Manufacturing of a Hybrid Acoustic Transmitter Using an Advanced Microassembly System

Advances in both capabilities and miniaturization of medical devices offer promising prospects for medical treatments. Applications range from simple diagnosis to complex treatment tools. Miniature untethered robotic devices are playing a central role within this growing trend, and devices are becoming available on the market. However, one of the biggest challenges is the localization of these devices within the human body in order to close the control loop. This paper presents the design and fabrication of a novel device for localization based on acoustic transducers. The individual microfabricated MEMS components are assembled using a state-of-the-art 6-DOF micromanipulation system in order to meet the high-precision requirements. First position determination experiments have successfully proven the concept with results on the order of submillimeters.