THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF A NOVEL SPLIT ARRAY ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER

Purpose: The design, fabrication and validation of a novel ultrasound transducer is described. The purpose of this transducer is to guide the insertion of epidural anaesthesia and analgesia in obese paturients. The prevalence of obesity in the UK (defined by a BMI >30) is 20%, with 23% percent of all females over the age of 16 defined as obese(1). Prevalence of obesity in paturients will increase with the prevalence of obese children approximately 7% of girls between the ages of 2 and 19)(2). It is such patients most difficult for epidural anaesthesia who have the greatest contra-indications for general anaesthe…