamaterial to improve biomedical ultrasound transducer performance and size.